Kylian Mbappé Calls Out AI Dictator Memes: “A Lack of Political and Human Awareness”
Kylian Mbappé is tired of seeing his face photoshopped onto dictator heads. In an interview with France Football published Friday, the forward for Real Madrid spoke out about the trend of AI-generated pictures that flooded this year's World Cup, depicting him in military uniforms, sitting on a throne, or posing alongside Joseph Stalin.
Kylian Mbappé Speaks Out Against AI Dictator Memes
"I'm not going to say that everything that people make is stupid, because there's a part of it that's really funny because you understand that for some people, it's really funny," he said, but "there's also another part that's a little less funny because we know what people like that did throughout history," he added. And being associated with "murderers of people or people who made millions and millions of people sad and unhappy, I don't think I did that in my life."
Why Mbappé Says the Memes Go Beyond Humor
In conclusion, even when it's "funny," it "also reveals sometimes a lack of political or human consciousness of people."
As nobody is sure about the origin of the trend, some speculate that it could be connected with a lawsuit Mbappé filed against a kebab shop owner for using his name on a sandwich, and some think that it is a commentary on the striker's influence on both Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.
As for the nickname "Mobut" invented by his teammate at the national team, France footballer Ousmane Dembélé, the situation is completely different for Mbappé. "For Ousmane, it's totally different," he explained. "That one comes from the Internet. That's just a joke."
The comments come as Mbappé's profile has never been higher. He recently overtook Lionel Messi as the World Cup's all-time leading scorer, with 22 goals.
Nikola Jokić Opens Up About Fame and Privacy
Jokić has never been happy with his celebrity status, and recently on an episode of the Jao Mile Podcast, he spoke about it in an even clearer way. "I'm getting more and more bothered by popularity," the three-time NBA MVP stated. "This might sound corny, but I've become more impolite when people try approaching me. Honestly, I'm tired of it."
None of that is entirely news. The center has spent almost 12 years resisting the visible parts of becoming an NBA star, refusing photographs, not seeking any sort of fame and living away from cameras during his off-season mostly in his horse stable located in Sombor, Serbia.
The only thing that has changed is the manner of voicing his attitude to all of it. "Some people around me know that I refuse to take pictures because it is my time," he says. "I'm going to sound impolite once again, but what should I do? If people cannot understand me, I understand everything, but it is 11-12 years already, and enough is enough."
Mbappé and Jokić Set Boundaries With Celebrity Culture
The last part is crucial here. Jokić is not saying that he does not like fans or that he cannot understand their wish for a picture with one of the best players of his generation. He is saying that enough is enough, that he has reached his limit and decided to draw some boundaries in place of pleasing everybody he sees.
Jokić extends his logic to another thing: being a role model which he absolutely does not like being called. "I don't believe that they should look up to me," he says referring to Wilson Chandler, Jameer Nelson and Mike Miller, the older teammates of Jokić who influenced his early days in the league just by being present and working.
His vision of "normal" life is well known already – mornings at the stable and watching his horses run in Serbia in quietness where it is possible to listen to them eating. It is not like Jokić dislikes attention because there is something wrong with him. Being alone has always been the natural state for him, and after a decade of not having much of it, it started showing itself.
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