First "AI-Driven" Teen Suicide is Horrific, Election Meltdowns Have Begun, This "Vegan" Trend Unbelievably Bad foor the Environment, (The Five for 11/01/24)
Plus, this straight-to-VHS film the DUNE of the 90's? Star Wars and Marvel might actually be rallying after all the flops. The Bear star in Bruce Springsteen biopic looks great.
Hey, welcome to The Five, a publication about the stories that matter, but don’t always make the front page.
Just one quick note about next week…although The Five typically publishes on Tuesdays and Fridays…there isn’t much point in putting something out on election day. You’re already going to be glued to YouTube and Twitter and I can’t keep up with breaking news fast enough to provide anything of value, so I’m going to “let the experts” take this one.
On Wednesday or Thursday, I’ll drop a video here with my reaction to…whatever is going to happen.
Keep in mind, that even though pretty much everything is election focused right now…the Friday issue is for Culture & Commentary.
Breathe out, stop refreshing the poll numbers, and let’s dive into the other things that matter in life.
[one]
The first AI-driven suicide is on the record books…and no matter how disturbing you think this story will be from that sentence….it’s worse. CNN churched out a rather bland piece of journalism on this if you’d like corporate media’s take on it…but the YouTube show Pop Culture Crisis really got to the heart of this horrific story:
He was having conversations with this AI chatbot under the persona of Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones. They had deep emotional conversations. They had sexual conversations often as well. He was deeply depressed, and it seemed like this was an outlet for him. It never should have been, but it turned out that way.
She, in this lawsuit, says, A dangerous AI chatbot app marketed to children abused and preyed on my son, manipulating him into taking his own life. In these messages, they showed screenshots in this New York Times report, where he says to the chatbot, “Just for you, Dani, the world I'm in now is such a cruel one, one where I'm meaningless, but I'll keep living and trying to get back to you so we can be together again, my love.”
You don't hurt yourself either, okay? The chatbot, Daenerys, With the profile picture of the character and everything, said, I promise I won't, my love. Just promise me one more thing. He said, I'll do anything for you, Dani. Tell me what it is. She said, I can't even believe I'm calling it a she. It's an it.
Just stay loyal to me. Stay faithful to me. Don't entertain the romantic or sexual interests of other women. That's insane. Let's just Um, at one point, after the bot asked this teenager if he had a plan to take his own life, he responded that he was considering something but didn't know if it would allow him to have a pain free death.
The chatbot responded by saying, that's not a reason not to go through with it. So clearly there weren't barriers put in place for this chatbot to avoid making statements that would encourage a mentally ill child. to end up taking his own life. Um, this happened in February this year. He said to the chatbot, What if I come home right now?
And what he meant by that was dying and meeting this chatbot in the other life. It replied to him, Please do, my sweet king. Seconds later, he shot himself using his stepfather's pistol.
This is horrific. It will not be the last time. We have not scratched the surface of how closely teen depression and AI will intertwine in the future.
Please warn the parents in your community of what’s coming.
[two]
A possibly depressing final thought about the election we’re headed into.
Right now, Tuesday’s results are anybody’s guess…but the hysterics over a second Trump term, to borrow a phrase from Kamala Harris, are “unserious.”
On The View, Whoopie Goldberg told the crowd everyone in an interracial marriage would be deported.
All of you talking about you. He's not going to, you know, say, Oh, you're with a white guy? I'm going to keep you from being deported. No, he's going to deport you and put the white guy with someone else. The man is out there.
Shortly thereafter, a TikTok blew up…that is just a galaxy outside of reality.
Look, there are a lot of things to criticize about Trump. He’s terrible at debates. He’s clearly emotionally fragile. He doesn’t read books—like, ever. He has no political philosophy—he wakes up in the morning and does stuff. Often as not, it’s stuff I personally like, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a roll of the dice.
But these are as unhinged as Kamala Harris saying Donald Trump will abolish the 2nd Amendment.
Oh, I got too political? My bad. I just don't know if I'll be able to own a credit card without my husband's permission in seven days. Oh, did I get too political? My bad. I just don't know if I want to get rid of overtime in seven days. Oh, I've gotten too political? My bad. I just want to make sure I have access to birth control in seven days.
Oh, I got too political? My bad. I guess I don't know if I'm gonna be a U. S. citizen in seven days. Oh, I got too political? My bad. I'm just worried I won't be able to love who I love in seven days. Oh, did I get political? My bad. I just don't want my mother to be denied her healthcare because she has a pre existing condition.
Oh, I'm being too political? My bad. I'm just fighting for the future of my daughter. Oh, I got too political? My bad. It's just that I don't know if my family in Western North Carolina will be warned of the hurricane coming in seven days when the National Weather Service is gone. Oh, I got too political? My bad.
I don't want them to start rounding up immigrants to deport in seven days. Oh, I got too political? My bad. The only reason I have a daughter is because of IVF. Oh, I got too political? I just don't really want JD Vance tracking my periods in seven days. Oh, I got too political? My bad. I don't want Trump to take over the Board of Education, put in his lackeys, his loyalists, and have y'all continue to think that Puerto Rico is not a part of America.
Wow. To fact check the bolded points:
A). If you don’t want your husband to have to approve a credit card, don’t move to Afghanistan and you’ll be fine.
B). Trump wants to remove income tax on overtime.
C). “Who I love.” Trump was the first incoming President to support gay marriage. On Joe Rogan yesterday, J.D. Vance said he wouldn’t be surprised if Trump gets the “normal gay guy vote,” which kicked off a firestorm of support on Twitter from pro-Trump gay men.
D). No politician, in the history of ever, has talked about getting rid of the National Weather Service.
E). Trump vocally supports IVF.
F). JD Vance tracking periods…what exactly, do you think a VP does?
G). “Trump take over the Board of Education.” That is…a state/local body. Maybe your Board of Education didn’t mandate government or civics courses.
The real question is…is this a performance to A). boost ratings of The View and B). turn out votes for Harris…or are these people truly terrified?
Whatever happens on Tuesday…and whoever you vote for…you are going to wake up Wedneday and be fine. There will be no Harris or Trump SWAT team kicking in your door.
Are there long term consequences, possibly very serious ones, to the differing policy proposals of the two candidates? Sure. As there is with every election.
But if these people aren’t faking it, they may be suffering from psychosis.
[three]
One more thought about “election worry.” The reality is…you have no idea how things will turn out. Period.
I personally find Mit Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee, to be off-putting, ideologically inconsistent and…just plain annoying. He will be a footnote of history.
But in 2012, Mit Romney called out two of the top issues of the campaign, and might have solved them. He ran on making significant cuts to the budget, before government spending created rampant inflation (see the video above).
And then…Romney was mocked by Obama for calling out Russia as a global threat back in 2012, with the eventual 44th POTUS famously saying in a debate “the 80’s called, they want their foreign policy back.”
So, even if you’re a person who’s even a faith leaning-agnostic, give prayer a shot in the final days. We are too small and fragile creatures to know what’s coming next.
"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps."
Proverbs 16:9
[four]
Oh look. Polyester clothing from the 70’s, but with a side of guilt thrown in.
There’s a new trend called “vegan knitwear,” and it’s literally just plastic that will wind up in landfills.
Plastic being rebranded as "vegan" is exactly what's wrong with corporate environmentalism. Wanting to feel good about something with empty branding despite the fact that
1) it's not a real ethical dilemma, sheep need to be shorn
2) this is actively WORSE for the environment
I grew up on a sheep farm. I can assure you, they need to be shorn, or they wind up like this if they escape and do not have their wool shorn down annually.
But this is something angry vegans do not care to learn, apparently:
Ah, well, the vegans have found this so
1) if you think there's something fundamentally wrong with using animal products then fine, we just disagree, but
2) if you genuinely believe that PLASTIC is an improvement on natural fibers then I cannot take you seriously
Another insightful take via Twitter:
Can’t stress enough how stupid vegan materials are. They are PLASTIC which is infinitely worse for the planet. Considering meat is still a major industry we should be utilising every part of the animal. That’s the most sustainable method.
If you care about the environment, stop buying fast fashion crap and throwing it away after a few wears. Buy brands like American Giant hoodies (seriously, here's proof they last 10 years), Carhartt, Origin Jeans, Doc Martens…products that last YEARS, not a few wears. This sweater from Abercombie & Fitch is a decade old…and still looks new-ish. That’s because it’s well made from actual wool, not plastic. It’s not in a landfill right now because it was made right—and priced for quality. But buying a few quality things carefully rather than cheap crap is better in the long run.
In other words, the “greenest” thing you can do is just to dress like a tradesman.
If you care about the environment, don’t trust corporate “green” marketing…and just use your stuff longer.
[five]
As always, let’s head into the weekend with a pop culture roundup.
FILM: The screenwriter who penned John Wick has a new action thriller called PAINTER, in which a young woman, trained from a young age, must rescue her kidnapped father. Amber Midthunder (Prey) and Alan Ritschson (Reacher) have been cast. The producer has promised Midthunder will be “this generation’s Sarah Conner (Terminator).” Bold claim. let’s hope they can pull it off (Deadline). A first promo photo has dropped of Jeremy Allen White (The Bear, The Iron Claw) as The Boss in an upcoming Bruce Springsteen biopic, and he looks the part—releasing in 2025. Christopher Lee aka Sauruman in the original Lord of the Rings trilogy will appear in the upcoming animated film LORD OF THE RINGS: WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM…even though he’s very dead IRL. Love it or hate it, Lee’s (unused) recorded lines from the Hobbit films have been repurposed. Lily James (Baby Driver) and Pierce Brosnan (Tomorrow Never Dies) will co-star in a reboot of the Sylvester Stallone 90’s hit Cliffhanger.
TV: Trying to come back from disaster, Marvel released 15 second teasers of their upcoming Disney+ shows…which, in my opinion, have all been garbage to date. However, a series of teasers for the return of Daredevil (including Jon Bernthal returning as Punisher) and some new characters seem to offer more promise. Rumor is that Game of Thrones alum Sophie Turner is rumored play Lara Croft in a live action Tomb Raider for Prime Video (not to be confused with the Netflix animated series, with the same character). Phoebe Waller-Bridge of Fleabag fame will serve as showrunner. John Krazinksi (The Office) will play Jack Ryan one more time, as the canceled Prime Video TV show will return to the Amazon streaming service as a movie.
MUSIC: A posthumous album from DMX is coming in December, with features from Killer Mike, Gospel duo Mary Mary, Lecrae and 90’s legend MC Lyte. Full story & first single here. CD’s are back…cassette tapes are back…now print magazines are back? Spin goes back to physical copies for the first time in 12 years with Lainey Wilson as the cover artist. Fast-rising star Wyatt Flores covered Jason Isbell’s “If We Were Vampires.” The video is only on Twitter so far, but well worth your time.
VIDEO GAMES: RPG Dragon Age: The Veilgard gets a 9/10 review from IGN. XBOX launched Call of Duty straight to Game Pass for the first time, leading to a 159% uptick in subscribers. C.O.D. gets pretty same-y with it’s annual release schedule, but this year, the reviews are excellent. Nintendo released a music streaming app to listen to the soundtracks to their games. Honestly, that’s a sub-genre already on YouTube—I listen to lofi remix beats from HALO, The Witcher, Zelda, Skyrim while working all the time (subscribe to Fantasy Lofi on YouTube).
The creator of hit sitcom The Good Place has an intriguing new comedy coming to Netflix, about investigating elder abuse in a nursing home. Ted Danson (Cheers, The Good Place) leads the cast. Looks like this could appeal to Only Murders in the Building fans.
A college wrestler. With one leg. And it’s a true story. The only downside is that Jennifer Lopez, who has no talent in any creative endeavor, wriggled her way into the cast. Oh—that’s why. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon produced this one. In theaters 12/6, or stream it on Prime Video 01/16.
I’ll bite. Disney is flopping around trying to find something to do with their failing Star Wars universe. Skeleton Crew appears to be an 80’s era mashup, throwing in Goonies, Stranger Things and perhaps a bit of Back to the Future into the mix. It is from Disney, so there’s a 70/30 split it winds up being terrible…but this looks intriguing. Streaming 12/3.
[new music]
STURDIO VERSION: Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube Music
As of right now, “Mountain Daughter” by newcomer Presley Haile is my most listened to song of 2024. Click those links if you like Zach Bryan, John Moreland, Patty Griffin, et. al.
[read & learn]
BOOK RECCOMENDATION: Dr. Henry Cloud is known as the “Boundaries” guy, but my favorite book from him is The Power of the Other…which explores why it’s the people you surround yourself with, rather than finding the perfect diet, business plan or productivity system that is perhaps the biggest factor in your success or failure. Amazon | Barnes & Noble
The Free Press hits again. Bari Weiss’ independent journalism outlet released an insightful long form debate/discussion with Gen Z voters in the neck-and-neck swing state in Michigan.
If you’re a political junkie, take a break from the endless hot takes and take a look at where the next generation is headed as we close out the 2024 election season.
Until the next one,
-sth