Last night’s South Park season 21 premiere episode hit home hard for Amazon Echo and Google Home owners, pranking viewers’ voice assistants with reminders, shopping list items, and alarms that will make Alexa and Google Assistant users giggle for weeks.
For more than 20 years, the Comedy Central cartoon has made viewers laugh not only by having a masterful feel for the pulse of America, but also by making the public’s blood boil through merciless and offensive, yet completely on-the-money jokes.
The episode, “White People Renovating Houses,” simultaneously spoofs America’s love for both smart speakers and home improvement reality shows while exploring the hot button topic of the economics driving white nationalism. The later is a heavy issue, to be sure, but the show’s constant references to Amazon’s Alexa and other voice assistant technologies helped lighten the mood by making Amazon Echos and Google Homes stir at the sound of their wake words being uttered by South Park characters.
Here’s one of Eric Cartman’s tamer moments from last night’s episode:
South Park messing with Alexa #SouthPark #Alexa pic.twitter.com/4qtJkwQJ6R
— Moritz Wittmann (@MoritzWittmann) September 14, 2017
Twitter pulled together more examples of South Park breaking down the fourth wall to invade viewers’ homes but, like much of the show, they aren’t exactly suitable for all audiences.
And if you did happen the above clips within earshot of your voice assistant, you’ll be relieved to know that (SPOILER AHEAD) Cartman’s parents eventually take away his Echo. Here’s how he handles that news:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sij8Mt9RL_M
Jim Bob just through down the gauntlet, Amazon. If South Park’s assistant can play a country music cover of “Humble” by Kendrick Lamar, why can’t Alexa?