Key and Peele are fantastic. They are responsible for some of the best televised sketch comedy to be broadcast in decades. As writers, the duo are genius level masters of parody and satire and their level of humor is unsurpassed. There are no other comedians or performers currently working that even come close to these guys. They are hands down the best around.
It’s a shame that the Key & Peele show on Comedy Central isn’t around anymore. Lucky for us, Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele have made their first major motion picture. Keanu debuts this weekend in theaters and today we want to share some of our hand picked favorite sketches from these guys. These are our favorites and hopefully some of yours as well.
Drew Dietsch: ‘Gremlins 2’ Brainstorm
Gremlins 2 should not exist. It’s got to be the most insane, irreverent, and self-deprecating sequel to a mainstream movie ever made. Key and Peele are obviously fans of the film’s unhinged madness and decided to honor it with a sketch showcasing how bonkers the film must sound to outsiders. The setup of a writers room meeting that’s interrupted by a studio sequel doctor (who is also responsible for putting cowboys into Back to the Future Part III) makes the joke almost completely verbal, if not for Jordan Peele’s flamboyant performance and look.
This sketch even made its way in front of Gremlins 2 director Joe Dante (who is played by Keegan-Michael Key in the sketch), who facetiously swore that this was exactly how the movie came to be. This is a must-see sketch for film fans and anyone who has never seen Gremlins 2, because this sketch pretty much works as the greatest advertisement of all time.
Danielle Ryan: Gay Marriage Legalized
The skit, which shows Key’s Samuel and Peele’s Lashawn celebrating the legalization of gay marriage in their state, is hilarious because of Peele’s over-the-top excitement and Key’s obvious reluctance to get married. Samuel obviously didn’t think gay marriage would be legalized anytime soon and perhaps isn’t so keen on the idea of being committed to the outrageous Lashawn for the rest of his life. Lashawn, on the other hand, is already planning the names of their future daughters (Etiny, Carousel, Sequin, Abercrombie, and Phantom), their unicorn-shaped house, and their dog Ruffalo’s pet cat, Myriad.
Peele taps into some of the stereotypes of gay black men with flourish, while Key is the polar opposite. The dynamic between the two is part of what makes it work, and Key’s seemingly improvisational reactions to the reporter’s comments are so dry that it almost hurts. When she tells them that they seem excited, his “yeah, do we seem excited?” is sarcastic, a little angry, and feels realistic, as if this is a very real conversation some gay couples probably had following the legalization of same-sex marriage.
The skit is funny without being hurtful to any of the minority groups represented, plus Peele’s exuberance is both comical and a little contagious. Lashawn’s “We’re gonna rent the moon and fill it with Rosé!” gets me every time.
Andrew Hawkins: Power Falcons
“Saving Earth from Space, POWER FALCONS!” I love this skit. This one is a no holds barred of racist parody set to a backdrop of a terrible Power Rangers ripoff. It’s cheap, cheesy, super offensive and hilarious.
Jordan Peele’s Green Falcon gets madder and madder as the bit goes on and it’s funny as hell while also holding a mirror up to how difficult it is to call people out who just won’t quit. Rob Huebel leads the team as the smarmy and ignorant Blue Falcon alongside Brenda Song as the Purple Falcon and surprisingly Kristanna Loken as the Red Falcon. Keegan-Michael Key’s Yellow Falcon is incredibly inappropriate, and when he reacts to the Green Falcon calling him out is a great moment. The best bits for me have to be Green Falcon getting more and more pissed off each time he hears “Black Falcon.” It’s a perfect sketch.
Drew Dietsch: Family Matters
Whenever Key & Peele mix their comedy sketches with horror, it’s often a true joy. It’s obvious that they have genuine affection for the genre – Jordan Peele is writing and directing a horror film called Get Out – and seeing them apply that tone to something as innocuous as sitcom stars is a riot. The Family Matters sketch works even if you have the most passing knowledge of the source material; Steve Urkel is a superpowered monster that rules the studio with an iron fist.
I love how dark and awful this sketch gets while still maintaining a constant sense of absurdity, mostly thanks to Peele’s performance and makeup as Reginald VelJohnson. It’s also another example of how inherently cinematic these two performers are. Having never watched a single episode of Family Matters, I still crack up every time I watch this sketch. That should indicate how good it is.
Andrew Hawkins: Strike Force Eagle 3: The Reckoning
Strike Force Eagle 3: The Reckoning is a perfect pastiche of 80s and early 90s action schlock. This one reminds me of almost every low budget cop movie on the video store shelf back in the heyday of the VHS era. It’s like Amir Shervan made a movie for Cannon Films and I love it. Even the music by acclaimed electronic duo POWER GLOVE is fantastic part of this amazingly so-bad-it’s-good skit.
There is absolutely no way that anyone could ever cut down a truly best of Key & Peele list because there is just so much to love about these two, but these five selections represent just a few of our absolute favorites. Now is a great time to revisit the show before going to watch Keanu in theaters this weekend.
Other notable sketches that deserve a nod are Inner-city Wizard School, Liam Neesons, Mr. T PSA, Dubstep, Aerobics Meltdown, Dueling Hats, Meegan, Substitute Teacher, East/West College Bowl, Funky Nonsense, and Keegan Michael-Key’s Lando Calrissian bit is just amazing. These guys are great, and there’s no doubt Keanu will be too.
