Substitute Teacher (Key & Peele)

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"Substitute Teacher"
Key & Peele segment
Mr. Garvey scolds Aaron
Episode no.Season 2
Episode 4 (segment)
Directed byPeter Atencio
Written by
Original air dateOctober 17, 2012 (2012-10-17)
Running time3 minutes
Episode chronology
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"Substitute Teacher" is a segment of the sketch comedy television series Key & Peele. It first aired on Comedy Central on October 17, 2012, as part of "I'm Retired", the fourth episode of the series's second season. "Substitute Teacher" was directed by Peter Atencio and written by multiple writers, including the eponymous Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele. In the segment, Mr. Garvey (Key) is the substitute teacher of a biology class. While taking roll, Garvey begins stating the names of students in the class and pronounces their name incorrectly. As each student corrects him, Garvey scolds them.

Upon being uploaded to YouTube, "Substitute Teacher" became a viral video; as of January 2024, the video has 217 million views. The sketch spurred a sequel, "Substitute Teacher Pt. 2", as part of the first episode of the third season. In 2015, Deadline Hollywood reported that Paramount Pictures had purchased a pitch for a feature version of the sketch. Key reprised his role as Mr. Garvey in a November 2022 advertisement for Paramount+. Since its debut, "Substitute Teacher" has received positive reception and has been analyzed for its racial commentary and educational insight.

Plot[edit]

External video
video icon Substitute Teacher - Key & Peele on YouTube

Mr. Garvey is a pugnacious and volatile former inner city teacher of twenty years and substitute teacher assigned to a predominantly white biology class. Garvey states each of the names on his attendance sheet, pronouncing each name incorrectly, including Jacqueline—pronounced as Jay-quellin, Blake—pronounced as Balakay, Denise—pronounced as Dee-nice, and Aaron—pronounced as Ay-Ay-Ron. Each student corrects Garvey, who refuses to accept that their names are legitimately pronounced in the way that they pronounce it; Garvey proclaims that he has his eye on Jacqueline, asks if Blake "wants to go to war", and insists that Denise say her name correctly, breaking his clipboard. When Aaron corrects Garvey, he tells Aaron to go to principal O'Shaughnessy's office, whom he pronounces as Oh-shag-hennesy. After Aaron leaves, Garvey continues the list with Timothy—pronounced as Tym-oh-thee—, the only black student in the class, who does not correct him.[1]

Production[edit]

Keegan-Michael Key (left) and Jordan Peele (right) co-wrote "Substitute Teacher" and appear as Mr. Garvey and Timothy, respectively.

"Substitute Teacher" was directed by Peter Atencio. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Keegan-Michael Key described the writers' room as "sharks in a frenzy after some chum had been dumped in the water" after the premise was announced, adding that everyone "had an example of a name that they thought could work". In characterizing Jacqueline, Carlson Young stated that she pictured her as a "studious bookworm" who is snarky but averse to punishment. According to Key, the line "insubordinate and churlish" was improvised;[2] it was later used in "Awesome Hitler Story", a sketch about a Nazi officer recounting his experience meeting Adolf Hitler in the second episode of season four.[3] On his podcast The History of Sketch Comedy, Key compared "Substitute Teacher" to a sketch on The Two Ronnies about mispronouncing names.[4]

To embody Mr. Garvey, Key gave the character age and "haggardness". Several names were suggested, including Jonathan and David. According to Jordan Peele, Aaron and Blake were chosen from his childhood friends, noting that the names were "really white".[5] Key told Fresh Air's Terry Gross that he modeled Mr. Garvey on a vigilant and aggressive guidance counselor he had in his predominantly black Catholic elementary school.[6] Peele appears as Timothy, who states "present" at the end of the sketch, incorrectly emphasizing the "pre"; Key used his "Gupta"—a term for a one-time executive decision—to emphasize the "pre" of "present". Shelby Fero, who portrayed Denise, recounted that Peele was nearly absent from the sketch and Timothy was intended to be another student whose name was mispronounced. In the sketch, Aaron, played by Zack Pearlman, unnecessarily wears protective goggles due to Pearlman's pink eye.[2]

The actors in "Substitute Teacher" reprised their role in "Substitute Teacher Pt. 2" in the premiere episode of season three. Key and Peele sought to recapture the essence of the first sketch—the dichotomy of the inner city juxtaposed with a suburban school—without repeating the incorrect pronunciation joke. The original idea of the sketch considered Mr. Garvey teaching a Spanish class from a military perspective, such that the only phrases he could recite are "Help me, I'm kidnapped!" or "How much for that prostitute?"[5] "Substitute Teacher Pt. 2" ultimately reused the original characters but involved them attempting to explain to an untrusting Garvey that they need to leave class early for their extracurricular club yearbook photographs; Timothy is able to leave early after telling Garvey that he needs to pick up his daughter.[7] An additional student, Jessica—pronounced Je-see-ca, is named but does not speak.[8]

Reception and legacy[edit]

External video
video icon Substitute Teacher Pt. 2 - Key & Peele on YouTube

As of January 2024, "Substitute Teacher" has 217 million views on YouTube, making it one of Key & Peele's most recognized sketches,[2] though the duo had not planned to post it online. In particular, the sketch received acclaim from educators, who showed it in their classes.[5] Screen Rant ranked "I'm Retired" as the fourth-best episode of Key & Peele largely due to the sketch,[9] and TV Insider called "Substitute Teacher" one of its favorite sketches.[10] The Washington Post called the sketch one of the most defining of the 2000s.[11] Vulture ranked the sketch the seventh-best Key & Peele sketch.[12] Key attributed the sketch's success, along with "East/West College Bowl", to the pronunciation and ownership of names;[2] in East/West College Bowl 3, a character named "A. A. Ron Rodgers"—portrayed by Aaron Rodgers—appears.[13] In September 2014, Key and Peele revealed that they were negotiating with Paramount Pictures to develop a movie around "Substitute Teacher".[14] In November 2015, Deadline Hollywood reported that 21 Laps Entertainment would produce the film and that it would be written by Key & Peele executive producers Rich Talarico and Alex Rubens. The plot purportedly involved Mr. Garvey and a rival teacher, played by Peele, who is adored by students.[15] In November 2022, Key reprised his role as Garvey for a Paramount+ advertisement featuring characters from several Paramount-owned properties in the roles as students.[16]

Analysis[edit]

[The sketch] shows us that the naming and pronunciation norms of the dominant, largely white American culture are not natural or eternal. The sketch's humor in this reading, then, comes from making this assumed, implicitly white norm explicit and, in doing so, it asks Comedy Central's desired white audience to grapple with this possibility.

—Nick Marx, 2019[17]

University of California, Berkeley, student Hecong Qin analyzed "Substitute Teacher" and its sequel for Unlocking Key & Peele, a digital project. Qin noted that the sketch flips cultural stereotypes—that white teachers cannot pronounce names of people of color—to demonstrate cultural relativity to highlight cultural differences. Additionally, he notes the realistic and subdued expressions of the students against Mr. Garvey's dramatic body language and actions. Qin also highlighted the word choice used by Garvey, contrasting his slang with his use of words such as "insubordinate and churlish", "mischievous and deceitful", and "chicanerous and deplorable", the lattermost use of "chicanery" being an attempt to use parallelism to form a definitive negative pattern. In the sequel, he compares the experience of white students, who often take extracurricular activities, to black students, who may deal with teen parenthood.[18] Nerdist made a similar pronunciation difficulty comparison,[19] and Code Switch underscored the "duality of black identity" present in Key & Peele as a whole, particularly "Substitute Teacher".[20] The mispronunciation in the sketch was cited as an example of "arrogant mangling" by Anita Bright and Christopher L. Cardiel.[21] Black literature professor Brandon J. Manning postulated that Mr. Garvey's surname could be a reference to Marcus Garvey, a Black nationalist who shared Garvey's fervor.[22]

Educational analysis of "Substitute Teacher" has varied. Pennsylvania State University professor Patricia H. Hinchey and educational foundations professor Pamela J. Konkol wrote that educators' assumptions—often erroneous—of students of an unfamiliar culture can lead to uncomfortable situations.[23] Amy L. Plackowski, a linguistics teacher at Hudson High School in Hudson, Massachusetts, used "Substitute Teacher" to analyze Key and Peele's perceptions of African American Vernacular English, as well as the audience.[24] Social entrepreneur Jill Vialet was more critical of the sketch and its sequel, finding it and the book series Miss Nelson is Missing! by Harry Allard to be representative of the narrative that substitute teachers are cruel and incompetent.[25] University of Florida qualitative research professor Kakali Bhattacharya reevaluated "Substitute Teacher" as a reflection of the culture weaponization against students of color; in such a context, the only relief—according to Bhattacharya—is to align one's culture with the oppressor's.[26]

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ Drysdale, Rebecca; Dunn, Colton; Key, Keegan-Michael (October 17, 2012). "I'm Retired". Key & Peele. Season 2. Episode 4. Comedy Central. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d Baldwin, Kristen (January 28, 2021). "'Ya done messed up, A-A-Ron': An oral history of Key and Peele's 'Substitute Teacher'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  3. ^ Drysdale, Rebecca; Dunn, Colton; Key, Keegan-Michael (October 1, 2014). "Little Homie". Key & Peele. Season 4. Episode 2. Comedy Central. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  4. ^ Zinoman, Jason (January 27, 2021). "On Keegan-Michael Key's Podcast, a Provocative Case for Sketch Comedy". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c Meslow, Scott (September 10, 2015). "Key & Peele explain how they created 'Substitute Teacher'". The Week. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  6. ^ Gross, Terry (November 20, 2013). "For Key And Peele, Biracial Roots Bestow Special Comedic 'Power'". Fresh Air (Podcast). Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  7. ^ Drysdale, Rebecca; Dunn, Colton; Key, Keegan-Michael (September 18, 2013). "Les Mis". Key & Peele. Season 3. Episode 1. Comedy Central. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  8. ^ Mallenbaum, Carly (March 25, 2015). "A-A-ron! The best mispronounced names from Key and Peele's 'Substitute Teacher'". USA Today. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  9. ^ Palamara, Kristen (April 23, 2023). "Top 10 Key & Peele Episodes Ranked". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  10. ^ Peppiatt, Oliver (October 30, 2022). "'Key & Peele' Heads to Netflix! Rewatch Our 10 Favorite Sketches". TV Insider. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  11. ^ Izadi, Elahe (October 23, 2019). "The 20 defining comedy sketches of the past 20 years". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 31, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  12. ^ Kavner, Lucas (September 13, 2015). "All 298 Key & Peele Sketches, Ranked". Vulture. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  13. ^ Dubin, Jared (January 28, 2015). "Key & Peele, Aaron Rodgers spoof player introductions". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on August 31, 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  14. ^ Rahman, Ray (September 25, 2014). "Key and Peele on 'Police Academy' reboot and working with Judd Apatow". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  15. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (September 3, 2023). "Paramount To Turn Key & Peele's 'Substitute Teacher' Into Feature; Keegan-Michael Key And Jordan Peele To Star". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 29, 2015. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  16. ^ Wang, Jessica (November 23, 2022). "Keegan-Michael Key returns as substitute teacher Mr. Garvey to school Peppa Pig, Dora the Explorer, and more". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 3, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  17. ^ Marx 2019, p. 139.
  18. ^ Qin, Hecong (June 5, 2020). "The Incorrigible Mr. Garvey: "Substitute Teacher" and the Farce of Educational Inequality". University of California, Berkeley. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  19. ^ DarkSkyLady (January 31, 2022). "These Key & Peele Sketches Are Inherently and Hilariously Black". Nerdist. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  20. ^ Cook, Anthony (July 29, 2015). "'Key & Peele' Is Ending. Here Are A Few Of Its Code Switch-iest Moments". Code Switch. NPR. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  21. ^ Bright & Cardiel 2019, p. 33.
  22. ^ Manning 2022, p. 64.
  23. ^ Hinchey & Konkol 2018, p. 17.
  24. ^ Plackowski 2019, p. 36.
  25. ^ Vialet & von Moos 2021, p. 54.
  26. ^ Bhattacharya 2023, p. 18.

Works cited[edit]

  • Coppersmith, Sarah; Slapac, Alina, eds. (2019). Beyond Language Learning Instruction: Transformative Supports for Emergent Bilinguals and Educators. Hershey: IGI Global. ISBN 9781799819646.
    • Bright, Anita; Cardiel, Christopher. "Correct Pronunciation of Student Names: A Foundation for Language Learning". In Coppersmith & Slapac (2019).
  • Denzin, Norman; Giardina, Michael, eds. (2023). Global Shifts in Qualitative Inquiry: New Directions, New Challenges. Oxford: Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781000916218.
    • Bhattacharya, Kakali. "Absurd Hopescapes: Flipping the Script Through Just Qualitative Research". In Denzin & Giardina (2023).
  • Devereaux, Michelle; Palmer, Chris, eds. (2019). Teaching Language Variation in the Classroom: Strategies and Models from Teachers and Linguists. Oxford: Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9780429943676.
  • Hinchey, Patricia; Konkol, Pamela (2018). Getting to Where We Meant to Be: Working Toward the Educational World We Imagine/d. Gorham: Myers Education Press. ISBN 9781975500023.
  • Manning, Brandon (2022). Played Out: The Race Man in Twenty-First-Century Satire. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press. ISBN 9781978824263.
  • Marx, Nick (2019). Sketch Comedy: Identity, Reflexivity, and American Television. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. ISBN 9780253044273.
  • Vialet, Jill; von Moos, Amanda (2021). Substantial Classrooms: Redesigning the Substitute Teaching Experience. Hoboken: Wiley. ISBN 9781119663836.
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