Comedy Central's Kenny vs. Spenny: Vol One - Uncensored

Rating NR Formats DVD Genre television series Starring Kenny Hotz, Spencer Rice Directed by Kenny Hotz Publisher Comedy Central

To label Kenny Vs. Spenny as simply gross out comedy would be short sighted.  It certainly contains more than enough gross out moments, such as Spenny acting as Kenny’s personal bidet, but it is more than just a series of disgusting actions.  

The premise of this Canadian import is that creators and stars, Kenny Hotz and Spencer Rice are best friends who engage in ridiculous and degrading competitions for glory and the humiliation of the other.  The impression that one gets is that these guys would be behaving in this manner with or without cameras present.  Each episode features a different contest with the end dedicated to filming the humiliating punishment of the loser.  

The contests range from “Who can go the longest without getting a boner” to “Who can stay tied to a goat the longest.”  Throughout the episode, the production team captures footage of the men as they try to sabotage the other and go over their own strategy.  Most episodes are full of Kenny figuring out ways to cheat or trick Spenny into losing, while Spenny gets frustrated with him and tries to out maneuver him.  

The gross out element of shows like Jackass comes into play when the guys give each other wedgies, prance around half naked, and compete to see who can blow the biggest fart.  Beyond this however, the show inadvertently delves into the competitive mindset of human males.  While most grown men channel their competitive urges toward sports or their career, these two have decided to focus their efforts on contests such as “Who can stay obese the longest.”  

These contests sound incredibly stupid, but it’s hard to watch the episodes and not get interested in who is going to win and how they win.  It stands as an interesting example of reality television because it combines elements of competition shows like Project Runway and American Idol with cheap production and anonymous talent.  Twenty years ago this show would never have made it on the air, but it exists now as part of an ever broadening range of television shows. 

Ultimately, the show can be hard to get through.  The two stars aren’t exactly the most likable guys.  After all, these are two men in their early 40’s who invest their time and energy into seeing who can withstand the most torture.  Also, some of the contests are less interesting than others.  Whether you enjoy the show or not comes down to taste and your particular sense of humor.