"Apparently, a sizable number of California voters share a genetic trait stunting their capacity to recognize political satire and parody—a disability greatly augmented by the use of artificial intelligence (A.I.)"
Well, they've been electing super majorities of Far Left legislators for a couple of decades, and those people's motto might as well be, "That's not funny!"
As California is the home of Hollywood, founded by and filled with writers, actors, producers, comedians etc; the home of Silicon Valley and the birthplace of the technology that was supposed to liberate information, erase knowledge hierarchies, and free our minds; and also the home of the radical writers and thinkers of the Bay Area, from Jack London to John Steinbeck to the Beats...I can only assume that all these people responded vociferously in opposition to this obvious govt intrusion in the realm of thought and expression, and that every person and company whose lives and livelihoods are dependent on creativity and the freedom of the imagination rose as one to denounce this attempt to stifle free speech.
Great piece, Prof. Graboyes I’ve noticed over the past few years that a lot of “comedies” coming out of Hollywood aren’t particularly funny to me and assumed that, like my sense of taste, my sense of humor has also dimmed over time. Now I know it’s not me, it’s the terrible affliction you’ve named Fragile Californian Syndrome (FCS).
Back in the day, I could count on seeing a half dozen or more genuinely funny movies and TV shows per year. Heck, the whole state pulled off some genius level pranks on the rest of the country, like putting yard clippings on a plate, giving it vaguely Italian sounding names and calling it a salad — then charging $15 a plate, back when $15 was three hours of wages. And they elected Arnold Schwarzenegger governor in the biggest “welease Woderwick” goof of all time (up till 2020, I mean)!
Sadly, FCS has spread to at least half the country. Not that I’d consider him Presidential material, but come on! Donald Trump is pulling the biggest “staying in character” gag since Andy Kaufman shuffled off this mortal coil (or did he?).
I am convinced that the government in California is not so concerned with “deep fakes” or parody but with humor that makes them look bad or some times the truth they want to hide. Historically, misinformation, disinformation and malinformation is usually the function of government control. What is it they don’t want us to know?
Briefly, a Maryland school principal suddenly had to confront an audio recording of himself saying vile racist things. He was hounded, his family was harassed, and he had to move to another job in the district. But even now, with the recording established as fake, the principal still has to fend off attacks by those who haven't gotten the latest, or worst, don't want to believe that the recording was fake. Such aftermaths are a big driving force in journalism today, and a principal reason for the low esteem the press is facing these days.
So. Does First Amendment protect such a recording. Ferociously tough question:
a) if yes, the victims will have to pay an appallingly high price
b) if, no what principle do you use to determine if a crime has been committed? Is it false? It would be easy to round up a hundred journalists who would swear that the Hunter Biden laptop is fake, and twice as many intelligence "professionals' to back them up.
Many thanks for the Pennypacker appetizer in this fine post.
"It's fun to mock Californians for their witlessness. There is also a serious problem with AI generated fakes." Agreed on both counts. I'm simply convinced that anointing the witless ideologues as gatekeepers of truth is more dangerous than the AI problem. I suspect that the solution to this serious problem will come in two forms. (1) Markets will generate tools with which to detect and flag fakes. (2) People will develop a powerful skepticism about the audios and videos that cross their paths. The answer to Chico Marx's immortal question ("Who you gonna believe? Me, or your eyes?") will become "neither." Audio and video, for example, may join polygraph tests as inadmissible in courts of law because of their unreliability. (Courts did fine without audio and video for millennia.) And in everyday life, people will come to regard audio and video as amusing noise. Not long ago, someone wrote that one advantage of deepfakes is that they may well end the scourge of revenge porn. Your aggrieved ex-lover posts an X-rated video you shouldn't have made, and you simply say (falsely), "That's just a deepfake from a disturbed weirdo." And people will come to accept that as a likelihood.
So grateful for two things... One, that I was born and raised in beautiful La Jolla, CA in teh 60's and 70's before all of So. Cal became a giant homeless parking lot with dried feces on the sidewalks near the most picturesque waterfront areas... and two, that I got the hell outta there in '05. Ohio is spectacular.
Not only was San Diego labeled "America's Finest City" for decades, La Jolla was "The Jewel" in the crown. Beautiful waterfront restaurants and zillion dollar homes, but, no one wants to out at night unless you want to deal with zombies, freaks and ne'er-do-wells begging, threatening and pooping.
I created this fictional TV mini-series concept piece (it's still in the works) Is it political distortion? Is it comedy? Is it too real? I used both ChatGPT and Invideo AI video tool... here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXaqymTriPA
"Did you say herpes or hairpiece?" Well Robert, that made me forget everything I'd read up to that point. And admit it: that seems like an example of good lip-reading.
I think Peter Thiel gave an excellent foil to California recently on a podcast - he analogized it to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is, at some level, a prosperous and semi-functional nation although it ought not be. The regnant telos is retrograde Wahhabism, leadership is corrupt, but somehow the petro dollars mop up all the dysfunction and it hobbles along despite gloomy predictions. California, likewise, is ruled by the worst brands of "woke" illiberal ultra-"progressive" policies - racial discrimination against non-minorities under the guise of "equity", rampant crime, poor resource management, gross financial irresponsibility, etc. etc. but somehow the tech and AI dollars float around and allow this giant economy to lumber forward year after year.
As a (current, not lifelong) California resident, I can say that I'm beyond dissatisfied with all of these policies; famously we "lock up the toilet paper, razors, and shampoo, but not the thieves that steal these items". We spend billions of dollars on "the unhoused", but this money cannot be accounted for and is likely embezzled by shadowy PACs, our educational outcomes are abysmal, yet we race to the bottom faster with "equity", the mandatory gender and racial monomania in schools, etc. It's all a mess. Good governance would make this state an almost unimaginable powerhouse, as it once was.
The recent years have made me reflect on the ruin embedded in single-party politics. California has been forever Democratic, down to the most local of state politics. However, even two dysfunctional parties have the effect of opposing ideas being aired and discussed and, in turn, this moderates the most radical extremes of the one party in power. Better of course to have a strong, independent party, but America isn't politically ready for that yet (see the law fare from the Democratic Party around RFK and Shanahan). Having conservative (gasp) views in California is basically considered a slur, yet every "progressive" policy seems to create even poorer outcomes for everyone. But if you don't hue to the most "progressive" views, you are Obviously a Very Bad Person (although no one could articulate why). It's a mind-numbing doom loop, and you wonder what stimulus is necessary to awaken people from their slumbers.
"Apparently, a sizable number of California voters share a genetic trait stunting their capacity to recognize political satire and parody—a disability greatly augmented by the use of artificial intelligence (A.I.)"
Well, they've been electing super majorities of Far Left legislators for a couple of decades, and those people's motto might as well be, "That's not funny!"
The minority of us who don’t like it don’t think it’s very funny, either.
As California is the home of Hollywood, founded by and filled with writers, actors, producers, comedians etc; the home of Silicon Valley and the birthplace of the technology that was supposed to liberate information, erase knowledge hierarchies, and free our minds; and also the home of the radical writers and thinkers of the Bay Area, from Jack London to John Steinbeck to the Beats...I can only assume that all these people responded vociferously in opposition to this obvious govt intrusion in the realm of thought and expression, and that every person and company whose lives and livelihoods are dependent on creativity and the freedom of the imagination rose as one to denounce this attempt to stifle free speech.
Right? They did of course. How could they not?
The usual way.
Great piece, Prof. Graboyes I’ve noticed over the past few years that a lot of “comedies” coming out of Hollywood aren’t particularly funny to me and assumed that, like my sense of taste, my sense of humor has also dimmed over time. Now I know it’s not me, it’s the terrible affliction you’ve named Fragile Californian Syndrome (FCS).
Back in the day, I could count on seeing a half dozen or more genuinely funny movies and TV shows per year. Heck, the whole state pulled off some genius level pranks on the rest of the country, like putting yard clippings on a plate, giving it vaguely Italian sounding names and calling it a salad — then charging $15 a plate, back when $15 was three hours of wages. And they elected Arnold Schwarzenegger governor in the biggest “welease Woderwick” goof of all time (up till 2020, I mean)!
Sadly, FCS has spread to at least half the country. Not that I’d consider him Presidential material, but come on! Donald Trump is pulling the biggest “staying in character” gag since Andy Kaufman shuffled off this mortal coil (or did he?).
Speaking of Andy: https://youtu.be/GHpme0ZeHdU?si=KK8-w747zotaCnZb
Whatever is not forbidden is compulsory. Thank you Mr Graboyes
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
But instead of a parrot, Newsome should be portrayed as a peacock.
Big Brother didn’t have much of a sense of humor either.
Stalin was uproarious at the expense of the zeks, and other victims of his regime.
I am convinced that the government in California is not so concerned with “deep fakes” or parody but with humor that makes them look bad or some times the truth they want to hide. Historically, misinformation, disinformation and malinformation is usually the function of government control. What is it they don’t want us to know?
We Californians are proud national leaders in kakistocracy.
Next up: Newsom is going to outlaw laughing in CA. Except for him, of course -- he'll be allowed to laugh.
It's fun to mock Californians for their witlessness. There is also a serious problem with AI generated fakes. For example:
https://www.npr.org/2024/04/26/1247237175/baltimore-ai-generated-racist-audio-crime
Briefly, a Maryland school principal suddenly had to confront an audio recording of himself saying vile racist things. He was hounded, his family was harassed, and he had to move to another job in the district. But even now, with the recording established as fake, the principal still has to fend off attacks by those who haven't gotten the latest, or worst, don't want to believe that the recording was fake. Such aftermaths are a big driving force in journalism today, and a principal reason for the low esteem the press is facing these days.
So. Does First Amendment protect such a recording. Ferociously tough question:
a) if yes, the victims will have to pay an appallingly high price
b) if, no what principle do you use to determine if a crime has been committed? Is it false? It would be easy to round up a hundred journalists who would swear that the Hunter Biden laptop is fake, and twice as many intelligence "professionals' to back them up.
Many thanks for the Pennypacker appetizer in this fine post.
"It's fun to mock Californians for their witlessness. There is also a serious problem with AI generated fakes." Agreed on both counts. I'm simply convinced that anointing the witless ideologues as gatekeepers of truth is more dangerous than the AI problem. I suspect that the solution to this serious problem will come in two forms. (1) Markets will generate tools with which to detect and flag fakes. (2) People will develop a powerful skepticism about the audios and videos that cross their paths. The answer to Chico Marx's immortal question ("Who you gonna believe? Me, or your eyes?") will become "neither." Audio and video, for example, may join polygraph tests as inadmissible in courts of law because of their unreliability. (Courts did fine without audio and video for millennia.) And in everyday life, people will come to regard audio and video as amusing noise. Not long ago, someone wrote that one advantage of deepfakes is that they may well end the scourge of revenge porn. Your aggrieved ex-lover posts an X-rated video you shouldn't have made, and you simply say (falsely), "That's just a deepfake from a disturbed weirdo." And people will come to accept that as a likelihood.
So grateful for two things... One, that I was born and raised in beautiful La Jolla, CA in teh 60's and 70's before all of So. Cal became a giant homeless parking lot with dried feces on the sidewalks near the most picturesque waterfront areas... and two, that I got the hell outta there in '05. Ohio is spectacular.
Only Californians and Gazans could do that much damage to waterfront property with a Mediterranean climate.
Not only was San Diego labeled "America's Finest City" for decades, La Jolla was "The Jewel" in the crown. Beautiful waterfront restaurants and zillion dollar homes, but, no one wants to out at night unless you want to deal with zombies, freaks and ne'er-do-wells begging, threatening and pooping.
Libel laws are the remedy.
I created this fictional TV mini-series concept piece (it's still in the works) Is it political distortion? Is it comedy? Is it too real? I used both ChatGPT and Invideo AI video tool... here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXaqymTriPA
or go to my YouTube page.
"Did you say herpes or hairpiece?" Well Robert, that made me forget everything I'd read up to that point. And admit it: that seems like an example of good lip-reading.
:) They both sounded pretty realistic. That's the thing about parody and satire. They only work if they're right on the edge of plausibility.
You are welcome, fellow readers, my comment pulled this gem out of the professor.
I think Peter Thiel gave an excellent foil to California recently on a podcast - he analogized it to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is, at some level, a prosperous and semi-functional nation although it ought not be. The regnant telos is retrograde Wahhabism, leadership is corrupt, but somehow the petro dollars mop up all the dysfunction and it hobbles along despite gloomy predictions. California, likewise, is ruled by the worst brands of "woke" illiberal ultra-"progressive" policies - racial discrimination against non-minorities under the guise of "equity", rampant crime, poor resource management, gross financial irresponsibility, etc. etc. but somehow the tech and AI dollars float around and allow this giant economy to lumber forward year after year.
As a (current, not lifelong) California resident, I can say that I'm beyond dissatisfied with all of these policies; famously we "lock up the toilet paper, razors, and shampoo, but not the thieves that steal these items". We spend billions of dollars on "the unhoused", but this money cannot be accounted for and is likely embezzled by shadowy PACs, our educational outcomes are abysmal, yet we race to the bottom faster with "equity", the mandatory gender and racial monomania in schools, etc. It's all a mess. Good governance would make this state an almost unimaginable powerhouse, as it once was.
The recent years have made me reflect on the ruin embedded in single-party politics. California has been forever Democratic, down to the most local of state politics. However, even two dysfunctional parties have the effect of opposing ideas being aired and discussed and, in turn, this moderates the most radical extremes of the one party in power. Better of course to have a strong, independent party, but America isn't politically ready for that yet (see the law fare from the Democratic Party around RFK and Shanahan). Having conservative (gasp) views in California is basically considered a slur, yet every "progressive" policy seems to create even poorer outcomes for everyone. But if you don't hue to the most "progressive" views, you are Obviously a Very Bad Person (although no one could articulate why). It's a mind-numbing doom loop, and you wonder what stimulus is necessary to awaken people from their slumbers.
The more I read from folks like you, the more I think that California is a one-party state--but it's the Donner Party that's in charge.
Gavin Newsome IS a deepfake parrot.