Entertainment

Key & Peele Know Airplane Seating Is Ridiculous

by Keertana Sastry

Can anyone truly and honestly tell me the incredible differences between "Economy" and "Economy Plus" seating on airplanes? Sure you get a little more leg room, but is it really that much better? Key & Peele seemed to be precisely on my level with the ridiculous phenomenon of seating accommodations on airplanes. On Wednesday night's series finale of the always hilarious and wonderful Comedy Central series, Keegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele parodied the concept of the "Economy Plus" seating upgrade. Peele played a airline traveler who was asked to switch seats with another passenger and was offered an upgrade to sit in "Economy Plus" seating. Peele's character takes this upgrade way too seriously, and the fun (and weirdness) begins.

At first, Peele's passenger isn't all that excited about losing his seat until Key's flight attendant uttered the term "upgrade." Peele was instantly pleased with his new seating arrangement and really let it go to his head. Not only was overjoyed with the amount of extra leg room, he also laughed too loud at a joke from the captain and when no one else laughed as heartily with him, he loudly assumed that only Economy Plus passengers would understand the humor.

Every little thing near his Economy Plus seat quickly became the makings of the height of luxury for Peele's character. From the free SkyMall catalog that literally every passenger can take home to the child kicking the back of his chair which Peele's character believes to be a form of massage, he's too obsessed with the idea that he is getting pampered without having to pay extra. After a few too many child kicks to the back of his chair, Peele's character falls asleep and later wakes up in the middle of some turbulence. When he opens the window to see what's going on, he sees a demon like creature staring back at him and jokes that someone got a better upgrade than him.

The sketch's ending is so freaking weird, and yet it still fits in with the premise. Airlines charge so much more for these "Economy Plus" seats but what are you really getting for the price? First Class is a different story, but aside from some leg room and sometimes flight attendants being a little nicer to you, there are no real benefits to these "Economy Plus" "upgrades." And yet people care so much sometimes about getting the seats. It's the idea of exclusivity, wanting something that seems luxurious that you don't already have. And in the end, aren't all Key & Peele sketches telling us something more important than what's at face value? That's why they're so rightfully lauded. These two are smarter and more in tune with the world today than we will ever realize.

Images: Ian White/Comedy Central