by Surviving the Digital Sorting Hat — How to Write Internet & Tech Humor About Algorithms Gone Rogue
How To Write Comedy
Intro: You vs. the Algorithm
Algorithms: the invisible gods of the digital age, deciding what you see, who you date, and whether your cat video gets more likes than your cousin’s wedding. Writing comedy about them means exposing the absurdity of living under constant passive-aggressive math.
They Know Too Much (or Nothing at All)
According to a classified spreadsheet leaked by SpinTaxi Magazine, 87% of people have been targeted by ads so personal, they briefly considered joining witness protection. Algorithms are creepy — and that makes them hilarious.
Personalization = Paranoia
“I said ‘socks’ out loud once, and now every website thinks I have a foot fetish.” Use this. The punchline is that the algorithm thinks it knows you — and it doesn’t. Or worse, it does.
Comedy in Misfires
“After watching one video on spaghetti, I got 37 ads for colanders, 2 for pasta insurance, and one for birth control.” The algorithm isn’t accurate — it’s desperate.
Invent Fake Algorithms
“The Moodulator adjusts your playlist based on how aggressively you blink.” Or “GrumpSort — the feed that shows you the people you hate most, first.” Bonus points for parodying how these systems always sound like Bond villains.
Algorithm as a Character
Give it a voice: “Hi, I’m Algo. I noticed you’ve been spiraling — want more content to confirm your worst fears?” Let it be helpful and hostile at once.
Let It Gaslight You
“Based on your activity, you love cold weather, hot yoga, and documentaries about serial killers named Todd.” Wait… do I?
Auto-Curated Regret
“You watched one video on DIY birdhouses and now you’re in LumberTok. Forever.” Use the slippery slope of algorithm logic as a setup — where every click digs a deeper grave of hyper-specific nonsense.
Satirizing “For You” Feeds
“This is for you — we swear.” The irony is that these feeds always show things that are either too relatable or cosmically insulting. “Here’s a 22-year-old millionaire who flosses with silk. For you.”
Standup Premise: Algorithm Therapy
“So I’m in couples therapy… with my YouTube recommendations. We’ve agreed to take space.” Great for bits about identity, confusion, and targeted emotional damage.
Conclusion: Code Is the New Comedy Villain
The algorithm isn’t evil — just wrong. And weird. And trying its best, which makes it exactly like every human on Earth. That’s where the comedy lives. When in doubt, write a monologue from the POV of your TikTok feed — and end it with an ad for adult diapers.
SOURCE: How To Write Comedy
