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WELCOME BACK EVERYBODY.
HE IS AN EMMY AWARD-WINNING ACTOR AND COMEDIAN YOU KNOW FROM
"KEY AND PEELE" AND "FRIENDS FROM COLLEGE."
HE NOW HOSTS THE CBS GAME SHOW "GAME ON!"
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "A LATE SHOW," KEEGAN-MICHAEL KEY.
KEEGAN THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> HI, STEPHEN, HOW ARE YOU DOING?
>> Stephen: I'M DOING ALL RIGHT.
LET'S LAY OUR CARDS ON THE TABLE.
YOU AND I ALREADY DID THIS INTERVIEW.
>> YES, YES, WE DID.
>> Stephen: TWO WEEKS AGO TODAY, OKAY.
AND IT WAS A LOVELY INTERVIEW.
>> IT WAS.
>> Stephen: IT WAS-- IT WAS CRISP.
THERE WERE LEVELS.
BUT-- >> LAYERS.
>> Stephen: A LOT HAS HAPPENED IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: AND WE BOTH AGREED THAT MAYBE IT WOULD BE MORE
APPROPRIATE IF WE DID IT AGAIN.
SO THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU, BUDDY.
I COMPLETELY AGREE.
I THINK IT MAKES-- THIS WAS THE BEST DECISION, YES, ABSOLUTELY.
>> Stephen: WELL, A WEEK AGO, A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN A WEEK
AGO, GEORGE FLOYD WAS KILLED.
>> RIGHT.
>> Stephen: IN MINNEAPOLIS.
>> RIGHT.
>> Stephen: AND I-- I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE WATCHED THE
ENTIRE THING, BUT IF YOU HAVE WATCHED IT OR ANY PART OF IT,
WHAT'S-- WHAT IS YOUR-- AND WHAT WS YOUR AND WHAT IS YOUR
ONGOING REACTION TO WHAT YOU SAW?
>> UHM, I WOULD SAY-- I THINK LIKE MANY PEOPLE, LIKE MANY
PEOPLE, FRUSTRATION AND SADNESS AND ANGER.
BUT ANOTHER INTERESTING FEELING THAT'S COME ACROSS ME IS
EXHAUSTION.
I'M FEELING A LOT OF EXHAUSTION, MOSTLY BECAUSE WE'RE DEALING
WITH A SYSTEMIC ISSUE HERE.
AND WHEN I SEE THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS FILMED, WHAT
COMES TO MIND IS HOW MANY OF THESE INCIDENTS DO WE NOT EVEN
KNOW ABOUT THAT HAPPEN EVERY DAY, WHERE THERE ARE NO
EYEWITNESSES, OR PEOPLE AREN'T VIDEOTAPING IT?
AND SO IT'S-- IT BRINGS UP THE QUESTION OVER AND OVER AGAIN:
WHAT DO WE REALLY DO?
LIKE, HOW CAN WE REALLY STOP THIS?
BECAUSE IT IS, IT'S EXHAUSTING.
IT'S EXHAUSTING.
>> Stephen: WELL, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING NOW?
>> WELL -- >> Stephen: THE REACTION TO
IT, IN ALL ITS DIFFERENT FORMS?
>> I THINK THAT NOW-- YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S INTERESTING THAT
WE'RE SEEING A DOUBLE PHENOMENON RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE SEEING THESE PEACEFUL PROTESTS, AND WE'RE SOOG PEOPLE
ASSEMBLE-- THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASSEMBLE.
AND THEN WE'RE SEEING THIS OTHER ISSUE OF PEOPLE LOOTING, THIS
LOOTING BEING MIXED INTO THE-- INTO THE SITUATION.
AND I THINK WHAT'S HAPPENING, REALLY, WHAT I MAKE OF IT IS
THAT PEOPLE ARE RESPONDING TO A LOT OF ISSUES RIGHT NOW, ISSUES
THAT HAVE BEEN SIMMERING UNDER THE SURFACE.
AND ISSUES LIKE THE WAGE GAP, THE FACT THAT THERE'S THIS HUGE
GAP BETWEEN THE RICH AND THE POOR IN OUR COUNTRY AND THE
HAVES AND THE HAVE-NOTES.
AND I THINK THAT SOMETHING THAT THAT STEMS FROM IS THAT
THERE'S-- I HEARD TREVOR NOAH SAY THE OTHER DAY, WHEN YOU LIVE
IN A SOCIETY, THERE'S A CONTRACT, LIKE AN UNSPOKEN
CONTRACT THAT EVERYONE IS LIVING UNDER, OR SUPPOSEDLY SO.
THAT WE ALL-- AND IN THIS COUNTRY, THE CONTRACT IS CALLED
"THE AMERICAN DREAM."
AND THAT WE'RE ALL SUPPOSED TO BE EQUAL, AND WE'RE ALL SUPPOSED
TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE RIGHT TO PURSUE LIFE, LIBERTY,
AND HAPPINESS.
AND THERE'S A SECTION OF OUR POPULATION WHO IS BEING TOLD,
"OH, NO, I'M SORRY.
THAT DREAM DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU, DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU."
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO LIVE-- YOU LIVE IN A COMMUNITY, THE
CONTRACT IS THE POLICE ARE SUPPOSED TO SERVE AND PROTECT,
AND THAT ISN'T HAPPENING, DOESN'T APPLY TO YOU.
SO ALL OF THAT FRUSTRATION, I THINK, IS BUBBLING OVER RIGHT
NOW.
AND THE MANIFESTATION OF THAT FRUSTRATION IS THE LOOTING.
>> Stephen: THE LOOTING HAS TO BE SEPARATED FROM THE
PROTESTING AT THE SAME TIME.
>> 100%.
>> Stephen: THE PROTESTING IS SEEKING JUSTICE.
>> 100%.
THERE SHOULD DEFINITELY BE A BIFURCATION, THAT THERE ARE--
THERE ARE A SMALL AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ACT ORLZ OUT
THERE, WHO ARE ACTING IN WHAT I THINK IS NOT THE MOST HELPFUL
WAY, AND THEY SHOULD DEFINITELY BE SEPARATED FROM THE PEOPLE WHO
ARE LETTING THEIR VOICES BE HEARD AND EMPOWERING THEMSELVES
IN A TRULY AMERICAN WAY, IN A VERY INTRINSICALLY AMERICAN WAY.
AND THAT IS ENCOURAGING IN A WAY TO SEE-- AND ALSO TO SEE
PEOPLE-- ESPECIALLY A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE-- SAYING, "I CAN
ENACT MY RIGHTS AS A PERSON WHO IS ALLOWED TO SPEAK UP, IN A
NATION WE'RE ALLOWED TO SPEAK UP."
THE I D DEFINITELY WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE IS A CLEAR
DELINEATION BETWEEN THESE TWO GROUPS OF PEOPLE.
>> Stephen: NOW, HOW HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE BEEN ON AMERICA'S
RACIAL DIVIDE, NOW THAT YOU'RE FAMOUS?
>> YES.
>> Stephen: BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE NOT AN ANONYMOUS AFRICAN
AMERICAN MAN.
YOU'RE KEEGAN-MICHAEL KEY.
>> YEAR, IT'S INTERESTING.
I-- I-- WHEN I THINK OF THAT QUESTION IT REMINDS ME OF A TIME
NOT TOO LONG AGO WHERE I WAS DRIEFS A FRIEND HOME, SOMEPLACE
IN LOS ANGELES, AND I WAS DRIVING THEM HOME AND WE WERE
PARKED OUTSIDE OF THEIR HOUSE HAVING A CONVERSATION.
AND A POLICE CAR CAME DOWN THE STREET AND WENT PAST US-- AND I
SAW THE DRIVER LOOK OUT OF THE WINDOW AT THE CAR-- AND THEN
DROVE PAST UP, AND THEY TURNED AROUND AND PULLED UP NEXT TO THE
CAR IN THE STREET.
AND I FELT SOMETHING I HAVE FELT A COUPLE OF TIMES IN MY LIFE,
YOU KNOW, MY HEART RATE STARTED TO RACE A LITTLE BIT.
AND THEN THE POLICE OFFICER GETS OUT OF THE EXPAR HE COMES OVER
TO MY VEHICLE, AND HE'S LIKE, "HEY!
YOU'RE THE GUY."
AND I WAS LIKE, "YES, YES, I AM THE GUY."
AND IT WAS-- IT WAS ONE OF THOSE EXPERIENCES WHERE I GO, "NOW WHY
IS THAT HIS RESPONSE TO SEEING ME?
WHY IS THAT HIS RESPONSE?
WHAT IS IT ABOUT BEING A PERSON WHO'S KNOWN?"
AND WHAT CAME TO ME WAS-- I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR
WITH THE NIGERIAN AUTHOR DEJAY?
>> Stephen: I AM SAD TO SAY I AM NOT.
>> SHE'S A REALLY BRILLIANT AUTHOR AND SHE DID A TED TALK
CALLED "THE DANGERS OF THE SINGLE STORY."
AND SHE TALKED ABOUT PEOPLE HAVING A STORY THAT CAN
ENCOMPASS AN ENTIRE THEME OR ENCOMPASS AN ENTIRE THING, SO A
STORY ABOUT LITERATURE, OR A STORY ABOUT THE ENTIRE CONTINENT
OF AFRICA.
BUT WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN YOU HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL STORY ABOUT A
PERSON, I THINK IT ALLOWS YOU TO SEE THEM AS HUMAN.
AND I THINK BY BEING A PERSON WHO IS FAMOUS, WHEN YOU WATCH A
PERSON IN A MOVIE OR ON A TELEVISION SHOW, YOU SEE THEM IN
A STORY.
YOU FEEL LIKE THEY'RE STRUGGLING AGAINST THINGS YOU'VE STRUGGLED
AGAINST.
YOU SEE THEM AS A PERSON, AND I THINK THAT IS AN ASPECT OF
CELEBRITY IS THAT THE POLICE OFFICER SEES YOU AS A PERSON,
WHETHER YOU'RE BLACK OR HISPANIC OR WHITE.
THEY SEE YOU AS A PERSON.
AND ESPECIALLY IF YOUR WORK HAS MOVED THEM IN?
WAY.
AND IT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS WHEN I WAS YOUNGER.
WHAT'S SO INTERESTING IS-- THE SKIN COLOR GOES AWAY BECAUSE
THEY'RE ONLY SEEING A HUMAN STORY.
BUT THERE'S SOME GUILT THAT GOES WITH THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW,
THINGS ARE DIFFERENT FOR ME.
I'M THE SAME GUY.
I'M THE SAME GUY TODAY THAT I WAS IN 2004 THAT I WAS IN 1998.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S-- THAT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE.
THERE'S THIS STARK CONTRAST FROM THE WAY WE ARE TREATED AND THE
WAY SOMEBODY WHOSE STORY YOU DON'T KNOW IS TREATED.
>> Stephen: KEEGAN, WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK.
BUT, FOLKS, STICK AROUND, WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE
KEEGAN-MICHAEL KEY.