The embassy in South Africa has been particularly good since the war started. Funny thing is that Iran always was very stale, buttoned up and intellectual in it's communication before this war. Former president Khatami infamously referenced Alexis de Tocqueville’s classic work Democracy in America, remarking that it was a text he was "sure most Americans have read" in a CNN interview in 1998. Now they've realized that most Americans can barely read, so it's been memes and Lego videos during this war, and they've demonstrated that they are better at braindead propaganda too. Quite impressive.
Iran has always been good at memes, they've just kept them in Farsi. But Gen Z speaks significantly better English than older generations so it's easier to get the message across now.
Should've specified that I meant internationally. Unfortunately, I haven't followed the internal stuff. Before this war, the international public diplomacy was very academic and formal as far as I'm aware. I guess it's to be expected that the social media generations would excel at memes, Iranians tend to excel at most things they take seriously. That's apparent even outside Iran, where Iranian minorities in the west are generally more ambitious in most areas compared to the majority of immigrant communities.
Yes you're right, communication from within Iran has been almost exclusively formal, with the occasional journalist that tends to interview anonymous subjects quite naively and almost always with a heavy bias.
Unfortunately it's difficult to keep up with their discourse if you're not immersed in the culture. Iran is a bit of an island, and unless you're physically within the country I think it's pretty much impossible to keep up to date with everything even if you read the news, watch TV all day and read Whatsapp/Telegram all night.
I'd love to see communication restrictions and internal repression loosen up a bit. Information warfare has been a huge factor for Iran over the past 20 years so I can see the desire to guard against that (especially in this last war when they basically physically pulled the plug on the internet because the communication infrastructure was compromised and was being used to stage military strikes and disable the electrical grid). But ultimately I think those restrictions backfired over time, causing confusion, misunderstandings and security holes as people found ways to circumvent the restrictions anyway (as they tend to do). Repression is seldom the answer.
Funny as it is, he's literally incapable of seeing fault in himself
I understand his mind so much better, oddly enough, due to watching South Park and seeing the mental gymnastics Cartman's mind uses to convince himself how he's actually incredible and everyone loves him.
The Ronald McDonald foundation gets lodging for families of sick kids. They often have to travel and stay long term in specialized children's hospitals. A lot of families can't afford it and only visit their kids when they can. Both family and kid suffer. I think it's a great cause that often goes overlooked.
31 Comments
GardenGeek@europe.pub · 55 pts · 19h
They're definetly winning the meme war so far...
DistrictSIX@lemmy.zip · 19 pts · 15h
The embassy in South Africa has been particularly good since the war started. Funny thing is that Iran always was very stale, buttoned up and intellectual in it's communication before this war. Former president Khatami infamously referenced Alexis de Tocqueville’s classic work Democracy in America, remarking that it was a text he was "sure most Americans have read" in a CNN interview in 1998. Now they've realized that most Americans can barely read, so it's been memes and Lego videos during this war, and they've demonstrated that they are better at braindead propaganda too. Quite impressive.
mirshafie@europe.pub · 5 pts · 13h
Iran has always been good at memes, they've just kept them in Farsi. But Gen Z speaks significantly better English than older generations so it's easier to get the message across now.
DistrictSIX@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 13h
Should've specified that I meant internationally. Unfortunately, I haven't followed the internal stuff. Before this war, the international public diplomacy was very academic and formal as far as I'm aware. I guess it's to be expected that the social media generations would excel at memes, Iranians tend to excel at most things they take seriously. That's apparent even outside Iran, where Iranian minorities in the west are generally more ambitious in most areas compared to the majority of immigrant communities.
mirshafie@europe.pub · 4 pts · 8h
Yes you're right, communication from within Iran has been almost exclusively formal, with the occasional journalist that tends to interview anonymous subjects quite naively and almost always with a heavy bias.
Unfortunately it's difficult to keep up with their discourse if you're not immersed in the culture. Iran is a bit of an island, and unless you're physically within the country I think it's pretty much impossible to keep up to date with everything even if you read the news, watch TV all day and read Whatsapp/Telegram all night.
I'd love to see communication restrictions and internal repression loosen up a bit. Information warfare has been a huge factor for Iran over the past 20 years so I can see the desire to guard against that (especially in this last war when they basically physically pulled the plug on the internet because the communication infrastructure was compromised and was being used to stage military strikes and disable the electrical grid). But ultimately I think those restrictions backfired over time, causing confusion, misunderstandings and security holes as people found ways to circumvent the restrictions anyway (as they tend to do). Repression is seldom the answer.
Jankatarch@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 4h
The concept of "mass anti-intellectualism" was probably a major culture-shock to most people.
DontTreadOnBigfoot@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 14h
Funny as it is, he's literally incapable of seeing fault in himself
I understand his mind so much better, oddly enough, due to watching South Park and seeing the mental gymnastics Cartman's mind uses to convince himself how he's actually incredible and everyone loves him.
mirshafie@europe.pub · 4 pts · 13h
Yeah, Mr. Garrison may have played the role of Trump in South Park, but Trump is an actual Cartman.
YurkshireLad@lemmy.ca · 13 pts · 19h
They need to post this on, and I can barely bring myself to type its name, Truth Social.
Mulligrubs@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 13h
Ronald McDonald is an asshole, but this is a bit extreme, he's not a rapist or anything. Kinda mean.
peteypete420@sh.itjust.works · 7 pts · 15h
Why you doing Ronald so wrong?
ayyy@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 14h
Yea Ronald saves children instead of raping them.
inari@piefed.zip · 3 pts · 12h
Defending McDonald's? On my Lemmy?
ayyy@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 7h
lol it just occurred to me that I literally forgot he’s the mascot for the food place and not just the helping kids with diseases guy.
That’s how little I consider McDonalds to be food haha.
braydan@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 14h
yakko@feddit.uk · 4 pts · 15h
I can't believe I'm saying this for some reason, but fuck Ronald McDonald.
nieceandtows@programming.dev · 6 pts · 16h
Wrong clown in reflection
Malyca@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 14h
Ronald helps kids, Trump tortures them for fun.
inari@piefed.zip · 1 pts · 12h
Ronald helps kids develop heart disease
Malyca@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 11h
The Ronald McDonald foundation gets lodging for families of sick kids. They often have to travel and stay long term in specialized children's hospitals. A lot of families can't afford it and only visit their kids when they can. Both family and kid suffer. I think it's a great cause that often goes overlooked.
wyldrstallyns@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 9h
Uh... They've been quietly predatory for decades, now. Not unlike Goodwill, The Salvation Army, etc.; but far worse, IMHO. A cursory search'll easily turn up all sorts of corporate halo-fostering, blanket criminal background screening policies in housing, and pandemic-era operational mandates, et al., just sayin'.
MoffKalast@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 16h
You are what you eat
BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today · 3 pts · 9h
Shove him in.
kevindery@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 9h
Though he was pissing in the pool XD
Kolanaki@pawb.social · 1 pts · 7h
Just his pants.
LemmyPlaceDN@europe.pub · 3 pts · 16h
Dancing clown, young and swown, only seventown
Geobloke@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 3h
You are what you eat
Jesusaurus@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 16h
Need to make it so parts of the paint are visibly peeling up
Impractical_Island@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 14h
Ronald McGodDamnDonald
Jankatarch@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 4h
...ronald mcdonald insanity.
Jankatarch@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 4h
A rich clown born out of capitalism? Wait.
WolfmanEightySix@piefed.social · 1 pts · 4h
Too much self reflection for that “man”.