I’ve been unwell. And also busy. Mostly unwell, recently; mostly busy previously. I think the two things are connected.
Anyway, as such I’ve not posted for a week. And this post is just an update on why I’ve not posted.
That said, I did read a piece about taste and ai that I found interesting. Essentially, they put forward the idea that the reason there is so much ai slop about is that people have no idea of what taste is and consequently believe that curation is the same as taste. It is not. This lack of a clear point of view on what is good vs. what is not good (subjective, but a starting point of all art) is the sole reason that ai will always produce huge amounts of slop.
While I’m mostly behind the ideas it sets out around taste and slop production, I do think that ai lowers the bar for most people’s taste levels and therefore it’s a vicious circle that creates more slop upon more slop. And yes, the idea of ‘curating’ things that are not an act of curation at all might well be the beginning of this slippery slope, this is also what happens when tools are democratised – you get a turgid cultural response.
Anyway, read it. Plenty of agree with, plenty to disagree with. Ultimately, have a point of view, even if others think it stinks, because without it you’re just part of the slop.
Aside: A long time ago, I wrote about this using the River Thames as an analogy for the crap created on a daily basis, mostly by brands or commercial entities. I also recognise the irony that I’m very likely adding to it here.
What else?
I’ve also been listening to a lot of music. Every week I try to pick an artist and listen to their entire back catalogue. Often it’s bands or artists whom I don’t know or perhaps even like. I have an idea that listening to so much of their music, in chronological order, provides an insight into their creative process. This week was The Doors. I was struck by how much of a blues band they were, how Morrison’s lyrics were often overrated and dreary – with some notable exceptions – and that the extended wig-out jams were where they truly excelled.
I also listened to Twine’s 2024 album, New Old Horse. And about 1000+ other tracks I’m not listing out for what should be obvious reasons.
Oh, I’m still not feeling that well. I’m still busy. I’ll try to be better at posting.