Grab your practice peaches and limited edition mint condition hats because we’ve been invited to the pony show. We are covering the Key & Peele this week. Quid Pro Mo brought to you by the Petri Dish podcast.

Creator Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key
Released: January 2012
Network: Comedy Channel
Cast: Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key

Breakdown and Analysis

  • First time we have covered a sketch show on our podcast.
  • Sketch shows in general, the highs are the highest of highs and lows are the lowest of lows. Even the best ones have sketches that miss the mark. Some sketches feel like the equivalent of Kelly Rowland’s Seat Filler. Sketch fillers, if you’ll pardon the pun. We are forgiving when it comes to sketches.
  • The best way to enjoy sketch shows is to watch the ones you like not full episodes.
  • KT’s Number 1: Insult Comic. The reason why KT loves this sketch is because it denotes egregious approach, our salaciousness for vulgar and inappropriate humour. It’s the lowbrow default to make fat jokes and is generally accepted that it can be made fun of. We have the guy alone and the joke is his date stood him up. Even though it can be hurtful, there are some things that can be joked about and it is ok. However, in Jordan’s character as a burn victim, it was clear that it is not ok to roast him. After being pushed by the audience, why can he make fun of others, Keegan jests about Jordan’s pink shirt. Which turns out to be in support of breast cancer awareness. Once you get a good joke, it’s impossible to leave it alone. Everyone is boo’ing Keegan and he doubles down and questions whether he really is crying. It’s the sphere of comedy. What can be said? What can’t be said? When is it ok? When is it not ok? Key & Peele navigate these questions perfectly.
  • Oti’s Number 1: Duelling Hats. Oti shares his experiences as a kid and the constant one upping of the very best and newest and coolest of stuff.
  • KT’s Number 2: Cunning Class. Male or female, you need to know how to go down on your bitches right. There are some timely truths, grab a peach and practice friends and lovers. Useful advice of starting off with the alphabet. We earned our explicit ASMR tag. KT absolutely loves it because it is clever but also true. Kudos to the follow up sketch, effective but the original sketch is where KT’s Daddywood Sheriff heart is. Oti one ups KT’s cunning moment with Titus Pullo and Lucius Veronus in HBO’s Rome.
  • Oti’s Number 2: Mr T. There is an Oti Mr T haircut somewhere. Key & Peele took Oti to Nirvana with the T&T reference.
  • Wonkery: Keegan going into the other room with a wii remote and wanking over his ex-girlfriend’s photo. Jordan plays a detective that solves crimes by wanking.
  • Wendell Sanders: Reminiscent of Comic Book Guy in The Simpsons and H Jon Benjamin’s character in Family Guy. The big nerdy guy is an easy archetype but they rounded Wendell’s character in his vulnerability. In the Superman sketch it progresses where parallels of Stimpy melt into Wendell especially moving away from such things once he gets with girls. Wendell’s lifestyle isn’t much different from ours, if we didn’t have an Exec Producer Dog, we wouldn’t leave the house.
  • Substitute Teachers: In our experience, Math teachers never went on leave. Mr Garvey is probably the most popular Key & Peele sketch. We have many examples of Mr Garvey getting frustrated and while they are hilarious, it doesn’t hit as hard as the first example. The sketch builds to Timothy and ends with O’Shannessy. That was the cream on top of KT’s pie. Shout out to Mr Nostrand and know when he needs to leave. There was no coming back from the fart. Oti recalls Teachers farting and students would try to ignore it. Giggle at your own peril. KT cannot recall teachers farting in class. She refuses to spend time thinking about it. This is not For Your Flatulence.
  • The Valets: KT’s goal for the podcast is to capture the essence of this sketch. Not just the energy but their insights into film is poignant and an energy missing in the landscape of TV/Movie podcasts. Oti reflected on Racist Ass Melly Gibsons filmography. He prefers The Patriot over Braveheart. The Patriot hit feels Oti needed. Braveheart was sad on a different level. Oti turned into a Valet and introduced June Squibbses. But the Suibbses though?
  • Continental Breakfast: KT loves and partakes in the frivolity of fanfare especially when we are on holiday. But we carry our own bags cause we aren’t dicks. We’re dicks to each other but not other people. The sketch is delightful and wonderous. Without knowing the twist, you are enjoying his character. Fpoon sounds like a niche category on pornhub. The way he cries because the food is so good is KT midnight snacking. He has a dandy frolic through the Continental Breakfast every day.
  • Racist Zombies: It’s the reverse on the trope of killing off the black characters in the beginning. Lovecraft Country also has supernatural elements to themes of racism. This sketch does something similar but in a less analytical way. When the sketches hit, they hit.
  • Georgina and Esther and Satan: KT is being censored because she wants to use this gif but maybe it’s for the best. The sketch is very effective especially if you’ve had a religious upbringing and had aunties, grandmothers that were very devout but very judgy with their devoutness. They all come in this fiery flavour. It’s the language that they use, e.g. Satan has his claws in my nephew and I am going to strangle the devil with my prayers. We rewatched the censored loud bleep version and it felt more offensive. The divine kegel and the pornography of women. Frame of reference really bolsters that humour in this sketch.
  • Proud Thug Carlito: One of KT’s favourite parts is an example of Carlito’s vibrato and refusing to go back in his body and how heaven is for pussies.
  • Rafi ‘Slap Ass’: As much as they are a duo, KT noticed a lot of her faves are played by Jordan. Oti can only recall seeing this in American sports and cannot recall asses being touched or spanked in his circles. KT feels like that sounds very kinky. Oti mentioned how he has seen Football coaches spank the players to which KT pointed out the sketch is Slap Ass not Spank Ass. To which we devolve into exploring the differences.
  • A gay wedding: The fact that Jordan’s character would bring a gay coworker to ask questions about a gay wedding is so fucking offensive but a lot of us certainly have family members that say ignorant shit like this. That is where the humour is. Lance Reddick perfectly executed the gay hymn jokes. Where to find euro to buy gay gifts. Which section do we sit in? Throwing couscous. There’s so much that’s timely but also rooted in love and experiences.
  • Mentions: Tackle and grapple, Samuel and LaShawn, Who got dat good D?

Unrelated but vital points

  • Check out our other related episodes of Get Out and Us.
  • We may not have the official Obama but we do have the Oti Obama.
  • Oti loves to watch shame. His multiple rewatches has elevated him to a celestial being.
  • Merch idea: Sexual and Sad. Knocks on dat ass. Spank ass.
  • KT is very excited for the remake/reboot of Ren & Stimpy.
  • The Smurfs look like little blue grandpas, according to KT.
  • KT likes to tell our smart home devices they are dumb bitches so they know who the top bitch is.
  • Oti does not experience Busta Rhymes break your neck, more garden variety break your neck.
  • Oti needs to lay more respect for Method Man.
  • Laugh tracks are gross, don’t tell me when to laugh.

Oti

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KT

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