Kenny vs. Spenny - A Review

I love Trey Parker and Matt Stone - just everything they do. They have a fantastic sense of humor that goes far beyond their well-known predilection for the jejune. Cannibal: The Musical is easily one of the funniest things I have ever seen, and I don't care how poorly reviewed BASEketball was, I laughed my ass off at it. And then, of course, there's South Park - what's left to say about that? So, when I saw the promos for their new Comedy Central show, Kenny vs. Spenny, I knew I had to check it out.

Well, a couple, three weeks back, I watched "The Boner" episode and was none too impressed. I have to admit, I wasn't feeling very well, but I just found it to be overly-simplistic, gross-out, college frat-boy kind of humor. Far less Trey and Matt; far more Adam Sandler. Needless to say, I did not enjoy it and did not watch any more episodes.

So I'm lying awake at 2 in the AM and there's absolutely nothing on. I had gone to sleep early (far too early, obviously), so I was up and I had to find something on. I went looking through the free shows listed in On Demand and the only thing I hadn't seen were the first three episodes of Kenny vs. Spenny, so I rented them.

And I laughed so damn hard that I cried!

Kenny Hotz is your typical college "dude": he's a bit of a punk and a prick - an outgoing, overly gregarious mama's boy who doesn't know where to draw the line. Spencer Rice is a more conservative, more introspective, type who provides the perfect contrast. They really are the Laurel & Hardy of gross-out reality TV. I mean, if you have seen Jackass, then you are either like me and thought it the stupidest bunch of shit by some of the biggest, dumbest assholes in the world, or you loved it. Kenny vs. Spenny is Jackass done right.

I have to further this analogy - it's the closest thing to it and is going to draw the most comparisons, for good reason. Where Jackass was generally cruel and downright dangerous, it was never funny; it was ostentatious, it was in-your-face, but it was never funny... unless you find cruelty humorous (a lot of young people today do, thus its popularity). Kenny vs. Spenny is downright hysterical, and not just due to the nature of their competitions. Sure, it's gross, it's ostentatious, but the cruelty involved is only between the two of them (and their crew, when you consider how much they have to put up with) and the ostentation is all in good fun; Jackass was almost solely cruel and violent - and generally to unsuspecting onlookers. Where Jackass relied on surprising others who were unaware and making them look like fools, Kenny and Spenny are the only fools in this show.

Poor Spenny takes a lot of heat from Kenny for being more effeminate than he, but compared to Kenny Hotz, basically every guy who isn't John Belushi from Animal House looks effeminate. And Kenny is a complete cheat - and when I say that, I do not mean "he cheats" - I mean that he is not only willing to pull under-handed stunts to win, he knows what to do and how to do it so that he gets away with it! And while Spencer isn't above the occasional sneak-attack or amoral slouching as to the spirit of the rules, it's obvious that he's a good person - like most of us, he won't generally pass up an opportunity when one is presented, but he doesn't actively construct such situations or opportunities. One is skinny, the other... not so much; one is generally concerned with his health and appearance, where the other couldn't care less; one is overly-stressed and respectful, while the other is carefree and obnoxious; they really are great contrasts and that is the true strength of the show.

To be fair, "The Boner" episode is just so-so, though it has its moments, so it isn't the one to watch if you're going to judge. The real winner is "The Biggest Fart" episode. I have watched that thing at least four times since I rented it this morning and laughed every, single time. "The Meat" episode is grosser than it is funny, but it also has its moments. Really, depending on your tolerance level, that sums up the show, but make no mistake about it: Kenny vs. Spenny is hilarious.

Of course, the premise is limited; with farts and boners out of the way, we're in for "who can drink the most beer," "who can go the longest without showering," "who can grow the longest beard," and so forth. Eventually, it will get mean: "who can take the most testicular pain," "who can stand the hottest shower," "who can lose/gain the most weight the fastest" (although that last one maybe isn't necessarily mean, just unhealthy). Still, if the first few episodes are any indication, the ride will be a hell of a lot of fun up to then.