Everett (@everett.toy) is cracking TikTok up after showcasing some of the curious pronunciation and diction mannerisms of a robotic self-checkout machine’s voice at Stop & Shop, a retailer that’s no stranger to implementing robotic help in its stores.
One of his more recent posts shows him buying yams. Viewers are tickled pink with the “aggressive” manner in which the grocery store’s self-service system calls out the produce.
“Okay the self checkout voice saying ‘YAM’ is kinda aggressive,” Everett writes in a text overlay of the TikTok, which shows him processing the sale of a yam on the self-checkout machine. He leaves it on the automatic register’s scale until a robotic voice shouts, “Move your…YAMS”
The TikToker, chuckling, grabs the vegetable and places it into a bag on a rack next to the register. A quick scroll through the comments section of his clip reveals that there is what appears to be a growing subset of folks who are stoked with the way self-checkout machines verbally identify different pieces of produce. “Organic bananas” is a favorite that Everett previously shared in another viral video.
“It’s no organic bananas,” one commenter wrote.
“I’ve been waiting for this since the organic bananas post and it did NOT disappoint!” another person remarked.
@everett.toy Replying to @brittanyzajac11 @Braijan is this how yours says it?? Also can someone tell me the difference between a yam and a sweet potato? #fyp #funny #humor #groceryshopping #selfcheckout #yams #sweetpotatoes #organicbananas ♬ original sound – Everett
In Everett’s organic bananas post, the difference in inflection between the words “organic” and “bananas” makes it sound like an AI-generated statement combining two words that were clearly not recorded with consideration of the other word in mind. What’s more is that “bananas” almost sounds like a question. Just listen to the original video that garnered 6.8 million views for yourself:
@everett.toy And yes I will pay more for organic just to hear her say it #fyp #funny #humor #groceryshopping ♬ original sound – Everett
People love the “organic bananas” post so much, that someone even gave Everett’s post the remix treatment, turning a simple instance of self-checkout fun into what many think is an absolute banger of a track.
@zeo_choons Replying to @filmnerd24 #organicbananas #selfcheckout #selfcheckoutproblems #selfcheckoutvoice #krogerselfcheckout #techhouse ♬ original sound – Zeo
Everett also seems to have a soft spot for the way the machine announces someone is purchasing bok choy, which he shows off in another video.
Most social media content surrounding self-checkout kiosks has to do with the five-finger discount or simple complaints about them.
One Walmart customer recently claimed that an employee of the popular retailer overrode her review, inputting a 5-star rating onto the screen without giving her a chance to put in a rating of her own. And then there’s this clip of a frustrated CVS shopper wigging out on a self-checkout machine, which was highly relatable for many shoppers.
Everett’s post, however, adds a new vertical to self-checkout-themed content: the vocal stylings of the robots who power them. The Daily Dot reached out to Stop & Shop via email, and a rep from the business responded with the following statement:
“We are finding it b-a-n-a-n-a-s that this TikTok is getting so much traction! It’s not every day our self-checkout machines become a viral sensation, but we’re here for it. At Stop & Shop, we are all about ensuring our customers have the best experience while shopping in our stores, and we’re happy to see them finding a little added fun in the self-checkout aisle.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Everett via TikTok comment for further information.
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