Why the World Needs ‘Key and Peele’

It’s been about a month since Key and Peele first premiered on Comedy Central, and with a decent sum of episodes behind it now, it’s time the show got full kudos for its cocktail of spot-on social commentary and laugh-out-loud humor. Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele keep their whip-smart series relevant by not only offering important insights about how black people are perceived, but also offering food for thought on how black people perceive each other.  As much as the MAD TVs and SNLs of the TV world may offer the occasional thought-provoking sketches on black stereotypes, those shows usually venture into minority issues from the outside looking in. And with In Living Color and Chapelle’s Show long gone, Key and Peele gives us a sorely-needed new perspective.

Even the promos for the series can give you an idea of Key and Peele’s frustrations with the usual black stereotypes, demanding viewers recognize the generalizations they make about blacks before throwing in a curve ball. For instance:

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And here’s another, proving that while the duo is ready to upend stereotypes, they’re also not afraid to revel in them for a laugh:

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Perhaps one of the best examples of the duo subverting stereotypes is their “Movie Hecklers” sketch. In it, the cliche of obnoxiously loud black people in theaters is introduced, then flipped fast:

Key and Peele

Outside of simply subverting “white” stereotypes of black folks, the charm of the show is also in its ability to recognize when we have biases, too. Possibly one of Key and Peele’s most socially significant sketches so far is its “Phone Call” bit, in which two black men put up “ebonic” fronts around each other. The skit raises issues of paranoia, hyper-masculinity and homophobia directed from black men toward other black men:

Key and Peele

Another sketch addresses expectations among black men to handle their women in “masculine” ways, despite the fact that not all black guys have the alpha dog attitudes media representation would suggest:

Key and Peele

It’s possible that Key and Peele has such a potent mix of introspection and speculation about the black community because the leads themselves are biracial (each have white mothers). Given that they are just as much white as they are African-American, the duo has been in an interesting cultural position to witness black culture from both the inside and the outside their entire lives, which may be a significant factor in how Key and Peele has spawned such strangely brilliant content. From their frustrations with the black community to their love for it, and given their impressive preoccupation with what should and shouldn’t separate that community from the rest of society, Key and Peele‘s honesty grants the show its remarkable authenticity.

Key and Peele airs Tuesdays on Comedy Central at 10:30 PM EST.

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