AI Slop, You Say?

Ah yes, the classic YouTube critique - “AI slop.”

Two words, typed with all the conviction of someone who thinks animators are still hunched over in 1940s studios, redrawing Bugs Bunny frame by frame by candlelight.

Let’s be clear. If you honestly believe your beloved cartoons - The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad - are hand-rendered cell by cell, please do me a kindness: step away from the internet before you sprain your critical thinking. The truth?

By the early 2000s, The Simpsons had switched to digital ink and paint.

The software used to make those shows? Algorithm-driven.

You might even (brace yourself) call it AI-adjacent.

But of course, the cry goes up: “This new AI is ruining art!”

New? Darling, no.

AI-style animation platforms aren’t fresh out of the box. CGI - computer generated imagery has been the bedrock of film and television for decades.

Pixar’s Toy Story (1995) was entirely CGI. The Matrix, The Abyss, Star Wars special effects - all CGI.

If “AI slop” disgusts you, then please be consistent: avoid every Marvel skyline, every VFX creature, every green screen shot you’ve ever gasped at.

Here’s the truth: AI isn’t new.

What’s new is that it’s accessible.

What once took a studio budget the size of a small nation’s GDP can now be done on a laptop for a fraction of the cost.

And that’s the horror, isn’t it?

The peasants have crayons.

The gate is open.

So if your only contribution is: “But it’s AI!” forgive me for pointing out that your powers of analysis begin and end with spotting the word “algorithm.”

Photoshop doesn’t paint the Mona Lisa. Spellcheck doesn’t write Shakespeare.

CGI doesn’t replace the storyteller - it expands the palette. Same with MidJourney or Domo, same with the tools we use for our stories ‘Evie Raven’ and ‘Gary’.

Giving indie writers an opportunity to create and share their work with the added bonus of pitching with engaging proof of concepts.

So yes - sneer “AI slop” if it makes you feel taller. But understand what you’re sneering at: decades of industry practice.

The very shows and films you love.

You’ve been feasting on “slop” your whole media-consuming life - you just didn’t bother to read the ingredients.

And here’s the kicker: AI isn’t leaving.

It’s not a fad.

It’s not a toy.

It’s here to stay - not as a replacement for human artistry, but as another instrument in the orchestra.

You can plug your ears and pretend it’s not playing, but the music is louder than your complaints.

So thank you for the comment.

Truly.

Because nothing proves the need for better storytelling than the people who can’t follow the story already unfolding in front of them.