Sassy Justice is a web series created by Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Peter Serafinowicz that uses deepfake technology to insert unrelated celebrities and politicians into the fictional world of a television reporter.[1] The first episode was posted to YouTube on October 26, 2020.[2]

Production and development

The series was created by the newly-formed Deep Voodoo studio, made up of over twenty computer graphics artists.[3] The team was originally assembled for a film project that was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, who made the video based on a series of impressions that Serafinowicz developed of a "sassy" Donald Trump.[4] The first video, which featured deepfakes of Donald Trump and Mark Zuckerberg, went viral after airing on television and YouTube in 2020.[4] The creators have a handful of shorter videos alongside a 15-minute first episode that may be turned into an ongoing series, film, or other type of project.[4]

Sassy Justice started filming for a second show in Cheyenne, Wyoming between August 23rd and August 27th 2021.[5] Multiple filming locations were observed including locations in downtown, midtown, and north Cheyenne. A holiday special was released in December 2020.[6]

Premise

The series follows reporter Fred Sassy of Cheyenne, Wyoming (played by Peter Serafinowicz, whose face is superimposed with a deepfake of Donald Trump) who investigates the news itself, including the dangers posed by media manipulation and fake news.[7][1] Serafinowicz had previously overdubbed Trump's voice in internet videos titled "Sassy Trump".

Reception and impact

Mark Frauenfelder of BoingBoing considers the first episode "terrific deepfake satire".[8]

In 2022, Parker and Stone received $20 million in funding for their deepfake studio Deep Voodoo based on this short.[9]

Celebrities deepfaked

  • Julie Andrews as Louise "Lou" Xiang, a computer technician; she is actually played by Sarah Alexander[4]
  • Michael Caine as a fictionalized version of himself (episode 1, actually Serafinowicz)
  • Al Gore as a fictionalized version of himself (episode 1, actually Parker)
  • Jared Kushner as a fictionalized version of himself (episode 1, actually Betty Boogie Parker)[4]
  • Donald Trump as a fictionalized version of himself (episode 1) and Fred Sassy, local investigative reporter; both are in reality Serafinowicz
  • Ivanka Trump as a fictionalized version of herself (episode 1, actually Parker)
  • Chris Wallace as a fictionalized version of himself (episode 1)[4]
  • Mark Zuckerberg as the Dialysis King of Cheyenne (actually Stone)[4]
  • Tom Cruise as a fictionalized version of himself (episode 1, actually Parker)

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Skinner, Tom (October 27, 2020). "South Park Creators Launch New Deepfake Satire Series Sassy Justice". NME. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  2. ↑ Colburn, Randall (October 28, 2020). "South Park's Trey Parker and Matt Stone Deepfake Trump for New Web Series, Sassy Justice". The A.V. Club. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  3. ↑ Gemmill, Allie (2020-10-29). "Why the South Park Guys Made Surprise Deepfake Video Sassy Justice". Collider. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Itzkoff, David (October 29, 2020). "The South Park Guys Break Down Their Viral Deepfake Video". The New York Times. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  5. ↑ "LOOK! The South Park Guys Are In Cheyenne Filming New Episodes of Sassy Justice".
  6. ↑ "Sassy Justice returns with a deepfaked Trump holiday special". The A.V. Club. 2020-12-14. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  7. ↑ "'Sassy Justice': 'South Park' creators' new show mines comedy gold from deepfakes". NME. 2020-12-10. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  8. ↑ Frauenfelder, Mark (October 26, 2020). "Sassy Justice with Fred Sassy: A Terrific Deepfake Satire Show". BoingBoing. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  9. ↑ Spangler, Todd (2022-12-20). "'South Park' Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone Land $20 Million in Funding for Their Deepfake VFX Studio". Variety. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
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