Why I Want A Roomba
I've got my mind set on buying a Roomba. I'm not in any hurry, and so far, I haven't felt the urge to spend a few hundred dollars on one of these little vacuum cleaners, but one day, I plan to get one. And I'll tell you why.
The first time I ever saw one was in an episode of the TV Show "Arrested Development". The mother on the show is explaining that she had to get rid of their housekeeper, but mentions that she's already found a "replacement". The camera pans down to the floor and a Roomba emerges from behind the couch next to her.
I thought this was hilarious. I was even more shocked to discover that the little robot vacuum cleaner I saw in the episode was a real product, and I immediately wanted one. Practicality and novelty, all rolled into one.
There's also an SNL skit parodying the same product, called the "woomba", which is affectionately referred to as the "little robot that cleans your noonie".
You can debate about whether iRobot, the company responsible for creating the Roomba, paid to have the product placed into "Arrested Development" or SNL, but I wouldn't be surprised either way. In both cases, the product itself was the butt of the joke. It wasn't just a can of Coke that one of the actors was holding while telling a joke, which is, in some subliminal way, supposed to make viewers want to drink code.
It's the kind of product that deserves placement in television programming. The engineers and designers who created the Roomba worked hard to make it a good conversation piece, as well as a decent vacuum cleaner. The marketing is built right in. These are the kinds of products companies should be producing, instead of the same old junk that's given a massive advertising budget which is supposed to make up for any lack of innovation.
The first time I ever saw one was in an episode of the TV Show "Arrested Development". The mother on the show is explaining that she had to get rid of their housekeeper, but mentions that she's already found a "replacement". The camera pans down to the floor and a Roomba emerges from behind the couch next to her.
I thought this was hilarious. I was even more shocked to discover that the little robot vacuum cleaner I saw in the episode was a real product, and I immediately wanted one. Practicality and novelty, all rolled into one.
There's also an SNL skit parodying the same product, called the "woomba", which is affectionately referred to as the "little robot that cleans your noonie".
You can debate about whether iRobot, the company responsible for creating the Roomba, paid to have the product placed into "Arrested Development" or SNL, but I wouldn't be surprised either way. In both cases, the product itself was the butt of the joke. It wasn't just a can of Coke that one of the actors was holding while telling a joke, which is, in some subliminal way, supposed to make viewers want to drink code.
It's the kind of product that deserves placement in television programming. The engineers and designers who created the Roomba worked hard to make it a good conversation piece, as well as a decent vacuum cleaner. The marketing is built right in. These are the kinds of products companies should be producing, instead of the same old junk that's given a massive advertising budget which is supposed to make up for any lack of innovation.