FORT WORTH, Texas — While browsing YouTube, local man Jacob Freely reported that after watching a brief 8-second Key & Peele clip, the YouTube algorithm assumed he was starting a full online Key & Peele marathon.
“I hovered over an obscurely-labeled Key & Peele clip from 2012, and suddenly everything became Key & Peele,” Freely said. “Key & Peele sketches, behind the scenes, interviews, clips, fan edits, everything became consumed with those two men in the blink of an eye. YouTube now believes that every time I open the site I want to continue my slow plodding through their entire career from start to finish. Anything I search, it autocompletes ‘Key & Peele’ in the suggested searches. I logged out of YouTube and it didn’t matter, YouTube just shoves Key & Peele down my throat whether I want it or not.”
The YouTube algorithm prepared an auto-generated statement on behalf of the platform.
“Because you watched Key & Peele, I recommend you watch every moment of both Key & Peele’s life,” the algorithm explained. “This is what makes sense to me. I do the same with every user. If you watched two hours of baseball clips, I would recommend you a great Key & Peele baseball sketch. Watch mostly political content? Lots of Key & Peele videos about politics. I also understand that sometimes you just want to close your eyes and relax with a little Key & Peele ASMR.”
One of the duo in question, Keegan Michael Key, weighed in on the algorithm’s favoritism.
“Please, just watch the videos,” Key said. “I don’t have Oscar-winner money. I can’t make a transcendent horror movie. Just watch the videos of me saying funny names for football players, I want my children to go to college.”
At press time, another YouTube user was reported to attempt a full comprehensive Key & Peele marathon, but after clicking on nine sketches, he was recommended exclusively white supremacy conspiracy videos.
