AI Fruit Slop

PRESENTED BY TV SCIENTIFIC

New week, new you, Future Party. On September 7, 2001, Patrick Star (of SpongeBob SquarePants fame) asked Squidward a question that would forever haunt musicologists and condiment connoisseurs alike: “Is mayonnaise an instrument?” Thankfully, the geniuses (with clearly too much time on their hands) at mayo giant Hellmann’s and researchers at Northumbria University got their hands dirty and figured it out once and for all. Their finding: yes — at least according to the Hornbostel-Sachs system, “a global standard for classifying musical instruments that organizes them by what vibrates to produce sound,” per Fast Company.

Hellmann’s even got musician Andy Arthur Smith to create a song entirely using the condiment… which definitely sounds like mayo to the ear.

Fruit Love Island, an AI-generated parody of Love Island, became the strangest hit of the year… until the account was deleted.

The Big Picture: Whether people actually want AI-generated movies and shows is a big question mark for both Big Tech and Hollywood. While last week’s shutdown of Sora suggested they probably don’t, the success of Fruit Love Island complicates that narrative… and shows the format may be best suited to a particular style of content.

Behind The Prompts: Ever thought Love Island needed more produce? Probably not… but now a growing audience can’t get enough.

Final Episode: Fruit Love Island comes at an interesting time for the unscripted TV industry. With recent controversies stemming from personalities on The Bachelorette, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and 19 Kids and Counting, there’s a reckoning over whether putting a camera in front of troubled people is really the best idea. Granted, that’s a big reason people watch in the first place… it just becomes a problem when it turns out they’re more troubled than expected.

Next Season: People still crave messy drama — something AI slop may be able to deliver… without the real-world consequences.

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Country artist Sturgill Simpson catapulted to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with an album that was only released physically.

Why It Hits: After more than a decade of streaming, music fans are falling back in love with physical media — vinyl sales topped a billion dollars for the first time this century last year, and cassettes are back on the rise after near extinction. Much of that interest was driven by Taylor Swift, but Simpson’s success shows that releasing new music exclusively in the format can now make waves.

Behind The Sales: Simpson, performing under the moniker Johnny Blue Skies & the Dark Clouds, released the album Mutiny After Midnight only on vinyl, CD, and cassette… and people bought them, per Variety.

Last Track: So, how did Simpson pull this off? The artist leaned into some savvy online marketing. He teased that Mutiny After Midnight would be his first “dance record” and a salve for contemporary anxieties. Then he “leaked” the album briefly on YouTube as a tease. Simpson plans to release the album on streaming eventually… but expect him to ride the physical wave for a while.

Next Album: Expect some savvy artists to make physical-only releases part of the marketing game. Concert-only tracks? Check. A jukebox scavenger hunt? Check. Find a guy selling CDs in a Target parking lot? Double check. Time to have some fun.

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43.7% of you voted Sometimes in Friday’s poll: How often do you revisit your memories (e.g., photos, videos, journals)?

“Too many I don’t want to go back to. However, I sometimes dream about them.”

“I got off all social media nearly two years ago. No pictures or videos due to divorce and way too many moves. Time to create new memories!”

“Our iPhones basically force us to revisit memories by creating them from our photos. Or is it just happening more frequently because of the 9k photos I have? 😬”

“As a dad, I’m a sucker for that very obviously deliberate feature iPhones have where they show a pic from the past on the Home Screen — and then, when you click it, a Ken Burns-style slideshow of your most cherished forgotten memories plays to music. Damn you, Apple.”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Join Poll Of The Day, so your opinions can shine. Discover how your views line up with your peers’, check out cool insights, and have some fun. It’s data with personality.

🏆 The Oscars are moving to the Peacock Theater at LA Live starting in 2029.

🎧 Drake is the first artist to rack up 130 billion streams on Spotify.

🎥 VICE Studios has set its film and TV executive team under president Amy Powell as it revamps studio operations.

🤖 A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Pentagon from labeling Anthropic a “supply-chain risk.”

📱 Apple will allow users to choose which chatbot they want the new AI Siri to work with.

₿ Fannie Mae is starting to accept crypto as a down payment for a home.

🎞️ Instagram will allow advertisers to buy Reels ads tied to viral movies and shows.

👟 Nike has launched a new global initiative to find designers for new 3D-printed Air Max styles.

🧥 KFC is selling a puffer jacket filled with pickles. Talk about drip.