For our new BBC podcast, Top Comment, we spoke to a representative of Explosive Media, one of the key accounts generating these clips. He wanted us to refer to him as Mr Explosive.

He's a savvy social media operator who initially denies working for the Iranian government. In previous interviews the outlet has said it is "totally independent". But upon further questioning, Mr Explosive admits the regime is a "customer" - something he's never before confirmed publicly.

The overriding message of these videos is that Iran is resisting what it sees as an almighty global oppressor: the United States.

The clips are garish and not subtle at all - but that hasn't put a dent in how vigorously people are sharing and commenting on them.


AI has enabled Iran and others to communicate directly with Western audiences more effectively than ever before, Briant says. They are using tools largely trained on Western data, making them ideal for creating "culturally appropriate" content.

This is what "authoritarian countries wanting to target the West have lacked in the past".

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[–] [S] 14 points 7 months ago

something fascinating in the idea underlying that second quote there--that AI is so Western-biased currently in terms of training data that developing nations actually have a much easier time using it to generate persuasive and engaging propaganda than developed nations. critical support to Iran in this regard, i suppose lol

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  • 41 comments in c/world@lemmy.world view that post
    [–] 45 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (16 children)

    The overriding message of these videos is that Iran is resisting what it sees as an almighty global oppressor: the United States.

    For decades the USA have been the Bad Guy in the "Larger Middle East" mostly for their complete lack of understanding how societies work. So many times. In every country except Israel. This is the ultimate fuck-up. I'm not a friend of the guns blazing approach to secure oil, but even that could've worked if they'd just put a little more effort into understanding the people they're invading.

    Cheesus, do I hope they get fucked over good. Not the soldiers of course but the USA itself.

    And I fucking hate the Iran regime and all religious states. But the USA are making it all too easy for them to portray themselves as the good guys.


    When we push back - citing US officials who say the airman is now receiving treatment in Kuwait - he claims: "Only 13% of what Mr Trump says is based on facts."

    And why should they tell only facts in their videos if the leader of the biggest military of the world (by budget) is so obviously lying as soon as he opens his mouth.

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  • [–] 36 points 7 months ago* (11 children)

    The reason those religious regimes etc exist in the first place is that USA supported them in the beginning.

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  • [–] 28 points 7 months ago (8 children)

    Except for Iran that actually had democracy until USA undermined it and instated the Shah to get the oil.
    That ended up causing a revolution, that replaced the Shah with a religious regime.

    So thank you USA, I hope you enjoyed the few years of oil profits from Iran! /s

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  • [+] 15 points 7 months ago (7 children)
  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago (6 children)

    AFAIK UK weren't that involved with Iran, they were with Egypt, but USA fucked UK over regarding Egypt, and made deals for themselves instead of helping UK.

    MI6 were definitely not saints, their only redeeming quality was probably that they were less successful.

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  • [–] 5 points 7 months ago (5 children)
  • [–] 3 points 7 months ago (4 children)

    The anglo soviet was UK and USSR. Fuck the yanks they messed up everywhere but they were not here this time.

    Presumably they were committing war crimes elsewhere or plotting child rape organisations.

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  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago

    The Iranian rebellion was ultimately betrayed by the Islamic clergy. Without organizations such as the Mojahedeen-e Khalq, the revolution would not have happened. And as a thank you, the Iranian left got slaughtered after 1979.

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  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    I also hope that the soldiers that go abroad to kill for money will not be fucked over, since they are basically good guys.

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  • [–] [S] 35 points 7 months ago (7 children)
  • [–] 22 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    Wow that's... kinda fire. Ngl.

    I'm not a big fan of the IRGC, but that's a banger of a diss track.

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  • [–] 8 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    Damn, that's no exaggeration, I wasn't prepared for the quality of that.

    I'm going to have the hook "your government is run by pedophiles, they ordered you to die for Israel" stuck in my head for a while. Those are not words I ever expected would be catchy lyrics, but here we are.

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  • [–] 13 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    You said you like losers, well look at your team

    I wonder if AI made the lyrics too. Some of it is - too good.

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  • [–] 7 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    The lyrics are so good I'm leaning towards them being written by a real human and then just fed into AI

    I kind of assume the same with the imagery too. It's slop but I gotta admit that it's quality slop

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  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago

    Some human effort went into this for sure. But I keep forgetting that everything AI produces is essentially stolen human effort.

    The editing is tight, but when you look closer at some scenes you see typical AI bs.

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  • [+] 66 points 7 months ago (4 children)
  • [–] 14 points 7 months ago

    This is actually the first time I’ve seen that and damn, hit the nail right on the head.

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  • [–] 5 points 7 months ago

    Slopaganda is a gorgeous term. I hate it.

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  • [–] 8 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    L.O.S.E.R. was such a banger!

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  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago

    Is it really propaganda if a majority is true?

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  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (2 children)

    I've seen a few but not the rap "the secrets are leaking, the pressure is rising"

    Anyone have a linkl? I searched DDG and no links, seems like it's being suppressed in the US for some reason..

    found this though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G9DNx7xIIc

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  • [–] 3 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    What, no “slop” comments?

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  • [–] 4 points 7 months ago

    I mean the guy didn’t really make it. AI did. Or should I say the collective effort of many people’s work that the model was trained on did? I find there‘s something ironic about the content of the videos considering LLMs are the ultimate „fuck your consent“ tools. But I will say it‘s very effective.

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  • 9 comments in c/world view that post
    [–] 6 points 7 months ago (3 children)

    I didn't find the videos all that well done, the two I saw. They were better than previous attempts at propaganda for western audiences. I could do better.

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  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago (1 child)
  • [–] 4 points 7 months ago*

    Certainly not with that kind of attitude.

    The people in charge, from world leaders, to business, to nonprofits, are not the best people, and they've appointed and hired the wrong people up and down the line. We are much more capable than the people lording over us, and their contractors. Maybe not you per se idk, but collectively.

    To assume the best people are in charge, is laughable, and an indictment to your own quality in understanding.

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  • [+] 12 points 7 months ago (4 children)
  • [–] 10 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    Regardless of how bad the regime is, the usa is a lot worse and is the one aggressing the other. The usa is responsible of millions of death for decades. Call me back when iran kill as much. The usa is backing a genocide too.

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  • 5 comments in c/worldnews@lemmy.ml view that post
    [–] 12 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    He wanted us to refer to him as Mr Explosive.

    ☠️

    But upon further questioning, Mr Explosive admits the rEgImE is a "customer"

    Very neutral language by BBC again

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  • [–] 3 points 7 months ago

    My mom sent me one. Like, she sent someone's reaction to one of them.

    They're weird, idk.

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  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago*

    Censored and blocked in YT, apart copyright claims from LEGO US.

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  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago

    The overriding message of these videos is that Iran is resisting what it sees as an almighty global oppressor: the United States.

    Almighty global oppressor? Calm the fuck down, it's called a hegemon

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  • 3 comments in c/hackernews@lemmy.bestiver.se view that post
    [–] 15 points 7 months ago

    When we push back - citing US officials who say the airman is now receiving treatment in Kuwait

    yeah, sure. this supposed airman that nobody has seen, heard from, talked to, or even knows the name of, is resting in Kuwait. and to back that up, we have the word of hegseth and trump. two entirely trustworthy people who are known to have never lied about anything, ever.

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  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    L.O.S.E.R. was such a banger

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    3 comments in c/world view that post
    [–] 5 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    The music is pretty mid honestly. They need to get someone with better bars if they want me to watch.

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  • [–] 5 points 6 months ago

    I've seen these posted on 4chan. Not just on /pol/, but even places like the worksafe gif board.

    There's undoubtedly a ton of this stuff that goes under the radar because it's less noticeable.

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  • 1 comment in c/world view that post