By now, the lament about how our culture privileges athletics over education is an old one—but Key & Peele has breathed new life into it in their latest sketch, “TeachersCenter.” A spot-on parody of SportsCenter’s hyperbole-laden talking heads, busy CGI ticker screens, and obsessive play-by-plays, the clip cleverly reimagines athletes as the educators we entrust our children to every day.
Unsurprisingly, it’s a biting critique that says a lot about the economic and symbolic power we assign to an industry in which men are considered exceptional for throwing a ball. But the best part of “TeachersCenter” might just be the incredible ads dropped in throughout—being a teacher has never looked so sexy.
Also in Slate:
- “Key & Peele Is the One Show That Knows How to Make America’s Strained Race Relations Funny”
- “Meet the Hair and Makeup Team Behind Key & Peele’s Scene-Stealing, Wacky Looks”
- “Key & Peele’s Latest Season Has a Feminist Bent”
- “John Oliver Takes on the Raw Deal for Players That’s at the Heart of March Madness”
- “Why Are Some Teachers Being Evaluated Using the Test Scores of Kids They Didn’t Teach?”