In their new book, The History of sketch comedy, Keegan, Michael Key and El Key. Take us on a hilarious and also personal journey to help us understand how we got to the sketch comedy we know and love today, El Key. Keegan. Michael Key. Welcome to forum.

In their new book, The History of sketch comedy, Keegan, Michael Key and El Key. Take us on a hilarious and also personal journey to help us understand how we got to the sketch comedy we know and love today, El Key. Keegan. Michael Key. Welcome to forum.

Hi.

Hi.

Hi. Thank you for having us. So great to have you both on. I mentioned this book is a sketch comedy history. A How to also kind of a memoir of Keegan's life. Am I right? That you, you kind of pushed for that for him to add some personal touches to it. Yeah, I thought, I thought that because Keegan's life has so many interesting touchstones that have to do with some with sketch or comedy in some capacity.

Hi. Thank you for having us. So great to have you both on. I mentioned this book is a sketch comedy history. A How to also kind of a memoir of Keegan's life. Am I right? That you, you kind of pushed for that for him to add some personal touches to it. Yeah, I thought, I thought that because Keegan's life has so many interesting touchstones that have to do with some with sketch or comedy in some capacity.

I thought it'd be really fun if Keegan was kind of the narrator or the tour guide through sketch. So we basically um came up with this plan to use Keegan's life as, as kind of the string you hang the comedic lights on if that makes sense. Oh, totally. I love actually, one of the personal moments is that you Keegan can pinpoint the moment

I thought it'd be really fun if Keegan was kind of the narrator or the tour guide through sketch. So we basically um came up with this plan to use Keegan's life as, as kind of the string you hang the comedic lights on if that makes sense. Oh, totally. I love actually, one of the personal moments is that you Keegan can pinpoint the moment

when your sketch comedy path began. It's not like, oh, I kind of remember. It's like, no, there was a very specific moment when it all started for you. Can you tell us about it?

when your sketch comedy path began. It's not like, oh, I kind of remember. It's like, no, there was a very specific moment when it all started for you. Can you tell us about it?

Sure. Yeah, it was, it was a lot about hearing my father laugh at a Saturday Night live sketch when I was, oh, gosh, I guess I might have been 13, 14 years old. And my father was a

Sure. Yeah, it was, it was a lot about hearing my father laugh at a Saturday Night live sketch when I was, oh, gosh, I guess I might have been 13, 14 years old. And my father was a

kind of a stoic guy. He was a big tall stoic man. And, um, to hear him laugh, he had actually a very kind of high pitched chuckle for a laugh when he did laugh. But it was few and far between to hear those laughs. And so I remember watching this sketch with my dad and him just cracking up and, and I thought to myself, what is that power that someone has? And that particular someone in that, in, in this case was Eddie Murphy.

kind of a stoic guy. He was a big tall stoic man. And, um, to hear him laugh, he had actually a very kind of high pitched chuckle for a laugh when he did laugh. But it was few and far between to hear those laughs. And so I remember watching this sketch with my dad and him just cracking up and, and I thought to myself, what is that power that someone has? And that particular someone in that, in, in this case was Eddie Murphy.

Yeah. I mean, which I think we can all agree as a person who's made many, many a person laugh. Um, and, um, and that was the moment that was the moment hearing my dad laugh really for the first time, that outrageously. And I thought to myself, I want to have something to do with this after

Yeah. I mean, which I think we can all agree as a person who's made many, many a person laugh. Um, and, um, and that was the moment that was the moment hearing my dad laugh really for the first time, that outrageously. And I thought to myself, I want to have something to do with this after

knowing, studying, really digging into, you know, um, what makes a really good sketch?

knowing, studying, really digging into, you know, um, what makes a really good sketch?

Has it affected what you find funny? You say at one point, Keegan, I think in the book that it's hard to make you laugh. And that was actually one of the few people who could do you. Is it harder to find things funny when you, when you know,

Has it affected what you find funny? You say at one point, Keegan, I think in the book that it's hard to make you laugh. And that was actually one of the few people who could do you. Is it harder to find things funny when you, when you know,

know how it should be done and all those elements, tactic, strategies, tools of a sketch?

know how it should be done and all those elements, tactic, strategies, tools of a sketch?

Yeah, sometimes it is. I think what happens, Mina is that you, you start to, um, admire things and appreciate things as opposed to outright laughing at things. And I know that stand up comedians do the same thing where, uh, if you tell, tell a joke or you say something funny in a moment, a stand up comedian will go. Ah, hm. That was good. That was good.

Yeah, sometimes it is. I think what happens, Mina is that you, you start to, um, admire things and appreciate things as opposed to outright laughing at things. And I know that stand up comedians do the same thing where, uh, if you tell, tell a joke or you say something funny in a moment, a stand up comedian will go. Ah, hm. That was good. That was good.

That was funny. What you just did right there. That was funny. And they, but they don't laugh but they don't laugh, you know, and, and I think that, um, it's the same thing with sketches that when, because you almost, you almost snap immediately into analysis because part of the joy, part of the pleasure is the analysis.

That was funny. What you just did right there. That was funny. And they, but they don't laugh but they don't laugh, you know, and, and I think that, um, it's the same thing with sketches that when, because you almost, you almost snap immediately into analysis because part of the joy, part of the pleasure is the analysis.

Do you find the same thing happens for you?

Do you find the same thing happens for you?

I, well, especially with Keegan. I, I kind of take it as a challenge that if, if I can get Keegan to really, uh, lose, lose himself and laugh at something then, then I know that that works. And I'm like, oh, I'm writing that one down. We're gonna save that one for later. But it, but it's fun. We are, we are surrounded by a lot of people who are very, very talented and, and, uh, comedic and comedians and,

I, well, especially with Keegan. I, I kind of take it as a challenge that if, if I can get Keegan to really, uh, lose, lose himself and laugh at something then, then I know that that works. And I'm like, oh, I'm writing that one down. We're gonna save that one for later. But it, but it's fun. We are, we are surrounded by a lot of people who are very, very talented and, and, uh, comedic and comedians and,

and it's almost like, it's almost like they're not allowed to laugh at stuff. I think there's so many people who want to make them laugh or want to tell jokes, just like, I'm sure people want to play basketball against good basketball players. Like you, you wanna make a comedian laugh and I don't recommend trying. It's not an easy, it's not an easy thing to do. But if you like,

and it's almost like, it's almost like they're not allowed to laugh at stuff. I think there's so many people who want to make them laugh or want to tell jokes, just like, I'm sure people want to play basketball against good basketball players. Like you, you wanna make a comedian laugh and I don't recommend trying. It's not an easy, it's not an easy thing to do. But if you like,

if you, you got something, you got some good material, you got something, you, you break them down, it's, it's almost worth the, the risk. It's worth the risk. Especially you hear Keegan, by the way, I, I do think Keegan Keegan has the greatest laugh of, of anyone. So I'm very, very lucky that I married someone who I can make laugh and then he has a, he has a great laugh to boot.

if you, you got something, you got some good material, you got something, you, you break them down, it's, it's almost worth the, the risk. It's worth the risk. Especially you hear Keegan, by the way, I, I do think Keegan Keegan has the greatest laugh of, of anyone. So I'm very, very lucky that I married someone who I can make laugh and then he has a, he has a great laugh to boot.

And that was my conversation with Keegan Michael Key and Elk Key. If you want to hear more, just search your favorite podcast app for KQED forum, sketch comedy.

And that was my conversation with Keegan Michael Key and Elk Key. If you want to hear more, just search your favorite podcast app for KQED forum, sketch comedy.