A reader tipped us off that this weekend Comedy Central will be airing an episode of Kenny vs. Spenny that might be of interest to us: "Who Do Gay Guys Like More?". Curious, we did a little poking and prodding, and indeed, it's one of the more fascinating exercises in social experiment/humiliation that we've seen lately.

If you're not familiar with the central conceit of Kenny vs. Spenny, it's very simple: each week the two longtime friends challenge one another to a specific task, and the loser is subjected to a humiliation. Challenges range from "Who can produce more semen?" to "Who can blow the biggest fart?" to "Who can be tied to a goat the longest?" ... really highbrow stuff. But the real focus of the show isn't the challenges themselves, but rather the dynamic between the two men, who have very different moral codes (Kenny has no problem cheating, Spenny is more by-the-numbers) and who seem to love and loathe one another with equal measure. The show ran in their native Canada for several seasons before Trey Parker and Matt Stone (the South Park guys) picked it up for US distribution on Comedy Central, calling it "the most accurate examination of male friendships that we've ever seen."

So let's cut to "the gay episode" (although the show is so ridiculously homoerotic in general that it's really not much of a distinction): in this challenge, the two straight men must each go on a date with the same gay man, and he must pick which he likes better. It's really pretty stupid, as the challenge of course relies mostly on powers of persuasion and acting ability more than any qualities that "your average gay man" (as though there were such a thing) would like. But the game ultimately has some fascinating and hard-earned truths to tell about gay men and straight men...

Kenny and Spenny with friends

First and foremost, straight men - even straight men who have little or no discomfort with gayness or with seeming gay - might not know as much about gay men as they think they do...

**Spoilers follow, as well as links to the full ep online*** 

Spenny's approach is to pretend that he thinks that he could be bisexual but isn't sure, and maintains a soft-spoken, sensitive demeanor and emphasizes his good hygiene. All of this sets off warning bells right off the bat with Steven, the poor gay man who has agreed to participate, but he rolls with it. When Spenny kisses Steven at the end of the date, Steven isn't having it, and notes that it makes him "uncomfortable". So not exactly a home run for Spenny, but certainly not as big of a disaster as what the considerably more volatile Kenny is in for...

Kenny decides that his tactic will be to make Steven believe that Spenny has lied about everything. He recruits a gay friend to be there as a "ringer" and pretends that he and Spenny are gay (and, in fact, a couple) but that Spenny is closeted (he and his gay friend decide that a closeted gay man is the most disgusting thing imaginable to an out gay man, and that this will turn Steven against Spenny). He doctors photos to make it look that Spenny has been in all sorts of gay situations and takes the "I'm the beleaguered old queen with a closeted boyfriend" approach, trying to rack up sympathy points.

And for a while, it works. Our "control gay" buys the whole thing and is horrified that everything Spenny told him was a lie. But as the date wears on, he becomes suspicious of Kenny's behavior, which becomes increasingly artificial and put-on. (Notice how when he starts drinking, Kenny's lisp becomes more pronounced and he morphs into a Big Gay Al sort of "gay sage".) Eventually Steven gets so uncomfortable that he gets up to go to the bathroom and walks out of the bar, with the camera crew following him. He hails a cab and the crew asks him repeatedly which one of the guys he liked better, and he eventually offers, "neither of them" before he speeds off.

Kenny and Spenny tried different approaches to appeal to what they thought gay men found interesting or likable, and both proved that despite being willing to "go there" (by pretending to be gay and kissing a man), they really have no understanding of gay men whatsoever. In the end, Steven is the only person involved who has any sense or class (I cheered when he walked off the show with his dignity intact), and Kenny and Spenny are both left to take humiliation, which in this case is to be "tea-bagged" (have testicles bounced on their foreheads) by two bearish and presumably gay men. Because despite being an interesting social experiment, in the end the show's gross-out appeal is pretty much what most people tune in for.

I found an interview with the guys in which they touched on the episode, having this to say:

"You watch who the gay guys like more, and we bash our stoner Dorito munching fans for being homophobic. We're not homophobic. I mean Spenny made out with a gay guy and I pretended I was gay."

I don't see exactly where they're "bash(ing)" their audience for being homophobic, necessarily, and several elements of the show could easily be misinterpreted as being homophobic by sensitive (or, on the other hand, entirely undiscerning) viewers. For example, the montage where Kenny goes around a gay neighborhood in the persona of a ridiculously dated gay stereotype named Maurice del Taco (the Canadian Richard Simmons?) and asks offensive questions of gays and lesbians is clearly meant to paint him as an idiot. But let's face it, he's also the star of the show, and the viewers that tune in to cheer on his antics might not get the subtle distinction between laughing at and laughing with.

Regardless, the episode is undeniably fascinating, and well worth watching. You can tune in to Comedy Central on Sunday to see it ... or you can watch it in three NSFW parts online, if you don't feel like waiting (NSFW for language and ... well ... testicles). If you do decide to sneak a peak, be sure to come back and tell us what you thought! 

Big thanks to Brock for the tip!