The White House has released a series of promotional videos on social media that mix real combat footage from the war with Iran with clips from Hollywood movies, video games, and sports. The videos feature scenes from films such as 'Braveheart,' 'Superman,' 'Top Gun,' 'Breaking Bad,' and 'Iron Man,' alongside imagery from video games like Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, Mortal Kombat, and Halo. Sports clips include NFL and college football tackles and Major League Baseball home runs, with bat cracks interspersed with explosions.
The videos are set to aggressive music, including Childish Gambino's 'Bonfire,' Miami XO's 'Bazooka,' and AC/DC's 'Thunderstruck.' One post described the video as 'JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY,' accompanied by flag and fire emojis. Critics, including Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of the U.S. Catholic Church, have condemned the trivialisation of deadly conflict, saying it dishonours those who have died.
Actors Ben Stiller and Steve Downes, whose work appeared in the videos, have called for their depictions to be removed. Stiller stated he had 'no interest in being part of your propaganda machine,' while Downes described the videos as 'disgusting and juvenile war porn.' The White House did not comment on whether it would accommodate these requests, with spokeswoman Anna Kelly saying the administration would continue showcasing military successes.
