History YMMV / KeyAndPeele

* {{Anvilicious}}: The show frequently addresses racism towards black people, "Negrotown" was the bluntest and darkest version of their message. In the sketch, Key's character is arrested but saved by a homeless man and taken to Negrotown, a utopia for black people who are unburdened by the systematic racism of America and cultural appropriation. Then they do a whole musical number about how they are "free to wear your hoodie without being shot" [[note]] Referring to the 2012 incident where George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin [[/note]], "Can walk down a street without being stopped, harassed, or beat", "No trigger-happy cops or scared cashiers" [[note]] Referring to many, many accounts of police brutality [[/note]], "Won't get followed if you try to shop", “no stupid ass white folks touching your hair or stealing your culture claiming it’s theirs” [[note]]This refers to hairstyles, such as the box braids, being copied by white people, not heeding their ancestral history or cultural meaning, only wearing it because it's aesthetically pleasing. At the same time, white people were shaming black people for wearing those hairstyles [[/note]], and “no one trying to get in on the latest trend by making you their token black friend” to name a few. However, [[DownerEnding Negrotown doesn't exist as Key's character is taken away by a racist cop at the abrupt and dark end of the song]].

* {{Anvilicious}}: The show frequently addresses racism towards black people, "Negrotown" was the bluntest and darkest version of their message. In the sketch, Key's character is arrested but saved by a homeless man and taken to Negrotown, a utopia for black people who are unburdened by the systematic racism of America and cultural appropriation. Then they do a whole musical number about how they are "free to wear your hoodie without being shot" [[note]] Referring to the 2012 incident where George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin [[/note]], "Can walk down a street without being stopped, harassed, or beat", "No trigger-happy cops or scared cashiers" [[note]] Referring to many, many accounts of police brutality [[/note]], "Won't get followed if you try to shop", “no stupid ass white folks touching your hair or stealing your culture claiming it’s theirs” [[note]]This refers to hairstyles, such as the box braids, being worn by white people because it's trendy, not understanding or acknowledging the true meaning behind the hairstyle. At the same time, white people were shaming black people for wearing those hairstyles [[/note]], and “no one trying to get in on the latest trend by making you their token black friend” to name a few. However, [[DownerEnding Negrotown doesn't exist as Key's character is taken away by a racist cop at the abrupt and dark end of the song]].

** In the sketch, ''Cool Teacher vs. Class Clown'', Key's character tries to mimics Peele's character in a rather unintentionally similar high pitched voice to that of Toad from the Mario franchise, this was years before he gets casted in the upcoming Illumination Mario Movie as Toad, and some fans were quick to notice this one.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Commenters have noted that Keegan-Michael Key's creepy landlord actually comes across as a good guy -- making sure his property is in good condition prior to renting it out, apologizing if anything is wrong and promising to make repairs, and violently ensuring the safety and well-being of his tenants.

* UnfortunateImplications:
** Invoked and ''[[http://www.comedycentral.com/video-clips/g5b20q/key-and-peele-black-boy-s-booty weaponized]]'' - both Key and Peele are from interracial families (white mom/black dad, though Peele grew up with a white mom and never knew his biological father), making disciplining the child in public a little difficult...
** Discussed in another standup bit, about the classic song "Baby It's Cold Outside", before introducing [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc_F0zP9usU their own version]].

** The sketch [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnqWbop4PHY "The Worst Drug Ever"]]. Three stoner friends, two played by Key and Creator/KumailNanjiani, interact with a drug dealer, played by Peele, who tries to get them to take what he calls the "God Drug", which turns out to be razor-sharp crystals that must be ''inserted under the eyelid to cause bleeding in the eye socket through which the drug mixes into the blood that seeps into the brain cavity'', with an alleged side effect of the high being ''defecating out the mouth''. In the end, one is convinced to try it, and while thankfully there's a GoryDiscretionShot, there are still audible sounds of squelching and stabbing. And just as they start to question when the drug high will happen, the dealer responds by wondering how should he know, since he doesn't do drugs because "drugs are for losers", followed by a [[Advertising/PartnershipToEndAddiction PSA advert]] appearing and warning "Don't even try it. You'll poop your mouth."

* JerkassWoobie: The bully from "School Bully" is a bullying JerkJock, but he hates himself so much and has gone through tough shit lately such as him not doing very good at his third grade level [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter and seeing someone reading and enjoying it and making him feel depressed]] and has been having sexual fantasies about other people at school, and he can't control his emotions and on top of that, his mother divorced his father and has been living in disgrace ever since.

* UnintentionallySympathetic: In "The Worst Guy to Run Into After the Apocalypse", Peele's character runs into and subsequently kills a tackily-dressed weirdo played by Key, who spends his time dancing, touching mannequins, swinging swords and talking to himself. While Key's character is clearly weird, viewers found him fun and likeable and thought Peele shooting him was DisproportionateRetribution.

* AcceptableTargets:
** The show frequently addresses the prejudice towards African-Americans, as such, racists are often killed, punished, and tortured in one way or another. In other cases, the bigots themselves are either [[ObliviouslyEvil oblivious to their own racism]] or just [[StupidEvil plain idiots]].
** The show also likes to mock black-on-black violence and street gangs.
** Minstrelsy, as shown in "Dad's Hollywood Secret" where they bring up how black actors had to play black characters with overexaggerated, stereotypical traits.

** The end of the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxyiccilVKM "These Nuts"]] sketch. Was he crying because his dad died? Because his dad refused to take him seriously even on his death bed? Because his dad got the last laugh? Or was he actually [[ActuallyPrettyFunny laughing uproariously]]?