Kenny McCormick
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| Kenneth 'Kenny' McCormick | |
|---|---|
| Age: | 9 |
| Gender: | Male |
| Hair color: | Blond |
| Job: | Student |
| Religion: | Roman Catholic |
| First appearance: | Cartman Gets an Anal Probe |
| Voiced by: | Matt Stone Mike Judge (film[1]) Sabine Bohlmann (German dubs) |
Kenneth "Kenny" McCormick, voiced by Matt Stone, is one of the fictional five (originally four) central characters of the animated series South Park. He is notorious for dying and resurrecting again nearly every episode during the first five seasons of the show, with little to no explanation given. Since his reappearance after being "permanently dead," he dies much less often.
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[edit] Appearance
Kenny wears a orange snow suit that incorporates a hood that is always tightly drawn. Due to wearing his hood, which covers most of his mouth, Kenny's lines are all muffled, and he is often used to get words, including "shit", past the censors. While residents of South Park understand him easily, newcomers often have problems understanding Kenny's speech requiring the others to translate for him. He only speaks unmuffled in South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, The Jeffersons and in Lice Capades. His voice is somewhat high-pitched, and seems to become somewhat deeper in Lice Capades. In "Good Times with Weapons" and "Starvin' Marvin", he has been shown to have bright blue eyes.
In the Season 8 episode The Jeffersons Kenny is killed by Michael Jackson. He isn't wearing his coat and you can see that he has blonde hair.
[edit] Characterization
Kenny comes from a very poor, violent, and alcoholic American family living on welfare.[2] His friends, especially Eric Cartman, often tease him for his poverty. Kenny is the most knowledgeable of the group, at least when it comes to sexual matters, and the others will typically go to him if they do not know something. Kenny likes toilet humour and pornography. He also likes women's breasts, as seen in In the episode "Lil' Crime Stoppers", and "Major Boobage". Kenny also is sort of like the clown of the group. Stan, Cartman, and Kyle always laugh at his jokes, and smart remarks. Despite his perverted nature, Kenny is one of the kindest kids around. He thinks of others before himself, and always helps his friends. In "Rainforest Schmainforest", Kenny gets a girlfriend named Kelly, and in the following episode, it can be assumed that he is on his way to see her when he spontaneously combusts.
In a running gag for the five first seasons of the show, Kenny dies in almost every episode. This was often followed by the catchphrase "Oh my God, they killed Kenny!" "You bastards!", usually said by Stan and Kyle, or some variation of it. He "permanently" died in the episode "Kenny Dies" (2001), and was taken off the show, with the creators confirming that they had killed the character for good.[3] Despite this claim, Kenny returned to the show less than one year later, first as a spirit possessing Cartman in "A Ladder to Heaven", then as his old self in "Red Sleigh Down". Kenny still dies in some episodes, most recently in the Season 11 finale, "The List",[4] often followed by Stan and Kyle's characteristic response, but far less regularly than he did before "Kenny Dies".
Kenny also appears in the episode " The Losing Edge" without his hoodie but still a cap. He can be seen clearly next to Kyle while the boys are discussing at the restaraunt.
[edit] In other media
Besides the South Park television show, Kenny has made appearances in other South Park media, including the film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999), and South Park videogames. Early versions of the character appeared in the Parker and Stone cartoons "The Spirit of Christmas [Jesus vs. Frosty]" (1992) and "The Spirit of Christmas [Jesus vs. Santa]" (1995).
In the book South Park and Philosophy: Bigger, Longer, and More Penetrating, there is an article about Kenny, by Southern Illinois University philosophy professor Dr. Randall Auxier, entitled "Killing Kenny: Our Daily Dose of Death."[5]
Kenny's deaths and the "Oh my God! They killed Kenny!" catchphrase is well known in popular culture, and has appeared on various pieces of merchandise, from T-shirts to guitar straps (like the one used by The Police guitarist Andy Summers), and inspired the rap song "Kenny's Dead" by Master P.[3]
[edit] Deaths
Kenny is famous for dying in almost every single South Park episode, although in reality, he has only died 79 times in 174 episodes.[citation needed] Kenny has only died five times since he returned in Red Sleigh Down.[citation needed]
He was brought back at the end of the following season briefly towards the end, and it has been mentioned Jesus' death in the episode had something to do with Kenny's resurrection on the FAQs, even though Jesus is resurrected in the 11th season episode Fantastic Easter Special.[citation needed]
Whenever Kenny would die, it would usually be followed with Stan saying "Oh my God! They killed Kenny!" and then Kyle saying "You bastards!"[citation needed] However, in one episode, where Kenny dies from eating a bowlful of antacid tablets and exploding upon drinking a glass of water, the famous tagline is not said and instead, the kids as well as Kyle's dad proceed to laugh at their friend's death. In another episode, it is followed by a random man saying "Oh my god! I found a penny!" and then a man next to him saying "You bastard!" As well, in the season finale of Season 11, "The List", Kenny is killed by a stray bullet from Bebe's gun. There is no reaction from Stan and Kyle when he dies. It was also common practice for a number of rats to suddenly appear and begin picking at his corpse.
Kenny's deaths have never been fully explained.[citation needed] In Cartman's Mom is Still a Dirty Slut, he appears to materialize into the air, while in Cartman Joins NAMBLA it is suggested that each Kenny is a new child, although with highly advanced regenerative powers.
In Cherokee Hair Tampons Stan was obsessed with trying to save Kyle from dying. This clearly made Kenny angry over the fact that no one ever cared when he died and he even said "You guys never seem to care when I die!" to Stan right before he was crushed by a piano, Stan, though, did not show any reaction to this and kept crying over Kyle.
Kenny has only survived four episodes he was present in before Kenny Dies: Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo, Fat Camp, and Terrance and Phillip: Behind the Blow. He died in Rainforest Schmainforest, but was revived and lived to the end of the episode.
Kenny has voluntarily died on numerous occasions in order to save people. In Cartman's Mom Is Still a Dirty Slut Kenny electrocutes himself in order to restore power to a hospital that had been snowed in, saving the lives of everyone inside. Kenny dies to save the world from 2 million years of Satan's reign in South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, in Jewbilee Kenny dies to save the Jews, and in Best Friends Forever Kenny dies so that he can command God's armies in Heaven and he saves the universe from evil.
His multiple deaths and Stan and Kyle's catchphrase have several precursors, such as Bluebottle's cry of "You rotten swine! You've deaded me!" in the radio series The Goon Show, as well as Hans Moleman's many near-fatal misfortunes on The Simpsons.
Kenny has experienced a near death experience in "Super Fun Time" when a robber was about to count to three and shot Kenny, he was saved by Stan when the gunman counted to two
[edit] Friends, Family and Relationships
[edit] Friends
[edit] Eric Cartman
Main Article: Eric Cartman.
In the season five episode "Kenny Dies", Kenny and Eric Cartman agree on being Best Friends, despite Cartman's teasing and belittling Kenny for his poverty, and sometimes explicitly expressing hatred of him throughout the series. It is revealed in the season nine episode "Best Friends Forever" that the two characters are indeed best friends and have shared a BFF necklace since second grade. Kenny also frequently laughs at a lot of Cartman's jokes that nobody else seems to find funny. However, a friendship is debatable as Cartman takes advantage of his illness to lift the Stem Cell ban to create his own Shakey's Pizza. However, there has been speculation that Cartman perhaps treats Kenny like this because he doesn't know how to have friends, as he treats Kyle Broflovski and, to a lesser extent, Stan Marsh in a similar manner.
[edit] Stan Marsh
Main Article: Stan Marsh.
Not a lot is shown here primarly due to Stan's best-friend-ship with Kyle, but Kenny and Stan are seen together playing at various times. Stan mourned heavily for Kenny in "Kenny Dies" which shows that there must be a bond between the two. Also Stan, along with Kyle fought to keep Kenny alive in "Best Friends Forever" Stan and Kenny were also seen together for most of "Passion of the Jew" Stan has admitted that the two were friends many times, and he along with Kyle and Eric were trying to keep Kenny from hurting himself in "Major Boobage". Stan and him were on the same sports teams numerous times.
[edit] Kyle Broflovski
Main Article: Kyle Broflovski.
This friendship doesn't seem nearly as strong as Stan's and Kenny's, but it has been shown to be true. In "Chicken Pox" Kyle said that Kenny wasn't his friend, and that he didn't give a crap about him. But in "Jewbilee" Kyle invites Kenny to go with him to Jew scouts. Kyle also mourned, and spent the most time with Kenny in "Kenny Dies" and attempted to save him in "Best Friends Forever". He and Stan also frequently checked on Kenny to make sure he was okay in "Major Boobage".
[edit] Family
Main Article: Stuart and Carol McCormick.
Kenny maintains a good relationship with most of his family members. They eat together, usually eating Frozen waffles or Pop-Tarts. It is shown on many occasions that his parents love him, and aren't abusive to him. His mother always praises him when he's done something good. And in "Cartman joins NAMBLA" His mother makes sure that Kenny knows he's loved, and his father plays catch with him. His parents fight often, but in Cartman Joins NAMBLA they consider another child. Kenny seems to have a good relationship with his brother[6], Kevin, though they have not been seen together often. Kevin's few appearances and speaking lines portray his personality as similar to Kenny's (Shown when they both laugh hysterically as their parents engage in a fistfight). Some episodes show a younger sister as well.
[edit] Relationships
[edit] Kelly
Main Article: Rainforest Schmainforest
In the episode "Rainforest Schmainforest," Kenny forms a crush on a choir girl named Kelly. His feelings for her were revealed to be mutual later in the episode when Kelly admits her feelings for him in the rainforest. Despite this, she was reluctant to continue a romantic relationship, because she lived on the other side of America and feared having a broken heart, much to Kenny's frustration. However, the two were shown hugging at many points in the episode. She finally decides to be his girlfriend when they are captured by the Yanagapa. When freed, they decide to call every other day - at this moment, Kenny is struck down by a lightning bolt. In a twist of irony, Kelly revives Kenny.
Their relationship was continued in the subsequent episode and Hooked on Monkey Phonics, indicating Kelly moved to South Park. Since then, however, their relationship hasn't been referenced.
[edit] References
- ^ FAQ Archives. South Park Studios. Retrieved on 2008-02-09.
- ^ Kenny McCormick. South Park Studios. Retrieved on 2008-03-30.
- ^ a b Kaplan, Don (April 8, 2002). South Park Won't Kill Kenny Anymore. FOX News. Retrieved on 2008-02-08.
- ^ Trechak, Brad (November 15, 2007). South Park: The List. TV Squad. Retrieved on 2008-02-08.
- ^ Staff. "Philosophy Speaker Presents "Killing Kenny: Our Daily Dose of Death"", GMC Journal, Green Mountain College, February 5, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-02-08.
- ^ Season Five episode "Here Comes the Neighborhood"; as Token Black is walking around town he observes Kevin and Kenny playing on their front lawn and laughing together.
[edit] External links
- Kenny McCormick on SouthParkStudios.com
- Repository of translated Kenny-isms
- Kenny sings Theme Song - slow speed
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