American Horror Story: Freak Show premiered Oct. 8, and this season looks to out
do all the rest. The fourth season is set in 1950s Jupiter, Fla., and is
focused around a traveling circus that features characters that are out
of the ordinary.
You may be thinking, “Wow, a horror show focused on a circus
and a has a terrifying clown -- how original.” But if you have seen seasons past you know that creator, Ryan Murphy, has a way of taking over-used horror themes and
turning them into something that is so shocking and genuinely scary that viewers
can’t seem to look away.
One of Murphy’s successful tactics to creating something
authentically horrifying in AHS is
adding a real element of humanity, taking real and dark human behavior and
showing his audiences how depraved mankind can be. In previous seasons, politically influenced topics such as mental illness, race and gender have all
been a central topic and were shaped into something that made viewers squirm and
unable to look away.
In the first episode, Freak
Show broke FX viewership records with its delightfully scary and disturbing
cast of characters under the circus tent. All of our favorite actors have
returned to the anthology series taking on new roles as the “freaks.” Our
favorite, Jessica Lange, is the ringleader Elsa Mars, who convinces
conjoined twins Bette and Dot, played by Sarah Paulson, to join her floundering
“Cabinet of Curiosities.” Already under her command are the bearded Kathy
Bates, lobster-handed Evan Peters and, soon to come, a three-breasted Angela
Bassett and Emma Roberts as a con-artist fortuneteller.
Also under Lange’s lead are some truly remarkable
characters. This season of AHS features
Mat Fraser as Paul, the illustrated Seal. Fraser was born with a real-life
condition known as phocomelia, as he describes in a short video released before
the shows premiere. Also featured in her own video, is Rose Siggins who plays
Legless Suzy. Siggins lost her legs because of a condition called sacral
agenesis, in which she was born with legs that are completely useless because
of a spine deformation.
This season features something truly horrify that viewers are not going to be able to un-see: Twisty, the clown. This
serial-killing monstrosity is going to give us nightmares this season and, spoiler alert -- he is not afraid of the daylight and likes to keep
people as pets or souvenirs. You thought Bloody Face was scary?
Nope. Murphy definitely outdid himself with this one.
So, ladies and gentlemen, let’s enjoy the Freak Show.
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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
StableDiffusion
The Illusion of Creativity
AI-generated music is often marketed as “artistic” or “educational.” But what does it really teach?
- That style can be replicated without understanding.
- That emotion can be simulated without feeling.
- That effort can be bypassed with a prompt.
For young creators, this sets a dangerous precedent. Why learn to play guitar when an algorithm can do it faster? Why study harmony when AI can generate chord progressions in seconds? The risk isn’t just laziness — it’s the loss of depth, discipline, and the tactile joy of creation.
I have listened to several AI-generated music covers. My initial reaction was one of considerable impressiveness, particularly regarding the reimagining of classic pop hits in diverse genres with novel arrangements. Here is one good example a-ha — Take On Me
However, after engaging with several such Ai generated song covers, a sense of emotional detachment emerged, attributable to the perceived absence of human artistry and genuine sentiment, resulting in a technically flawless yet ultimately soulless auditory experience.
Copyright in Crisis
What does the copyright law say about AI generated music, especially in field of music covers. Who is liable for copyright in this case, AI developers, people who used AI to generate music or people who published it on music platforms?
Recent lawsuits show that the music industry is pushing back hard:
- Universal, Sony, and Warner sued AI music platforms Suno and Udio in 2024 for allegedly training their models on copyrighted songs without permission Ars Technica The Lyon Firm.
- They’re seeking up to $150,000 per infringed song, arguing that the AI outputs resemble famous tracks and voices (e.g., Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson).
- These lawsuits target the developers of the AI tools — but they raise broader questions:The legal gray area is training data. Courts haven’t yet ruled definitively on whether using copyrighted songs to train AI counts as infringement or fair use Sites at USC.
But who’s liable?
Role | Legal Risk | Why |
AI Developers | ✅ High | For training on copyrighted material without licenses. |
Users | ⚠️ Moderate | If they intentionally recreate protected works. |
Publishers/Platforms | ✅ High | For distributing infringing content. |
The grey area lies in training data. Courts haven’t yet ruled definitively on whether using copyrighted songs to train AI counts as infringement or fair use. Meanwhile, AI-generated works themselves aren’t eligible for copyright unless a human provides substantial creative input — leaving them in legal limbo.
The Educational Mirage
Some argue that AI music helps people learn genres, production styles, or vocal techniques. But this “education” often lacks context. It’s like learning to paint by watching a printer — technically impressive, but creatively hollow.
True musical education involves:
- Struggle and iteration: Learning through mistakes.
- Emotional connection: Expressing what words can’t.
- Cultural lineage: Understanding the roots of sound.
AI shortcuts bypass all of this. And in doing so, they risk flattening the rich terrain of human creativity into a sterile landscape of algorithmic mimicry.
Why This Fight Matters
This isn’t just about music. It’s about the future of art, storytelling, and human expression. If we allow machines to dominate creative spaces, we risk turning culture into content — optimized, monetized, and devoid of soul.
We must ask: Do we want a world where art is made by machines, or one where machines help humans make better art?
5 Key Takeaways
- AI-generated music blurs the line between innovation and erosion in the creative arts
- AI-generated music raises questions about copyright, culture, education, and artistic expression
- AI-generated music can replicate style without understanding, simulate emotion without feeling, and bypass effort with a prompt
- AI-generated music sets a dangerous precedent for young creators by potentially leading to a loss of depth, discipline, and joy of creation
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