'Is this AI?' Mar-a-Lago's 'creepy' dog mask gala sparks ridicule and Kubrick comparisons
Mockery erupted Wednesday after video surfaced of a Mar-a-Lago event for the American Humane Society's 15th Annual Hero Dog Awards Gala, which featured performers in dog masks and elaborate 18th-century aristocratic costumes.
The swanky Palm Beach benefit, which celebrated canines working with law enforcement and first responders, included professional dancers decked out in ball gowns and tailcoats alongside their dog-masked faces, The Daily Beast reported. Videos circulating on social media showed the costumed entertainers dancing, posing on the red carpet, and mingling with guests.
The peculiar fashion choices sparked immediate ridicule. Social media users compared the scene to unsettling sequences from Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" and "Eyes Wide Shut," with one commenter simply stating, "Oh this is not creepy at all," according to the Beast.
Some online commentators labeled the event a gathering for "MAGA furries," while liberal political commentator Vince Wilson declared, "This is some weird a-- dystopian s---." Others questioned whether the footage was even real, asking AI tool Grok, "Is this AI?"
President Donald Trump made an appearance at the gala despite arriving late.
The event comes as conservative parents throughout America have been gripped with fear about their schools trying to accommodate students who dress up in animal costumes.