A New Horizon

In the previous post, I suggested that it would be nice if our cultural elites ever produced something uplifting about the contemporary state of race relations. But we know they won’t. They’re too invested in their worldview of systemic oppression. So, I’ve turned to AI to explore the theme I raised about the great Reverse Migration, in which young, educated African Americans are migrating from Northern cities to the South in search of greater economic opportunity.

First the theatrical poster (courtesy of Bing image Creator):

Then the theme song (courtesy of Suno):

And then the play itself (in 1,000 words) from Chat GBT.

Title: “A New Horizon”

Act 1: The Struggle

Scene 1: The Streets of the North

The stage is dimly lit, portraying a rundown neighborhood in a Northern city. Broken streetlights, graffiti-covered walls, and distant sirens set the atmosphere. JAMES, a young African-American man in his late twenties, stands under a flickering streetlamp, nervously glancing around. Enter MARCUS, his friend, dressed in similar streetwear.

James: (anxiously) Marcus, this isn’t the life I wanted. Every day is a struggle just to survive. I can’t keep doing this.

Marcus: (sighs) I hear you, man. But what choice do we have? The streets are all we know. We’ve tried, but there’s no way out.

James: There’s gotta be something better. I’ve been hearing about opportunities in the South. Jobs, safer communities, a fresh start.

Marcus: (skeptical) The South? You serious? We’ve heard those stories before. It’s not that simple, James.

James: (determined) It’s worth a shot. I’m tired of looking over my shoulder every day. Tired of the corruption, the violence. I need to believe there’s something better out there.

Marcus: (pauses, considering) You really think we could make it down there?

James: (nodding) I do. We need to take a leap of faith. For our future, man.

They stand in silence, contemplating the decision. The lights dim as the scene ends.

Act 2: The Journey South

Scene 1: The Road to a New Life

The stage brightens to reveal a bus station. A small group of African-Americans, including JAMES and MARCUS, wait anxiously with their bags. There’s a mix of hope and uncertainty in the air.

James: (looking around) This is it, Marcus. Our chance to start over.

Marcus: (nervously) I hope you’re right. I’ve never been this far from home.

James: (smiling) Think of it as an adventure. We’re chasing a dream.

An ANNOUNCER’s voice echoes through the station.

Announcer: (voiceover) Bus to Richmond, Virginia, now boarding.

Marcus: (deep breath) Here we go.

They board the bus, joining others on their journey. The lights fade to symbolize the passage of time.

Act 3: The Arrival

Scene 1: A New Beginning in Richmond

The stage lights up to reveal a bustling street in Richmond. New buildings, clean streets, and a vibrant community set the scene. JAMES and MARCUS step off the bus, taking in their new surroundings with awe and hope.

James: (excitedly) Look at this place, Marcus! It’s like a whole different world.

Marcus: (smiling) It’s beautiful. I can’t believe we’re really here.

They start walking, exploring their new environment. Enter SARAH, a community organizer, handing out flyers.

Sarah: (approaching) Welcome to Richmond! Looking for work or housing? We have plenty of opportunities here.

James: (taking a flyer) Yes, we just arrived. We’re hoping to find jobs and a place to stay.

Sarah: (smiling) You’ve come to the right place. Our community is growing, and we’re always looking for new talent. What kind of work are you interested in?

Marcus: (enthusiastically) Anything, really. We just want to build a better life.

Sarah: (nodding) We can help with that. Follow me, and I’ll show you around.

They follow SARAH, hope and excitement growing with each step. The lights dim as they leave the stage.

Act 4: The New Opportunities

Scene 1: The First Job

The stage lights up to reveal a construction site. Workers are busy building new homes and businesses. JAMES and MARCUS, now dressed in work gear, are being shown the ropes by MR. WILLIAMS, the foreman.

Mr. Williams: (pointing) We’ve got plenty of work to do, and we need all the help we can get. You boys ready to get started?

James: (eagerly) Absolutely, sir. We’re ready to work hard.

Mr. Williams: (smiling) That’s what I like to hear. Let’s get to it.

JAMES and MARCUS begin working, their determination evident. The sound of hammers and machinery fills the air, symbolizing their hard work and the promise of a new future.

Act 5: Building a Community

Scene 1: A Community Gathering

The stage is set for a community gathering in a park. Families, children, and friends gather for a picnic. There’s laughter, music, and a sense of unity. JAMES and MARCUS sit with SARAH, enjoying the festivities.

Sarah: (raising a glass) To new beginnings and brighter futures!

James: (clinking glasses) Cheers to that. This place feels like home now.

Marcus: (smiling) We made the right choice, James. I’m glad we took the leap.

Sarah: (nodding) You’re part of our family now. Together, we’re building something amazing.

The lights dim slightly as JAMES stands up, looking out at the gathering.

James: (addressing the crowd) We came here looking for a better life, and we found it. This community welcomed us with open arms, gave us opportunities we never thought possible. Let’s keep building, together, for a brighter future.

The crowd cheers, raising their glasses in a toast. The lights slowly fade, leaving a sense of hope and unity as the final scene ends.

Act 6: The Future

Scene 1: Looking Ahead

The stage lights up one last time to reveal a bustling street in Richmond, now more developed and thriving. JAMES and MARCUS, dressed in professional attire, stand in front of a new community center they helped build.

James: (smiling) Look at what we’ve accomplished, Marcus. This is just the beginning.

Marcus: (nodding) We’ve come a long way. And there’s so much more to do.

James: (determined) We’ll keep pushing forward, for us, for our families, for this community.

They shake hands, looking out at the bustling street, their future bright and filled with promise. The lights fade to black as the curtain falls.


OK, this isn’t ready for Broadway. It’s not even ready for off-Broadway. OK, OK, it’s not even ready for community theater. But the poster, song, and play took me about a half hour to produce — and I’m still figuring out the tools.

Could AI help overthrow the cultural hegemony of the left? In our brave new world, anything’s possible!


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Comments


Comments

17 responses to “A New Horizon”

  1. Lefty665 Avatar

    Who'd have guessed it that AI's first achievement would be simplistic triteness?

    ps Act 3 Scene 1 says Atlanta when the rest of the "play" is sited in Richmond.

    1. Richmond… Atlanta… What's the difference?…

      1. how_it_works Avatar
        how_it_works

        That's like saying Virginia…. West Virginia… What's the difference?

        1. And?

          ๐Ÿ˜‰

          1. how_it_works Avatar
            how_it_works

            Residents of both states are offended!

    2. Whoops. I changed the Atlantas to Richmonds. I guess I missed one.

      1. DJRippert Avatar
        DJRippert

        Even ChatGPT (not GBT) couldn't fathom anybody actually moving to Richmond?

      2. Lefty665 Avatar

        Dust Mites is much, much better:)

  2. That poster looks like something from 1929.

    Did you tell Chat GPT that the 'reverse migration' started in the 1970s?

    And what's with the nonsensical text on the poster? "ANWIEN"?

    1. DJRippert Avatar
      DJRippert

      The image-generating AIs know nothing of our world, they do not understand 3D objects nor do they understand text when it appears in images. While they've been trained on huge amounts of text in the form of textual labels associated with images, text within an image is just another part of an image to them. Somewhere in its training data, the AI Jim used saw a sign with "New Horizons" written on it. So, that looks good. Whatever other text Jim wanted was never seen in an image in the training data so the AI guessed.

      Until there is considerably more image training data with text within images, the AI will struggle. Also problematic – feet, hands, and teeth.

      Most of the time, when people need an AI-generated image with some text on it they have to edit an image afterwards. Even the most basic image editing programs, not to mention Photoshop, allow to quickly remove alien-looking symbols from a background and replace it with some human-readable text.

      An advanced option available for some models like Stable Diffusion โ€” ControlNet can override the models "next pixel prediction" approach for certain parts of the generated image.

      Itโ€™s a neural network structure that allows limiting probability in specific areas that are text shaped. ControlNet allows controlling diffusion models by adding extra conditions so if you want your text to look normal, you can force a model to follow very strict rules. Basically, you supply the limiter and tell AI to draw on top of it. You will get different results every time but the shape will remain the same.

      1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
        Eric the half a troll

        โ€œAlso problematic – feet, hands, and teeth.โ€

        And facesโ€ฆ I thought JAB added โ€œduring the zombie apocalypseโ€ to his prompts for funโ€ฆ.

        https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/dbcdd923c2639f564378f189d2151225db7d3a72c196ceb3c3222bfd14254a5f.jpg

  3. LesGabriel Avatar
    LesGabriel

    Are there really community organizers in Richmond helping people find jobs, or are they more likely to sign up newcomers to vote and get on welfare rolls? Is AI more supportive of the free market than we might give it credit for?

  4. DJRippert Avatar
    DJRippert

    ACT 7:

    As James and Marcus stand on the street shaking hands, a car screeches around the corner onto their street at high speed. The front and back passenger side windows roll down as two men dressed in gang gear holding guns extend the guns out of the window. The two men start firing indiscriminately hitting both James and Marcus.

    As they lie bleeding on that Richmond street, Marcus says to James, "I told you we should have stayed in Philly!". "Or, at least stopped in Alexandria", replied James.

    1. I laughed so hard I nearly spit out my coffee.

      1. Not Today Avatar
        Not Today

        Because laughing at gun violence is…normal? appropriate? Humane? Decent?

  5. DJRippert Avatar
    DJRippert

    You should publish the prompts you used along with the names of the tools which produced the output.

  6. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    re: " The stage is dimly lit, portraying a rundown neighborhood in a Northern city. Broken streetlights, graffiti-covered walls, and distant sirens set the atmosphere. JAMES, a young African-American man in his late twenties, stands under a flickering streetlamp, nervously glancing around. Enter MARCUS, his friend, dressed in similar streetwear.

    James: (anxiously) Marcus, this isnโ€™t the life I wanted. Every day is a struggle just to survive. I canโ€™t keep doing this.

    Marcus: (sighs) I hear you, man. But what choice do we have? The streets are all we know. Weโ€™ve tried, but thereโ€™s no way out.

    James: Thereโ€™s gotta be something better. Iโ€™ve been hearing about opportunities in the South. Jobs, safer communities, a fresh start."

    flashback to the prior post:

    " Young educated Blacks are leaving Blue states north of the Mason-Dixon Line to partake in the greater economic opportunity available in the South. Why doesnโ€™t the world of haute culture celebrate that?

    Two reasons. First, showcasing the Reverse Migration would highlight the governance failure of Blue states, which talk the talk of creating economic opportunity for minorities but donโ€™t walk the walk.

    ok so I'm confused.

    When we say "young educated Blacks" , I was envisioning what the Brooking article said: " The movement is largely driven by younger, college-educated Black Americans, from both northern and western places of origin. "

    so are James and Marcus actually College-educated blacks that have been "failed" by the Blue states and headed south for Red State success?

    If so, what are they doing " in a rundown neighborhood in a Northern city. Broken streetlights, graffiti-covered walls, and distant sirens set the atmosphere. JAMES, a young African-American man in his late twenties, stands under a flickering streetlamp, nervously glancing around. Enter MARCUS, his friend, dressed in similar streetwear." ?

    You can't make this stuff up! Right? I have to say if this is the "world" that some folks believe is real..for black folks, they really do need AI or something.

    If you're black and college-educated, you're probably going have a shot at good opportunities north or south.

    On the other hand if you;re black and not college-educated, leaving one place for the other ain't gonna help much.

    Makes me wonder what JAB told AI.

    Let me guess. Up north they were uneducated and the fault of the blue state and down south they were college educated, courtesy of the red state?

    Like I said, can't make this stuff up! ๐Ÿ˜‰

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