By Chris Snellgrove
| Updated 9 seconds ago

Years after the advent of generative AI, there are still endless debates about how this tool should be used (or if it should be used at all) for creative purposes. One reason for the controversy is that purely AI-generated images often have a creepy, downright uncanny look about them. However, even the biggest AI skeptics have to reluctantly give the tech props for one thing: parody. Basically, apps like ChatGPT and Grok are really good at tweaking existing images based on various prompts. Recently, users on X have discovered this while cranking out the last thing you’d expect: AI-modified Seinfeld images. 

It all started when one user generated an image of a fully bald and bearded George; that user surprised himself with how sexy the new and improved Costanza looked. Other users tried their hand at other characters, and it didn’t take long for the platform to be flooded with modified images of Elaine. Many who posted these images commented on how much sexier it made the character look, but that was a mistake because it unleashed a flood of angry responses. All of these responses basically said the same thing: that the AI was completely unnecessary because Seinfeld-era Julia Louise-Dreyfus has always been one of the hottest women on the planet!

From George To Art Vandelay

While the discourse on X eventually centered on Elaine, it all began with George. This character was always written as a bit of a lovable loser, and the producers made him look that much schlubbier by having actor Jason Alexander wear clothes a size too small. It made for an ongoing visual gag on the show; decades later, X user @e_cdalton decided to create his own visual gag, using AI to remove the remainder of George’s hair and give him a beard. The user says that his original intent was “to mock the modern ‘bald plus beard’ look” and he was shocked by how “great” the new appearance was. 

After that, the user riffed on how Jason Alexander would have constantly been named one of “People’s Sexiest Men,” but at the expense of Seinfeld’s overall quality. As his post gained traction (over 35,000 likes as of this writing), @e_cdalton began posting AI images of other characters on the show. While the hipster versions of Jerry and Kramer were particularly fun, many users on X became fascinated with the user’s new version of Elaine. With straight hair, bangs, and a denim jacket, she looked like the protagonist (or, at least, a supporting character) in every Millennial manic pixie dream girl movie ever made. 

Millennial Elaine Isn’t Real, She Can’t Hurt You

Unsurprisingly, countless X users chimed in about this Seinfeld icon’s AI-assisted new look. There was some initial pushback, of course: some pointed out that she just looked like Zooey Deschanel from New Girl, and others pointed out that artists transformed these characters into Millennials a decade ago, without AI. For the most part, though, users gushed about how great this new Elaine looked, and many couldn’t resist creating their own versions. This included a blonde Elaine, a weirdly Laura Boebert-esque Elaine, and my personal favorite: Cowboy Bebop Elaine. Before these users could have too much fun, though, they got collectively bodied by an army of Julia Louise-Dreyfus superfans.

Those fans were mostly here to share the same message: that Julia Louise-Dreyfus was a complete smokeshow and could never be improved by AI chicanery. Several of them also pointed out that the AI bros were creating “new” looks that Louise-Dreyfus already rocked on Seinfeld. For example, the character actually had straight hair and bangs in the show’s final seasons. She also wore glasses, which may come as a surprise to everyone adding them to her character via AI. These often-hilarious user responses were a reminder that for all of its impressive features, even artificial intelligence can’t improve upon perfection.

Want to get a closer look at the hottest woman on Netflix? You won’t see her nipples or anything (at least, not unless you get a Christmas card from her), but you can gawk at Julia Louise-Dreyfus until October, when this hit sitcom finally leaves the streaming platform. There, you can enjoy her nearly hypnotic beauty for yourself in glorious widescreen. Remember, there’s no need to create some gooner AI demon version of Elaine when you can just watch the actual show; to paraphrase one of Seinfeld’s other characters, she’s real, and she’s spectacular!

TL;DR: You can grab the Aero Ultra Steam on Amazon or Dreame’s website starting July 15 for $799.99.

If you’re tired of scrubbing sticky kitchen floors or dealing with stubborn pet messes, Dreame’s newest wet/dry vacuum mop is basically built to pressure-wash your house.

Launching on July 15, the Aero Ultra Steam is the latest flagship in the company’s lineup and, according to an email from the brand, the first in its class to combine high-temperature steam, hot water, and foaming detergent into one seamless system. (I’m particularly excited for this release — I have two beagles and the Dreame L60 Pro Ultra robot vacuum has literally changed my life.)

It features a “Tri-Force” cleaning system that hits your floors with 392°F SaunaClean steam for chemical-free sanitizing, dissolves tracked-in mud and other non-mentionables with 194°F ThermoRinse hot water, and dispenses a floral-scented FoamWash to neutralize 99 percent of pet odors. (And this is all at 30kPa, Dreame’s most powerful suction yet.) It also uses a specialized TangleCut 2.0 scraper to keep the brush roller tangle-free — which is non-negotiable when you’re constantly cleaning up hound hair.

The Aero Ultra Steam dispenses a floral-scented foam designed to neutralize 99 percent of pet odors while you clean.
Credit: Dreame

Bonus: You’ll get 100 minutes of runtime in Eco mode, and the super-slim 3.88-inch profile makes it super easy to reach underneath your couches (or wherever) without moving all the furniture.

You can grab the Aero Ultra Steam on Amazon or Dreame’s website starting July 15 for $799.99.

By Jennifer Asencio
| Updated 2 minutes ago

For one brief moment, it looked like fans were going to get a beloved show rebooted into something new, but it was not meant to be. Amazon Studios cancelled their planned revival of Stargate, which devastated the cast, crew, and fans in equal measure. It was going to be helmed by veteran Stargate writer Martin Gero. The other executive producers included those who had a direct hand in the creation of the original movie, Stargate SG-1 and Stargate: Atlantis. Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin co-wrote the movie, and Emmerich directed it.

Brad Wright and Joe Mallozzi, who have long been associated with the Stargate franchise, were also brought on board, along with Joey Harold and Tory Tunnell. This revival with this creative team behind it had the power to bring Stargate back to the present time. And that is where the show ran into the snag that ultimately led to it being cancelled by Amazon Studios.

Gero and others involved, including actors like SG-1 star Michael Shanks and sci-fi staple Robert Patrick, urged fans to push back against this decision by Amazon Studios. Creators and actors were so invested in the quality of their content that they were willing to speak out so publicly. Fans rallied behind the actors, and soon #SaveStargate gained momentum on social media. There was a Change.org petition that gained over 113,000 signatures as of this writing. Fans created websites dedicated to saving Stargate. That is how deeply fans feel about the Stargate franchise.

A Flawed Reboot Logic

The reason that Amazon Studios gave for canceling the reboot is that they felt the show would appeal only to the original fans and not to a broader “modern audience.” We really need to just move beyond that descriptor. The modern audience doesn’t watch science fiction; they just demand that everyone else hold their worldview and have diversity and messaging that so deeply twists the story it wouldn’t be what fans wanted anyway.

Many other revivals that were cancelled or died after the first season often saw the cast and crew blaming fans for not tuning in to their show. We’ve since watched Sabrina and a rebooted Charmed come and go with characters that remind us nothing of what we used to love about the original series. We are given lectures on what the message should be. You can no longer really watch any sort of programming without the “modern agenda” being forced into it, bludgeoned with such force that it resembles nothing about the original, but checks corporate boxes on gratuitously inclusive metrics. That is all the studios seem to care about, even if it costs them billions of dollars.

That is the thing that Amazon did not fully understand or want to understand. Maybe the revival didn’t check enough of their corporate boxes for them to avoid backlash from a vocal minority that demands these companies bend the knee.

Here it is, though: if the quality of the show and the storytelling is good, you will bring in fans. With Gero and the others at the helm, the original fans would’ve flocked to Stargate. Word of mouth of how great it was would spread. Those fans would want to share it with their friends and family. That brings in more viewers and more of those metrics a company looks at. SG-1 ran for a decade. Atlantis lasted five seasons, and Universe lasted only two before it was cancelled with many plots unresolved. They later released a comic book to help tie up some of those loose ends.

When done properly, Stargate has staying power with fans who wanted to watch programs that had great storytelling and emotional weight. It was axed because it did not appeal to the modern audience. That is not to say that Amazon Studios is done with Stargate; they are just not moving forward with the production helmed by Gero and the others. We will see if this bold strategy pays off for them, or if their future revival fails to generate traction with the modern audience, as we’ve seen many times already.