Ola Betiku's Blog

Yes, I’ve seen the flood of Studio Ghibli-style memes taking over the internet. ChatGPT’s latest image-generation trick allows users to recreate classic memes in the studio’s iconic aesthetic—whimsical landscapes, soft watercolor textures, and those unmistakable expressive eyes. The trend has gone viral, with people transforming everything from Distracted Boyfriend  to Woman Yelling at Cat  into dreamy, Hayao Miyazaki-esque scenes. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: while these AI-generated images are undeniably charming, they’re also reigniting a fierce debate about art, originality, and ethics. Why Are Artists (Rightfully) Angry? The backlash from the artistic community is immediate and intense—and for good reason. AI-generated art relies on scraping millions of existing works, often without consent or compensation to the original creators. When a user types a prompt like "Make this meme in Ghibli style,"  the AI isn’t inventing a new aesthetic—it’s mimicking decades o...

  Back in the day, comics didn’t over explain anything. Characters would just show up, team up, or even fight each other without lengthy backstories or convoluted reasons. Spider-Man could swing into a Fantastic Four issue, or Batman might meet the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the most you’d get was a throwaway line like, ‘Huh, weird we’ve never crossed paths before!’ —and that was enough. No multiverse rules, no crossover events requiring six prequels, just pure, uncomplicated fun. Comic books thrived on spontaneity and imagination. Crossovers between different companies—like Marvel and DC’s Superman vs. Spider-Man  (1976) or Batman/Daredevil  (2000)—happened simply because it was exciting, not because some grand cinematic universe demanded it. Fans didn’t need every detail spoon-fed to them; they were happy to fill in the gaps themselves. Now, everything has to be set up . A Disney+ series introduces a character, a mid-credits scene teases a team-up, and three film...

Boomers love to complain about participation trophies, but they seem to forget they were the ones handing them out in the first place. What’s even more ironic? Many of those trophies ended up in the trash or buried in closets within hours—hardly the life-changing accolades critics make them out to be. The funny thing is, participation awards aren’t some modern invention. They’ve been around for over a century —early examples date back to the 1920s and 30s , meaning plenty of Boomers likely received them as kids too. I get the reasoning behind them: rewarding effort matters, especially in an era where 59% of Americans  admit to not even voting in local elections. If showing up is the bare minimum, at least it’s something . But let’s be real—no employer has ever hired someone because they had the right number of participation ribbons. These things don’t go on resumes or transcripts. Honestly, the loudest critics often seem to be people who never even tried —the ones who sat on the si...

 I’ve been reflecting a lot on the diversity programs that some people are eager to dismantle, and the more I think about it, the more I’m convinced that shutting them down would be a terrible idea. Someone might ask in good faith, “Haven’t these programs done their job? Can’t we stop now?” To that, I would firmly answer no. Not only is the job far from over, but I fear it may never truly be finished. The idea that a few decades of diversity initiatives could undo centuries of systemic oppression is, frankly, unrealistic. Consider this: according to a 2023 report by McKinsey & Company, companies in the top quartile for ethnic and cultural diversity are 36% more likely to outperform their peers in profitability. Yet, despite this evidence, progress remains uneven. For example, women of color hold only 4% of C-suite positions in the U.S., and Black professionals make up just 3.2% of senior leadership roles in Fortune 500 companies. These statistics highlight how far we still have...