'Feels Good Man,' Deepfakes, 'Transcendent Kingdom,' Ricky Reed's Debut Album, The Get Out
How did a laid-back, semi-stoned cartoon frog end up a symbol of the alt-right? The new documentary "Feels Good Man" traces the origins of the character Pepe the Frog, from the perspective of the artist who first drew him and was baffled by the hijacking of his beloved frog. We'll speak to director Arthur Jones and producer Giorgio Angelini about this story of political appropriation.
Deepfake videos, which are manipulated with AI technology to appear authentic, have been increasingly circulated online, raising concerns about the ethics of their use and the potential to spread misinformation ahead of the 2020 election. Tom Simonite, senior writer at Wired, joins us to discuss what deepfakes are and the concerns that come along with them.
Yaa Gyasi discusses her new novel, Transcendent Kingdom . It tells the story of a Ghanaian immigrant family in Alabama. When her severely depressed mother declares that prayer is the only thing that will help her, Gifty wrestles with the limits of the evangelical faith she was raised with and the limits of her work as a neuroscientist, trying to discover the neural circuitry of addiction.
Ricky Reed is the Grammy-nominated producer and songwriter behind hits by Lizzo, Kesha, Leon Bridges, Maggie Rogers, and more. He joins us for an All Of It listening party for his debut album, The Room, which features collaborations with the likes of Bridges, Terrace Martin, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Dirty Projectors, Alessia Cara, and Lido Pimienta.
WNYC arts and culture editor Jennifer Vanasco gives suggestions for what to do this weekend, while safely social distancing.
