George Carlin has dropped a new comedy special. And if that seems weird — because,Hong Kong Archives you know, he died in 2008 — well, it's because it isn't actually Carlin.
The special is from Dudesy, a comedy AI, that co-opted Carlin's persona for a YouTube "special" called George Carlin: I'm Glad I'm Dead.
To be clear, the hour-long video from the AI goes out of its way to say the special is not actually Carlin.
"I just want to let you know very clearly that what you're about to hear is not George Carlin. It's my impersonation of George Carlin that I developed in the exact same way a human impressionist would," it says in the video. "I listened to all of George Carlin's material and did my best to imitate his voice, cadence, and attitude as well as the subject matter I think would have interested him today. So think of it like Andy Kaufman impersonating Elvis or like Will Ferrell impersonating George W. Bush."
But frankly, the impression is not like that at all. Ferrell and Kaufman were human beings, accentuating certain qualities of powerful people in order to create comedy and social commentary. The Dudesy special is a voice-accurate copy of Carlin, not adding context but rather trying to resurrect a ghost. It's a weird, less funny version of Carlin.
I watched a bit of the video and my takeaway was that, yes, it seemed like an AI impression of Carlin. It talked about some of the topics you'd expect from a modern Carlin: billionaires, the class system in America, and social media. But, from the little bit I saw, it felt like an impression. It didn't have much to say.
The great comedian had a point of view because he was...a great comedian. Dudesy has amalgamated its idea of Carlin into something resembling the genuine article. It's weird, unsettling, and capitalistic nonsense nobody asked for and nobody needs. In other words: The AI version of Carlin sure seems like something Carlin would've hated.
At one point the AI even jokes about replacing stand-up comedians and news anchors because it could stream forever and ever. Ah yes, endless flotsam, the perfect version of art. For what it's worth, Carlin's family seems to agree that the AI special was a bad idea.
"My dad spent a lifetime perfecting his craft from his very human life, brain and imagination. No machine will ever replace his genius," Carlin's daughter Kelly Carlin wrote on Twitter/X. "These AI generated products are clever attempts at trying to recreate a mind that will never exist again. Let's let the artist’s work speak for itself. Humans are so afraid of the void that we can't let what has fallen into it stay there. Here's an idea, how about we give some actual living human comedians a listen to? But if you want to listen to the genuine George Carlin, he has 14 specials that you can find anywhere."
Topics Artificial Intelligence
Tim Rollins and K.O.S. by Angel AbreuXbox drops free game demos: 33 titles you can play right nowPoetry Rx: An IV Dripping into Something Already Dead by Kaveh AkbarGrace Brinkly on thrifting, life after TikTok, and the art of detachmentChild influencers in Illinois can now sue their parentsA Space for Bette Howland by Honor MooreRedux: The One Who Outlives All the Cowards by The Paris ReviewFeminize Your Canon: Olivia ManningWhat Makes a Poet Difficult? by Stephanie Burt5 AI tools that can help you land that perfect jobMore Obscene than De Sade by Lucy SanteHow Not to Be Forgotten by Lauren KaneClarissa Dalloway Is a Virgo by Alex Dimitrov and Dorothea LaskyThere Are No Small Fascisms: An Interview with Dasa DrndicTherapy Jeff teams up with WhatsApp on attachment stylesAI has been quietly enhancing your work life for yearsFitbit wellness trackers: Save on Charge 5, Sense 2, and moreWordle today: The answer and hints for December 8Winter by Marin SardyPoetry Rx: An IV Dripping into Something Already Dead by Kaveh Akbar Who needs to labels when we have 'I am straight/gay/bi' memes? Blue checks are out. Twitter's hexagon NFT profile pics are in. Wildly sexist 'New York Post' front page refers to Kim Kardashian's butt 3 times Opera's new 'crypto browser' makes collecting NFTs shockingly easy Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra has made an appearance on Samsung's website New Safari bug can expose Apple users' browser history and Google account details Facebook and Instagram will reportedly let users create, buy, and sell NFTs Reddit user texts brother mid Hulu's 'How I Met Your Father' is a modern love story stuck in the past How to enable SharePlay on iPhone and iPad HBO Max's 'Somebody Somewhere' review: an uplifting examination of adult friendship What you need to know about the creepy 'the 1975..com' Google bug What is HBO's 'The Tale' and why is everyone talking about it? How Stu Macher Simone Giertz, creator of 'Shitty Robots,' undergoes surgery to remove brain tumor Chinese government hires social media influencers ahead of Winter Olympics Kim Kardashian shares what happened during her meeting with Donald Trump Instagram will now show suspected hate speech lower in your Feed TikTok is reportedly testing paid subscriptions Twitter prankster tries to solve #WhereInTheWorldIsMelania
2.4768s , 8224.9296875 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【Hong Kong Archives】,Feast Information Network