The Rhetoric of AI Slop

By Thomas Barrow, Fadi Adnan, Sid Vadlamani, and Alex Ardakani

This project analyzes synthetic media created just because it can be created.

Movie Clips and AI

This video is a compilation of clips from the first Harry Potter movie that have been edited using artificial intelligence to insert exaggerated and misplaced laughter into serious or emotional scenes. It was created and posted on Youtube by the channel Skilaw AI, which experiments with feeding movies and television shows into AI systems to see how they reinterpret the original content. The result is intentionally awkward and unnatural, as moments that once carried tension, wonder, or emotional growth are turned into something flat and comedic. At first glance, the video may seem like simple internet humor, another example of AI being used to create a remix of something familiar. However, the awkwardness is the main focus. Scenes that originally relied on critical silence, facial expressions, timing, and pacing are disrupted in all senses. This clash between the original tone and the AI-generated additions creates a sense of disorientation and discomfort that draws attention to what has been replaced.

The purpose of creating this “AI slop” version of Harry Potter is not just for humor, but to make a commentary on artificial intelligence in creative spaces. By letting AI alter the scenes based purely on patterns and logic, the video shows what can be lost when storytelling is handled without human emotion or context. It highlights that while AI can technically manipulate media, it does not truly understand tone, character development, or emotional meaning. Ultimately, the video encourages viewers to think about the limits of AI in creative spaces and how important human perspective is in making stories meaningful.

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00:00 - 00:00

Although the video appears comedic, it advances a logical argument about artificial itelligence. The structure of the experiment is simple: feed a familiar, emotionally rich film into an AI system and observe how it changes when interpreted through pure pattern recognition. The resulting distrortion functions as evidence supporting a broader claim, that AI lacks contextual judgement and subjective understanding. The humor is therefore not random, it serves as proof of concept. By presenting a well-known narrative and then alterting it in a visibly flawed fashion, the creator invites viewers to draw their own conclusion about AI's limitations. The video's logos lies in its demonstration rather than explanation, showing through contrast how algorithmic processing differs from human storytelling instincts.

Logos

00:09 - 00:21

The AI-edited Harry Potter video primarily operates through the manipulation and removal of pathos. The original film relies heavily on emotional tone, using silence, music, and character reactiosn to create tension and wonder. By inserting exaggerated laughter into serious moments, teh AI disrupts that emotional framework. Instead of feeling suspense or empathy, the viewer experiences confusion or discomfort. This deliberate emotional mismatch highlights how essential tone and timing are to storytelling. The absence of appropriaet emotional cues demonstrates that AI can replicate patters but cannot meaningfully interpret emotional context. In doing so, the video becomes a commentary on the limits of artifical intelligence in creative expression. It shows that emotional resonance is not simply a technical feature of media, but something shaped by human understanding, intention, and lived experience.

Pathos

00:25 - 00:41

In the scene where Harry enters into Olivander's Wand Shop, arguably one of the most important scenes from the franchise where Harry is supposed to get his first wand and creates the backstory of the sister wands with Voldemort, the AI strips the video of any purpose. The filmmakers originally created this scene with the purpose of playing a pivotal role in the hidden plot line for the rest of the franchise and the AI disrupts this by turning Olivander (shopkeeper) into a break dancing old man in the backroom of an office. The story of the sister wands doesn't play a role until much later in the franchise but by turning Olivander into a breakdancing old man in a shop instead of the wand shopkeeper who sells Harry his first wand, the AI effectively cuts out the hidden deeper message that only the most meticulous fans noticed.

Message

Audience

Purpose

00:56 - 01:03

In the AI-slop Harry Potter video, a scene initially depicting a dramatic Quidditch match is transformed when the AI inserts inappropriate laughter and farting over a broomstick malfunction that ends in a huge fiery explosive crash into the stands. This edit strips the original narrative of suspense and peril, replacing emotional engagement with absurdity. The clash between the original footage's intended tension and the AI's misplaced cues highlights the limitations of AI in interpreting context and audience expectations. Instead of reinforcing the competitive stakes or the characters' fear, the AI's additions render the sequence cartoonish, undermining both character agency and narrative coherence. The audience's familiarity with the source material makes the distortion especially apparent, reinforcing the video's underlying commentary that AI can technically manipulate media but cannot authentically replicate human understanding of tone, emotion, or thematic significance.

Pathos

Logos

01:15 - 01:21

In the scene where Harry dives for the Snitch and his broom suddenly behaves like a roller coast, the AI edits disrupts the original film's balance within the entire rhetorical triangle: communicator, audience, and message. In the original narrative, the communicator ( the filmmakers) craft a message of a first year students bravery, focus, and rising tension, inviting the audience to feel suspense and admiration for Harry's immense innate skill. However, when the AI transforms the broom into an exaggerated roller-coaster sequence, the message shifts unintentially toward absurdity. The audience's expectations of the movie based on the book clashes with the distorted visual logic, weakening emotional engagement and the filmmakers credibility. The context behind the scene is also crucial as everybody knows its supposed to be a very intense battle between Harry and the Slytherin player, which makes the AI's failure all the more obvious. This moment ultimately serves as a commentary that AI can manipulate spectacles but struggles to preserve the deeper meaning meant by the filmmakers.

Pathos

Logos

Communicator

Message

Animals and AI

During this minute long clip, animals are interviewed by a human who asks them questions to which they respond with funny answers. It is well thought out and the answers are meant to humor the viewer. The video ranges from dogs in the city to monkeys in the jungle. There are multiple different animals and humans doing the interviewing. The purpose of this video is to generate ideas of what animals think, their motives, and in some scenes their perception of humans, all of which are humorous. This video was created by a youtube account that specializes in generating AI videos for the sole purpose of amusement to its 25,000 subscribers. This video depicts our group theme of “AI Slop” quite well because it is not possible for animals to converse with humans, so the purpose of this video is strictly to entertain its audience while also utilizing AI in order to captivate the audience in a way that draws on and enhances visual cues ("The Power of AI Generated Voices") Each of the responses from the different animals are all very witty and almost taking shots at human things such as what we do for work. Impossible Tales motto is to give voice to the voiceless in scenarios that would never normally occur but people have definitely imagined before ("Can AI Crack Animal Language").

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00:03 - 00:15

At 0:03, the video shows the animal talking with its mouth moving in sync with the voice. Even though it looks convincing at first, you can tell it’s AI because the mouth movements are slightly exaggerated. This shows that the video was created using generative technology rather than being real. The reason this video exists (its exigence) connects to how popular AI content has become online. People are fascinated by what AI can do, especially when it makes animals seem human. By showing something impossible but believable, the video highlights how AI can blur the line between what is real and what is digitally created.

Exigence

00:16 - 00:28

From 0:16 to 0:28, the animal makes a funny comment about its owner. This part is clearly meant to be relatable, especially for people who have pets. The video gives the animal human thoughts and emotions, which makes it easier for viewers to connect with it. This is an appeal to pathos because it makes the audience feel amused and emotionally involved. Instead of focusing on the fact that it’s AI-generated, viewers focus on the humor. By using common pet-owner situations, the video builds a shared understanding with the audience and increases the chances that people will like or share it.

Pathos

00:29 - 00:42

Between 0:29 and 0:42, the voice sounds confident and pretty well timed with the animal’s movements. Even though the animal appears to be talking, the real communicator is the person who edited and created the video. The quality of the sound and syncing shows that the creator knows how to use AI tools effectively. This builds ethos because it shows technical skill and creativity. The video doesn’t try to trick the audience into thinking the animal can actually talk. Instead, it shows off the creator’s ability to use technology in an entertaining way, which builds credibility in a digital media space.

Ethos

00:48 - 00:59

In the final seconds (0:48–0:59), the video ends quickly with a punchline. This short ending style is common on platforms like YouTube Shorts or Instagram Reels. The main purpose of the video is entertainment, but it is also clearly designed to get engagement, such as likes, comments, and shares. Because it is short and funny, it fits perfectly into social media feeds where attention spans are limited. The use of AI helps the video stand out from other content. This shows how synthetic media is often shaped by social media algorithms that reward humor, creativity, and fast pacing.

Purpose

00:59 - 01:01

"The purpose of this AI Slop" video about talking animals is to provide a little bit of a glimpse into what animals are thinking and what they would say if they had the chance to be interviewed. Everyone has wondered what an animal thinks of us or what they might say, so this video is a direct example of what they might say, with a brilliant twist of humor. Each answer was connected to the animal in a way that made it funny for the audience, while also confirming our ideas regarding what these animals might have to say. I feel that this video has succeeded regarding its goal of bringing the impossible voices of animals to life in a way that brings joy.

Message

Animated Cartoons and AI

Assassins aren't allowed to fence, so some parents spray paint their kid to hide the fact he's an assassin, then send him to fencing school. He does well, and heads to nationals with his team. During his fencing match, his disguise wears off and security throws him out the tournament for breaking the rules and police take his parents to jail. The kid then goes to assassin school, learns a lot of assassin skills, then breaks his parents out of jail.

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Animated Cartoons and AI Part 2

This is a story about a wooden child who's parents disguise him in green so he can attend a nicer school. At this school, he rises to the top and becomes successful until his disguise wears off and he has to leave the school and he and his family are sad.

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00:12 - 00:20

The scene really leans into emotion to make the viewer feel proud of the wooden child and happy that he’s being accepted. He looks the same as everyone else in the green classroom, which gives the wooden child a sense that he finally belongs. When he randomly stands up and starts dancing, everyone looks at him. The teacher clapping right away is important because it shows an authority figure approving of him, which makes the audience feel even more supportive. When the teacher tells him to sign up for the dance competition, it pushes the idea that he’s not just fitting in, but actually succeeding. The scene happens really fast, but it still creates a strong emotional connection.

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Pathos

Audience

00:21 - 00:28

In this scene, the video builds credibility and a sense of legitimacy around the wooden child’s success by showing him win the school dance competition and stand in first place above the other green students. The winners’ podium ranks the students, and placing him at the top suggests that he has not only fit into the institution but has excelled. The green man in a suit shaking his hand works as a symbol of authority and official recognition, almost like an administrator or sponsor, which shows that his achievement is being validated by the system itself. This moment communicates to the audience that his talent is real and respected, not just accepted by classmates but rewarded. By using these familiar images of competition and ceremony, the video makes his success feel credible and meaningful, which strengthens the impact of the later reveal.

Ethos

Audience

00:29 - 00:32

This scene focuses on emotional appeal by showing the boy back at home with his wooden parents, still covered in green paint, being embraced and celebrated for his success. The parents’ pride creates a supportive feeling that makes the audience feel happy for him and builds on the idea that his achievements matter not just to him, but also his family. The transition to the airplane, where he sits with his green classmates who all look excited for what is coming next, builds anticipation and a sense of forward momentum. Their shared expressions of joy make it seem like he fully belongs in this group and is moving toward even greater opportunities. These quick visuals enhance the viewer’s emotional connection and make his journey feel like a dream coming true.

Message

Pathos

00:35 - 00:42

In this scene, the video strengthens the boy’s credibility by placing him on an international stage and having him win first place again, this time being greeted by Michael Jackson who is a pop icon. The use of such a cultural figure acts as a symbol of authority and excellence, suggesting that the boy’s talent has reached the highest level of recognition. Standing on the podium with both a trophy and a medal confirms his status as the best among his peers, which makes his success official. His facial expression and body language show pure happiness and pride, proving for the audience that all his hard work and earlier acceptance have led to this peak life moment.

Ethos

Audience

00:43 - 00:59

This last scene completely shifts the tone of the video. When the champagne washes off the green paint, it creates a moment of shock and panic that makes the audience feel bad for the boy, which is a strong use of pathos. The courtroom introduces ethos because the judge represents authority and his decision is final, even though we have been rooting for the boy the entire time. Showing the parents being taken away by the police raises the emotional stakes and shows real consequences for their dishonesty. When the boy walks into Driftwood Academy looking upset, the message becomes clear that his success was never fully accepted and was based only on his appearance. The wooden student greeting him at the end slightly softens the tone of the moment, but it is still a heavy and dark moment for the wooden boy and his family.

Pathos

Ethos

Message

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