Steve Blair
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steveblair.bsky.social
Steve Blair
@steveblair.bsky.social
360 followers 250 following 44 posts
NI comedy writer for TV, Radio, Stage, and Print. The Now Show, The Skewer, DMs Are Open, Breaking the News, NewsThump... Also do some stand-up, but mostly I sit down.
Own eyebrows.
East Neuk of Fife
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Steve Blair
dannyrobins.bsky.social
Missing #Uncanny TV Season 2? If you need a paranormal fix check out my book Into The Uncanny 📚 I investigate 4 cases in it, never seen or heard before! Pick it up at your local bookshop or download the e-book or audio version (read by yours truly!)
March 18, 2025 at 6:01 PM
steveblair.bsky.social
Delighted to have some material on Ep 1 of the new series of #DMsAreOpenBBC on @BBCRadio4 this Wednesday at 11pm.

In fact, you could say I'm buzzing. Tune in to find out why...
March 18, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Reposted by Steve Blair
garydelaney.bsky.social
Apparently the correct term is actually school nurse but I think it’s just nit picking really.
February 1, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Reposted by Steve Blair
jackbern.bsky.social
I've sent this email to my MP after doing the public consultation on AI, not sure it will do much but I would encourage anyone else in a similar situation to do the same
Dear Ms Stella Creasy, I am writing to voice my extreme concern at the direction taken by the UK government with regard to artificial intelligence in the creative industries. In particular I am alarmed by the plan, recently outlined in a public consultation, to allow AI companies to access copyright material for training as the default (and to make creatives 'opt-out' if they do not consent). As a writer, I took part in the public consultation - I have attached my response here, but I also wanted to get in touch with you as you are my local MP, and you have always been receptive to the problems and concerns of your constituents. Moreover, I believe Walthamstow has a relatively high number of people working in the creative industry, and I wanted to impress upon you just how poorly these plans have been received in your constituency specifically. To be blunt, I believe that giving tech companies the right to train their AI models with copyrighted material will be a terrible mistake which will decimate an already struggling creative industry. It is effectively giving tech companies carte blanche to do what they have done for many years previously - to steal copyrighted material - but this time with the government's blessing. Moreover, the "opt-out" model is woefully inadequate. On paper it makes sense - and I can see a world in which celebrity writers, artists and musicians use it to their advantage - but in practice, it would be merely a fig-leaf for the continued exploitation of the majority of creatives. This is already an industry where artists are frequently exploited by production companies and made to work well below an appropriate rate for the promise of future jobs or exposure - the reality of the industry means that production companies would fairly quickly pressure artists into abandoning their rights to any "opt-out" (with the threat of taking the job away if they refused). It is staggeringly naive to present this as a workable solution. I also have to stress how dispiriting it was to read this consultation and to see just how little the government understands the concerns of the creative industry with regard to artificial intelligence. At every turn, this consultation assumed that we should be accommodating big tech companies and their desire to foist generative AI on us, without acknowledging either the massive copyright infringement they have already committed to build their models, or the devastating effect their product will have on the creative industry. What's more, the consultation assumed that writers and artists are excited about this tool, and they can work with tech companies to use artificial intelligence to enhance their art. I speak with artists and writers on a daily basis and I have found no-one who can see an actual artistic benefit to this technology. I am frequently told by those foisting AI upon us that using generative AI will improve me as a writer - it has been four years and I still have not had an adequate answer as to how. AI can write a script in thirty seconds, but that is not useful from a writing perspective, because it is poorly written nonsense with no understanding of structure, tone or language - it takes much longer to fix than starting from scratch. It is a product that creates bad, careless art quickly. That is not something that benefits artists - that is a tool that benefits people who don't care about art, who just want to flood the market with slop and denigrate the very concept of art. Generative AI is not a tool - it is a weapon, used by exploitative production companies who don't want to pay for artists an appropriate amount to write something good, but instead use a machine to write a bad version of it and then pay artists a fraction of the fee they should be paid to punch it up. Generative AI will never write anything a fraction as well as a human - but it doesn't need to, to destroy their livelihood. I also must say how frustrating it is to see multiple government announcements extolling the virtues on AI while this public consultation is still active. The Prime Minister told a select committee a few weeks ago that "AI is going to be transformative for the better in art, culture, industry, government, public services", and just today the government has announced they are "unleashing" AI (whatever that actually means) in an attempt to "boost growth". This announcement had actually very little qualitative detail in it (apart from a mention of using AI to find potholes), and sadly reminded me a lot of the bluster and boosterism of the previous Tory governments - but it also seems to me that by announcing these things before the end of the consultation, the government has made up its mind already. Just last week the UK Labour Tik Tok account posted a video that used (truly ugly) AI art (and was later taken down not because of the AI art but because of an inappropriate music choice) - I was distressed by the complete lack of respect for UK artists and animators who could have made a much better video (for a fraction of the environmental cost, I should add), and it really doesn't inspire confidence that this government will actually listen to any criticism of generative AI that comes out of this consultation. I do hope that I am wrong, and that this government can be convinced of the folly of this specific plan. I hope that, given your constituency's high number of people involved in the creative industries, you could be a voice that warns against this - and to stop a policy which threatens to torpedo an already struggling creative industry. Thanks very much, Jack Bernhardt
January 13, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Reposted by Steve Blair
thisisdouch.bsky.social
After YEARS of searching, I finally tracked down the artist behind the greatest Christmas cards ever.

thecomedyloser.com/2020/12/12/c...
Christmas Card Banksy: An interview with the man who drew Christmas
Whilst the cards themselves were extremely popular, very little was known about the artist behind the distinctive designs, a man known to many simply as “Rich”. After years of searching…
thecomedyloser.com
December 24, 2024 at 9:11 AM
steveblair.bsky.social
First time I’ve ever roasted chestnuts on an open fire. Not euphemism. Has everyone else done this already?
December 21, 2024 at 10:21 PM
Reposted by Steve Blair
dannyrobins.bsky.social
👇👇👇👻👻👻
December 17, 2024 at 2:05 PM
Reposted by Steve Blair
dannyrobins.bsky.social
‼️😱👻SPECIAL PODCAST ANNOUNCEMENT 👻😱‼️
Tomorrow, for Friday the 13th, I have a spooky Christmas treat for you…a BRAND NEW episode of Uncanny, where I’ll be taking Phil from our classic case ‘Don’t Sleep In This House’ back to where it all happened…LUIBEILT😱😱😱
Who’s excited? 😱👻
December 12, 2024 at 8:12 PM
steveblair.bsky.social
Cheese! By the superb @thisisdouch.bsky.social OUT TODAY! Grab yourself a copy!
thisisdouch.bsky.social Chris Douch @thisisdouch.bsky.social · Dec 4
CHEESE! is out on Monday 9 December but you can grab a FREE copy of the book plus a set of stickers and a signed art print!

Just FOLLOW me then LIKE and SHARE this post before 23:59 Thursday 12 December. 1 winner will be selected at random on Friday 13 December (UK only).

ko-fi.com/thecomedylos...
December 9, 2024 at 7:55 AM
steveblair.bsky.social
Have just found an audio of @bellamackie.bsky.social ‘s wonderful How to Kill Your Family on @bbcsounds.bsky.social get it in your ears! www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie - Episode 1 - BBC Sounds
Grace Bernard begins the story of her murderous past.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 7, 2024 at 10:22 AM
steveblair.bsky.social
Something funny what I wrote on BBC Radio Scotland’s Breaking the News. On BBC Sounds now and repeated tomorrow on air. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Breaking the News - Jay Lafferty, Scott Agnew, Athena Kugblenu and Ian Smith - BBC Sounds
Des Clarke hosts Scotland's award-winning satirical news quiz.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 6, 2024 at 7:03 PM
Reposted by Steve Blair
jonnymorris.bsky.social
Two years ago. One day this place will have the same magic.
Someone quoting my tweet about Indiana Jones with a photo of Ronnie Corbett by saying 'Looks like Ronnie Corbet'.
December 2, 2024 at 7:49 PM
steveblair.bsky.social
The young lad (10) and I have decided to do a Sitcom Christmas Episode Advent calendar this year. We began with Dad’s Army 1971 today.

Any suggestions for lesser known eps gratefully received.
December 1, 2024 at 8:53 PM
Reposted by Steve Blair
victoriandetective.bsky.social
Here I am on the blue planet. Looking for fellow writers, artists, eco-worriers in my circle (& those I don’t know yet) who made it out alive when the Twittership combusted.

I’ve never felt as supported by a creative community as I did before the Xplosion. Let’s regroup hug & continue the party.
Cover of my latest book, The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective
November 18, 2024 at 7:18 AM
Reposted by Steve Blair
georgetakei.bsky.social
This is going to piss a lot of men off, but ignore them, too!
November 27, 2024 at 9:16 PM
steveblair.bsky.social
10 year old son back from a week at outdoor centre with school. Harsh winter conditions, learning new skills, and longest time away from him alone. But his proudest moment was for his teamwork in securing the award for “Smelliest Dorm”.
November 23, 2024 at 9:51 PM
steveblair.bsky.social
I can’t believe I’ve so few followers compared to Twitter when I’m posting stuff on the forward bow of the good ship Zeitgeist like this.
steveblair.bsky.social Steve Blair @steveblair.bsky.social · Nov 23
How many times per day do you think dogs wish they had hands?
November 23, 2024 at 12:47 PM
Reposted by Steve Blair
briantylercohen.bsky.social
Probably the only time I was grateful for a MTG tweet.
November 22, 2024 at 11:56 PM
steveblair.bsky.social
How many times per day do you think dogs wish they had hands?
November 23, 2024 at 12:33 PM
steveblair.bsky.social
Without downloading any new pics, where are you mentally?
November 20, 2024 at 9:57 PM
steveblair.bsky.social
Your move, rocket scientists.
November 20, 2024 at 1:39 PM
steveblair.bsky.social
On reflection, in recent months on Twitter I’ve felt like I’ve been grinding out poor jokes as a sort of duty. But this is like a fresh start. I can now grind out poor jokes as a sort of duty here.
November 20, 2024 at 9:17 AM
Reposted by Steve Blair
wsebag.bsky.social
Pick your splash 💦 😈
November 19, 2024 at 9:07 AM
steveblair.bsky.social
Seasick Steve is on tour! Don’t want to miss the show, so I’ve sent him these.
November 20, 2024 at 8:33 AM