In a clip filmed between takes on “Family Feud,” which Harvey hosts, he explained he is an iPhone user and got set up to use Amazon’s Alexa on the set of his former talk show “Steve.”
“Let me tell you how it doesn’t translate,” he begins in the clip, “Rapid Fire with Steve Harvey” that was tweeted on Sept. 1 from his official account. “So, the lady said, ‘Mr. Harvey, you can give it commands.’
“‘Cut the light on,’” Harvey demonstrated as he requested of Alexa. “Our [expletive] light ain’t come on. I was just as confused. I said, ‘What is this [expletive]? But it don’t translate the way I talk. I say, ‘Cut the light on,’ not ‘Turn on the light.’ They need to make these Alexa and Siri people a bit more flexible. Shaniqua. I need Shaniqua. I need Shaniqua to be working down there. Somebody know what I’m saying. ‘Cut the light on.’ ‘You got it.’”
Fans who caught the segment could relate.
“Don’t feel bad. While in my car I asked Siri to call my mom, but because I was not specific due to more than one contact for her, Siri stated, ‘I don’t know who your mother is’….the nerve of Siri…lol.”
“Ha ha ha. I’m hillbilly. I need a Billy Bob. Ha ha ha … Really, you should hear how I talk lol.”
“Funny you said that, I call my husband (mush mouth) and he just bought a Google Alexa. We’re in trouble.”
It’s not the first time Harvey has had some issues of sorts with Alexa.
On his former talk show in October 2018, he took a question from a woman in the audience who moved to California to be with her adult children. She explained that her daughter “purchased an Alexa.” It was from there that Harvey became thoroughly confused.
“She bought you a friend?” Harvey asked. Then, the woman continued, “She puts me to sleep. … And not to mention, I’m laying in the bed and I can just yell out, ‘Alexa, what time is it?’ and she’ll tell me. I mean, she reads me a story.”
Harvey, looking bewildered and stunned, asked, “Are you sure you want to say this on TV?” believing the AI was an actual person and appearing even more shocked when he learned she was from “the Amazon.”
Ultimately, Harvey learned the truth, however: that the tool was just an electronic application that helps assist people.
