Nov 17, 2017
Key and Peele: Job Interview
It’s a tough act to follow and the pressure is on.
Job interview premiered as the sixth episode in the fifth season in 2015. Keegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele did an amazing comedy sketch that portrays the irony of a job interview in a 70’s setting. “Job Interview” follows Key and Peele’s other comedy sketches because they all are embedded with hidden messages of our society. They take the serious moments in life and demonstrate that there is a lighthearted comical side that delivers the unexpected truths in life.
Peele is Noah Sanders, the interviewee and Key is Mr. Weinstein, the interviewer. While Noah anxiously awaits his turn he tries to make small talk with another applicant. The applicant doesn’t even notice or acknowledges Noah. They hear contagious loud laughter coming from the office. Noah gets discouraged from all the laughs in the office because he wasn’t a part of the laughter, and it became quite clear how nervous he was. Noah sarcastically says, “Is this a job interview or the Carol Burnett Show?” The Carol Burnett Show was an American comedy show that was televised from the late 60’s to late 70’s. It had multiple seasons with a strong female lead.
The employer Mr. Weinstein, had a phenomenal interview before Noah even gets a chance to introduce himself. Mr. Weinstein quickly makes a connection with the interviewee Adam. Adam knew all the right words to say and how to be playful, but professional. As they walked out the office they shared a couple of inside jokes and handshakes that was followed by a lengthy loving hug. Adam even received a bottled sailboat from Mr. Weinstein as a parting gift. Along with that gift Mr. Weinstein shared an egregious story of how his brother died from falling off a boat, and then his brother was taken away by sea as he watched helplessly. Ultimately Mr. Weinstein was joking, but Adam was the first one to laugh because he realized it was just a story. As Adam slowly walks away, Mr. Weinstein loudly announces, “The best interview I have ever been apart of in my entire life!”
After any great interview, it’s hard to follow because you become unsure if you should be more like the person that just left or be yourself. When Adam said, “I don’t even care if I get this job because I know I made a friend for life.” He shows that sympathetic side that makes him more likable opposed to the other applicants. Adam shined in his interview and left an unforgettable impression. He definitely let Noah and the others know that the pressure is on. Noah tries to keep the energy that he believes Mr. Weinstein wants, but ultimately Mr. Weinstein becomes annoyed by his presence. Noah’s behavior is understandable because he wants to be the likable guy as well.
Key and Peele portrayed how easygoing job interviews was in the 70’s. Job outcomes were way higher in the 70’s and 80’s versus today. In the 70’s no resume or experience was required to be considered for a job. It was out of the norm to get turned down for a job because it wasn’t so serious and competitive. The selection process was not so in dept as it is in today’s society. People chose whether they wanted work or not. The way of living was different and more applicable for jobs.
Key and Peele bring out the ugly truth of today’s outlook on jobs. Job outcomes have changed drastically within thirty to fifty years. It’s crazy how things have changed within only a couple decades. This becomes the ridiculous truth of life because we are taught to go to college, get a degree, and go find a job that becomes a career, but it doesn’t work like that anymore. College has become expensive and schooling has become harder. The job outcome percentage in the 70’s was twenty million and now roughly twelve million for today’s society. Millennials struggle finding a job after college or even getting an interview because there’s numerous factors that come to play in trying to find a job such as age, experience, degrees, references, race, and etc…
The job outlook for college graduates in the 70’s was way higher and easier to get a job. College graduates are required to have more experience or a higher degree to even get an interview for a job in today’s society. Most college students end up with an entry level job that pays little to none because of lack of experience. Degrees have become less acceptable due to the requirements that constantly change. The demand for higher education and competitive interviews become the reality of this era. Imagine having no college or schooling of some sort and trying to find a job. This process of job hunting or getting an interview becomes nearly impossible.
