Meme warfare - Today, Explained Recap
Podcast: Today, Explained
Published: 2026-03-24T18:00:00.000Z
Duration: 1572
Guests: Nick Cull, Will Remus
What Happened
The episode examines the use of memes and videos in modern propaganda, highlighting a new era of wartime communication. The U.S. government has released videos, including one featuring SpongeBob SquarePants, as part of its propaganda efforts related to the Iran War. These videos mark a departure from traditional propaganda, which historically has been more serious and aimed at gaining public support before military engagement.
Noel King speaks with Nick Cull, a historian of propaganda at USC Annenberg, about the objectives of propaganda in wartime. Cull outlines three main goals: rallying domestic support, persuading allies, and demoralizing the enemy. He emphasizes that effective propaganda often taps into pre-existing beliefs within a population, rather than creating new ideas. This method of exploiting existing sentiments was famously used by Adolf Hitler.
Cull discusses how the Trump administration's approach to propaganda is aimed at a specific audience, namely young men familiar with gaming culture. This strategy involves using pop culture references, including video game clips and movie scenes, to appeal to this demographic. However, these messages are divisive and not designed to reach a broader audience.
Will Remus from the Washington Post talks about how Iranian accounts on social media are exploiting existing American cultural rifts, like the controversy surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, to spread propaganda. These accounts have gained significant traction by posting AI-generated deepfake videos that resonate with certain U.S. audiences.
Remus explains that misinformation often reinforces existing beliefs rather than changing minds. He points out that the success of these Iranian propaganda videos stems from their ability to amplify existing doubts and mistrusts about U.S. government actions, particularly regarding the Iran War.
The episode concludes with a discussion on how such propaganda efforts could inadvertently benefit other global powers like China. By making the U.S. appear chaotic and unpredictable, China could be perceived as a more stable and appealing ally to other countries, particularly in the Global South.
Key Insights
- The U.S. government is using pop culture and meme references in its propaganda efforts, marking a shift from traditional methods.
- Propaganda in wartime aims to rally domestic support, persuade allies, and demoralize enemies by tapping into existing beliefs.
- Iranian social media accounts are using deepfake videos to exploit American cultural rifts, gaining millions of views.
- Misinformation often reinforces existing beliefs rather than changing minds, and these tactics could benefit global competitors like China.