IR Strikes Back

🎬 White Snake Explained : The Politics Behind the Romance 🐍What if a fantasy romance could also show how a country’s stories travel, shape perceptions, and spotlight the values it wants the world to see. In this episode of IR Strikes Back, Les RI contre attaquent, we unpack White Snake and look at what happens when a Chinese legend is adapted into a global animated film, not just what the story...

🎬 Zootopia 2 is NOT just a sequel. It’s a political statement. In this episode of The IR Strikes Back, we break down why Zootopia 2 goes even further than the first film in its political commentary, from billionaire influence and media power to pop culture resistance and international law.🦊🐰 From Zoogo and Zootube to desert festival aesthetics inspired by Coachella, Zootopia mirrors our contemp...

🎭 Wicked for Good isn’t just a fantasy sequel. It’s a political story about power, propaganda, and who gets to decide what “good” really means.🧠 In this episode, we explore how narratives are manufactured in Oz, how Elphaba is turned into a villain, and how fear, misinformation, and appearances shape public opinion.📢 From Cold War style propaganda to feminism and resistance, Wicked for Good sho...

In this episode of The IR Strikes Back, we dive into Wicked Part I to uncover the political message hidden behind Oz’s glittering magic. Far from being “just” a musical, Wicked is a lesson in narrative control, propaganda, and the politics of storytelling. We break down how the film shows:🌀 History rewritten by those in power — from the Wizard’s staged heroism to Oz’s carefully curated public ima...

🎬 In this episode of The IR Strikes Back, we break down how My Internship in Canada turns a political comedy into a sharp look at power, identity, and the realities of Canadian democracy. 🍁✨🇨🇦 The clash between federal, provincial, and municipal power — and why nothing is ever simple in Canada🪶 How the film echoes real tensions with First Nations and land disputes🚛 Parallels with modern prote...

🎬 In this episode of The IR Strikes Back, we unpack how DAY6 turns a simple road trip into a bold reflection on fame, identity, and soft power. 🚙✨🇺🇸 The symbolism of filming in the United States and the myth of the “American Dream”🎸 How DAY6 flips cultural power by bringing K-pop into Western spaces🪞 The subtle critique of racism and bias hidden within their journey across AmericaWe also expl...

In this episode of The IR Strike Back, we dive into Season 2 Part 2 of Wednesday (Netflix) to analyze three standout elements: ✨ The use of K-pop with Boombayah by Blackpink 🍁 The symbolic mention of Canada and its border 🇵🇭 The role of the Philippines in the storyline and their historical ties with the United States We also take a look at Lady Gaga’s appearance and the rumors surrounding Joshua...

🏁 The GP Explorer 3 isn’t just a race — it’s a showdown of soft power between creators, cultures, and countries 🌍.When Squeezie brings American, French, Spanish, and Québécois streamers together, the result isn’t only engines roaring — it’s languages, habits, and pop culture identities colliding. From Ludwig’s cultural shock at French dinner times 🍷 to the gap between U.S. and French YouTubers,...

🎬 In this episode of IR Strikes Back , we dive into Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival and uncover how language shapes diplomacy and global politics. 🌍 With Kimberly Hétu-Lévesque (Université de Montréal), we explore the film through IR theories: realism, constructivism, and the security dilemma. 🕊️ From U.S.–China tensions to Russia’s isolation, media propaganda, and the dangers of miscommunication, we...

🎬 In this new episode of RI Strikes Back, we dive into the film G20 (2024), streaming on Amazon Prime. The film follows the first African-American female president of the United States during a G20 summit in Cape Town... which turns into a diplomatic and geopolitical nightmare. A terrorist attack, cryptocurrency issues, and disinformation fuelled by artificial intelligence transform this internat...

K-Pop: Demon Hunters looks like pure Korean soft power — but behind the glitter lies an American remix. In this episode of Les RI contre-attaquent , we unpack how Netflix’s animated fantasy uses K-pop idols to project U.S. influence: from the Met Gala to songs in English, from hybrid characters to the celebration of individuality over collective identity. 🎧 Key themes: Why global success still ru...

⚠️ Disclaimer: this podcast does not aim to endorse J.K. Rowling’s work ⚠️🎬 Fantastic Beasts 2 & 3 are more than just wizarding films — they reveal a subtle blend of Anglo-American soft power. Beyond magical duels, the story mirrors today’s geopolitical challenges: the rise of populism and the struggles of international institutions. In this episode of IR Strikes Back, we unpack how the Harry...