Barack Obama Unintentionally Recreates Viral ‘Key & Peele’ Sketch

Barack Obama has unintentionally recreated the popular Key & Peele handshake sketch that is now used often as an internet meme. The real-life version of the famous skit happened on Wednesday when Obama met with the USA men’s basketball team in Las Vegas. The former president first showed brotherly to the Black players, greeting each one of them informally with a dap. When he greeted the white coaches and administrators, however, Obama switched up to a more formal handshake. The clip instantly went viral and brought laughter across social media platforms.

It was a similar story when Jordan Peele played as Obama in the famous comedy skit. The hilarious scene portrays Obama at a formal event, where he greeted white attendees formally and switched up his handshake when he approached Black guests.

Keegan-Michael Key, the co-creator of Key & Peele , previously appeared on The Tonight Show and talked about how Obama helped him with his impersonation skills.

“I was telling him a story about impersonating him, about the fact that I was impersonating him to Ethel Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy’s wife, and her kids put me up to it,” Key said on The Tonight Show . “I got to relay that story to him and tell him that I was doing this impersonation, and he was giggling and laughing at the story. And then at the end, he goes, ‘You know, my register’s a little bit lower than what you’re doing.’ Duly noted, sir. Thank you.”

Obama enjoyed team USA’s exhibition game against Canada at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas after greeting the players and coaches earlier in the evening. The star-studded USA team, which includes LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Anthony Davis, is preparing to go to Paris for the Olympics.