Latest news with #MarkTwain
Newsweek
20 hours ago
- Newsweek
What's Real and What's Fake—Global Action Is Needed To Protect Us All
Did the late Pope Francis really stride around in a puffy down jacket? Did an elephant really wrap a crocodile in its jaws? More seriously, is the person with a telephone voice that seems 99.8 percent the voice of your daughter really in such grave danger that only a quick bank transfer could rescue her? As long as there has been human society, there have been scammers and scams. The too-good-to-be-true deal. The sob story that pulls at the heartstrings at the same time as it opens your wallet. The grifter who wheedles his way into your life, family or work, exploiting every psychological weakness he can find. And the internet has made it much worse, with the age of AI threatening to make every single one of us, no matter how smart and savvy, into a potential victim. Probably everyone reading this got at least a dozen emails in the 1990s from a Nigerian "prince" asking for $1,000 to get him to the U.S. and then he'd pay you $100,000. Or saying that there was $1,000,000 in a bank account with your name on it if only you paid a service charge to get the money transferred. Some people fell for that, crude as it was, and lost money—sometimes many thousands. Posters are displayed at a news conference to unveil the Take It Down Act to protect victims against non-consensual intimate image abuse, on Capitol Hill on June 18, 2024, in Washington. Posters are displayed at a news conference to unveil the Take It Down Act to protect victims against non-consensual intimate image abuse, on Capitol Hill on June 18, 2024, in Washington. Photo byToday, with AI, that fraud would no longer be crude. The "prince" could have a video conference with you from a room looking exactly like a lavishly appointed palace. Official-looking documents could be produced at the touch of a button. Remember what the great American author Mark Twain once wrote: "It is easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled." Most people only wake up when their bank accounts have been raided and the "prince" has long faded into safety. Even more sinister is the recent spate of "sextortion" scams where fraudsters convince teenagers to send explicit photos of themselves and then extort large sums of money from them under threat of public release. This sad scam has caused several teenage Americans to commit suicide and countless others to have severe mental distress. This is now tragically even easier to do. A 65-year-old man could easily manipulate the AI on live chat to make him appear to be a young, attractive woman, preying on the lonely, the desperate and the inexperienced. To remove AI deepfakes from the internet is a game of whack-a-mole that can be very expensive and time consuming. As a lawyer, I dealt with a situation where as soon as I removed images, they popped up elsewhere and we had to go to great lengths to stop it, including sending someone to an internet server farm in Romania to surveil the activities there. In another case, a man was harassing my pro bono female client for turning him down for a date, and every time we got one of his websites taken down, another one popped up. The Take It Down Act, a rare bipartisan bill signed by President Donald Trump that enacted stricter penalties for the distribution of non-consensual intimate imagery, sometimes called "revenge porn," as well as deepfakes created by AI, is a step in the right direction. This will hopefully be followed by the bipartisan bill No Fakes Act, which seeks to create federal protections for artists' voice, likeness and image from unauthorized AI-generated deepfakes that could be extended to all individuals victimized by AI deepfakes. Groups supporting this bill have argued that Americans across the board—whether teenagers or high-profile music artists—were at risk of their likenesses being misused, and this legislation, reintroduced in the Senate last month, would combat deepfakes by holding individuals or companies liable if they produced an unauthorized digital replica of an individual in a performance. But having laws in one country is not enough—the internet is global, and images hop countries in a nanosecond. Denmark is leading the charge against deepfakes by granting individuals ownership of their facial features, voices and physical likenesses. Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt said: "No one can copy your voice or face without consent. This is not just about deepfakes—it's about reclaiming control over our digital identities." This is the minimum that we need in this AI age. The deepfake crisis demands urgent coordinated action, not just in places sensitive to the issues already, like Denmark or the United States, but also in places where the vast server farms are hosted and bots by the tens of thousands can be released at the touch of a button. We need clear legal frameworks to protect our digital identities. We need standardized takedown protocols, so lawyers protecting the innocent can quickly and efficiently go on the attack. We need global cooperation at the governmental level, ensuring that innocent citizens like you and me are served by technology, and not exploited or harmed by it. Bryan Sullivan is an attorney who has represented high-profile clients in entertainment, intellectual property and corporate investments.
Sky News AU
a day ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Liberal Party's death ‘greatly exaggerated' and Tasmania is a ‘bright spot'
Sky News host Peta Credlin has paraphrased a Mark Twain quote to say reports of the Liberal Party's death are 'greatly exaggerated' and Tasmania is 'certainly a bright spot'. 'To be honest, reviewing themselves around and around in circles doesn't help. Yes, a serious campaign review is absolutely needed, but multiple reviews at a federal level, as well as all the state ones they're doing, risk being an excuse for inertia,' Ms Credlin said. 'With obsessions like gender quotas and US-style primaries to choose the new round of candidates, it can easily look as if the Liberals are only focused on internals of the party and what impacts them as politicians, rather than what's facing Australian families and small businesses.'
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Harry and Meghan brutally skewered by Family Guy again
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been mocked by Family Guy as their marriage is compared to 'Hitler and the Crusades'. The newest series of the satirical cartoon takes a swipe at the pair in an episode where two beloved characters go back in time, reports The Sun. FOX aired the clip this week, which brutally mocks the royals by listing them with two of history's darkest moments. The dig comes during a time-travelling skit where characters Stewie and Brian meet American author Mark Twain. Brian says: 'Doesn't history pretty much suck? The Crusades, Hitler …' Stewie then chimes in: 'Prince Harry marrying Meghan Markle?' The episode then cuts to a cartoon version of the Duke of Sussex sitting on a sofa watching the show. He complains: 'Oh, again?' The character then turns to the audience and remarks: 'Oh like all your wives are so much better?' It's the latest pop culture roasting for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who've been regularly skewered by US cartoons since quitting royal life in 2020. After making the move across the pond for privacy, the couple splashed out on their Montecito mansion – which was also a point of ridicule for the pair. In 2023, Family Guy poked fun at their Netflix deal, showing the royals lounging by a pool next to their mansion. A butler handed them a cheque for 'millions … for no-one knows what'. Cartoon Harry sips from a champagne flute before muttering: 'Put it with the rest of them.' Then Meghan gets a ping on her phone and says: 'Babe, time to do our $250,000 sponsored Instagram post for Del Taco.' In an apparent reference to Harry's criticism of the royal family, he responds: 'I shouldn't have left the made-up nonsense.' Family Guy isn't the only comedy show that has taken a swipe at the couple. The royals were also torn to shreds by South Park, which aired an episode called 'The Worldwide Privacy Tour'. The cheeky episode began with a disclaimer saying all characters – even if they're based on real people – are fictional. But fans were quick to point out the Prince's red hair and his wife's floppy hat drew similarities to the Duke and Duchess. The episode mocked their constant calls for privacy while accusing them of endlessly chasing the spotlight. Fans were left in hysterics over the episode in February 2023, where the couple were seen holding huge signs begging to be left alone. The couple hang banners above their house demanding privacy – and hold loud 'privacy parties' in their front garden. Cartoon Meghan is shown in the same pink outfit she wore to Trooping the Colour. The pair also appear as guests on a talk show to talk about the Prince's book, named Waaagh, which gives a striking resemblance to Prince Harry's bombshell memoir, Spare. After the show aired it was reported that the couple were considering legal action. However their spokesperson has lashed out at the claims, and told Newsweek: 'This is baseless and boring.' Sources in California previously claimed Meghan 'was annoyed by South Park but refuses to watch it all'. After it aired, viewers joked that the representation was spot on. One said: 'South Park has seriously nailed Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.' Another added: 'They are definitely ripping on Harry and Meghan.'
The Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Harry and Meghan brutally skewered by Family Guy AGAIN as their marriage is compared to ‘Hitler and the Crusades'
PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle have been mocked by Family Guy as their marriage is compared to "Hitler and the Crusades." The newest series of the satirical cartoon takes a swipe at the pair in an episode where two beloved characters go back in time. 4 4 4 4 FOX aired the clip this week, which brutally mocks the Royals by listing them with two of history's darkest moments. The dig comes during a time-travelling skit where characters Stewie and Brian meet American author Mark Twain. Brian says: "Doesn't history pretty much suck?' "The Crusades, Hitler...' Stewie then chimes in: 'Prince Harry marrying Meghan Markle?' The episode then cuts to a cartoonised version of the Duke of Sussex sat on a sofa watching the show. He complains: "Oh, again?" The character then turns to the audience and remarks: "Oh like all your wives are so much better?' It's the latest pop culture roasting for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who've been regularly skewered by US cartoons since quitting royal life in 2020. After making the move across the pond for privacy, the couple splashed out their Montecito mansion - which was also a point of ridicule for the pair. In 2023, Family Guy poked fun at their Netflix deal, showing the pair lounging by a pool next to their mansion. A butler handed them a cheque for 'millions... for no-one knows what'. Cartoon Harry sips from a champagne flute before muttering: 'Put it with the rest of them." Then Meghan gets a ping on her phone and says: 'Babe, time to do our $250,000 sponsored Instagram post for Del Taco.' In an apparent reference to Harry's criticism to the Royal family, he responds: 'I shouldn't have left the made-up nonsense,' Family Guy isn't the only comedy show that has taken a swipe at the couple. The Royals were also torn to shreds by South Park, which aired an episode called The Worldwide Privacy Tour. The cheeky episode began with a disclaimer saying all characters - even if they're based on real people - are fictional. But fans were quick to point out the prince's red hair and his wife's floppy hat drew similarities to the duke and duchess. The episode mocked their constant calls for privacy while accusing them of endlessly chasing the spotlight. Fans were left in hysterics over an episode in February 2023, where the couple were seen holding huge signs begging to be left alone. The couple hang banners above their house demanding privacy - and hold loud 'privacy parties' in their front garden. Cartoon Meghan is shown in the same pink outfit she wore to Trooping the Colour. The pair also appear as guests on a talk show to talk about the prince's book, named Waaagh, which gives a striking resemblance to Prince Harry 's bombshell memoir Spare. After the show aired it was reported that the couple were considering legal action. However their spokesperson has lashed out at the claims, and told Newsweek: "This is baseless and boring." Sources in California previously claimed Meghan ' was annoyed by South Park but refuses to watch it all". After it aired, viewers joked that the representation was spot on. Another added: "They are definitely ripping on Harry and Meghan."
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are mocked by Family Guy - as cartoon compares their marriage to Hitler and the Crusades
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been mocked by cartoon Family Guy with the show comparing their marriage to Hitler and the Crusades. In an episode from the newest series of the animated satire, main characters Stewie and Brian Griffin go back in time and speak to Mark Twain, author of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The characters discuss how history 'pretty much sucks' before listing several instances including Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, the medieval wars in the Middle East and the former royal's marriage. The scene then cuts away to Prince Harry, sat at home on the sofa who moans 'Again?' before telling the camera that the audience's wives are no better. This is not the first time the Sussexes have fallen victim to Seth McFarlane 's cartoon satire and in 2023 were savaged as work-shy grifters being paid by Netflix for 'no-one knows what.' In the latest clip, which aired this week, Stewie and Brian Griffin travel back in time and meet author Mark Twain who asks them to proofread his manuscript. Twain asks the pair for ideas for his novel 'The Adventures of Hankenberry Flan' to which Brian replies, 'Don't you mean Huckleberry Finn?'. With the suggestion Twain is overjoyed and tells the pair 'that's already better' before running off to get his manuscript. Stewie then turns to his canine companion and says: 'Brian this is a terrible idea, we could change the course of history!'. But Brian is not put off and tells Stewie not to worry because history is terrible anyway. He says: 'You always say that but doesn't history pretty much suck? I mean the Crusades, Hitler?' Stewie jumps in and adds: 'Prince Harry marrying Meghan Markle?'. The scene then cuts away to the prince sat on a sofa watching the episode of Family Guy. He exclaims: 'Oh, again?' before turning to the camera with his hands on his hips and a frown. He adds: 'Oh like all your wives are so much better?' The takedown is the latest in a long list of satirical savaging with the couple, who stepped down as working members of the British Royal Family in 2020, first being mocked in an episode of South Park two years ago. The satirical cartoon launched a series of attacks against the couple in an episode of the show, which was entitled The Worldwide Privacy Tour and depicted the couple embarking on a publicity blitz to promote the Prince's new book, Waaagh. After the show aired, reports surfaced suggesting that 41-year-old Meghan had been left 'upset and overwhelmed' by the couple's less-than-flattering portrayal - while one royal commentator claimed that the Sussexes' lawyers were 'casting an eye' over the animated series. The episode depicted the 'Prince and Princess of Canada' - a young royal couple who loudly beg for privacy while drawing attention to themselves. The red-headed prince and his wife, who wears the same pink outfit that Meghan wore for Trooping the Colour in 2018, are seen promoting the prince's book - Waaagh - the cover of which strongly resembles Harry's memoir Spare. The episode is filled with swipes at the Sussexes, with main character Stan branding their cartoon equivalents the 'dumb prince and his stupid wife', while Kyle complains about the private jet parked outside their home. Meghan is cuttingly referred to in the show as a 'sorority girl, actress, influencer, and victim'. The same year Family Guy took aim at the pair with main character Peter Griffin compares himself to the royal couple. Sitting in a bar with his friends as he thinks of ways to retrieve money he is owed, Peter Griffin says he'll 'go it alone' – just like the Sussexes. The scene then cuts away to the the Sussexes enjoying fizzy drinks by their pool, while a quintessentially British-looking butler hands them a pay cheque. He tells the Duke: 'Sir, your millions from Netflix for... no-one knows what.' The cartoon Harry flippantly replies: 'Put it with the rest of them' in a British accent reminiscent of Dick Van Dyke's cockney character in Mary Poppins. As the butler scuttles off, Meghan's phone buzzes with a notification. She tells Harry: 'Babe, time to do our daily $250,000 sponsored Instagram post for Del Taco.' A despondent Harry, staring off into the distance, replies: 'I shouldn't have left the made-up nonsense' - in an apparent dig at the British monarchy.
