While their present has been off the air for greater than a decade, Kenny Hotz and Spencer Rice are, for probably the most half, as much as their standard antics.
The stars of the provocative and, at occasions, wildly offensive Canadian tv hit Kenny vs. Spenny admit that whereas the present hasn’t aged notably properly, they’re nonetheless taking part in the identical previous schtick — Hotz continues to mercilessly mock and humiliate Rice for laughs, whereas Rice endures the dressing down for a paycheque.
For those that want a refresher, Kenny vs. Spenny centred across the pair, who have been residing as roommates in Toronto on the time. They would problem one another to absurd and ridiculous competitions of the desire. Whoever misplaced was subjected to mean-spirited humiliation as punishment.
Since the collection wrapped in 2010, the comedic duo has been travelling off-and-on, bringing their reside stage exhibits to audiences throughout North America. Now, they’re hitting the highway on the East Coast of Canada with a reside stand-up comedy particular to have fun the Twentieth anniversary of the present.
Global News sat down with the pair to debate what followers can count on at a reside present, how their comedy has modified over time, the legacy of Kenny vs. Spenny and why they take into account themselves to be “uncancellable.”
(You can watch a video of the interview, above, however here’s a snippet of the dialog.)
Global News: What does a reside present seem like? How does it differ from what you guys did on the present?
Rice: Everyone desires us to compete however that will not work with out the bells and whistles of a tv manufacturing workforce. But it’s a really private present, as we’ve recognized one another perpetually — our fathers have been pals — and (Hotz) is aware of every part about me, sadly, and I do know every part about him. And it’s actually, basically, simply me attempting to outlive in a really hostile setting.
I don’t just like the followers, they don’t like me, they love Kenny — in order that’s what I cope with.
Hotz: I type of disagree with the aggressive side. I feel we’re each instinctually competing to be extra beloved. Maybe not Spencer, a lot, as a result of I completely overpower him and push his buttons, however the present is about you spending an evening with us as if we have been spending an evening collectively in your basement.
We mainly attempt to do every part in our energy to make the viewers snigger. I throw Spencer below the bus, I make him offended, the viewers laughs and the extra the viewers laughs, the angrier he will get with them. My job is to make the viewers hate Spencer as a lot as he hates them and as soon as that occurs, it escalates into one thing extraordinarily distinctive for a reside comedy present.
We have a really distinctive demographic and cult-ish group of followers who grew up with us. When we began comedy in Canada, the comedy was principally politics based mostly and there wasn’t lots of comedy exterior that.
Rice: We don’t do (former Ontario premier) Dalton McGuinty jokes, is what Kenny’s attempting to say.
Lots of people watched the present once I was in a section of my life the place I used to be attempting to do good — attempting to avoid wasting the world, attempting to be a very good particular person and use our platform correctly.
But when the reside present got here round, Kenny, fairly amazingly along with his reminiscence, remembers earlier than the tv present, once I wasn’t such a very good man — I used to be truly a horrible particular person. So, he makes use of these tales to rile me up, so the viewers will get to see a facet of me that by no means made the present.
Hotz: I attempt to expose and eviscerate him on stage as being a monster, attempt to get him cancelled, attempt to use the #MeToo motion to assist destroy him. But for this present, the Twentieth-anniversary present, I’ve systematically gone into drives and previous footage and pulled out the stuff I, frankly, can’t even imagine they’re letting us present. It’s very, very abrasive content material that didn’t even clear the broadcasters on the time of the tv present. It’s insanely graphic and controversial.
Rice: Without my session, he’s picked clips that make me look notably dangerous, however the humorous factor is that he’s chosen clips of himself that make him look dangerous. It’s a mish-mash of self-deprecation and male ego on full show.
GN: You can look again on the tv footage and see why broadcasters and streaming companies would now be hesitant to syndicate the previous episodes. It’s so wildly inappropriate for at the moment’s requirements, nevertheless it wasn’t actually like that on the time it aired.
Rice: The content material that’s not appreciated anymore nevertheless it was on the time — it’s irritating for me, as a result of Kenny’s sense of humour is a shock sense of humour which implies he has to say issues and desires to say issues which might be politically incorrect. But I’ve recognized Kenny my entire life and he’s not homophobic, he’s not racist, he’s none of these issues that folks assume he’s from seeing his character on the present.
Hotz: Of course I’m not! My finest pal is!
Rice: Yeah, yeah. Shut up, Kenny. But, yeah, I’ve at all times requested myself, “What should we do?” Do we clear up the act? But, no. We don’t. We do what we’ve at all times accomplished, understanding in our hearts that we’re good individuals.
Hotz: We proceed to do the reside present, we proceed coming again, as a result of we’ve got a rabid group of worldwide followers that gained’t let the present die. We’ve tried to let it die.
People have to appreciate the present began at a time that the web was simply being born, it was the inception of social media. I imply, I began Kenny vs. Spenny on MyArea. Our studio claims that our present was one of many forefounders of YouTube-style comedy the place you prank your pals and screw along with your people.
We have been a few of the first to show the fragility of the male ego, to show simply how silly males are.
Rice: And we’re scorching.
Hotz: Yes, we have been extremely popular. I regarded like George Clooney, now I seem like George Clooney ready for a kidney. Spencer seems like Slash married Salad Fingers.
Rice: The dynamic you see between us within the present and, now, within the reside present, may be very a lot how we’re in actual life.
Hotz: In actuality, the competitions didn’t matter as a lot as who we have been as people and our dynamic. The present actually juxtaposed pleased vs. sad, or “I care” vs. “I don’t care” — Spenny cared, I didn’t — and it’s a present that glorified a cheater in a rustic the place we’re all so form and ethical. Everyone’s lived vicariously by us as a result of we’re simply so sick of being well mannered.
GN: What are you trying ahead to on the East Coast?
Hotz: Getting away from our households.
Rice: *making a claw gesture with each fingers* Lobster.
Seriously, although, I’m not going to kiss a fish, it doesn’t matter what anyone says.
Hotz: Your spouse’s not coming?
Rice: Shut up, Kenny.
Hotz: I drove on the market as soon as to attain some hash and now I’ve been going there for a lot of, a few years. I find it irresistible on the market.
Fans can catch Rice and Hotz’s present, now on tour, within the following places:
April 27: Summerside, P.E.I., on the Harbourfront Theatre
April 28: Fredericton, N.B. on the Fredericton Playhouse
April 29: Moncton, N.B. on the Tide & Boar
April 30: Saint John, N.B. on the Imperial Theatre
May 10: Halifax, N.S., on the Spatz Theatre
May 11: Truro, N.S., on the MacDonald Room
May 12: St. John’s, N.L., on the Holy Heart Theatre
May 13: Corner Brook, N.L., at Marble Mountain Resort
Full episodes of Kenny vs. Spenny can be found on YouTube.
