Highlights from Key & Peele's incredible run
September 9, 2015 10:27 AM Subscribe
In its all-too-brief 3½ year run, Comedy Central's sketch comedy powerhouse Key & Peele burned brightly, leavening Peabody-award-winning social commentary with sublime silliness and Hollywood-quality production values, all centered on the impeccable character acting of co-stars Jordan (Peele) and Keegan-Michael (Key). By the time its end was announced, characters like the Substitute Teacher, the East/West College Bowl players, and Obama's Anger Translator had captured the popular consciousness, while skits like TeachingCenter and Negrotown deftly spotlighted our most pressing problems.
With the finale airing tonight, and the dynamic duo free to tackle other projects, why not revisit the program's concentrated brilliance in the form of ~100 of their very best short bits available on the web, sorted loosely by topic.
Substitute Teacher (part 2 - part 3). Soon to be a major motion picture! Continuing the education theme: School Bully, Fraternity Branding, Inner-City Wizard School, and the scathing TeachingCenter.
The bountiful East/West College Bowl roster [prev.] (part 2 - part 3) [prev.], including a Super Bowl Shuffle-inspired East/West Rap and a skit on McCringleberry's Excessive Celebration. Elsewhere in the wide world of sports: Slap Ass (and In Recovery), along with a Racist Sports Commentator, a Boxing Press Conference gone wrong, an ecstatic basketball champ convinced You Can Do Anything, and an Aerobics Meltdown [prev.] inspired by an actual thing that aired on national television.
The saga of Meegan and Andre: Meegan, Come Back! - Fighting Meegan's Battles - the prequel story of Andre and Meegan's First Date - the spiritual cousin "Okaaay!" But Meegan does have a dark side [prev.]. (bonus mini-spoiler: tonight's penultimate installment is titled "Meegan & Andre Break Up").
More on the theme of sex and relationships: Pizza Order [prev.] - Damn, Check That Sh*t Out - Dying Wife - Neil DeGrasse Tyson - Mattress Shopping - Text Message Confusion - Video Game Sensors - Clear History - Sex with Black Guys - Biracial Penis - I said biiitch
Luther: Obama's Anger Translator ("HI.") Peele pulled off a fine impression of the president in politically savvy bits like Obama's Meeting with Republicans and Obama: The College Years. Other gems: Shutdown - The 47% - Victory - And the crowning achievement: Luther at the White House Correspondents Dinner [prev.]. For 2016 junkies, see Hillary's Anger Translator. Bonus: Black Republicans
Race and the media was a favorite topic, explored in Black Ice - Power Falcons - Pegasus Sighting - Black Hawk Up - Flash Mob - Magical Negro. On race and language, the one-two punch of White-Sounding Black Guys and Phone Call.
A quartet of musical numbers:
A vaudevillian duo educates men on female anatomy: Cunnilingus Class and Menstruation Orientation
On homosexuality: Office Homophobe - Gay Marriage Legalized - Gay Wedding Advice
Parodies of crime and thriller tropes: Mexican Standoff [prev.] - Family Matters [prev.] - Cat Poster - Mafia Hit - L.A. Vice - Hall of Mirrors - A Capella - Magician Cop - Hoodie
...or military, sci-fi, and fantasy: Alien Imposters - Retired Military Specialist - Killing an African Warlord - Post-Apocalyptic Hunt - Sexy Vampires - Laron Can't Laugh
On rap, the music industry, and street culture: Prepared for Terries - Bling Benzy and Da Struggle - Rap Battle Hype Man - Outkast Reunion - LMFAO's Non-Stop Party - Old Timers Talk Drake - Dubstep - Proud Thug - Manly Tears - Little Homie - Dueling Hats - Yo Mama has Health Problems - Pussy on the Chainwax!
Battling implacable foes of varying degrees: Flicker [prev.], one of the duo's first pre-K&P hits - Turbulence - Telemarketer - Insult Comic - Stan Lee's Superhero Pitch - Awkward Conversation - Michael Jackson - Georgina and Esther and Satan
Hungry? Continental Breakfast. Don't want to be hungry? Soul Food
On history (and re-enactment thereof): Auction Block - Ancestry.com - Severed Head Warriors - Steampunk - And a pair of sketches guest-starring Modern Family's Ty Byrrell as an Actual Nazi: Das Negros and Awesome Hitler Story
And lastly, two Epic Rap Battles of History cameos: MLK vs. Gandhi and Michael Jordan vs. Muhammad Ali
Want more? Check out Zap2It's write-up run-down of their 100 favorite moments, which partially overlaps with this post but includes a lot of other good stuff, too.
Substitute Teacher (part 2 - part 3). Soon to be a major motion picture! Continuing the education theme: School Bully, Fraternity Branding, Inner-City Wizard School, and the scathing TeachingCenter.
The bountiful East/West College Bowl roster [prev.] (part 2 - part 3) [prev.], including a Super Bowl Shuffle-inspired East/West Rap and a skit on McCringleberry's Excessive Celebration. Elsewhere in the wide world of sports: Slap Ass (and In Recovery), along with a Racist Sports Commentator, a Boxing Press Conference gone wrong, an ecstatic basketball champ convinced You Can Do Anything, and an Aerobics Meltdown [prev.] inspired by an actual thing that aired on national television.
The saga of Meegan and Andre: Meegan, Come Back! - Fighting Meegan's Battles - the prequel story of Andre and Meegan's First Date - the spiritual cousin "Okaaay!" But Meegan does have a dark side [prev.]. (bonus mini-spoiler: tonight's penultimate installment is titled "Meegan & Andre Break Up").
More on the theme of sex and relationships: Pizza Order [prev.] - Damn, Check That Sh*t Out - Dying Wife - Neil DeGrasse Tyson - Mattress Shopping - Text Message Confusion - Video Game Sensors - Clear History - Sex with Black Guys - Biracial Penis - I said biiitch
Luther: Obama's Anger Translator ("HI.") Peele pulled off a fine impression of the president in politically savvy bits like Obama's Meeting with Republicans and Obama: The College Years. Other gems: Shutdown - The 47% - Victory - And the crowning achievement: Luther at the White House Correspondents Dinner [prev.]. For 2016 junkies, see Hillary's Anger Translator. Bonus: Black Republicans
Race and the media was a favorite topic, explored in Black Ice - Power Falcons - Pegasus Sighting - Black Hawk Up - Flash Mob - Magical Negro. On race and language, the one-two punch of White-Sounding Black Guys and Phone Call.
A quartet of musical numbers:
Les Mis - Pirate Chantey [prev.] - Negrotown [prev.] - Just Stay for the NightA series of shorts featuring a pair of excitable valets: Liam Neesons - The Batmans - Non-Stop, tho - Game of Thrones - Black Theatre
A vaudevillian duo educates men on female anatomy: Cunnilingus Class and Menstruation Orientation
On homosexuality: Office Homophobe - Gay Marriage Legalized - Gay Wedding Advice
Parodies of crime and thriller tropes: Mexican Standoff [prev.] - Family Matters [prev.] - Cat Poster - Mafia Hit - L.A. Vice - Hall of Mirrors - A Capella - Magician Cop - Hoodie
...or military, sci-fi, and fantasy: Alien Imposters - Retired Military Specialist - Killing an African Warlord - Post-Apocalyptic Hunt - Sexy Vampires - Laron Can't Laugh
On rap, the music industry, and street culture: Prepared for Terries - Bling Benzy and Da Struggle - Rap Battle Hype Man - Outkast Reunion - LMFAO's Non-Stop Party - Old Timers Talk Drake - Dubstep - Proud Thug - Manly Tears - Little Homie - Dueling Hats - Yo Mama has Health Problems - Pussy on the Chainwax!
Battling implacable foes of varying degrees: Flicker [prev.], one of the duo's first pre-K&P hits - Turbulence - Telemarketer - Insult Comic - Stan Lee's Superhero Pitch - Awkward Conversation - Michael Jackson - Georgina and Esther and Satan
Hungry? Continental Breakfast. Don't want to be hungry? Soul Food
On history (and re-enactment thereof): Auction Block - Ancestry.com - Severed Head Warriors - Steampunk - And a pair of sketches guest-starring Modern Family's Ty Byrrell as an Actual Nazi: Das Negros and Awesome Hitler Story
And lastly, two Epic Rap Battles of History cameos: MLK vs. Gandhi and Michael Jordan vs. Muhammad Ali
Want more? Check out Zap2It's write-up run-down of their 100 favorite moments, which partially overlaps with this post but includes a lot of other good stuff, too.
Make Keegan-Michael Key Our Next Rom-Com Leading Man
Yes! Playing House is a great show.
posted by kmz at 10:37 AM on September 9, 2015
Yes! Playing House is a great show.
posted by kmz at 10:37 AM on September 9, 2015
Power Falcons, Office Homophobe, and Bling Benzy and Da Struggle are my go-to "introduce people to Key & Peele" sketches, but honestly it's so hard to choose. I'm excited to see where they go from here.
posted by neushoorn at 10:48 AM on September 9, 2015
posted by neushoorn at 10:48 AM on September 9, 2015
So as long as we're sharing good links...
Through my long-time friend from high school, Rob, I got to meet a friend of his from college, James III-- a great actor and comedian. Rob and James have a podcast called Rob and James Destroy Your Childhood. (They watch a few episodes of a show or a movie from the 90's and explore their nostalgia and if the writing holds up.)
James is also part of another podcast, with two other actors, called Black Men Can't Jump (In Hollywood) where they review movies with black leading actors. Who was their first guest on the show? Mr. Keegan-Michael Key.
That was a long way to introduce this. Here's all of them talking about In The Heat Of The Night with Sidney Poitier.
posted by queeroid at 10:52 AM on September 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
Through my long-time friend from high school, Rob, I got to meet a friend of his from college, James III-- a great actor and comedian. Rob and James have a podcast called Rob and James Destroy Your Childhood. (They watch a few episodes of a show or a movie from the 90's and explore their nostalgia and if the writing holds up.)
James is also part of another podcast, with two other actors, called Black Men Can't Jump (In Hollywood) where they review movies with black leading actors. Who was their first guest on the show? Mr. Keegan-Michael Key.
That was a long way to introduce this. Here's all of them talking about In The Heat Of The Night with Sidney Poitier.
posted by queeroid at 10:52 AM on September 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
Thanks for this! We don't have cable (gasps of horror. Shock chord) so haven't heard of the show or these artists before*.
*Though we have seen Keegan-Michael Kay do improv on "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"
posted by Artful Codger at 11:07 AM on September 9, 2015
*Though we have seen Keegan-Michael Kay do improv on "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"
posted by Artful Codger at 11:07 AM on September 9, 2015
They were both on MadTv - which was on Fox. I had no idea it was over =(
posted by soelo at 11:11 AM on September 9, 2015
posted by soelo at 11:11 AM on September 9, 2015
"A-a-ron" forever.
posted by ph00dz at 11:28 AM on September 9, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by ph00dz at 11:28 AM on September 9, 2015 [4 favorites]
"A-a-ron" forever.
Liam Neesons, though.
posted by zombieflanders at 11:35 AM on September 9, 2015 [13 favorites]
Liam Neesons, though.
posted by zombieflanders at 11:35 AM on September 9, 2015 [13 favorites]
"A-a-ron" forever.
But that apology though.
posted by Etrigan at 11:38 AM on September 9, 2015 [5 favorites]
But that apology though.
posted by Etrigan at 11:38 AM on September 9, 2015 [5 favorites]
"A-a-ron" forever.
As a former teacher in very challenging urban schools, this has a special place in my heart although NOTHING will ever top the Inner-City Wizard School which is just such a phenomenal portrayal it makes me laugh and makes my heart hurt; I used to watch these two sketches with other teachers with whom I worked in Southeast/Southwest DC and boy did they resonate with our experiences. God, the principal talking up how good the kids are while the custodian tells you they'll never come to any good? That is SPOT FUCKING ON. The way the principal talks just captures it so perfectly.
I also used to run a drama group as part of the aftercare program at the middle school where I taught and I had two sixth-grade boys who were just fun, great, silly kids who were also best friends and one afternoon they were the only two in my classroom so after we played some improv games and they practiced their two-man show I had them watch some Key and Peele for comedic inspiration (we watched the one where everyone's name is a fart which I do NOT enjoy but I judged, correctly, that this would appear to be the height of wit for these two young men). I just told them it was another two-man comedy group, like them as grownups, and when my kids saw that the two comedians were Black they were SO EXCITED! It was absolutely thrilling for them. It just hadn't occurred to them that a big-deal TV show watched by their teacher could star two adults who look like them.
Key and Peele are incredibly, INCREDIBLY funny and brilliant and I am so sorry they are gone but so glad they were able to provide so much joy not only to huge audiences and to me personally, but to those two awesome little guys who I hope grow up to become comedy stars in their own right.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 11:46 AM on September 9, 2015 [54 favorites]
As a former teacher in very challenging urban schools, this has a special place in my heart although NOTHING will ever top the Inner-City Wizard School which is just such a phenomenal portrayal it makes me laugh and makes my heart hurt; I used to watch these two sketches with other teachers with whom I worked in Southeast/Southwest DC and boy did they resonate with our experiences. God, the principal talking up how good the kids are while the custodian tells you they'll never come to any good? That is SPOT FUCKING ON. The way the principal talks just captures it so perfectly.
I also used to run a drama group as part of the aftercare program at the middle school where I taught and I had two sixth-grade boys who were just fun, great, silly kids who were also best friends and one afternoon they were the only two in my classroom so after we played some improv games and they practiced their two-man show I had them watch some Key and Peele for comedic inspiration (we watched the one where everyone's name is a fart which I do NOT enjoy but I judged, correctly, that this would appear to be the height of wit for these two young men). I just told them it was another two-man comedy group, like them as grownups, and when my kids saw that the two comedians were Black they were SO EXCITED! It was absolutely thrilling for them. It just hadn't occurred to them that a big-deal TV show watched by their teacher could star two adults who look like them.
Key and Peele are incredibly, INCREDIBLY funny and brilliant and I am so sorry they are gone but so glad they were able to provide so much joy not only to huge audiences and to me personally, but to those two awesome little guys who I hope grow up to become comedy stars in their own right.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 11:46 AM on September 9, 2015 [54 favorites]
I recommend everyone check out Jordan Peele's first guest appearance on the Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast, in which he plays the character Jermaine Jones, a gentle giant and disgraced American Idol contestant who hales from the town of Bigton, where everyone is freakishly large due to the contaminated water supply, and who doesn't know the definitions of most average-length words because his eyes are too large to enable him to read them on a dictionary page. And it only gets crazier from there. (Gillian Jacobs is also along for the ride.)
posted by Atom Eyes at 11:53 AM on September 9, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by Atom Eyes at 11:53 AM on September 9, 2015 [6 favorites]
At a certain point in my career as a college professor I came to realize that I *was* the substitute teacher, just still teaching in the college equivalent of wherever he came from and did whatever it did to him. I left. I expect if I ever end up teaching somewhere posh that I will have similar PTSD outbursts.
posted by Perfectibilist at 12:01 PM on September 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Perfectibilist at 12:01 PM on September 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Wow what a post. Key and Peele has been great and I hope they enjoy success in the rest of their careers. Now to watch all these videos.
posted by DynamiteToast at 12:05 PM on September 9, 2015
posted by DynamiteToast at 12:05 PM on September 9, 2015
I sat through so many dreadful MADtv sketches just waiting for Keegan-Michael Key to turn up and then Key & Peele happened and it was like the universe answered all my prayers. This post is amazing, I'm never gonna get any work done today.
posted by thetortoise at 12:06 PM on September 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by thetortoise at 12:06 PM on September 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
As someone who grew up in the South and was not hugely exposed to black church culture but has more than a passing familiarity with it.... Georgina & Esther & Satan absolutely wrecked me.
posted by WidgetAlley at 12:13 PM on September 9, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by WidgetAlley at 12:13 PM on September 9, 2015 [4 favorites]
I'm usually not a huge fan of sketch comedy shows because the ratio of gold to shit tends to be too too low, but I adore K&P, there are very few genuine turkeys and a very high proportion of genius.
And what a fabulous post!
posted by tavella at 12:19 PM on September 9, 2015
And what a fabulous post!
posted by tavella at 12:19 PM on September 9, 2015
Hey, remember that Weird Al parody "White and Nerdy" from six (!) years ago? Take another look at the video.
posted by mhum at 12:20 PM on September 9, 2015 [13 favorites]
posted by mhum at 12:20 PM on September 9, 2015 [13 favorites]
Holy shit, this post is fantastic!
I'm so happy for their success - particularly Keegan, who was obviously being punished for some past-life misdeed as host of The Planet's Funniest Animals (scroll ahead to 1:45 to feel the pain).
posted by Sweetie Darling at 12:20 PM on September 9, 2015
I'm so happy for their success - particularly Keegan, who was obviously being punished for some past-life misdeed as host of The Planet's Funniest Animals (scroll ahead to 1:45 to feel the pain).
posted by Sweetie Darling at 12:20 PM on September 9, 2015
how come Kroll Show didn't get this kind of FPP send off when it ended? Too much tuna?
posted by mullacc at 12:21 PM on September 9, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by mullacc at 12:21 PM on September 9, 2015 [4 favorites]
...he barks crazy space-ideas and flits all over to a million places all day, it's more that he comes up with crazy ideas and applies excessive diligence to bringing them to fruition even though they're still... kind of... nuts.
I forgot I had wandered into the Elon Musk thread, read that comment above and thought someone was talking about Jordan Peele.
posted by jjwiseman at 12:26 PM on September 9, 2015
I forgot I had wandered into the Elon Musk thread, read that comment above and thought someone was talking about Jordan Peele.
posted by jjwiseman at 12:26 PM on September 9, 2015
"A-a-ron" forever.
Please point out the link to this particular skit!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:30 PM on September 9, 2015
Please point out the link to this particular skit!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:30 PM on September 9, 2015
I love K&P.
At first I thought they were fairly niche, until I had to distinguish between an Aaron and Erin at my very corporate workplace. A-a-ron and E-rin caught on like wildfire, and will probably be my greatest legacy at this job. Thanks, K&P!
posted by NoRelationToLea at 12:34 PM on September 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
At first I thought they were fairly niche, until I had to distinguish between an Aaron and Erin at my very corporate workplace. A-a-ron and E-rin caught on like wildfire, and will probably be my greatest legacy at this job. Thanks, K&P!
posted by NoRelationToLea at 12:34 PM on September 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
"A-a-ron" forever.
Please point out the link to this particular skit!
Substitute Teacher.
posted by Etrigan at 12:35 PM on September 9, 2015
Please point out the link to this particular skit!
Substitute Teacher.
posted by Etrigan at 12:35 PM on September 9, 2015
Nvm, it's the first Substitute Teacher link!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:35 PM on September 9, 2015
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:35 PM on September 9, 2015
Also I think you missed my favorite Luther video, the alternate one they shot in case Romney won in 2012.
posted by DynamiteToast at 12:37 PM on September 9, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by DynamiteToast at 12:37 PM on September 9, 2015 [4 favorites]
Also, I have sudden hankering for Jim Bean.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:45 PM on September 9, 2015
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:45 PM on September 9, 2015
Damn these two are great. I laugh at every one of their skits.
In 40 years I've never once laughed at SNL.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 12:51 PM on September 9, 2015
In 40 years I've never once laughed at SNL.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 12:51 PM on September 9, 2015
I'm particularly fond of Key's impression of older fans of the show.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 12:52 PM on September 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 12:52 PM on September 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
"particularly Keegan, who was obviously being punished for some past-life misdeed as host of The Planet's Funniest Animals"
I will always think of him as the host of The Planet's Funniest Animals. Key & Peele is merely a footnote to that.
posted by kevinbelt at 12:56 PM on September 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
I will always think of him as the host of The Planet's Funniest Animals. Key & Peele is merely a footnote to that.
posted by kevinbelt at 12:56 PM on September 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
I still remember first seeing the 47% video. I laughed so hard. Especially starting at about 45 seconds in. That shit is relatively cray.
posted by cashman at 12:57 PM on September 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by cashman at 12:57 PM on September 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
I don't think this was included in the links - one of my favorite K&P sketches: Zombie Attack.
posted by cashman at 1:00 PM on September 9, 2015
posted by cashman at 1:00 PM on September 9, 2015
BAM (which is a city in Iran)
posted by angrycat at 1:02 PM on September 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by angrycat at 1:02 PM on September 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
As far as "other projects," they also made a wonderful contribution to the Fargo miniseries last winter. One or the other of them seems to turn up as supporting guest characters on a lot of the sitcoms I like to watch, too.
I don't get Comedy Central due to a venomous fight between my cable provider and Viacom, but I do appreciate the few bits I've run across of K&P online -- particularly the football name skits leave me laughing until I cry.
Also, through a weird stroke of fate I'm Facebook friends with the screenwriter of Gremlins 2, and he recently posted a link to this K&P skit with the comment..."I was there."
posted by AzraelBrown at 1:05 PM on September 9, 2015 [7 favorites]
I don't get Comedy Central due to a venomous fight between my cable provider and Viacom, but I do appreciate the few bits I've run across of K&P online -- particularly the football name skits leave me laughing until I cry.
Also, through a weird stroke of fate I'm Facebook friends with the screenwriter of Gremlins 2, and he recently posted a link to this K&P skit with the comment..."I was there."
posted by AzraelBrown at 1:05 PM on September 9, 2015 [7 favorites]
Also, their stage moments are so funny as well. Black Boy's Booty, and Violent High-Fiving.
posted by cashman at 1:07 PM on September 9, 2015
posted by cashman at 1:07 PM on September 9, 2015
In the "military, sci-fi, and fantasy" category, I thinkyou missed the awesome "White Zombies".
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 1:12 PM on September 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 1:12 PM on September 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
The Vince Clortho inner-city wizarding school sketch is such a joy. "I say again, a wand with a silencer. WHY."
At one point, I think it was Andy Baio who pointed out that 19 of the top 20 videos on YouTube were Key & Peele sketches. Can't wait to see where they go from here. Hopefully they have better luck than Mr Show did with the Ronnie Dobbs movie.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 1:26 PM on September 9, 2015
At one point, I think it was Andy Baio who pointed out that 19 of the top 20 videos on YouTube were Key & Peele sketches. Can't wait to see where they go from here. Hopefully they have better luck than Mr Show did with the Ronnie Dobbs movie.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 1:26 PM on September 9, 2015
"A-a-ron" forever.
I am in the process of publishing a book where a third of it is by the poet Aaron Jorgensen-Briggs, and every g.d. time I have to type his name in anywhere, I hear "A-a-ron" in my head. I'm a little bit worried I'm going to say it at a reading or something, to my eternal shame.
posted by joannemerriam at 1:35 PM on September 9, 2015 [8 favorites]
I am in the process of publishing a book where a third of it is by the poet Aaron Jorgensen-Briggs, and every g.d. time I have to type his name in anywhere, I hear "A-a-ron" in my head. I'm a little bit worried I'm going to say it at a reading or something, to my eternal shame.
posted by joannemerriam at 1:35 PM on September 9, 2015 [8 favorites]
That Zadie Smith article, priceless! I wonder how it came about? Did she specifically ask to interview them, in part because of her father's love of comedy? Did The New Yorker request her because they wanted to have a black person insightfully write about black people? Or did they want to have a biracial person insightfully write about biracial people?
posted by xigxag at 1:47 PM on September 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by xigxag at 1:47 PM on September 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
I was pleased as punch to see K-M K in Tomorrowland, albeit in a minor role.
posted by OHenryPacey at 1:58 PM on September 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by OHenryPacey at 1:58 PM on September 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Also I think you missed my favorite Luther video, the alternate one they shot in case Romney won in 2012.
posted by DynamiteToast
Oh, god, I hadn't seen that. That's awesome.
posted by the phlegmatic king at 2:04 PM on September 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by DynamiteToast
Oh, god, I hadn't seen that. That's awesome.
posted by the phlegmatic king at 2:04 PM on September 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
God, I love the Vince Clortho inner city wizarding school sketch so much. SO MUCH. It has so many totally perfect, nerdy little details that ring true to die hard Harry Potter fans like me, like the ranking of schools (all those in the top 5 are canon!) and the reference to the O.W.L.S. exams. Just such a clever, funny, and incisive jab at the realities the posh boarding school genre leaves out, and at our current education system.
posted by yasaman at 2:31 PM on September 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by yasaman at 2:31 PM on September 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
I love pretty much everything that I see of Key and Peele, but I have a soft spot in my hard for the Valets who love Liam Neesons and Bruce Willy.
I just love seeing black folk being so joyously nerdy. It's my shit.
posted by sparklemotion at 2:54 PM on September 9, 2015 [5 favorites]
I just love seeing black folk being so joyously nerdy. It's my shit.
posted by sparklemotion at 2:54 PM on September 9, 2015 [5 favorites]
Continental Breakfast might be my favorite sketch of theirs, I just love it so much.
Also, I didn't see Strike Force Eagle 3: The Reckoning here so I have to post it, because it's incredible.
posted by jason_steakums at 3:03 PM on September 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
Also, I didn't see Strike Force Eagle 3: The Reckoning here so I have to post it, because it's incredible.
posted by jason_steakums at 3:03 PM on September 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
The best thing about Continental Breakfast is that continental breakfasts are so universally the same that you can really easily reenact scenes from it. I cannot pass a small muffin without saying "Well, la di da"
(I probably would not say this if I worked in a hotel.)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 3:25 PM on September 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
(I probably would not say this if I worked in a hotel.)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 3:25 PM on September 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
Does no one else love... Dicknanigansss?
posted by jjwiseman at 3:25 PM on September 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by jjwiseman at 3:25 PM on September 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
"The Power of Wings" has been stuck in my head all week since I rewatched it from the link in the Chris Dane Owens thread.
posted by jason_steakums at 3:35 PM on September 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by jason_steakums at 3:35 PM on September 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Together, they have a unique brand of "smart-funny" that makes you laugh and think at the same time. What drew me into their comedy was how many skits are like O. Henry stories with twists at the end.
I had a student last year that loved it when I called him A-a-ron. I blew his mind the first time I said it; my seniors were all, "OMG! Ms. Charles watches Key and Peele!"
posted by NoraCharles at 3:38 PM on September 9, 2015 [10 favorites]
I had a student last year that loved it when I called him A-a-ron. I blew his mind the first time I said it; my seniors were all, "OMG! Ms. Charles watches Key and Peele!"
posted by NoraCharles at 3:38 PM on September 9, 2015 [10 favorites]
It's not a small world after all:
The uploader has not made this video available in your country (Australia).
Sorry about that.
posted by oluckyman at 6:04 PM on September 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
The uploader has not made this video available in your country (Australia).
Sorry about that.
posted by oluckyman at 6:04 PM on September 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
I'm not sure how I somehow twigged onto this show, since I don't watch MadTV, but I was definitely there from the first season, and that Ancestry.com ad was absolutely the first bit from the first ep that absolutely killed me stone-dead.
posted by cendawanita at 6:45 PM on September 9, 2015
posted by cendawanita at 6:45 PM on September 9, 2015
oluckyman, try using the extension Hola. I installed it to watch Jon Stewart and Key and Peele on Comedy Central.
I'm probably responsible for a reasonable percentage of the views on Key and Peele youtube videos. I love how well they can portray all kinds of different characters, and many of the sketches just get better with repeat viewings.
posted by Alnedra at 6:48 PM on September 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
I'm probably responsible for a reasonable percentage of the views on Key and Peele youtube videos. I love how well they can portray all kinds of different characters, and many of the sketches just get better with repeat viewings.
posted by Alnedra at 6:48 PM on September 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
FPP of the year! Thank you for all the work you put into this !What a treasure trove. Not only are there no comedy teams anymore to speak of, but these guys rank among the best ever. The humor is always first-rate, well written and you can't help but laugh your ass off, whatever color you may be. Pure and rare brilliance. I am so sad their show is gone. I loved them. Key and Peele created a difficult vacuum that will likely not be filled anytime soon...
posted by Seekerofsplendor at 6:50 PM on September 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Seekerofsplendor at 6:50 PM on September 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
@queeroid that In the Heat of the Night discussion is fantastic, thanks for sharing.
posted by Flaffigan at 7:44 PM on September 9, 2015
posted by Flaffigan at 7:44 PM on September 9, 2015
Tonight on Twitter:
@JordanPeele
What are your top three Key & Peele sketches?
Only three? I don't think I can narrow it down that much!
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 8:02 PM on September 9, 2015
@JordanPeele
What are your top three Key & Peele sketches?
Only three? I don't think I can narrow it down that much!
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 8:02 PM on September 9, 2015
Key as the next romcom heartthrob?! Come on. Don't hold the man back. He's got the acting chops to take a Tom Hanks or Will Smith path out of comedy and eventually win some Oscars. Yes, he is hella hot, but skip the damn romcoms.
posted by gusandrews at 8:56 PM on September 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by gusandrews at 8:56 PM on September 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
Key contributed a great (true? well, ish) story to This Is Not Happening. It did remind me that he's fundamentally another theatre geek -- and so, most likely, is Peele. (I mean, not even the characters that they play in the between-sketches introductions are themselves.) Fun.
posted by dhartung at 12:29 AM on September 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by dhartung at 12:29 AM on September 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm pretty sure my daughter thinks her name is Jay-kwellin.
posted by Night_owl at 12:34 AM on September 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Night_owl at 12:34 AM on September 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
At first I thought they were fairly niche, until I had to distinguish between an Aaron and Erin at my very corporate workplace. A-a-ron and E-rin caught on like wildfire, and will probably be my greatest legacy at this job.
There's also an A-a-ron and E-rin at my workplace, and because they married each other, they now have the same surname. We had been referring to them as the boy Aaron or the girl Erin since appending their last name is not helpful in distinguishing which one you're referring to, but now I'm gonna go with your pronunciation!
posted by Seboshin at 2:42 AM on September 10, 2015
oluckyman, try using the extension Hola. I installed it to watch Jon Stewart and Key and Peele on Comedy Central.
Might want to think twice about that...
posted by teraflop at 5:36 AM on September 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Might want to think twice about that...
posted by teraflop at 5:36 AM on September 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
One of my favorite small details that showed how good K&P were at constructing sketches was the end of the East-West Bowl sketch from the Super Bowl special, where the button uses a prominent NFL player to reference an earlier and beloved sketch.
One of the all-time great sketch shows, not just in being funny, but also in being insightful and timely about race in America.
posted by andrewraff at 10:17 AM on September 10, 2015
One of the all-time great sketch shows, not just in being funny, but also in being insightful and timely about race in America.
posted by andrewraff at 10:17 AM on September 10, 2015
Race to the Top: The Meaning of ‘Key and Peele’
posted by the man of twists and turns at 11:45 AM on September 10, 2015
posted by the man of twists and turns at 11:45 AM on September 10, 2015
The Terries sketch is just so magical.
posted by rossination at 3:58 PM on September 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by rossination at 3:58 PM on September 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
I think my favorite is still the Obama Raps skit. It gets in, makes its joke, and then ends. Perfect mic drop.
posted by rmd1023 at 4:25 PM on September 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by rmd1023 at 4:25 PM on September 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
A curated Key and Peele post! Thank you thank you thank you Rhaomi.
My favorites: all the East West College bowl sketches (the wigs are as great as the names IMHO) and the soul food I-am-more-down-than-you competition and the one in which Peele plays some dubstep for an unprepared and wildly reactive Key ("I don't think that's music!").
posted by goofyfoot at 7:54 PM on September 10, 2015 [5 favorites]
My favorites: all the East West College bowl sketches (the wigs are as great as the names IMHO) and the soul food I-am-more-down-than-you competition and the one in which Peele plays some dubstep for an unprepared and wildly reactive Key ("I don't think that's music!").
posted by goofyfoot at 7:54 PM on September 10, 2015 [5 favorites]
I am watching the new ones and the old ones and they are soooo great!!! I love Meegan and Andre, and Key and Peele together, and each person individually, and the skit with two girlfriends in the restaurant (is one Meegan?), and on and on --
tldr: yay, Key & Peele show. Gonna miss you, can't wait to see what you do next.
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 8:59 PM on September 10, 2015
tldr: yay, Key & Peele show. Gonna miss you, can't wait to see what you do next.
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 8:59 PM on September 10, 2015
It's not a small world after all:
The uploader has not made this video available in your country (Australia).
Sorry about that.
Yeah, I got tired of seeing that on the io9 article yesterday on the 12 best sketches... so I ... their final episiode was on YouTube.So I watched it.
I did, I admit, lose it at the Charlie Chaplin moustache bit. I loved how they kept pushing it. Hell, I think they even clipped a "you should see my oven" joke because they decided it was too far.
I must ask: what was up with the Negrotown number? Was that a repeat of an earlier sketch? Or was there a subtle difference I missed?
posted by Mezentian at 8:00 AM on September 11, 2015
The uploader has not made this video available in your country (Australia).
Sorry about that.
Yeah, I got tired of seeing that on the io9 article yesterday on the 12 best sketches... so I ... their final episiode was on YouTube.So I watched it.
I did, I admit, lose it at the Charlie Chaplin moustache bit. I loved how they kept pushing it. Hell, I think they even clipped a "you should see my oven" joke because they decided it was too far.
I must ask: what was up with the Negrotown number? Was that a repeat of an earlier sketch? Or was there a subtle difference I missed?
posted by Mezentian at 8:00 AM on September 11, 2015
Mezentian: "what was up with the Negrotown number? Was that a repeat of an earlier sketch?"
I think it was always intended to be in the series finale but they released it early, around the time of the Ferguson and Baltimore protests.
posted by mhum at 9:30 AM on September 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
I think it was always intended to be in the series finale but they released it early, around the time of the Ferguson and Baltimore protests.
posted by mhum at 9:30 AM on September 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
An interesting observation by Tim Carmody over at waxy.org:
More than any show on television, to my mind, Key and Peele felt young. Not young in the shallow way that all media, maybe especially television, seem to exploit young talent; not young in the same reckless, juvenile way Chappelle's Show or vintage Saturday Night Live was; young in the open, searching, insouciant, absurdist key that's so important to sketch comedy.posted by mhum at 10:11 AM on September 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
That's what's in the mix of what Morris rightly identifies as the show's blend of sadness and acceptance. It's youth knowing that this is not forever, that it would be wrong to linger, that the future (and everything good, bad, and unchanging that comes with it) is inevitable.
I decided that I only want a tattoo if I can somehow get one of the Cedric & Levi skit about Ratatouille. I loved it that much.
posted by trunk muffins at 12:32 PM on September 11, 2015
posted by trunk muffins at 12:32 PM on September 11, 2015
Oh man, I just realized one of the Vimeo videos linked to in the post is from the official account of director Peter Atencio, which hosts a lot more HD sketches that aren't available elsewhere. A selection:
Tea Party Sweetheart - A working class man is discovered by a political strategist and is crowned the new leader of the Tea Party. Filmed in a single take
Dungeons & Dragons & Bitches - When a dungeon master invites his cousin Tyrell to partake in a game of Dungeons & Dragons, he has no idea how his two friends will react to the unpredictable influence.
What's the Joke? - A villain tries to explain to his henchman why sometimes, murder can be funny.
Party Motivators - Gafilta Fresh and Dr. Dreidel are the number one Bar/Bat Mitzvah entertainers in Nassau County, NY. This is their story.
After MLK - Meet the Reverend Robert Jones, the man who had the unfortunate luck to follow Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech during the March On Washington in 1963.
Civil War Reenactors - A group of Confederate Civil War reenactors has to deal with two men who want to present a more accurate depiction of what their side was really fighting for.
Country Music - A country music fan introduces the genre to his new neighbor.
Doin' It With My Bro - Two men share the most intimate possible experience.
I'm Retired - When a threat unlike any other we've seen faces the nation, the military has only one man they can turn to for help.
One Hundred Thousand Dollars - When you're trafficking Afghani heroin and selling it in bulk to a Mexican drug cartel, the hard part isn't making the money, it's counting it.
The Boss - The head of a major crime organization pays a visit to a lackey who screwed up a job.
Make-A-Wish - A doctor tries to coax a dying wish from an ominous child.
Boarding Group 1 - A traveling businessman grows increasingly frustrated with the airplane boarding procedure at the airport.
Jazz Duel - Two legendary jazz trumpet players come together in a Greenwich Village nightclub in the mid 1950s to play a show together, but when it's time for them to solo, things escalate quickly.
Could Be Worse - Two men, trapped in a tiny torture chamber, subjected to sadistic surgeries by a creepy clown, consider the state of their existence. All in all? Not that bad.
The Orgy - A dinner party attendee is trying to say goodbye to the host and collect his coat, but that's harder than you'd think when the party has turned into an orgy.
Lots more here!
posted by Rhaomi at 6:45 PM on September 11, 2015 [10 favorites]
Tea Party Sweetheart - A working class man is discovered by a political strategist and is crowned the new leader of the Tea Party. Filmed in a single take
Dungeons & Dragons & Bitches - When a dungeon master invites his cousin Tyrell to partake in a game of Dungeons & Dragons, he has no idea how his two friends will react to the unpredictable influence.
What's the Joke? - A villain tries to explain to his henchman why sometimes, murder can be funny.
Party Motivators - Gafilta Fresh and Dr. Dreidel are the number one Bar/Bat Mitzvah entertainers in Nassau County, NY. This is their story.
After MLK - Meet the Reverend Robert Jones, the man who had the unfortunate luck to follow Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech during the March On Washington in 1963.
Civil War Reenactors - A group of Confederate Civil War reenactors has to deal with two men who want to present a more accurate depiction of what their side was really fighting for.
Country Music - A country music fan introduces the genre to his new neighbor.
Doin' It With My Bro - Two men share the most intimate possible experience.
I'm Retired - When a threat unlike any other we've seen faces the nation, the military has only one man they can turn to for help.
One Hundred Thousand Dollars - When you're trafficking Afghani heroin and selling it in bulk to a Mexican drug cartel, the hard part isn't making the money, it's counting it.
The Boss - The head of a major crime organization pays a visit to a lackey who screwed up a job.
Make-A-Wish - A doctor tries to coax a dying wish from an ominous child.
Boarding Group 1 - A traveling businessman grows increasingly frustrated with the airplane boarding procedure at the airport.
Jazz Duel - Two legendary jazz trumpet players come together in a Greenwich Village nightclub in the mid 1950s to play a show together, but when it's time for them to solo, things escalate quickly.
Could Be Worse - Two men, trapped in a tiny torture chamber, subjected to sadistic surgeries by a creepy clown, consider the state of their existence. All in all? Not that bad.
The Orgy - A dinner party attendee is trying to say goodbye to the host and collect his coat, but that's harder than you'd think when the party has turned into an orgy.
Lots more here!
posted by Rhaomi at 6:45 PM on September 11, 2015 [10 favorites]
Whew, glad for this update. I watched all the links in the FPP and the Zap2It list and couldn't handle not having more.
posted by isthmus at 11:18 PM on September 11, 2015
posted by isthmus at 11:18 PM on September 11, 2015
Every time I think about Roots I think of "Movies You Haven't Seen", my favorite of their stage moments.
posted by brainwane at 11:22 AM on September 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by brainwane at 11:22 AM on September 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
Thanks Rhaomi, many of these are, in fact, available in my hood.
And by hood I mean state.
And by state, I mean country.
And by country, I mean continent.
And by continent, I mean hemisphere.
posted by Mezentian at 7:55 AM on September 18, 2015
And by hood I mean state.
And by state, I mean country.
And by country, I mean continent.
And by continent, I mean hemisphere.
posted by Mezentian at 7:55 AM on September 18, 2015
Having conquered comedy, Jordan Peele pivots to his true love: horror movies.
posted by Etrigan at 7:54 AM on September 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Etrigan at 7:54 AM on September 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
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Make Keegan-Michael Key Our Next Rom-Com Leading Man
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:35 AM on September 9, 2015 [12 favorites]