Key and Peele - "Black Ice"

The show Key and Peele, featuring Kegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele is one of the most popular comedy shows in America. The mixed race duo is in an interesting position, as they understand the cultures of white Americana as well as black Americans. Because of this they criticize both cultures in ways that that are both very clever, as well as extremely funny. I their skit “Black Ice” a newscast covering the weather describe the inclement weather including, black ice. The white people on the show put an emphasis on the black when they say black ice. The skit pretty much made the parallel to black ice and black people, as the ice is described the same way some people describe black people.

“Keep your loved ones safe and warn them to stay off the street tonight because of menacing, life-robbing black, black Ice.”, and “It’s scary, tricky, ruthless stuff, that black ice. A perfectly safe neighborhood can be suddenly terrorized by the appearance of black ice.” are just a few examples of the news people comparing black ice to black people. The use of verbal irony is all over this skit, as the white newscasters are completely oblivious to the connections they are making, while the black newscaster understands what is going on. The two black newscasters then start an argument about why white ice (white people) is bad, which turns into an argument about why black ice (black people) is oppressed. The argument goes back and forth and when it concludes, the white newscaster says, “Okay. Next up, why is America being ruined by black people?”

This skit really touches on how black people are portrayed in the media. Black people are constantly portrayed as dangerous, violent thieves that are preying on the innocent white people. In the skit, the black newscasters are trying to explain that white people also do bad things and make it hard for black people to prosper in America, especially in terms of law enforcement. The white newscasters brush that off and say “But let’s be honest — black ice is the real menace”, ignoring the points that the black men are making. This skits shows that people flood the media with stories about violent black people and brush off violent acts that white people commit and pretty much justify it by saying what the newscaster said, let’s be honest — black ice is the real menace.