Amazon recently launched a “Spicy Alexa” update in Australia, which made me realise I have a very different definition of spicy to the global smart home juggernaut.
Ask any Millennial or Gen Z person who spends any length of time on the internet, and they’ll tell you that “spicy” means something relating to sexual or risqué content. It’s even the second listed definition on the Cambridge Dictionary website, after the food-related definition.
But instead of Alexa attempting to seduce you with smutty double entendres and flirty one-liners, the “spicy” update refers to something a bit more brand-safe. With various Amazon Echo devices, like the Echo Spot or Echo Show, you can now activate the smart home assistant with “Alexa, make it spicy” to get some colourful responses.
According to Amazon’s announcement, Alexa’s updated vernacular ranges from pointed insults to snarky horoscopes and bad beatboxing. For those who prefer their humour lowbrow (me), there’s also a range of fart sound effects.
Amazon’s data claims that Australians are four times more likely to request insults from Alexa than compliments. Perhaps that’s indicative of a nationwide humiliation kink, which would bring Alexa closer to the modern definition of “spicy”? Apparently, Amazon’s Australian team was behind Alexa’s “insult me” feature, putting much of the above into context.
Cultural cringe may be a core part of the Australian identity, but it seems other countries can’t get enough of us if global Alexa usage is anything to go by. Alexa’s Aussie male voice is one of the most popular options, likely due to the correct pronunciation of “parmi”.
Returning to the main point, we can ask our smart home assistants to insult us, but nothing that will get us hot under the collar. Unless you’re into that; you’ll get no judgement from me. Let your freak flag fly, I say.
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