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How did the viral Willy Wonka experience go so wrong?

bbc.co.uk

41–50 of 74 posts

Re: How did the viral Willy Wonka experience go so wrong?

#41
post #14
post #2

Why blame the ai when in fact it was poorly executed obviously with insufficient budget?

Seeing how the organizer handed actors AI-written scripts, he obviously has a problem where he thinks AI can replace everything, including his own or others' hard work. I don't know what the right words are but someone needs to give him a wake-up call that AI is not going to be his ticket to not having to work for the rest of his life.

You can see from the decor that no effort was made on anything. The problem here is someone trying to make a quick buck not AI itself.

Re: How did the viral Willy Wonka experience go so wrong?

#42
post #24

People are saying it’s a con by a fraudster but I get the sense that the organiser is potentially on the spectrum or otherwise at a disadvantage

One of the actors says the guy was just in over his head, but it isn't his first time organising a massively disappointing event! Making me think it is deliberate.

Re: How did the viral Willy Wonka experience go so wrong?

#43
post #42
post #24

People are saying it’s a con by a fraudster but I get the sense that the organiser is potentially on the spectrum or otherwise at a disadvantage

One of the actors says the guy was just in over his head, but it isn't his first time organising a massively disappointing event! Making me think it is deliberate.

It’s probably a bit of both; the same guy is a prolific ‘author’ of 1 star AI generated books on Amazon.

Re: How did the viral Willy Wonka experience go so wrong?

#44
post #24

People are saying it’s a con by a fraudster but I get the sense that the organiser is potentially on the spectrum or otherwise at a disadvantage

Yes me too. Even if it did not meet the expectations by far, there must have been effort going into it. Providing a lacklustre experience is not fraud. A true fraudster would not have bothered.

Re: How did the viral Willy Wonka experience go so wrong?

#45
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't see that they're blaming GenAI, rather saying that AI now allows fraudsters to easily generate impressive-looking but completely fictitious marketing which then persuades people to spend thousands on tickets. Without that, he wouldn't have sold many tickets. "The use of AI, both in marketing imagery and writing, appears to be a recurring theme of Billy Coull's recent business endeavours."

The website of the event promises such enchering entertainment as catgacatching, cartchy tuns and exarserday lollipops. Or you can visit the `Twilight tunnel, with it's engemic sounds and ukexpced twits. (DALL-E can't spell) I don't think the fraudster is in any way more impressive than more traditional scams like the Nigerian prince.

Don't forget the pasadise of sweet teats!

I wonder if they deliberately left those red flags in as a filter, in the same way that the traditional scammers often add spelling and grammar errors. Those who spot the low-effort attempt know what they'll get and stay away, while those who don't may simply get what they deserved.

Re: How did the viral Willy Wonka experience go so wrong?

#46
post #14
post #2

Why blame the ai when in fact it was poorly executed obviously with insufficient budget?

Seeing how the organizer handed actors AI-written scripts, he obviously has a problem where he thinks AI can replace everything, including his own or others' hard work. I don't know what the right words are but someone needs to give him a wake-up call that AI is not going to be his ticket to not having to work for the rest of his life.

These kinds of scammers have tried to substitute hard work with literally anything they can get their hands on for their entire lives and never learn. They'll keep trying with whatever they can get their hands on.

Re: How did the viral Willy Wonka experience go so wrong?

#47

Few people are asking why such a large proportion of the public are easily scammed, a status which is different to prior eras. The answer isn't education, fyi.

These people weren't scammed, they were defrauded. They were promised one thing and delivered another. The event organisers simply lied so as to inflate the price they could charge for a thing that was worth dramatically less (arguably nothing). The extent of that gap constitutes a form of theft, and the organisers should be charged accordingly. The people who bought tickets weren't gullible or stupid, any more than…

The people who bought tickets weren't gullible or stupid

Look at the marketing material on their website and ask yourself who wouldn't be suspicious upon seeing multiple nonsensical words:

https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/002/764/707/40b

Re: How did the viral Willy Wonka experience go so wrong?

#48
post #27

This happened to be an egregiously-bad example of these cheap, padded-out, pop-up shows that are everywhere. Anything that isn't run by a major museum or gallery is highly suspect in my book. I recall a Tutankhamun show that I think had National Geographic's name slapped on it, somewhere in London Docklands, that was fairly lame, but nothing compared to the lameness of a Tutankhamun show going on in Hamburg right now…

What exactly was the exhibition at London’s millennium dome that you remember being so good? Or are you simply talking about the millennium dome itself, which ultimately became a bit of a national joke here in the UK, as nobody really knew what to do with it for a few years after the millennium. In the end, it got rebranded as the O2 Arena, and now it does fairly well for itself as a place to host, concerts and live shows etc.

Re: How did the viral Willy Wonka experience go so wrong?

#49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These people weren't scammed, they were defrauded. They were promised one thing and delivered another. The event organisers simply lied so as to inflate the price they could charge for a thing that was worth dramatically less (arguably nothing). The extent of that gap constitutes a form of theft, and the organisers should be charged accordingly. The people who bought tickets weren't gullible or stupid, any more than…

The people who bought tickets weren't gullible or stupid Look at the marketing material on their website and ask yourself who wouldn't be suspicious upon seeing multiple nonsensical words: https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/002/764/707/40b

Maybe, but there's precedent:

    gadjama tuffm i zimzalla binban gligla wowolimai bin beri ban
    o katalominai rhinozerossola hopsamen laulitalomini hoooo
    gadjama rhinozerossola hopsamen
    bluku terullala blaulala loooo
~ Hugo Ball : https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2009/aug/31/hugo...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1AmcBM5Ejg

Re: How did the viral Willy Wonka experience go so wrong?

#50
post #22

I yet have to find a non-overhyped and eventually disappointing event in the UK, to be honest. The only thing you can be certain of, is that you’ll pay a lot.

Honestly the Harry Potter studio tour near London is a very nice experience.

And I'm not even particularly a fan of Harry Potter.

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