How do you know when a gadget has become part of the American cultural zeitgeist? When it gets its own Saturday Night Live routine, apparently. The comedy show ran a skit (US-only) on May 13th pitching the “Amazon Echo Silver,” an imaginary smart speaker aimed at the “greatest generation.” Not surprisingly, that means lots of stereotypical jokes about seniors: the Silver is extremely loud, repeats itself and will answer back if you say any name that sounds even vaguely like Alexa. Naturally, you can only order it with a check or money order.
The funniest part: while the Silver is clearly a spoof on Amazon’s ever-growing Echo lineup, it’s not that much of a stretch. Amazon is clearly capitalizing on the Echo’s success by filling every possible niche, so it’s easy to imagine the internet giant building a voice-controlled speaker for the retired crowd. And let’s be honest… SNL‘s concept doesn’t look that bad. Wouldn’t you want to give your grandparents a speaker that blends into their decor?
As seen on SNL: An Echo designed for the greatest generation that will answer to any name close to Alexa 😂 pic.twitter.com/uqN1FRT7uP
— Amazon (@amazon) May 14, 2017
Source: SNL (YouTube), Amazon (Twitter)
