'Is this parody?': New White House video on Iran war invites online backlash

After using clips from movies like 'Braveheart' and 'Top Gun' in their depiction of Operation Epic Fury, the White House used bowling legend Pete Weber for its latest meme on the Iran conflict. The post depicts angry-faced bowling pins charging with a placard stating they won't stop making nuclear weapons before being hit by a bowling ball painted as the U.S. flag. A remix of 'Freebird' by Lynyrd Skynyrd plays in the background. The post, made as Operation EPic Fury entered its tenth day, has not gone down well with critics and social media commentators.

Apart from a few Republican supporters lauding President Trump and his administration, a large section of the comments called the post outrageous, with many voicing their concerns about the cartoonish depiction of a war that has claimed several lives. Television personality Trixie Mattel labelled the post "embarrassing, dangerous, weird." "I still can't believe these idiots are running the country. Into the f*****g ground," former prosecutor and political commentator Ron Filipkowski commented. 

This is not the first time the White House has faced criticism for its outlandish posts about the war in Iran. In the last two weeks, the White House account has published a series of high-octane videos, merging games and movies with real footage of American troops striking Iran. On March 5, the administration published a 42-second clip on X titled "JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY," combining popular clips from 'Iron Man', 'Braveheart', 'Breaking Bad', 'Gladiator', among other movies, combined with visuals of War Secretary Pete Hegseth and actual Operation Epic Fury footage. 

The posts have not gone well with many of the stars associated with the movies. Actor Ben Stiller has demanded the removal of the clip, asserting that "war is not a movie." "We never gave you permission and have no interest in being a part of your propaganda machine," Stiller wrote in a social media post. Steve Downes, too, criticised the videos, calling them "disgusting and juvenile war porn." In other  instances, the White House social media team portrayed President Trump as a Minecraft character or dressed him as Master Chief, labeling him "America’s most pro-gamer president."

The administration, however, remains unapologetic, with a White House spokesperson telling the Associated Press that the legacy media "wants us to apologize for highlighting the United States Military’s incredible success." Anna Kelly also asserted that the White House would continue "showcasing the many examples of Iran’s ballistic missiles, production facilities, and dreams of owning a nuclear weapon being destroyed in real time."