Care Bears in Iran…

When most people think of Care Bears, they don’t think of Iran. But one sweltering afternoon, while I was strolling through Esfehan–I stumbled upon these Care Bears painted on a colorful wall–inked with Persian for an Iranian pre-k. Since I was a fan of the Care Bears growing up, it was comforting to catch a glimpse of these unexpected and familiar faces, as I made my way through Iran…

Over the past several years, random online commenters have referred to the policies and politicians of the U.S. and Iran as “care bears” for a number of reasons. For example, some have asked if the overtures of Iranian officials are intended to make them appear as a “lovable clutch of care bears,” while others have argued that Obama’s policies in the Middle East amount to little more than a “care bear” approach (and if you support Obamacare, then you’d be considered a Care Bear too). I never really realized just how political Care Bears can be…