From Jack Sparrow to Bride of Chucky, Iran’s video jibes at Trump are online hit in China
The footage also leans into popular culture, using Chinese rap and popular cartoon figures to court younger social media users
The Iranian embassy in Beijing has released an animated rap video featuring internet memes and pop culture to mock US leaders and celebrate Iran’s warm ties with China.
The two-minute video What is the East? was published on Monday afternoon and had drawn over 370,000 views by noon the next day.
It also carried a strong message of Eastern unity and leaned heavily into millennial and Gen Z nostalgia to demonstrate cultural crossover.
This included an animated version of Pesar Ammeh Za – a puppet from the popular Iranian children’s show Kolah Ghermezi – sitting down and drinking tea with Ne Zha, the rebellious, dark-eyed mythological figure who has inspired two hit animated Chinese films.
By contrast, US President Donald Trump was depicted at one point as a pirate on board a ship with a Jack Sparrow-like figure.
He was shown next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was depicted as the Bride of Chucky in a leather motorcycle jacket and gown.
The video also mocked US foreign policy in the Middle East by depicting a squad of smiling American presidents – including Trump, Barack Obama and George W. Bush – dressed as soldiers carrying away barrels of oil.