The White House is facing criticism for releasing promotional videos that liken war scenes to video games and movie clips. Critics say the administration is trivializing warfare that has caused real casualties by turning it into internet memes.
According to NBC on the 13th (local time), the White House posted an edited video of U.S. airstrikes on Iran to its official X (formerly Twitter) account with the caption "UNDEFEATED."
The video features footage from Nintendo's Wii console games. Scenes symbolizing precision strikes—a golf hole-in-one, an arrow hitting the bullseye in archery, and a basketball swishing through the hoop—are edited to cut to actual U.S. airstrike footage. A bombing scene is cross-edited immediately after a bowling strike, with the word "STRIKE" displayed on screen.
On the 7th, the White House had also posted an "Iran war meme" using footage from the popular video game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas." The clip begins with a character walking, transitions to actual combat footage of U.S. forces attacking Iranian vehicles, and ends with the game's death screen message "Wasted."
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung shared the video on his social media accounts, listing cheat codes that provide unlimited ammunition in the game.
From 'Iron Man' to 'Yu-Gi-Oh'—Copyright Infringement Controversy
Since the war began on the 28th of last month, the White House has posted approximately 10 such videos to its official account, including clips spliced from the films "Iron Man" and "Superman," the Japanese anime "Yu-Gi-Oh," and footage combining explosions with American football players colliding.
The problem is that no copyright clearance was obtained. Ben Stiller, director and star of the film "Tropic Thunder," publicly demanded the removal of videos using his content. The "Yu-Gi-Oh" franchise also confirmed the White House used its animation footage without authorization.
"Disrespecting the Victims"—Growing Criticism Within the U.S.
Criticism is mounting within the United States over the depiction of real-world war as virtual entertainment. According to human rights organizations, civilian deaths in Iran have exceeded 200, while the U.S. military has suffered 7 killed in action and numerous wounded.
A former senior military official told NBC, "This is absolutely disrespectful to everyone involved, including Iran, which is at war, and the Americans who fought with their lives on the line." The official added, "Whoever made these videos seems to think everything is a joke."
