| Abstract
G. Reginald Daniel, in his groundbreaking work More than Black, asserts that the preconceived notions of whiteness and blackness in America are inadequate, and cannot support the ways in which mixed race individuals seek to be represented . However, in recent years, two biracial comedians, Keegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele, have begun to interrogate and complicate normative racializing systems along the color line regarding whiteness and blackness in their show on Comedy Central. This thesis examines the ways in which The Key and Peele Show highlights the mixed-race experience and emphasizes how the two seek to expand the boundaries of preconceived racial categories in the age of Obama. By situating the comedians in light of Obama's presidency and examining how these mixed race men take agency in constructing their own mixed race identities, this thesis will provide useful and necessary
contributions to Critical Mixed Race Studies (CMRS) regarding the role of mixed race in humor and politics. |