If any culÂturÂal, politÂiÂcal, or techÂnoÂlogÂiÂcal pheÂnomÂeÂnon of the past couÂple of decades hasÂn’t been lamÂpooned by South Park, it probÂaÂbly didÂn’t hapÂpen. But the 21st cenÂtuÂry has brought forth so much nonÂsense that even Trey ParkÂer and Matt Stone, creÂators of that at once crude and mulÂtiÂdiÂmenÂsionÂalÂly satirÂiÂcal carÂtoon show, have had to expand into feaÂture films and even onto BroadÂway to ridicule it all. The latÂest project takes the humÂbler but undeÂniÂably more relÂeÂvant form of a Youtube series, and one modÂeled on the form of ultra-local teleÂviÂsion news. Sassy JusÂtice comes hostÂed by anchor Fred Sassy, a flamÂboyÂant “conÂsumer advoÂcate” for the peoÂple of Cheyenne, Wyoming — and one posÂsessed, come to think of it, of an oddÂly familÂiar face.
Fred Sassy is based on Sassy Trump, a creÂation of voice actor Peter SerÂafiÂnowÂicz. Despite his forÂmiÂdaÂble skills as an impresÂsionÂist, the trouÂble SerÂafiÂnowÂicz had nailÂing the sound and manÂner of the curÂrent U.S. PresÂiÂdent gave him the idea of dubÂbing over real footage of the man with delibÂerÂateÂly inventÂed charÂacÂter voicÂes. This led to an interÂest in deepÂfakes, videos creÂatÂed using digÂiÂtal likeÂnessÂes of real peoÂple withÂout their actuÂal parÂticÂiÂpaÂtion.
The increasÂingÂly conÂvincÂing look of these proÂducÂtions once had a lot of peoÂple spooked, as you’ll recall if you can cast your mind back to 2019. DeepÂfakes thus made perÂfect subÂject matÂter for a ParkÂer-Stone project, but not long after they began colÂlabÂoÂratÂing with SerÂafiÂnowÂicz on a deepÂfake-satÂuÂratÂed Fred Sassy movie, the coroÂnÂavirus panÂdemÂic put an end to proÂducÂtion. From the ashÂes of that project risÂes Sassy JusÂtice, which preÂmiered last month.
This first episode (with a clip playlist here) also proÂvides a glimpse of the sureÂly enorÂmous all-deepÂfake cast to come. UncanÂny verÂsions of Al Gore, Mark ZuckerÂberg (now a dialÂyÂsis-cenÂter magÂnate), and Julie Andrews (as comÂputÂer techÂniÂcian “Lou Xiang,” a refÂerÂence that if you get, you get) all make appearÂances, as do those of White House regÂuÂlars Jared KushÂnÂer, IvanÂka Trump, and even DonÂald Trump, on whose voice SerÂafiÂnowÂicz seems to have made progress. But “it’s imposÂsiÂble for a human to accuÂrateÂly mimÂic someÂone else’s voice to 100 perÂcent,” as Sassy is assured by a Zoom interÂvieÂwee, the oft-imiÂtatÂed actor Michael Caine — or is it? Less able than ever to tell real from the fake, let alone the deepÂfake, “we’re all going to have to trust our gut, that inner voice,” as Sassy advisÂes in the episode’s final segÂment. “It’s all we have now.” But then, all effecÂtive satire is a litÂtle frightÂenÂing.
via MIT TechÂnolÂoÂgy Review
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Based in Seoul, ColÂin MarÂshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities, the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles and the video series The City in CinÂeÂma. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall, on FaceÂbook, or on InstaÂgram.
Slow news day!
It’s terÂriÂble. it’s not even vagueÂly funÂny.
DefÂiÂniteÂly covÂer the topÂiÂcal issues of our times by mimÂicÂkÂing the tacÂtics used by the main-stream-media on the lib-cons politÂiÂcal specÂtrum. But I can imagÂine that the denizens of TrumpÂisÂtan will be parÂticÂuÂlarÂly aggrievÂed at this moment in time by the proÂgram. They don’t seem to be amused by anyÂthing right now. It’s hilarÂiÂous.
I susÂpect Biden and the milÂqueÂtoast dems will be in the firÂing line next year.
I’m not parÂticÂuÂlarÂly amused by the clip, but I wasÂn’t I wasÂn’t amused by South Park either. To each their own I supÂpose.