Inside Iran's Gen Z Meme Army: How LEGO Became War Propaganda
From Taylor Lorenz’s Power User by Taylor Lorenz
April 15, 2026 · 35 min
About this episode
The episode explores how Iranian LEGO videos are reshaping perceptions of the US-Iran war through meme culture.
Iranian LEGO videos mocking the US government are taking over the internet. Support my independent journalism: 🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co We are living in an era where global internet culture and meme warfare are just as influential as traditional media and LEGOs are being used to create the most effective messaging around the US-Iran war. I sat down with Areeba Fatima, a journalist for Dropsite News, who's been reporting on the team behind "Explosive Media," the group of seemingly Gen Z Iranians producing this viral content. We dive deep into how these LEGO videos are actively reshaping Americans' perceptions of modern warfare, and why this content is uniquely bridging the gap across the American political spectrum. 🔥 EXCLUSIVE BONUS EPISODE: I tracked down and interviewed a member of Explosive Media, the team in Iran behind these viral LEGO videos. To hear directly from the Iranians making these LEGO videos, watch the full bonus interview on my Patreon or Substack. 🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: …
People in this episode
Host: Taylor Lorenz
Guest: Areeba Fatima
Topics covered
- Iran
- Gen Z
- meme warfare
- LEGO
- US-Iran relations
- viral content
Keywords
- LEGO
- meme warfare
- Iran
- Gen Z
- viral videos
- US government
- Explosive Media
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Dropsite News, Explosive Media
Places: Iran, United States
More episodes of Taylor Lorenz’s Power User
- The Anti-LGBTQ Internet Censorship Bill Is Back · June 12, 2026 · 33 min
- Exposing OpenAI's Secret Meme Army: A $125M Propaganda Network · June 10, 2026 · 21 min
- Are You On A Govt Watchlist? Cops Are Tracking Anyone Who Hates AI · June 5, 2026 · 18 min
- The Data Center Boom Is More Toxic Than You Think · June 3, 2026 · 48 min
- Visa Could Ruin the Internet · May 29, 2026 · 29 min
- Why AI Doom Content Is Everywhere · May 27, 2026 · 45 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Taylor Lorenz’s Power User podcast page.