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Bonus Ep: How Iran is using rap and lego to win the propaganda war

4/30/202616 min

Iran’s war time propaganda videos featuring AI rap music and Lego characters are getting millions of views online. 

They praise the Islamic Republic, and mock Trump. But their message is also dark, anti-semitic and leaning into conspiracy theories.

So how has a regime that’s shut down the internet, and isn’t known for its sense of humor captured the zeitgeist so well?

Today, Holly Dagres, an Iranian-American analyst from the Washington Institute on Iran’s viral meme war and what it tells us about the regime. 

 

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Guest: Senior fellow at the Washington Institute, Holly Dagres

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Clips

Propaganda Team Not Independent
From Venezuela dream to North Korea
Calling Trump’s bluff, go nuclear
Antisemitic imagery unpacked
Targeting America First voters
Borrowing the White House playbook
Why Legos—and who’s behind it
Countering diaspora narratives fast

Transcript preview

First 90 seconds

  1. Speaker 0· Soundbite0:00

    Hey, orange pig. America first? Oops. Oh, boy, that was the slogan you sold. But Bibi's pulling strings Iran's wartime propaganda videos featuring AI rap music and Lego characters are getting millions of views online.

  2. Nicole Johnston· Host0:16

    They praise the Islamic Republic and mock Trump, but their message is also dark, antisemitic, and leaning into conspiracy theories Make Israel great again.

  3. Speaker 0· Soundbite0:26

    Your government is run by pedophiles. They ordered you to die for Israel. They ordered you to die for Israel. They lied to you all. We saw everything So how's a regime that shut down the internet and isn't known for its sense of humor capture the zeitgeist so well?

  4. Nicole Johnston· Host0:47

    [gentle music] I'm Nicole Johnston, and you're listening to 7AM. Today, Holly Dagres, an Iranian American analyst from the Washington Institute, on Iran's viral meme war and what it tells us about the regime. It's Thursday, April 30. Holly, I've gotta say, I've become a bit addicted to watching these Iranian Lego videos over the last couple of weeks, and they really seem to have taken the world by storm. But before we get into who made them, what's behind it, let's talk

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