The Iranian Lego AI video creators credit their virality to ‘heart’ | The Verge

AIEntertainmentPolicyThe Iranian Lego AI video creators credit their virality to ‘heart’Explosive Media is going up against the White House in a meme war.by Charles Pulliam-MooreApr 10, 2026, 5:30 PM UTCLinkShareGift Image: Explosive MediaCharles Pulliam-Moore is a reporter focusing on film, TV, and pop culture. Before The Verge, he wrote about comic books, labor, race, and more at io9 and Gizmodo for almost five years.Donald Trump has spun the recent rescue of a downed airman whose fighter jet was destroyed behind Iranian borders as a resounding success. But the story is very different in one of the many viral, AI-generated Lego videos that have been produced by Iranian content creation group Explosive Media in the weeks since the US and Israel began dropping bombs on the country. In Explosive Media’s music video take on how things played out, the US military is a joke for losing multiple planes and helicopters, and spending “$100 million just to save one guy.”The video’s shots of Lego jets exploding into $100 bills and golden coins reinforce the idea that the US is wasting taxpayer dollars just to be outmaneuvered by Iranian forces. And the accompanying AI-generated lyrics send a clear message about Iran being ready to do it all again if and when the US strikes next.Explosive Media’s content plainly reads as propaganda. But the simplicity of its messaging has helped turn the group’s videos to a viral phenomenon. The videos are being shared across the internet, and peopl...