Whereas 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 usual antics.
The celebs of the provocative and, at occasions, wildly offensive Canadian tv hit Kenny vs. Spenny admit that whereas the present hasn’t aged significantly nicely, they’re nonetheless enjoying the identical previous schtick — Hotz continues to mercilessly mock and humiliate Rice for laughs, whereas Rice endures the dressing down for a paycheque.
For many who want a refresher, Kenny vs. Spenny centred across the pair, who had been dwelling as roommates in Toronto on the time. They’d problem one another to absurd and ridiculous competitions of the need. Whoever misplaced was subjected to mean-spirited humiliation as punishment.
For the reason that sequence wrapped in 2010, the comedic duo has been travelling off-and-on, bringing their reside stage reveals to audiences throughout North America. Now, they’re hitting the street on the East Coast of Canada with a reside stand-up comedy particular to have a good time the Twentieth anniversary of the present.
World Information sat down with the pair to debate what followers can anticipate at a reside present, how their comedy has modified through the years, the legacy of Kenny vs. Spenny and why they contemplate themselves to be “uncancellable.”
(You may watch a video of the interview, above, however here’s a snippet of the dialog.)
World Information: What does a reside present appear like? How does it differ from what you guys did on the present?
Rice: Everybody needs us to compete however that may not work with out the bells and whistles of a tv manufacturing staff. However it’s a really private present, as we’ve recognized one another eternally — our fathers had 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 surroundings.
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 form of disagree with the aggressive facet. I believe we’re each instinctually competing to be extra cherished. Perhaps 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 had been spending an evening collectively in your basement.
We principally attempt to do every part in our energy to make the viewers snort. 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 now a really distinctive demographic and cult-ish group of followers who grew up with us. Once we began comedy in Canada, the comedy was principally politics primarily based and there wasn’t lots of comedy outdoors 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 after I was in a part of my life the place I used to be attempting to do good — attempting to avoid wasting the world, attempting to be individual and use our platform correctly.
However when the reside present got here round, Kenny, fairly amazingly along with his reminiscence, remembers earlier than the tv present, after I wasn’t such man — I used to be truly a horrible individual. 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. However 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 consider 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: With out my session, he’s picked clips that make me look significantly unhealthy, however the humorous factor is that he’s chosen clips of himself that make him look unhealthy. It’s a mish-mash of self-deprecation and male ego on full show.
GN: You may look again on the tv footage and see why broadcasters and streaming providers would now be hesitant to syndicate the previous episodes. It’s so wildly inappropriate for at this time’s requirements, however it wasn’t actually like that on the time it aired.
Rice: The content material that’s not appreciated anymore however 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 suggests he has to say issues and desires to say issues which are politically incorrect. However I’ve recognized Kenny my complete 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: After all I’m not! My greatest buddy is!
Rice: Yeah, yeah. Shut up, Kenny. However, yeah, I’ve at all times requested myself, “What ought to we do?” Will we clear up the act? However, no. We don’t. We do what we’ve at all times accomplished, understanding in our hearts that we’re good folks.
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.
Folks have to comprehend 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 MySpace. 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 of us.
We had 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 sizzling.
Hotz: Sure, we had been highly regarded. I seemed like George Clooney, now I appear 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 had been as people and our dynamic. The present actually juxtaposed joyful 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 sort and ethical. Everybody’s lived vicariously by way of us as a result of we’re simply so sick of being well mannered.
GN: What are you wanting ahead to on the East Coast?
Hotz: Getting away from our households.
Rice: *making a claw gesture with each fingers* Lobster.
Critically, 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 adore it on the market.
Followers can catch Rice and Hotz’s present, now on tour, within the following areas:
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
Could 10: Halifax, N.S., on the Spatz Theatre
Could 11: Truro, N.S., on the MacDonald Room
Could 12: St. John’s, N.L., on the Holy Coronary heart Theatre
Could 13: Nook Brook, N.L., at Marble Mountain Resort
Full episodes of Kenny vs. Spenny can be found on YouTube.
