Thursday, April 10, 2008
Remember those old cartoons with Wile E. Coyote chasing Road Runner all over the desert? And no matter how much he tried, Wile’s prey always seemed to fall just outside his grasp? Well, what if instead of a desert, the two waged battle in the suburbs of Toronto, and instead of outwitting him every time, Road Runner was naïve and gullible, causing him to fall right into every one of Mr. Coyote’s traps? If that little twist on an old favorite sounds appealing, and you have a penchant for obscene behavior and language, then Kenny Vs. Spenny might be right up your alley.
The television series follows two life-long friends and current roommates, Kenny Hotz and Spencer “Spenny” Rice, who engage in a new competition each episode, not only for bragging rights, but also for the entertainment of the viewer. The competitions range from the tame (“First to Laugh Loses”) to the vulgar (“Who Can Make a Better Porno?”) to the downright grueling (“Who Can Eat the Most Meat?”). They get even worse when Kenny decides to cheat, which happens at least 90 percent of the time. Much like the competitions, Kenny’s cheating can range from tame, such as putting itching powder under Spenny’s bare feet, to the monumentally malicious, like convincing Spenny that he’s contracted AIDS.
So, what do the two rivals receive as a reward for putting themselves through these horrible acts? The winner gets to choose a form of “humiliation” to put the loser through. Previous humiliations have included one of the competitors being forced to lick the door handle of a porn shop or turn himself into a human bidet.
Kenny vs. Spenny has been airing on Canadian television since 2002 and began its run on Comedy Central last year. And while it’s back for a second season, it has yet to make much of a splash in the U.S. This may be because, much like the previous summary, it’s difficult to capture the essence of the show without making it look cheap and sophomoric. But, take it from someone who has seen almost the entire series, it goes well beyond that. The thing that brings this show above Jackass or Tom Green antics is the relationship between Kenny and Spenny. Spenny believes he can use his appearance on TV as an inspiration to all underdogs by abiding by the rules of each competition and playing clean. Kenny, on the other hand, is a man-child who plays pranks and cheats in almost every competition with deviously complicated schemes. The hilarity comes in when Kenny’s actions press every single one of Spenny’s up-tight, neurotic buttons. This relationship is what keeps the show going. You tune in not only to see how far these guys will go to win, but how far (or little) Kenny will push his roomie until he explodes.
So, I beg you, ignore the disgusting commercials and tune in for one episode to form an opinion about the show.
“Kenny vs. Spenny” airs Sundays at 10:30 p.m. on Comedy Central.
Four out of five stars
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Comments
TV show review
This show is freaking hilarious! Here in Canada, one can buy the box set of the previous seasons of this show and it sells like hotcakes. The writer of this article is right to beg you to watch the show. I'd say Kenny vs. Spenny is the thinking-man's Jackass. This show (or even the DVD box set) belongs in every frat house in America. Tune in and give the show a try. This is the kind of show that can make you laugh until your sides hurt. Despite the good guy vs. bad guy set-up, both guys are likeable and there is justice - many times the good guy wins.
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