McDonald's is up to its neck in Christmas spirit. Early in December the restaurant chain introduced The Grinch Meal in partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises, with the Grinch himself taking over McDonald's social channels and a billboard in Times Square, New York City. But another stab at holiday-time merry-making didn't go so well: The company has removed an AI-generated ad in the Netherlands after it sparked online criticism. The spot, titled "the most terrible time of the year," depicts scenes of Christmas chaos, with Santa caught in a traffic jam and a gift-laden Dutch cyclist slipping in the snow. The message? Retreat to McDonald's. But, as Ad Age notes, the consumer backlash has fueled industry debate over whether AI creativity is clashing with audience expectations.

   Gabriele Münter (1877-1962) had everything her male counterparts could look for in a woman: wealth, social standing—and a great figure. Instead of looking for a match and a comfortable bourgeois life, however, Münter set out on a journey of self-discovery that led to her commanding artistry in the fields of painting and printmaking. Above: Gabriele Münter, Self-Portrait (1909–10), detail. Collection of the Museo Nacional Thyssen-B...