Kenny vs. Spenny — craziest show ever
Everyone has that one friend they grew up with, the one person they can tell anything — their best friend.
For comedians Kenny Hotz and Spenny Rice, that relationship is a little different.
The pair grew up together in Toronto and over the years they developed an interesting relationship.
“We were childhood friends because our parents were friends,” said Hotz. “Originally I looked up to Spencer, until I got old enough to realize how much of an idiot he is. Then I started to try and protect him, but he screwed me over so many times that I figured I’d try and Pavlov him into fixing himself.”
“Pretty much everything he says about me is a lie,” said Rice. “You just can’t believe the guy — Kenny is an insecure freak who needs to be loved.”
Around the year 2000, the pair set off to see who could successfully pitch a script of what would become the show Kenny vs. Spenny, a show based around the two men competing in a different competition each episode.
Over the six seasons it aired, the men saw who could drink the most beer, wear an octopus on their head the longest, who can stay awake the longest, who can survive in the woods the longest, and many more.
After the show ended the men tried various other projects, but are now on the road again, and will be in Medicine Hat Sunday for a live show at the Clarion Hotel as part of their 2017 Comedy Tour.
The show lasts around 90 to 120 minutes, and both men say they have different goals for their performances.
“The show, in a weird way, is more like us pleading our case,” said Rice. “In my opinion, Kenny cheated because he’s insecure and was scared of losing. That’s really why he cheated. I’m upset about that, and then there’s all of his other lies. Most people know that his big lies aren’t true, but he tries to sneak all of his little lies in there. I need to defend myself. It’s about us showing who we are, and what we think of the other guy. It’s a trial, in an informal way.”
For Hotz, it’s all about pushing Rice’s buttons.
“People who come to a show are going to see the worst in humankind,” said Hotz. “In the show, what I try to do is turn Spenny against the audience. I insult him, destroy him, lie about him — I get him so mad the audience thinks it’s funny, and he has such a low threshold. Once he realizes that the audience is a bunch of Kenny fans, he just loses his s*** and goes f***ing mental. So the whole premise of the show is to get Spenny so mad that he breaks — it’s hilarious. He has a mini stroke every show.”
Though the duo has made attempts to get back on television, for now, they are both happy on the road and on stage.
“I just love making people laugh their ass off,” said Hotz. “The show is going to be crazy, and it’s probably going to be the craziest show that’s ever been in Medicine Hat. “
Rice, who is also a musician, enjoys being on stage for many reasons.
“The things we get to say on stage, we couldn’t say on TV,” he said. “On TV, you try and stay on point, but in our shows now, we can talk directly to the audience.”
Both comedians attribute their successes to knowing their counterpart for so many years.
“This is really who we are,” said Rice. “It goes back many years, and it’s really easy for us to click into that mode. The reality is that conflict is comedy. He’s so full of s*** that I don’t even need to pretend he’s full of it. It’s real.”
“This is us,” said Hotz. “When we get up on stage, I know exactly what to say to get him going — people love this s***.”
Tickets for the show are still available. Go to www.randy.ticketbud.com/kennyvs-spenny