Post #4271034

2026-07-31 01:50 UTC

@redsad@ohai.social i hate the reflexive dreary "that's AI" kind of comment under everything that seems too good to be true, but i admit at first i thought this was AI nope it's a reversed image of a still from the Charlie Chaplin film "Pay Day" (1922) https://youtu.be/qWmoHvYhl4k (at exactly 21 seconds in) which is quite incredible

Replies (4)

@etenil@toot.cat 2026-07-31 06:20

@benroyce@mastodon.social @redsad@ohai.social YouTube didn't exist in 1918! So if it's there it must be AI! (I'm kidding, couldn't resist)

Open ##4271033
@danimo@kolektiva.social 2026-07-31 09:40

@benroyce@mastodon.social There are also some good reasons to suspect AI is involved here. The precise framing, as seen in the more recent meme, and the fact that such progressive camera angles—with people walking past the camera in a blurred close-up—are quite atypical for that era. I’ve been studying film for 30 years now—and I had to watch the original video, knowing full well that it’s “real,” just to be convinced. In just 2–5 years, that’s likely to be much harder if the flood of slop in the media continues like this. @redsad@ohai.social

Open ##4274561
@yaarur@tooot.im 2026-07-31 13:29

@benroyce@mastodon.social @redsad@ohai.social My reaction was "Please let it be not-AI, please let it so someone already posted a link to the original..." So thanks you for your service 🤠🤏🤌🎩

Open ##4284406
@linuxandyarn@hachyderm.io 2026-07-31 17:24

@benroyce@mastodon.social @redsad@ohai.social Yep. https://www.charliechaplin.com/en/infos/744-Meet-the-OG-Distracted-Boyfriend

Open ##4290620