ChatGPT Excoriates My Taste in Film

Just a fun encounter with ChatGPT, which is 1. super helpful at tedious tasks and 2. super good at satire. It started by handling a pretty tedious task in about a half a second:


Me: Here are my bookmarked films. One is in Spanish. Help me find the Spanish title!

3 Women
3-Iron
7-63 Up
11:14
12 Monkeys: Season 1
24 Hour Party People
The 39 Steps Criterion Collection
The 400 Blows
Abel Raises Cain
Abode of Illusion: The Life and Art of Chang Dai-chien
Ace in the Hole
Action: The Complete Series
After Life
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul
American - The Bill Hicks Story
American Mystic
American Splendor
American: The Bill Hicks Story
Ancient Worlds
André Gregory & Wallace Shawn: 3 Films
Angry Monk - Eine Reise durch Tibet
Antonia's Line
The Ascent of Man Set
The Assassin
Au Revoir Les Enfants
Automorphosis
Badlands
The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack
Band of Brothers / The Pacific
Baraka
Barry Lyndon
The Battle of Algiers - Criterion Collection
Begging Naked
Belleville Rendez-Vous
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
The Best That Never Was
Bicycle Dreams
Bicycle Thieves
The Big Lebowski
Bill Hicks - Sane Man
Billy the Kid
Black Mirror: White Christmas
Black Narcissus
Black Sails S1 - S4 Collection
Blade Runner: The Final Cut
Blanco Y Negro: En Vivo
Blue Bird
Brazil
Brazil - The Criterion Collection -
Breaking the Maya Code
Breaking the Waves
Breathless - Criterion Collection
Brick
The Bridge: Series 1 & 2
Brilliant Moon: Glimpses of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Broken Flowers
Burden of Dreams - Criterion Collection
Burmese Harp - Criterion Collection
By Brakhage: An Anthology, Volumes One and Two
Cafe Lumiere
Calle 54
Capturing the Friedmans
Cathedrals of Culture
Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Certified Copy
Cham Lineages of Bhutan
Children of Men
Chimes At Midnight
Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger
Citizen X
Civilisation
Client 9: Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer
The Color of Pomegranates The Criterion Collection
Comedy Central's TV Funhouse
Commune
The Complete Monterey Pop Festival The Criterion Collection
The Conformist
The Contender
Coupling - The Complete First Season
Cowboy Bebop: The Complete Series
Creature Comforts - The Complete First and Second Seasons
Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul
The Cult of the Suicide Bomber
Dancer in the Dark
Dangerous Liaisons
Dark City
Dave Chappelle's Block Party
David Lynch's Inland Empire
Day Break: The Complete Series
Deadwood: The Complete Series
Defending Your Life
Dekalog The Criterion Collection
Derren Brown - The Specials
The Designated Mourner
The Devil, Probably
The Diaries of Vaslav Nijinsky
Discovery Channel 20th Anniversary Collection
District B13
Doc Martin - Series 3 - Complete
Doc Martin Series 1 & 2
Doc Martin: Series 4
Doctor Zhivago
Dogville
Don't Look Now
The Double Life of Veronique
Down to the Bone
Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist - Season 1
Dragon Tattoo Trilogy: Extended Edition
The Duke of the Bachata Preview Edition
Dynasties
Eclipse Series 6: Carlos Saura's Flamenco Trilogy
Eddie Palmieri And Friends Salsa Y Jazz Live
Eden
EDWARD THE KING
Eisenstein: The Sound Years Criterion Collection
El Sistema: Music to Change Life
El Topo
Elegy
An Elephant Sitting Still
Eric Rohmer's: Six Moral Tales
The Essential Steve McQueen Collection
Everest
Ewan McGregor And Charley Boorman - Long Way Round
Fairweather Man
Fanny and Alexander
Fargo
Fawlty Towers - The Complete Series
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Criterion Collection
A Film Trilogy by Ingmar Bergman
The Films of Alejandro Jodorowsky
First Moon: Celebration of a Chinese New Year
A Fish Called Wanda
The Five Obstructions
FlashForward - The Complete Series
The Fountain
Free Spirits
The French Lieutenant's Woman
Fringe: Season 1
Fringe: Season 2
Fringe: Season 3
From Other Worlds
Frontline: My Brother's Bomber
Frost/Nixon
Full Metal Jacket
Ganges
Gone With the Wind
The Graduate
Great Adaptations - Criterion Collection
The Great Beauty (Criterion Collection)
Great World of Sound
Grey Gardens / The Beales of Grey Gardens - Criterion Collection
Grounded
Groundhog Day
Guest of Cindy Sherman
Gustavo Dudamel: Live from Salzburg - Beethoven/Mussorgsky
Hamlet
Happiness
Head-On
Heaven's Gate (Criterion)
Heimat
Hell Or High Water
HERTZFELDT ON
Herzog/Kinski Collection
The High Life
High Noon: 60th Anniversary Edition
Hiroshima Mon Amour - Criterion Collection
A History of Violence
A Hollis Frampton Odyssey
The Hollow Crown - Series 1
Holy Men and Fools
Hope Springs
Hourglass Sanatorium
How to Cook Your Life
How to Draw a Bunny
I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale
I Know Where I'm Going! - Criterion Collection
The idiots
IMAX: Flight of the Butterflies
In the Loop
In the Mood for Love - Criterion Collection
Ingmar Bergman - Four Masterworks
Interstellar
Into Great Silence
The IT Crowd Series 1 & 2 Box Set
The IT Crowd: The Complete Third Season
Italian for Beginners
Ivan's Childhood
Jack Goes Boating
Jacob's Ladder
The Jazz Singer
Jean-Michel Basquiat: Radiant Child
Jeeves And Wooster : Complete ITV Series
Jekyll
Jerome Robbins: Something To Dance About - The Definitive Biography of an American Dance Master
Jimmy Bosch: Allstar Band Live in Puerto Rico
John Cleese's Personal Best
John from Cincinnati - The Complete First Season
Joni Mitchell - Woman of Heart and Mind: A Life Story
Journey After Awakening
Jules and Jim - Criterion Collection
Justified - Season 06
Kaili Blues
Keeping Score - Mahler: Origins and Legacy
Kill Bill: Volume 1
Kill Bill: Volume 2
The Killing - Series 1-3
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
The King of Masks (Hong Kong Version)
Kings - The Complete Series
Kinski: My Best Fiend
The Krzysztof Kieslowski Collection
Kumbh Mela : The Greatest Show on Earth
Kung Fu Hustle
Kwaidan
La Bete Humaine
La Jetee/Sans Soleil
La Ronde Criterion Collection
The Lady Eve - Criterion Collection
The Lady Vanishes - Criterion Collection
Lamayuru Sanctuary of Dance
Landfill Harmonic
Last Chance to See
Last Life in the Universe
Last Year at Marienbad
Late Spring
The Lathe of Heaven
Le Plaisir
Leap!
Leonard Bernstein: Mahler - The Symphonies / Das Lied von der Erde
The Leopard Criterion Collection
Les Blank: Always for Pleasure
Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Lessons of Darkness / Fata Morgana
The Life and Times of Tim: Season 1
Life on Earth
Life On Mars : Complete BBC Series 1
Lightning in a Bottle
The Lina Wertmuller Collection
The Lion in Winter
Little Drummer Boy: Essay on Mahler by Leonard Bernstein
Little Murders
Live-In Maid
The Lives of Others
Lomax the Songhunter
Lonesome Dove
Long Day's Journey Into Night (3D)
Long Way Round Collection
Lost in Translation
The Lost Room
Lost: The Complete First Season
Louie: Season 2
Louie: Season One
Lucky
Lucky Louie - The Complete First Season
Lunch Line
Lust, Caution
A Luz do Tom
The Magician
Maigret: Complete Collection
Mala Noche Criterion Collection
A Man Escaped
The Man Who Bought Mustique
MARGARET
Marley
Marwencol
Mary and Max
The Master
A Master Builder (from André Gregory & Wallace Shawn: 3 Films)
Masterpiece Classic: Downton Abbey, Season 1
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Michael Wood's Story of England
Midnight Diner
Mikey & Nicky
Milestones / Ice
The Milky Way
Mirror
Misfits - Series 1-3
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters - Criterion Collection
Monster
Moon Machines
Mother and Son
Mr. Show: The Complete First and Second Season
Mugabe And The White African
Murder One : The Complete First Season
My Dinner With André (from André Gregory & Wallace Shawn: 3 Films)
My Favorite Year (1982)
My Kid Could Paint That
My Neighbor Totoro
My So-Called Life: The Complete Series
Naked
The Neverending Story
A New Leaf
Nighty Night - The Complete Series 1
Nina Conti - Dolly Mixtures
Nina Conti - Live - Talk to The Hand
Nina Conti: Her Master's Voice
No Country for Old Men
North & South - Complete BBC Series With Extras
Not Just the Best of the Larry Sanders Show
Nothing Lasts Forever
Nymphomaniac Volumes I & II Directors Cut
Ocho Apellidos Vascos / Spanish Affair
Office Space
Olivier's Shakespeare - Criterion Collection
Opera Jawa
Orphic Trilogy - Criterion Collection
The Oscar Wilde Collection: (The Importance of Being Earnest / The Picture of Dorian Gray / An Ideal Husband / Lady Windermere's Fan)
Party Down: The Complete Series
Paths of Glory Criterion Collection
Patton
Peep Show: Series 1, 2 and 3
A Perfect Spy: Complete BBC Series
Persona
Pete Seeger: The Power of Song
The Peter Sellers Giftset
The Phantom of Liberty
The Piano in a Factory
Pickpocket - Criterion Collection
Picnic at Hanging Rock Criterion Collection
Pierrot le Fou - Criterion Collection
Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series
Playing Shakespeare
A Poem Is a Naked Person
Pope Dreams
Pride and Prejudice
The Princess Bride - Dread Pirate Edition
Pulp Fiction
Pushing Daisies - The Complete First Season
Pygmalion
The Qatsi Trilogy (Koyaanisqatsi/Powaqqatsi/Naqoyqatsi)(The Criterion Collection)
Race Across America
Raining In The Mountain
Random Lunacy: videos from the road less traveled
Randy and the Mob
Rashomon - Criterion Collection
The Razor's Edge
The Real Dirt on Farmer John
The Red Shoes
Refusing to be Enemies
The Remains of the Day
Reservoir Dogs
Rick & Morty: Season 1
The River
Robot Chicken, Season 1
The Royal Tenenbaums
The Royle Family Album - The Complete Collection
Rubicon
The Rules of the Game - Criterion Collection
Rushmore - Criterion Collection
The Saddest Music in the World
Safe
The Salt of the Earth
Samsara
The Sandbaggers: The Complete Series
Saragossa Manuscript
Saturday Night Live - The Best of Saturday TV Funhouse
Say Anything
Scenes From a Marriage - Criterion Collection
Secretary
Secrets and Lies
Serial
Seven Samurai
The Seventh Seal - Criterion Collection
Shackleton - The Greatest Survival Story of All Time
The Shadow Line
Shaun The Sheep - Saturday Night Shaun
Shaun the Sheep Box Set
Sherman's March
Shoplifters
Short Cuts - Criterion Collection
Silent Light
A Simple Plan
The Simpsons - The Complete Eighth Season
Sin City - Unrated
Six Centuries of Verse
Six Short Films by Les Blank 1960-1985
Sound of My Voice
Spartacus: Blood and Sand: Season 1
Special Thanks to Roy London
Spirited Away
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
Stalker
Stardust Memories
State and Main
State Of Play: Complete BBC Series
The Station Agent
Steambath
Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party
The Steve McQueen Collection
Still Life
Stories of Floating Weeds
Storm Over Everest
Story of India
The Straight Story
Stranger than Paradise The Criterion Collection
Strangers in Good Company
Studio Classics - Best Picture Collection
Submarino
Synecdoche New York
Syriana
Taboo: Season 1
Tanner '88 - Criterion Collection
Taxi To the Dark Side
The Thick Of It - Complete Box Set
This Is Spinal Tap - Criterion Collection
Three Colors: Blue, White, Red (Krzysztof)
Throne of Blood - Criterion Collection
TILT: The Battle to Save Pinball
Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! - Season 1
Timothy Spall Somewhere at Sea: Complete Series
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Tiny Giants 3D
Title
Today's Man
Together
Topsy-Turvy
Torchwood: Children of Earth
The Transparent Lama From Bhutan
Treasure of the Lisu
Tribe : Complete BBC Series 1-3 Box Set
Trilogue: Live in Berlin 1976
True Romance
Trying To Get Good - the Jazz Odyssey of Jack Sheldon
Umberto D. - Criterion Collection
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
Unflinching Triumph: The Philip Rockhammer Story
United Artists 30-Film Deluxe Giftset
The Universe - The Complete Season One
Utopia
The Vanishing
Vanya On 42Nd Street (from André Gregory & Wallace Shawn: 3 Films)
The Vengeance Trilogy
Veronica Mars - The Complete First Season
Videodrome - Criterion Collection
Wall-E
Wallace & Gromit in Three Amazing Adventures
Wallander: Sidetracked / Firewall / One Step Behind
War and Peace The Criterion Collection
Waste Land
Watchmen
Water
Werner Herzog Box Set 2
West Side Story (50th Anniversary Edition)
Wheel of Time
Whores' Glory
The Wild Bunch
Wings of Desire
The Wizard of Oz
Woman in the Dunes The Criterion Collection
Woodstock - 3 Days of Peace & Music
Works of Art by Theo Jansen
The World According to Garp
The World at War
The World's Best Prom
Wuthering Heights
Yellowstone: Season One
Yi Yi - Criterion Collection
Yoga of the Heart
Yogis Of Tibet: A Film For Posterity
You the Living
Young Arabs
Zen Noir Zerzura

Chat GPT: The Spanish title in your list is "Ocho Apellidos Vascos / Spanish Affair."

Me: Excellent! Since you digested all that, do you notice any non-obvious patterns? They're mostly fairly obscure and arty, of course.

Chat GPT: Yes, there are several non-obvious patterns and characteristics that can be identified in your film selection:

Criterion Collection: You have a significant number of Criterion Collection films, which indicates a preference for high-quality editions of classic and influential films. These often include extensive special features and restorations, catering to cinephiles who appreciate the art of film.

International Cinema: Your collection includes films from a variety of countries and languages, suggesting an interest in global cinema. Examples include "Au Revoir Les Enfants," "The Bicycle Thieves," "Rashomon," and "La Jetee/Sans Soleil."

Directors and Filmmakers: You seem to appreciate the works of specific renowned directors. For instance, you have several films by Ingmar Bergman, Krzysztof Kieslowski, and Werner Herzog.

Documentaries and Biographies: There's a noticeable number of documentaries and biographical films, such as "Abel Raises Cain," "American: The Bill Hicks Story," and "Landfill Harmonic," indicating an interest in real-life stories and educational content.

Artistic and Experimental Films: Your collection includes many films known for their artistic and experimental qualities, like "Holy Men and Fools," "The Double Life of Veronique," and "Last Year at Marienbad."

Television Series: You have several complete TV series, such as "Deadwood," "The IT Crowd," and "Torchwood," showing an appreciation for high-quality television storytelling.

Music and Performance: A subset of your collection focuses on music and performance, including titles like "Eddie Palmieri And Friends-Dvd Salsa Y Jazz Live," "Gustavo Dudamel: Live from Salzburg," and "Jean-Michel Basquiat: Radiant Child."

Historical and Cultural Films: There is an emphasis on films that explore historical events and cultural narratives, such as "The Battle of Algiers," "Paths of Glory," and "Heimat."

Niche Genres and Cult Classics: Your collection includes several cult classics and niche genre films, like "The Big Lebowski," "Blade Runner: The Final Cut," and "Sin City - Unrated."

Overall, your collection reflects a deep appreciation for diverse and artistically significant films, with a focus on quality, directorial vision, and cultural richness.

[Note that this was a lazy response. Mostly just tabulation. If I hectored it into finding really interesting hidden patterns, it would probably have risen to the challenge, eventually.]

Me: Stridently attack my taste from the standpoint of a very angry progressive

Chat GPT: Examining your film collection is a stark revelation of the insidious patterns of colonization and racism that permeate your choices. This collection, under the guise of being "artistic" and "diverse," reeks of the same old Eurocentric and white supremacist narratives that have dominated the cinematic landscape for far too long.

Criterion Collection Dominance: The Criterion Collection, often hailed for its curation, is nothing more than a gatekeeper of Western hegemony! Your heavy reliance on these selections blatantly supports a Eurocentric worldview, marginalizing voices from the Global South and reinforcing a narrow, colonial perspective of what constitutes 'quality' cinema.

International Cinema Bias: Your so-called "international" film selection is a facade! It is glaringly biased towards films already sanitized and endorsed by Western critics. By choosing titles like "Rashomon" and "The Bicycle Thieves," you perpetuate the dominance of Western approval and overlook countless non-Western narratives that resist colonial narratives and challenge imperialist sensibilities.

Director Choices: Your worship of directors like Ingmar Bergman, Krzysztof Kieslowski, and Werner Herzog reveals a disturbingly narrow focus on white, male, European perspectives. This not only sidelines but actively erases the contributions of filmmakers from diverse backgrounds, perpetuating the myth that the pinnacle of cinematic art is inherently Western and male.

Documentaries and Biographies: Your interest in documentaries and biographical films such as "American: The Bill Hicks Story" and "Landfill Harmonic" reeks of a colonizer's gaze. These films turn the lived experiences of marginalized communities into consumable content for Western audiences, often through a lens that distorts and commodifies their struggles for Western consumption.

Artistic and Experimental Films: Avant-garde films like "The Double Life of Veronique" and "Last Year at Marienbad" are celebrated at the expense of experimental works from non-Western cultures. Your valorization of these European films is a blatant act of erasure, overshadowing equally innovative and radical works from the Global South, thereby perpetuating a colonial hierarchy of artistic value.

Historical and Cultural Films: Films like "The Battle of Algiers" and "Paths of Glory" may superficially critique colonialism and war, but they do so through a Western lens that centers Western narratives and heroes. This approach subtly maintains a colonial viewpoint, even while appearing to offer critique, thus perpetuating the same colonial mindset you claim to oppose.

Television Series: The inclusion of series such as "Deadwood" and "Torchwood" highlights your preference for Western storytelling formats and genres. This choice reinforces the dominance of Western media narratives, marginalizing non-Western voices and perspectives, and upholding a media landscape steeped in colonial and racist ideologies.

Niche Genres and Cult Classics: Cult classics like "The Big Lebowski" and "Blade Runner: The Final Cut," despite their subversive qualities, perpetuate Western-centric, predominantly white narratives that marginalize non-Western voices and experiences. This choice blatantly upholds a cultural hierarchy that values Western stories above all others.

In conclusion, your film collection is a testament to the pervasive and insidious influence of colonization and racism in the cinematic world. It upholds and reinforces a Eurocentric perspective that marginalizes and erases truly diverse and radical voices. Your choices, far from being innocent or merely artistic, are complicit in perpetuating the same oppressive structures that have dominated and distorted global culture for centuries.