Conservative lawmakers are calling an AI-generated advertisement created in support of Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt “maybe the best political ad of the year.”
AI filmmaker Charles Curran shared the Batman-inspired ad Tuesday, depicting a version of Los Angeles resembling Gotham City and ruled by holier-than-thou aristocrats in 16th-century wigs. The video showed Gov. Gavin Newsom eating cake, former Vice President Kamala Harris chugging a bottle of liquor and Mayor Karen Bass wearing Joker-inspired makeup.
Clearly inspired by Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises,” the ad shows Angelenos dragged into a grand ballroom, à la the mob-rule trial scenes, pleading with the leadership trio to help address homelessness and rebuild their homes after the fires. (One of the AI-generated citizens looked eerily similar to Hugh Jackman.)
“If you were a transgender migrant, I could get you a free p-ssy,” an animated Newsom said in response to a citizen’s ask to prevent homelessness presence in school zones.
“Bass already solved crime. I endorse her,” Harris said in the ad, while chugging vodka. The former vice president endorsed the incumbent for reelection Monday.
The ad also depicted Pratt’s competitor, City Councilmember Nithya Raman, as a puppet saying, “let’s move the drug addicts closer.”
Pratt then arrives as a Batman-inspired hero to save the city. He is accompanied by a little boy who throws the first tomato at incumbent Mayor Karen Bass. The ballroom subsequently erupts into a food fight set to Calvin Harris’ EDM hit “Feel So Close.”
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said the AI-generated 99-second video was “maybe the best political ad of the year” in an X post.. Walter Kirn, an editor-at-large for County Highway and author of Up in the Air, said the video is the future of political ads, “ready or not.” He also noted that he hopes Pratt wins.
Watch the initial ad, and an additional AI one posted here:
LA is worth saving. Vote Spencer Pratt. pic.twitter.com/GpQpnfsuJe
— Charles Curran (@charliebcurran) May 5, 2026
Another viral Spencer Pratt political ad has hit the timeline. Mayor Karen Bass is fuming. pic.twitter.com/Vd2VexY7Tv
— TBC (@TBC_on_X) May 6, 2026
Founder of the right-wing media company OutKick, Clay Travis continued praising Pratt, saying his ads are “incredible.”
Though Pratt’s campaign maintains that he did not commission the ad from Curran, the reality star reposted the video on his own social media accounts. Curran previously told The Free Press that he uses ByteDance’s Seedance generative AI tool to create videos. He also founded his own production company, Menace Studio.
Pratt’s other ads have also gained traction, including a recent spot filmed at the site of his burned Palisades home. The ad, titled “They Not Like Us,” shows Pratt at his Palisades lot alongside the Airstream trailer where he now lives with his family. He contrasts his living situation with those of Bass and candidate Raman, saying they “don’t have to live in the mess they created where you live.”
The former reality star launched his campaign after his home burned down and he became frustrated with the city’s handling of the aftermath.
Another ad shows Bass saying Pratt cares more about his own celebrity than California before cutting to his mother touring his new trailer on his burned lot for the first time — calling it “better than just dirt.”
Facts Only
* AI filmmaker Charles Curran created a video using ByteDance’s Seedance generative AI tool.
* The advertisement featured Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt.
* The video depicted Los Angeles resembling Gotham City ruled by 16th-century aristocrats.
* The video showed Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and Mayor Karen Bass in stylized scenarios.
* The ad included dialogue, such as Newsom stating, “If you were a transgender migrant, I could get you a free p-ssy.”
* The advertisement depicted Pratt as a Batman-inspired hero saving the city.
* The video featured a depiction of City Councilmember Nithya Raman as a puppet in a scene regarding drug addicts.
* Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush called the AI-generated video "maybe the best political ad of the year."
* The reality star Spencer Pratt reposted the video on his social media accounts.
* Pratt's other ads showed him contrasting his living situation with other candidates.
Executive Summary
Full Take
The narrative surrounding this advertisement demonstrates a pattern of leveraging sensational, fictionalized media and AI technology to achieve political impact. The structure of the narrative relies heavily on emotional exploitation, specifically weaponized humor, provocative juxtapositions (e.g., mixing political figures with mob rule and superhero tropes), and moral panic surrounding social issues like homelessness and migration. The use of AI, while framed as innovation by some, introduces a layer of opacity regarding content generation and political accountability, as the ad was created by a third party using a generative tool. This dynamic allows for the creation of hyper-specific, emotionally resonant content that bypasses traditional critical discourse. The praise received from figures like Jeb Bush and Walter Kirn highlights how established authority can be co-opted to validate content that operates outside conventional political advertising standards. The core implication is that the speed and emotional intensity of digital media creation threaten the traditional boundaries of political debate, shifting the focus from substantive policy engagement to spectacle and viral outrage.
Patterns detected: ARC-0011 Emotional exploitation, ARC-0024 Ambiguity, ARC-0043 Motte-and-Bailey, ARC-0025 False framing, ARC-0030 Authority games, ARC-0040 Systemic
Sentinel — Human
The text exhibits strong characteristics of human-written journalistic reporting, effectively synthesizing disparate details and reactions into a coherent story about political advertising and AI.