Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, stars of the new Comedy Central series “Key & Peele,” spoke with several collegiate newspapers, including The Daily Reveille, about everything from their show to legalizing marijuana in a conference call Wednesday.
The actors also addressed questions about any content that may have been withheld from the show.
“Our general guideline is: How funny is it to us?” Peele said. “If it makes everyone in the room laugh, something comedically precious is happening. Nothing is off limits if you can get the laughs.”
Other questions leaned toward the comedians’ race-related sketches, including bits about Lil’ Wayne and President Barack Obama. Key said the actor’s biracial and African-American perspectives and the way they see the world color those bits.
“In the category of racial comedy, there’s a whole landscape of things that haven’t been touched,” Peele said.
The comedy duo also expressed their desire to break the mold of sketch TV shows like “MADtv” and “Saturday Night Live.”
“The biggest difference is our show is not based on huge characters,” Key said. “A lot of people tune in to ‘MADtv’ or ‘SNL’ to see funny characters, and that’s been the formula for a very long time.”
He said the duo hopes the show will last until a second or third season so the program can evolve and develop recurring characters.
If the series premiere’s numbers are an indicator, the show may get renewed. The first episode netted 2.1 million viewers, according to The Hollywood Reporter, making it Comedy Central’s most popular new series since 2009.
The show managed to catch some students’ eyes. Taylor Simon, philosophy and economics sophomore, thought the show was quite comical.
“I kept forgetting that I was only watching the same two people,” Simon said. “They touched on a number of different topics instead of beating a single issue to death.”
The conversation took a turn toward politics when the legalization of marijuana came up. Peele spent three years in Amsterdam and had a lot to say on the subject.
“I’m a huge fan of marijuana,” Peele said. “It is a powerful drug that can be used for a whole lot of good. I very vehemently support it in medical use.”
But he advised against teenagers using it and did acknowledge its harmful effects.
The pair of actors also noted the effect Obama has had on black comedians, allowing a place for biracial comedy.
“I don’t think we would have a show without the election,” Peele said. “Obama gives us [nerdy black guys] a little bit of swagger.”
In the end, Key and Peele emphasized their desire to show the audience a good time.
“At the end of the day, we like to sit in this office and see what makes us laugh,” Key said.
“Key & Peele” airs Tuesday nights at 9:30 p.m. on Comedy Central.
 
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Contact Taylor Balkom at [email protected]