It insists on itself --

Cross-posted from AI Marketing for Storytellers.

I used to follow a lot more AI naysayers, because I felt the need to keep track of their arguments — because I was curious about what they thought, and I was willing to be wrong.

I still do follow some, but, the second any of them are intellectually dishonest or foolish I usually jump ship, my inbox is busy enough.

And today I dumped another one.

Partially because my inbox is overflowing so I might as well, but also because he was upset that film students today didn’t know all of the movies in the criterion collection canon.

Do y’all know that joke that Peter makes in Family Guy about the movie, the Godfather?

That it insists upon itself?

It’s a quote Seth MacFarlane put in based on an experience he had in film school — https://deadline.com/2025/01/seth-macfarlane-explains-origins-family-guy-meme-the-godfather-it-insists-upon-itself-quote-1236263190/ — and…I get it.

(I do like the Godfather.)

But I feel like that statement can be used in so many other ways, and about so many other people’s thoughts on things.

The guy who I unsubscribed from today…believed that every film student now, should be familiar with all of the big films from the 20th century and…while, yes, that would be nice….

The truth is there’s only so much one person has time to enjoy, to investigate, and to hold.

He was particularly mad that people weren’t familiar with Citizen Kane.

Citizen Kane was released in 1941.

Now, he was talking about that like it was some sort of “kids these days!” structural defect or flaw in society, blah-blah-social-media-makes-everyone-stupid (and, in his mind, AI will accelerate that.)

But all I could think about was….

Who the hell is promoting Citizen Kane anymore?

And…can you really expect a nearly 80+ year old movie to get to coast by?

Yes, perhaps — and that’s a very strong perhaps there — in a perfect world, people would have the time to watch all of the greatest hits, but…honestly?

Really?

Can you truly expect that?

I feel like, instead, that that guy I unsubscribed from….he was insisting upon himself.

As the only metric for what has value and meaning in our upcoming world.

And yeah, I absolutely 100000% get it, once you get older especially, you want your version of the world to Be It.

(I adore this bit from Community — Baby Boomer Santa — if you’ve never seen it before.)

You’ve experienced life, you think you know all the things — and that the world should stay still for you.

I feel like, in many ways, that covid prepared my brain for how to handle AI better — I’ve mentioned that on here before, that, as an ICU nurse, it allowed me to quickly do the math: ie, if we couldn’t get ppl to save their own lives, when the bar was much much lower, there’s literally nothing we’re going to be able to do to get to stop the AI tide. (And if you can’t beat them, join them, plus also I like tech, heh.)

But I also feel like, having had the rug of my reality so jerked out from under me…made me a little better about standing on shaky ground.

I understand that the world doesn’t revolve around me and the things I like, and that I cannot use telepathy to change the present, future, or the past.

Which means I get why people don’t watch 80 year old films willingly, mostly, and how I know that, without my marketing, people will not pay attention to me.

I don’t inherently deserve any more of anyone else’s attention other than that which they’re willing to give me. And neither does Citizen Kane. Hell, Citizen Kane isn’t even a person, it’s feelings can’t get hurt!

If you want attention: earn it. If you want canon to live: market it.

Otherwise?

Let it go.

xo!

Cassie

(I’ve got 3.5 days till Guarded by the AI is due (late, w/a rush fee!) to my copyeditor, and Novae’s recouping post-KS, but we’ll be back soon!)