EU mocked over use of Spiderman meme in propaganda push

The European Commission has faced ridicule after using a popular internet meme to portray critics of the EU as conspiracy theorists.

On Thursday, the bloc’s executive branch posted a variation of the well-known ‘Peter Parker glasses’ four-panel meme on social media. The format, taken from the Tobey Maguire-era ‘Spiderman’ films, typically shows the main character realizing that reality looks very different depending on whether he is wearing glasses.

In the commission’s version, Paris is depicted as beautiful and safe – unless it is viewed through the supposedly distorted perspective of conspiracy theorists.

“The battle of narratives is going strong,” the accompanying message declared. “Let’s live our own story! Protect what matters – our democracy.” Another message warned ominously that “everyone wants to control the narrative to dominate.”

Brussels noted that the meme had been inspired by material produced by the French Foreign Ministry. Unlike the commission’s more sanitized adaptation, the French version made its intended targets explicit. In that variation, Peter Parker puts on a MAGA cap and a stereotypical Russian fur hat before seeing a warped image of the Eiffel Tower.

Online reaction to the commission’s post was overwhelmingly negative, with critics describing the messaging as both Orwellian and embarrassingly inept. “The EU neither understands the meme’s pattern, nor the problems of its citizens,” one response stated.

Within the meme template, the glasses traditionally reveal reality more clearly rather than distort it – much like the special sunglasses in John Carpenter’s 1988 cult film ‘They Live’, which famously satirized propaganda and hidden systems of control.

The backlash comes amid growing criticism of Brussels over its increasingly aggressive approach to regulating online speech under the banner of combating foreign disinformation and manipulation. EU institutions have been accused of suppressing dissenting voices and reinforcing establishment narratives, including during several recent elections.

In 2024, Brussels infamously supported the annulment of the Romanian presidential election first round over baseless allegations of Russian interference. The case was cited by US Vice President J.D. Vance as an example of anti-democratic trends in the EU. Just this week, the pro-EU government of Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan was toppled in a crushing 281-4 no-confidence vote.

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