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*** 

In an interview in the current issue of Instinct Magazine film composer Marc Shaiman (best known for his musical scores to quirky films like The Addams Family, Down With Love, and the brilliant music and lyrics for South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut) and his partner, lyricist Scott Wittman announce that they've been signed to write the long-rumored musical episode of ABC's Ugly Betty for the end of this season. The pair previously won the Tony Award for Best Score for writing the music and lyrics for the musical Hairspray.

This announcement further solidifies Betty's title as "The Gayest Show On TV". As Shaiman himself says in the interview:

"It's great we're talking to a gay magazine, because where else can you say 'How much gayer can it get on TV?' Only with c*cksucking on TV could it get any gayer."

While this announcement is great news for fans of both Ugly Betty and musical theater alike, everything is dependent on whether the writers strike is resolved before the end of the current television season. Sadly, with tempers only rising on each side, a fast end to the strike seems to be increasingly less likely.

Big Gay All (voiced byTrey Parker)
Show: South Park
Year Introduced: 1997

Bio: Big Gay Al is a walking stereotype of a gay man, but he has always been positively portrayed. His famous response to the question, "How are you?" was even turned into a song for the South Park movie: "I'm Super! Thanks For Asking!" For a while, Big Gay Al ran a farm for gay animals who had been kicked out by their homophobic owners. He even temporarily adopted Sparky, Stan's gay dog who had run away from home. Later, Big Gay Al, a Scout leader, was fired for being gay. The kids rally to get him back, but he refuses because he believes as a private club, the Scouts have the right to exclude people if they choose. Eventually, Big Gay Al married Mr. Slave, Mr. Garrison's ex-boyfriend.

Significance: Big Gay Al is a proudly gay man on a subversive animated series aimed at young people.

Last week South Park ran an episode entirely devoted to making fun of the rampant machismo of 300 -- and despite the fact that Viacom is currently in the process of suing YouTube into the next decade, clips have appeared that demand your attention.

In this clip, Mr. Garrison (who, having had a sex change, is now Ms. Garrison, and as of this episode is now a lesbian) defends the local lesbian bar, Les Bos, against a chain of Persian lounges that threatens to destroy the town's gay sanctuary.

This one managed to slip by us when it first aired. (The crack team of flying monkeys at AfterElton can hardly keep up with all the great television that's on these days!) Thanks to several readers for mentioning it.

On March 14th, South Park ran an episode that dealt with Ex-Gay Ministries.

The "Cartman Sucks" episode had poor, hapless Butters getting mistaken for homosexual, and then shipped off to an ex-gay Christian youth camp by his parents.

When presented with the youth camp idea by their minister, Butter's father (himself a closeted homosexual) had this to say:

"A secluded camp where lots of bi-curious boys are all put together? That sounds like a good idea!"

Poor Butters isn't "bi-curious" -- doesn't even understand the concept. But his father is so afraid of the possibility that he ships him off to a place that could do the kid lasting damage.

Once at the camp, the head counselor gives Butters a pep talk while leading him to his room:

"The truth is, with the power of Jesus Christ you can be normal. Now, just to make sure you don't slip up while in camp we assign everybody an 'accountabilibuddy.' Let’s meet Ryan—your accountabilibuddy.”

The counselor stops at the door to Butter & Ryan’s assigned dorm room.

"Ryan thought he could never change, but now with the power of Christ and prayer he can have a whole new life!”

The counselor swings open the door to find Ryan hanging dead from a rope. The counselor quickly shuts the door,

“Now over this way we have the cafeteria…”

As usual, South Park manages to cut right to the ludicrous heart of a social phenomenon.

Butter is assigned a new “accountabililbuddy" named Bradley. But when Bradley develops a crush on Butters, the boy decides that he too must kill himself. The show ends with Bradley on a bridge ready to jump with the camp counselors trying to talk him down.

Bradley: Stand back! I'm an abomination of God!

Counselor: Don't do it, we're fixing you!

Bradley: It's too late!

Butters: Bradley, don't!

Counselor: Get back, you're only making things worse.

Bradley: I'm not normal, I'll never be normal.

Butters: You're perfectly normal Bradley.

Counselor: Get back, you're just as confused as he is.

Butters: That's it, I am sick and tired of everyone telling me I'm confused. I wasn't confused until other people started telling me I was. You know what I think? I think maybe you're the ones who are confused. I'm not going to be confused anymore just because you say I should be. My name is Butters, I'm eight years old, I'm blood type O, and I'm bi-curious. And that's OK, because if I'm somehow made from God, then I figure that God must be at least a little bi-curious himself.

Bradley: I think, I think I'd like to come down.

Counselor: We did it! By the power of Christ we saved him!

My hat is off to Matt Stone and Trey Parker for delivering yet another brilliant, gay-positive episode.