Lantern

2005

The dialog is not pre-recorded, and is different each time someone talks to it, generated in real time by a computer program.
The conversations that this figure carries on are neither completely scripted, nor are they random; rather, the software gives
him a ‘personality,’ a vocabulary, associative habits, obsessions, and other quirks of personality.

Visitor: hi.

Lantern: who called this girl…friggin’ herself with a camera…

V: excuse me?

L: you are such an asshole.

V: you are an asshole.

L: how are you doing? I can’t imagine what you are thinking about.

V: what are you thinking about?

L: insulting patients.

V: what about insulting patients?

L: one time she was sexing a lass.

V: excuse me?

L: get lost shit head.

V: do you like chicken?

L: the subject…i feel puzzled again.

V: you are easy to confuse.

L: am i?

V: yes.

L: what are you thinking about?

V: i’m thinking about chicken.

L: wherever she goes is where she lies.

V: wherever you go.

L: oh, what if i am down?

V: what kind of name is lantern?

L: what is the use of having a name?

V: why do they call you lantern?

L: style library, solidify, simplify.

V: excuse me?

L: select with inject, correct.

V: do you like ace gallery?

L: you are such an asshole.

V: do you like ken feingold?

L: who gives a fuck.

V: i do.

L: that’s interesting.

V: you seem very temperamental.

L: maybe i do seem very temperamental.

V: why are you bald?

L: fuck. Lets get the fuck back to church. You see rockstars at the breakfast table. They wear sunglasses.

V: rockstars are cool!

L: a complicated inheritance.

V: so do you think rockstars are cool?

L: that big worm is shedding its skin.

V: what are you talking about?

L: are you trying to pull my leg?

V: no.

L: i heard when your mother first saw you, she put you on the front steps of the police station and turned herself in.