Saturday Night Live’s December 19, 2009 “Weekend Update” bit took a crack at Apple’s iPhone with Seth Meyers telling the audience:
It was reported this week that Google will soon launch its own cellphone as a challenge to the iPhone. Also a challenge to the iPhone: Making phone calls.
Direct link to video via YouTube here.
MacDailyNews Take: Had enough yet, Apple? There comes a point where it doesn’t even matter if what’s being said is even true, it becomes a commonly-accepted “truth” and the only way to change perception is to change the game in your favor.
Is it time yet for Apple to change their game in the U.S.?
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
“MDN: There comes a point where it doesn’t even matter if what’s being said is even true, it becomes a commonly-accepted “truth” and the only way to change perception is to change the game in your favor.”
Isn’t this what Stephen Colbert’s calls “truthiness”? Isn’t this the essence of the “Bush doctrine” (i.e., the Republican Party platform)?
I don’t have any problems with my iPhone.
SNL SUCKS!!!! Who watches that terrible show?
“I’ve had Sprint, Verizon and now my iPhone with AT&T;. I would never trade my iPhone for anything and haven’t had any issues with service here in Chicago AT&T;. I’ve actually had the best service with AT&T;and the worst with Verizon (soooo many dropped calls).”
That’s my experience exactly. I love my iPhone
Well, maybe it is time to tell AT&T;either you provide all the services the iPhone can provide or we will sell to multiple carriers. The problem is not the iPhone…it AT&T;. They are playing the old 60’s era Ma Bell games. Remember it took the supreme court to force AT&T;to allow 3rd party wire phones on the “delicate” network. Until then we all had to use Western Electric phones whether we liked or not.
just my $0.02
Renaldo, “Isn’t this what Stephen Colbert’s calls “truthiness”? Isn’t this the essence of the “Bush doctrine” (i.e., the Republican Party platform)?”
Surely you jest? ‘The Human’s Causing Global Warming’ spouters are the culprits. And don’t forget the BS about ‘No Public Option’. Lying b@st@rds
@ G4Dualie,
I can see the T-Mobile hookup; that’s a no brainer. But for Sprint and Verizon they need a CDMA capable phone, or one capable of handling GSM and CDMA. I imagine that isn’t an insurmountable task, but I’d think they would have to sell a bunch of CDMA phones to make it worthwhile to them.
The Verizon aspect is a tougher matter, unless they decide to go with the flow and let Apple handle it like they do with AT&T. I have no idea if that’s a viable scenario. I’m sure Apple is working the angles on this situation.
I don’t get the joke. Oh wait… yes I do. It’s SNL.
MDN is just saying that Apple is being uncharacteristically blasé about their image here. It’s almost like… Microsoft letting everyone laugh at them over Vista, and just sitting there taking it.
Anyway, everyone in NYC has the iPhone, so yeah, the networks gonna get trashed. Still, that shouldn’t mean you can’t make a damn phone call.
Seems to me the joke kind of bombed. It got a fairly soft laugh, with very hesitant beginning of an applause; it was clear from his face that he was disappointed with the reaction to the joke.
The SNL writers are most likely all iPhone owners; for sure, they all definitely have MacBooks (Pro) in the writing room (presumably, loaded with Final Draft), so by extension of that logic, they are Apple fans. However, they are in New York City, which seems to be one of the two places in the country (the other being SF) with highest percentage of both highly-saturated AT&T network, as well as very whiny people.
For what it’s worth, in NYC at least, this is 100% true. We’ve got over 50% call-drop rate with iPhone. AT&T;Blackberries have no trouble.
–Rob
I didn’t even know SNL was still on the Air. I watch very little network TV cause it all sucks.
People still watch SNL?
seeing my posts get removed shows exactly how gutless and cowardly MDN is. What a joke!
I miss the Coneheads or the Blues brothers. THAT was comedy. Once Dan Ackroyd left SNL dropped quite a bit but Eddie Murphy kept it going for awhile. After that…nada….
Schwetty Balls
This joke hasn’t been funny since I typed it.
SNL hasn’t ever been funny – consistently, that is. Politically it’s always been one-sided. Yeah, they made fun of Carter in his sweater by the fire. Ditto Slick Willie and his Lewinsky. But SNL jokes skirted real political issues criticizing Democrats. Never was that more apparent than its attacks on The One for not being successful with his Marxist agenda (ignoring the fact the first ones killed are the media munchkins).
All that aside, I have read reports of poor phone coverage in major cities. How can this be? Sometimes, you know, the truth hurts. Verizon’s campaign against the iPhone is more one to get its grubby little hands on it and at a better price than what ATT pays.
Doesn’t help that ATT complains about iPhone users.
@ Buster,
My favorite skit was always ‘Weekend Update’, and especially the ‘Point/Counterpoint’ spoof of ’60 Minutes’.
The first time Dan Akroyd said to Jane Curtain “Jane, you ignorant slut”, people literally peed their pants. That was even better than the first time we heard Archie Bunker flush the upstairs toilet. Good stuff.
Take it with a boulder of salt, people. Remember that SNL hails from NYC, which is where ATT has had significant 3G issues. Plus, SNL needs to rip someone, anyone, anything that is popular to make a joke. That’s all they have.
When I got the first-gen iPhone, I had a lot of problems with sound clarity and dropped calls. It continued with the 3G. Then several months ago ATT upgraded their network locally, and, without changing phones, dropped calls stopped and the sound is clear. ATT needs to upgrade New York City.
SNL ‘Point/Counterpoint’ with Dan Akroyd at his finest:
http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi119734297/
Let’s see, SNL is based in New York City. 30% dropped calls in NYC is considered normal for the iPhone. (http://www.theiphoneblog.com/2009/09/30/apple-genius-att-dropped-call-rate-nyc-30/).
The SNL joke is dead on. The idea that one out of three calls being dropped is normal is ridiculous.
MDN’s “perception” nonsense is just that–nonsense. It isn’t perception when tech support documentation says a 1/3 dropped call rate is normal.
What’s SNL?
I have never had any service issues and I live in a small city, Sierra Vista, AZ. I had major issues with T mobile, and my wife had issues with Sprint. I’ve never had a dropped call or spotty service. So why do they assume it’s a problem everywhere.