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Here we have China producing a Lego-style cartoon video mocking America’s response to the coronavirus. We have been experiencing many surreal things as a result of this pandemic, but this may be the surrealist.

To show you how “serious” this all is, the Hollywood Reporter has even written a story about the video saying, “As relations between the U.S. and China grow increasingly fraught, Beijing is trying out ridicule to press its case.”

Well, ridicule is certainly better than industrial espionage or intellectual theft.

Oh wait, speaking of intellectual theft, the animation style looks an awful like The LEGO Movie, an American film, based on construction toys created by a Danish company.

The video features LEGO-shaped figures squaring off and trading verbal barbs.

The Chinese character resembles one of the famous terra cotta warriors wearing a medical mask.

Actual, non-LEGO terra cotta warrior

(Just as a little background, the Terracotta Army is a collection of life-size clay sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. The army was buried with the emperor in 210–209 BCE in order to protect him in his afterlife. So they’re depicting someone dead, but whatever).

America is of course symbolized by the Statue of Liberty – who is not wearing a mask.

“We discovered a new virus,” says the warrior. “So what?” the Statue of Liberty says in response. “It’s only a flu.”

The warrior continues to give warnings about the virus, while touting some of China’s achievements in containing it.

The Statue of Liberty, on the other hand, makes dismissive replies, sounding like President Trump’s early tweets and statements about the epidemic – or at least the way the mainstream media portrayed them.

“It will magically go away in April,” says the Statue of Liberty.

“Just listen to yourselves,” says the warrior, as Lady Liberty gradually turns red and gets connected to an IV drip.

“We are always correct, even though we contradict ourselves,” replies the statue.

“That’s what I love about you Americans — your consistency,” the warrior says in the final frames.

For its part, LEGO denies any involvement in the video, stating diplomatically,” We weren’t involved in making the animation in any way. As a toy company, we’re focusing on bringing play to children and families.”

No idea how much of the company’s production is based in China, but several Chinese companies are listed as suppliers in a list as of 2017.

Which brings us to a key point. Wouldn’t it be awesome (sing along now, Everything is Awesome) if the United States wasn’t dependent on China for important things right now like personal protection equipment, medications and other hospital equipment?

We managed to become energy-independent, so we don’t have to buy oil from countries that don’t like us. Shouldn’t we be mask-independent too — particularly for something that quite literally could be a life or death situation? Well, at Nine Line, we think so. Made in America has never been so important.

FOUNDED BY PATRIOTS FOR PATRIOTS, WE’RE DETERMINED TO ENSURE THE SURVIVAL OF LIBERTY AND TRUE AMERICAN VALUES.