The Reel and the Original

I was scrolling on Instagram Reels today and came across this sketch by @safarbros_.

A few reels later, the Algorithm served me a clip from The Micallef P(r)ogram(me) by @oldfashionedhumor. Same premise. Same beats. Same punchline, almost word for word.

Here is what I saw:

The newer reel doesn’t seem to be a homage, or wink at the source. It reads like a straight lift with no tag, no credit, no “inspired by”.

Maybe it was a coincidence. Maybe it was subconscious. Or maybe it’s just easier not to think too hard about where an idea came from.

What’s almost poetic is that Instagram’s algorithm connected these two clips itself, serving them in the same session.

Social media has industrialised creative borrowing.

The cost is paid quietly, by the people whose ideas sparked something — who may never see the credit their work ultimately generated.