Conan Season 3 Episode 129 The Touchscreen That Didn't Like to Be Touched

The episode begins with Conan O'Brien sharing a story about his recent experience with a malfunctioning touchscreen at a fast food restaurant. He jokingly speculates if the machine might have a personality and is actually offended by his touch. This leads into the main segment of the show, where Conan interviews people who have had similar frustrating experiences with technology.

First, Conan talks to a woman who had trouble with a voice-activated assistant in her home. The device constantly misunderstood her commands and often responded to completely different phrases. She shares some funny and frustrating anecdotes, including one instance where the device thought she said "play some music" when she actually said "spray some mace." Conan commiserates with her on the difficulties of navigating new technology, and offers some humorous suggestions for alternative commands.

Next, Conan brings out a man who struggled with a self-checkout machine at a grocery store. He found the touchscreen to be unresponsive and glitchy, leading to a long and frustrating process. The man shares his thoughts on the pros and cons of automated systems, and offers some suggestions for companies to improve their technology. Conan jokes about the absurdity of waiting in line to check yourself out, and wonders if self-driving cars will create even more problems than they solve.

To round out the segment, Conan speaks with a young couple who had a challenging experience with a smart thermostat. They found the device to be overly sensitive and difficult to program, leading to wacky temperature fluctuations in their home. They share some humorous stories about coming home to a sweltering hot or freezing cold house despite their best efforts to adjust the thermostat. Conan reminisces about the days of manual thermostats, and wonders if technology has made our lives easier or more complicated.

The show switches gears for the next segment, featuring a musical performance by indie band Vampire Weekend. They play their hit song "Harmony Hall" to wild applause from the audience. Conan chats with the band afterwards, asking about their experience touring and recording, and shares some of his favorite lyrics from the song.

For the final segment, Conan brings out comedian and actor Pete Holmes for a hilarious interview. Pete shares his thoughts on a variety of topics, from spirituality to his recent divorce. He jokes about his dating life and the challenges of being a single parent, and Conan joins in with some anecdotes of his own. They also talk about the ups and downs of being a comedian, and share some of their favorite jokes with the audience.

Overall, this episode of Conan is full of laughs and relatable experiences. It's a fun and lighthearted look at the ways technology can drive us crazy, and how we cope with those frustrations. With a great mix of musical performance, comedy, and interviews, this episode is sure to entertain viewers of all ages.