The Bunker – News without the nonsense The Future is Slop – Why the Far-Right loves tacky A.I. imagery
Sep 3, 2025
Join Jamelle Bouie, a New York Times opinion columnist and host of the Unclear and Present Danger podcast, as he dives into the bizarre world of AI-generated imagery favored by the far-right. He discusses the absurdity of these kitschy visuals, linking them to historical fascist art. Bouie examines their impact on political narratives, nostalgia, and truth, arguing that these exaggerated representations distort reality. He also emphasizes the ethical need for authentic artistry over generative AI in a political landscape characterized by manipulation.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Fantasy Over Reality
- AI slop aesthetic is a visual attempt to make a political fantasy feel real rather than reflect reality.
- Jamelle Bouie says the tacky, heroic imagery masks the weakness of the real figures it idealizes.
Emotion Trumps Evidence
- AI images amplify perceived social problems by turning ordinary issues into hellscapes to match feelings of decay.
- Bouie argues these images provide emotional evidence that reinforces political persuasion despite lacking empirical basis.
Truthiness As Strategy
- The phenomenon echoes Colbert's 'truthiness': feelings substitute for verifiable facts in populist rhetoric.
- Bouie notes the populist right is explicitly anti-empirical and appeals to what people 'feel' as true.