ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

The Bighdaddy Show: Satirical Videos Combat ISIS Online

digital · 2026-05-05

The Bighdaddy Show is a series of short satirical videos launched on social media to humorously counter ISIS propaganda. The project debuted on July 7, 2016, with a video mocking Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The show portrays ISIS as buffoons with guns and a ridiculous approach to religion. It has gained popularity in the Middle East, amassing over 200,000 Facebook likes and one million views per video. The anonymous admin, Prospero, stated in an interview that the group consists of activists, graphic designers, and volunteer lawyers from across the Arab world, including areas controlled by ISIS. The videos are in Arabic with English subtitles. The first season features sketches where Bighdaddy interacts with a whiny Australian jihadist and tells his origin story. Bighdaddy's fictional superpowers include promising to free Andalusia from bullfighters, Washington from the White House, and Iraq from Iraqis, if God wills.

Key facts

  • The Bighdaddy Show is a collection of short satirical videos launched on social media.
  • The project aims to combat ISIS with humor.
  • The latest video was released on July 7, 2016.
  • The show mocks Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
  • The Facebook page has over 200,000 likes.
  • Each video receives about one million views.
  • The admin, Prospero, remains anonymous.
  • The team includes activists, graphic designers, and lawyers from the Arab world.

Entities

Artists

  • Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
  • Prospero

Institutions

  • Facebook
  • ISIS

Locations

  • Middle East
  • Andalusia
  • Washington
  • Iraq
  • Arab world

Sources