Kenny's Deaths
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Kenneth "Kenny" McCormick is a fictional character and one of the four main
protagonists A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...
in the
adult animated An adult is an animal that has reached full growth. The biological definition of the word means an animal reaching sexual maturity and thus capable of reproduction. In the human context, the term ''adult'' has meanings associated with social and ...
sitcom ''
South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boysStan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand the ...
'', alongside
Stan Marsh Stanley "Stan" Marsh is a fictional character in the adult animation, adult animated television series ''South Park''. He is voiced by and loosely based on series co-creator Trey Parker. Stan is one of the series' four central characters, along ...
,
Kyle Broflovski Kyle Broflovski () is a fictional character in the adult animation, adult animated sitcom ''South Park''. He is voiced by and loosely based on series co-creator Matt Stone. Kyle is one of the series' four central characters, along with his frie ...
, and
Eric Cartman Eric Theodore Cartman, commonly referred to as just Cartman, is a fictional character in the adult animated sitcom ''South Park'', created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. He is voiced by Parker, and is one of the series' four main characters, ...
. His often muffled and incomprehensible speech—the result of his
parka A parka, like the related anorak, is a type of coat (clothing), coat with a hood (headgear), hood, that may be lining (sewing), lined with fur or fake fur. Parkas and anoraks are staples of Inuit clothing, traditionally made from Reindeer, cari ...
hood covering his mouth—is provided by co-creator
Matt Stone Matthew Richard Stone (born May 26, 1971) is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, and musician. He is best known for co-creating ''South Park'' (since 1997) and ''The Book of Mormon (musical), The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his cre ...
. After early appearances in '' The Spirit of Christmas'' shorts in 1992 and 1995, Kenny appeared in ''South Park'' television episodes beginning August 13, 1997, as well as the 1999 feature film '' South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut'', where his uncovered face and voice were first revealed. Kenny was a third, later fourth-grade student who commonly has extraordinary experiences not typical of conventional small-town life in his hometown of South Park,
Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
, where he lives with his
poverty Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse Biophysical environmen ...
-stricken family. Kenny is animated by computer to look as he did in the show's original method of
cutout animation Cutout animation is a form of stop-motion animation using flat characters, props and backgrounds cut from materials such as paper, card, stiff fabric or photographs. The props would be cut out and used as puppets for stop motion. The world's ...
. The character gained popularity thanks to a
running gag A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are no ...
during the first five seasons of the series, whereby Kenny would routinely suffer an excruciating death before returning alive and well in the next episode with little or no explanation. Stan would frequently use the catchphrase "Oh my god! They killed Kenny!", followed by Kyle exclaiming "You bastard(s)!". Since the sixth season in 2002, the practice of killing Kenny has been seldom used by the show's creators. Various episodes have set up the gag, sometimes presenting alternate explanations for Kenny's unacknowledged reappearances.


Role in ''South Park''

Kenny attends South Park Elementary as part of Mr. Garrison's fourth-grade class. During the first 58 episodes, Kenny and the other main child characters were in the third grade. Kenny comes from a poor household, presided over by his alcoholic, unemployed father,
Stuart McCormick ''South Park'' is an American adult animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. The ongoing narrative revolves around four boys, Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Kenny McCormick, and E ...
. His mother Carol McCormick has a job washing dishes at
Olive Garden Olive Garden is an American casual dining restaurant chain specializing in Italian-American cuisine. It is a unit of Darden Restaurants, Inc., which is headquartered in Orange County, Florida. As of 2022, Olive Garden restaurants accounted for ...
. Kenny has an older brother named
Kevin Kevin is the anglicized form of the Irish masculine given name (; ; ; Latinized as ). It is composed of "dear; noble"; Old Irish and ("birth"; Old Irish ). The variant ''Kevan'' is anglicised from , an Irish diminutive form.''A Dictiona ...
. He also has a younger sister who is shown with his family in the season nine episode "
Best Friends Forever “Best friends forever” is a phrase that describes a close friendship. It is often written as the initialism BFF. Definition A BFF is a term for someone's best friend or close friend and is characterized by permanence, irrespective of the nu ...
", but does not reappear until the 15th season episode " The Poor Kid", where her name is revealed to be
Karen Karen may refer to: * Karen (name), a given name and surname * Karen (slang), a term and meme for a demanding white woman displaying certain behaviors People * Karen people, an ethnic group in Myanmar and Thailand * House of Karen, a historic ...
, whom he loves unconditionally. Kenny is friends with
Stan Marsh Stanley "Stan" Marsh is a fictional character in the adult animation, adult animated television series ''South Park''. He is voiced by and loosely based on series co-creator Trey Parker. Stan is one of the series' four central characters, along ...
,
Kyle Broflovski Kyle Broflovski () is a fictional character in the adult animation, adult animated sitcom ''South Park''. He is voiced by and loosely based on series co-creator Matt Stone. Kyle is one of the series' four central characters, along with his frie ...
,
Eric Cartman Eric Theodore Cartman, commonly referred to as just Cartman, is a fictional character in the adult animated sitcom ''South Park'', created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. He is voiced by Parker, and is one of the series' four main characters, ...
, and Leopold "Butters" Scotch. Kenny is regularly teased for living in poverty, particularly by Cartman. Kenny's superhero
alter ego An alter ego (Latin for "other I") means an alternate Self (psychology), self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original Personality psychology, personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other ...
, Mysterion, first appeared in the season 13 episode " The Coon", as a rival to Eric Cartman's eponymous supervillain alter ego. He unmasks himself at the end of the episode, but his identity is left intentionally ambiguous to the viewer. He is not revealed to be Kenny until the season 14 episode " Mysterion Rises", the character's third appearance as part of a three-part story arc.


Deaths

Prior to season six, Kenny died in almost every episode. The nature of the deaths were often gruesome and portrayed in a comically absurd fashion, and usually followed by Stan Marsh or Kyle Broflovski respectively yelling "Oh, my God! They killed Kenny!" with the other yelling "You bastard(s)!" Shortly afterward, rats would commonly appear and begin picking at his corpse. In a following episode, Kenny would reappear alive and well, usually without any explanation. Most characters appear oblivious or indifferent to the phenomenon, although occasionally one will acknowledge awareness of it. In " Cherokee Hair Tampons", Kenny gets irritated and offended when Stan laments Kyle's critical condition while utterly ignoring Kenny's past demises. Eric Cartman commented on Kenny's deaths in the episode "
Cartmanland "Cartmanland" is the sixth episode of the fifth season of the animated sitcom ''South Park'', and the 71st episode overall. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on July 25, 2001. In the episode, Eric Cartman inherits a million ...
" when he is being sued for unsafe rides insisting to attorneys representing his family that "Kenny? He dies all the time!" In "
Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo" is the ninth episode of the first season of the American animated television series ''South Park''. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on December 17, 1997. The episode follows Kyle as he ...
", as the episode is about to end, the kids point out that "something feels unfinished", and Kenny celebrates as "The End" sign appears; it is the first episode in the series he survives. Near the end of the production run of the show's fifth season, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone contemplated having an episode in which Kenny was killed off permanently. The reasoning behind the idea was to genuinely surprise fans, and to allow an opportunity to provide a major role for
Butters Stotch Leopold "Butters" Stotch is a fictional character in the adult animated television series ''South Park''. He is loosely based on co-producer Eric Stough and his voice is provided by co-creator Matt Stone. He is a student at South Park Elementary ...
, a breakout character whose popularity was growing with the viewers and creators of the show. Mini-commentary for episode "Kenny Dies" In the episode " Kenny Dies", Kenny dies after developing
terminal Terminal may refer to: Computing Hardware * Computer terminal, a set of primary input and output devices for a computer * Terminal (electronics), a device for joining electrical circuits together ** Battery terminal, electrical contact used to ...
muscular dystrophy Muscular dystrophies (MD) are a genetically and clinically heterogeneous group of rare neuromuscular diseases that cause progressive weakness and breakdown of skeletal muscles over time. The disorders differ as to which muscles are primarily affe ...
, while Parker and Stone claimed that Kenny would not be returning in subsequent episodes. The duo insisted they grew tired of upholding the tradition of having Kenny die in each episode. Stone stated that thinking of humorous ways to kill the character was initially fun, but became more mundane as the series progressed. When they determined that it would be too difficult to develop the character because he was too much of a "prop", Parker and Stone finally decided to kill off Kenny permanently. For much of season six, Kenny remained dead, though he still appears to possess Cartman's body, and both Stone and Parker entertained the idea of eventually bringing the character back. According to Stone, only a small minority of fans were significantly angered by Kenny's absence to threaten a boycott of the cable channel
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...
, on which ''South Park'' is aired. For most of the season, Stan, Kyle, and Cartman fill the void left by Kenny by allowing the characters Butters Stotch and
Tweek Tweak ''South Park'' is an American adult animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central cable television, television network. The ongoing narrative revolves around four boys, Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Kenn ...
into their group, paving the way for those characters to receive more focus on the show; nevertheless, Kenny returned from the year-long absence in the season six finale " Red Sleigh Down", has remained a main character since, and has been given larger roles in episodes. The first explanation given for Kenny's deaths and reappearances was given in the 53rd episode "
Cartman Joins NAMBLA "Cartman Joins NAMBLA" is the fifth episode of the fourth season of the animated television series ''South Park'', and the 53rd episode of the series overall. Going by production order, it is the 5th episode of Season 4. It originally aired in ...
", wherein the McCormicks have a baby exactly like Kenny, including the characteristic orange parka, shortly after the former Kenny dies. Mr. McCormick exclaims, "God, this must be the fiftieth time this has happened", to which Mrs. McCormick quickly replies, "Fifty-second". This explanation is expanded upon in the season 14 episodes " Coon 2: Hindsight", " Mysterion Rises" and "
Coon vs. Coon and Friends "Coon vs. Coon and Friends" is the thirteenth episode of the South Park season 14, fourteenth season and the 208th overall episode of Comedy Central's series ''South Park''. It originally aired on November 10, 2010; and was written and directed ...
", in which Kenny, while playing superheroes with his friends, claims his "superpower" is
immortality Immortality is the concept of eternal life. Some species possess "biological immortality" due to an apparent lack of the Hayflick limit. From at least the time of the Ancient Mesopotamian religion, ancient Mesopotamians, there has been a con ...
. He actually dies several times during these episodes—even committing suicide more than once—reawakening alive and unharmed in his bed each time. He is frustrated and angry that no one can remember him dying every time he regenerates and longs to know the source of his power, which he views as a curse. Unbeknownst to him, his parents were previously connected to a
Cthulhu Cthulhu is a fictional cosmic entity created by writer H. P. Lovecraft. It was introduced in his short story "The Call of Cthulhu", published by the American pulp magazine ''Weird Tales'' in 1928. Considered a Great Old One within the pantheon ...
-worshipping death cult. After Kenny shoots himself the second time, Mrs. McCormick awakes with a scream, shrieks "It's happening again!", and minutes later, is shown gently placing a newborn Kenny in his bed. "We should never have gone to that stupid cult meeting," she grouses as she and her husband return to bed. In " Put It Down", he is killed off-screen by a driver on his phone, as his picture is shown among those of kids killed by a driver on phone texting tribute. In "
Bike Parade "Bike Parade" is the tenth and final episode of the twenty-second season of the American animated television series ''South Park''. The 297th overall episode of the series, it premiered on Comedy Central in the United States on December 12, 201 ...
",
Jeff Bezos Jeffrey Preston Bezos ( ;; and Robinson (2010), p. 7. ; born January 12, 1964) is an American businessman best known as the founder, executive chairman, and former president and CEO of Amazon, the world's largest e-commerce and clou ...
tells
Alexa Alexa may refer to: Technology *Amazon Alexa, a virtual assistant developed by Amazon * Alexa Internet, a defunct website ranking and traffic analysis service * Alexa Fluor, a family of fluorescent dyes * Arri Alexa, a digital motion picture ca ...
to kill Kenny, and Cartman hauls his coffin while riding his bike in the parade. " The Pandemic Special" sees Kenny being gunned down by the police when they are equipped with military weaponry to deal with the children breaking free from COVID-19 quarantine. In '' South Park: Post Covid'', as a millionaire scientist in the future finding the cause of
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
, Kenny dies due to a time travel experiment that got him a variant named COVID Delta+ Rewards. This death is undone in '' South Park: Post Covid: The Return of Covid'' after Stan, Kyle, and Cartman time travel to the past. In '' South Park: The End of Obesity'', Kenny was killed by
Tony the Tiger Tony the Tiger is the advertising cartoon anthropomorphic tiger mascot for Frosted Flakes (also known as Frosties) breakfast cereal, appearing on its packaging and advertising. After the original Kellogg's, Kellogg Company spun off its North Am ...
in is his first on-screen death since " The Pandemic Special".


Character


Creation and design

When developing the character, the show's creators had observed that most groups of childhood friends in small middle-class towns always included "the one poor kid" and decided to portray Kenny in this light. In a 2000 interview, Parker said that Kenny was based on a childhood friend of his who was also named Kenny and wore an orange parka that muffled his voice. He was the poorest child in the neighborhood and often skipped school, causing Parker and his friends to jokingly say he died, only for him to return to school later. An unnamed precursor to Kenny first appeared in the first ''The Spirit of Christmas'' short, dubbed ''Jesus vs. Frosty'', created by Parker and Stone in 1992 while they were students at the
University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, the University of Colorado Denver, and the U ...
. The character was composed of
construction paper Construction paper, also known as sugar paper, is coloured cardstock paper. The texture is slightly rough, and the surface is unfinished. Due to the source material, mainly wood pulp, small particles are visible on the paper's surface. It is u ...
cutouts and animated through the use of
stop motion Stop-motion (also known as stop frame animation) is an animated filmmaking and special effects technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exh ...
. When tasked three years later by friend Brian Graden to create another short as a video
Christmas card A Christmas card is a greeting card sent as part of the traditional celebration of Christmas in order to convey between people a range of sentiments related to Christmastide and the holiday season. Christmas cards are usually exchanged during ...
that he could send to friends, Parker and Stone created another similarly-animated ''The Spirit of Christmas'' short, dubbed ''Jesus vs. Santa''. In this short, Kenny is given his first name, and first appears as he does in the series. Kenny next appeared on August 13, 1997, when ''South Park'' debuted on
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...
with the episode "
Cartman Gets an Anal Probe "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe" is the series premiere of the American animated television series ''South Park''. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on August 13, 1997. The episode introduces child protagonists Eric Cartman, ...
". In tradition with the show's animation style, Kenny is composed of simple geometrical shapes and
primary color Primary colors are colorants or colored lights that can be mixed in varying amounts to produce a gamut of colors. This is the essential method used to create the perception of a broad range of colors in, e.g., electronic displays, color prin ...
s. He is not offered the same free range of motion associated with hand-drawn characters; his character is mostly shown from only one angle, and his movements are animated in an intentionally jerky fashion. Ever since the show's second episode, "
Weight Gain 4000 "Weight Gain 4000" is the third episode of the South Park season 1, first season of the American animated television series ''South Park''. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on August 27, 1997. In the episode, the residents o ...
" (
season one Season One may refer to: Albums * ''Season One'' (Suburban Legends album), 2004 * ''Season One'' (All Sons & Daughters album), 2012 * ''Season One'' (Saukrates album), 2012 See also * * * Season 2 (disambiguation) Season 2 may refer to: ...
, 1997), Kenny, like all other characters on the show, has been animated with computer software, though he is portrayed to give the impression that the show still utilizes its original technique. The effect of Kenny's speech is achieved by Stone mumbling into his own hand as he provides Kenny's lines. While he originally voiced Kenny without any computer manipulation, Stone now does so by speaking in his normal vocal range and then adding a childlike inflection. The recorded audio is then edited with
Pro Tools Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed and released by Avid Technology (formerly Digidesign) for Microsoft Windows and macOS. It is used for music creation and production, sound for picture (sound design, audio post-productio ...
, and the pitch is altered to make the voice sound more like that of a fourth-grader. As the technique of Kenny's muzzled enunciation frequently implies, many of his lines are indeed profane and sexually explicit, the lengthier of which are mostly improvised by Stone. He first appeared unobscured by his hood in '' South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut'', where it was revealed that he had messy blonde hair.
Mike Judge Michael Craig Judge (born October 17, 1962) is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, and director. He is best known for being the creator of the animated television series ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' (1993–1997, 2011, 2022–present). He ...
provided the voice for Kenny's one line of uninsulated dialogue: "Goodbye, you guys." On a few occasions during episodes that have originally aired since the film's release, he has been seen without the parka;Including " The Tooth Fairy Tats 2000", " Super Best Friends", "
Lil' Crime Stoppers "Lil' Crime Stoppers" is the sixth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series ''South Park'', and the 102nd episode of the series overall. It first aired on Comedy Central April 23, 2003. In the episode, Stan, K ...
", "
The Jeffersons ''The Jeffersons'' is an American sitcom television series that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, to July 2, 1985. Lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes, ''The Jeffersons'' is one of the longest-running sitcoms in history ...
", "
Good Times with Weapons "Good Times with Weapons" is the first episode of the eighth season of the American animated series South Park and the 112th episode of the series. It originally aired on March 17, 2004. In the episode, the boys are transformed into Japanese wa ...
", "
The Losing Edge "The Losing Edge" is the fifth episode in the ninth season of the American animated television series ''South Park'', and the 130th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 6, 2005. In ...
", "
South Park Is Gay! "South Park Is Gay!" is the eighth episode of the seventh season and the 104th overall episode of the American animated sitcom ''South Park''. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on October 22, 2003. In the episode, Kyle ...
", "
Lice Capades "Lice Capades" is the third episode of the eleventh season of the American animated television series ''South Park''. The 156th episode of the series overall, it first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on March 21, 2007. In the episo ...
", "
Margaritaville "Margaritaville" is a 1977 song by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, released on his seventh album, '' Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes''. In the United States, "Margaritaville" reached number eight on the ''Billboard ''Hot 1 ...
", " W.T.F.", " Pee", "
You're Getting Old "You're Getting Old" is the seventh episode of the South Park season 15, fifteenth season of the American animated television series ''South Park'', and the 216th episode of the series overall. It first aired on Comedy Central in the Television ...
", and "
DikinBaus Hot Dogs "DikinBaus Hot Dogs" is the fifth episode of the twenty-sixth season of the American animated television series ''South Park'', and the 324th episode of the series overall. It premiered on March 22, 2023. The episode's plot focuses on Eric Cartm ...
".
however, unlike in ''Bigger, Longer & Uncut'' his entire face has been only seen four times in the television series without being partially obscured or otherwise altered, this being in "
The Losing Edge "The Losing Edge" is the fifth episode in the ninth season of the American animated television series ''South Park'', and the 130th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 6, 2005. In ...
", "
The Jeffersons ''The Jeffersons'' is an American sitcom television series that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, to July 2, 1985. Lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes, ''The Jeffersons'' is one of the longest-running sitcoms in history ...
", "
You're Getting Old "You're Getting Old" is the seventh episode of the South Park season 15, fifteenth season of the American animated television series ''South Park'', and the 216th episode of the series overall. It first aired on Comedy Central in the Television ...
", and "
DikinBaus Hot Dogs "DikinBaus Hot Dogs" is the fifth episode of the twenty-sixth season of the American animated television series ''South Park'', and the 324th episode of the series overall. It premiered on March 22, 2023. The episode's plot focuses on Eric Cartm ...
" (except in DikiniBaus Hot Dogs, his face is slightly concealed by a pair of sunglasses shades). He also speaks unmuffled during some of these instances, in which case co-producer
Eric Stough Eric "Butters" Stough (born July 31, 1972) is an American animator and producer. He is best known as the animation director and a producer on the television series ''South Park''. Born in Evergreen, Colorado, Stough attended the University of ...
provides Kenny's voice. During " The Coon" episodes of seasons 13 and 14, Kenny has his first major speaking role as the character Mysterion.


Personality and traits

While most child characters on the show are foul-mouthed, Kenny is often even more risqué with his dialogue. Parker and Stone state that they depict Kenny and his friends in this manner in order to display how young boys really talk when they are alone. While Kenny is often cynical and profane, Parker notes that there nonetheless is an "underlying sweetness" aspect to the character, and ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' magazine described Kenny and his friends as "sometimes cruel but with a core of innocence". He is amused by
toilet humor Toilet humour or potty humour is a type of off-colour humour dealing with: defecation (including diarrhea and constipation), in which case it is called scatological humour (compare scatology); urination; flatulence, in which case it is called fla ...
and bodily functions, and his favorite television personalities are
Terrance and Phillip ''South Park'' is an American adult animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. The ongoing narrative revolves around four boys, Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Kenny McCormick, and ...
, a Canadian duo whose comedy routines on their show-within-the-show revolve substantially around fart jokes. Kenny is shown to desire intercourse in the episode "The Ring", when Kenny gets a girlfriend and is overjoyed to find out that she has a reputation as a slut. Kenny is also lecherous, and often portrayed as being eager to do and say disgusting things in an attempt to impress others or earn money. Conversely, his alter-ego Mysterion is seemingly mature, principled, and serious-minded, the only exception being one instance in "Mysterion Rises" in which he takes delight in irritating Cartman. As Mysterion, he convinces his parents to take better care of themselves and their children, as seen by their reaction when he questions them about the cult of Cthulhu. He also uses his disguise to protect his sister Karen (who refers to Mysterion as her "guardian angel"), as revealed in " The Poor Kid"; however, in all of his guises, Kenny is depicted as being uncommonly selfless, dying for the sake of others and spending all of his time working so he could buy his little sister a doll. In the trilogy of episodes " Black Friday", " A Song of Ass and Fire" and " Titties and Dragons", in which the boys play-act characters from the TV series ''
Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy Drama (film and television), drama television series created by David Benioff and for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of high fantasy novels by ...
'', Kenny cross-dresses as a fantasy-style princess with a wig and dress similar to the video game character
Princess Zelda is a Character (arts), character in Nintendo's ''The Legend of Zelda'' video game series. She was created by Shigeru Miyamoto for the original 1986 game ''The Legend of Zelda (video game), The Legend of Zelda''. As one of the central characters ...
, and becomes a Japanese-speaking moe
anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
character at one point. When Cartman complains, "You're never going to be a real
princess Princess is a title used by a female member of a regnant monarch's family or by a female ruler of a principality. The male equivalent is a prince (from Latin '' princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for ...
", Princess Kenny responds (via her translator, Stan) angrily to Cartman, calling him a "ball-licking
lesbian A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...
". This portrayal continues in the video game '' South Park: The Stick of Truth'' where Cartman notes that playing a "chick" is "just how
enny Enitan Adepitan (born 9 December 1994), known professionally as Enny (stylized in all caps), is an English rapper, singer and songwriter. She is best known for her 2020 single "Peng Black Girls" which gained popularity following a remix version ...
seems to be rolling right now". Kenny's sister also refers to Kenny as a girl, if you talk to her in the McCormick house. Throughout the game, Kenny posts 'status updates' referring to herself as "the cutest of them all".


In other media

Kenny had a major role in '' South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut'', the full-length film based on the series, and appeared on the film's soundtrack singing (albeit muffled) several lines of the song "Mountain Town" from the film. As a tribute to the
Dead Parrot sketch The "Dead Parrot sketch", alternatively and originally known as the "Pet Shop sketch" or "Parrot sketch", is a sketch from '' Monty Python's Flying Circus'' about a non-existent species of parrot, called a "Norwegian Blue". A satire on poor cu ...
, a short that features Kenny as a "dead friend" being returned by Cartman to a shop run by Kyle aired during a 1999
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
television special commemorating the 30th anniversary of ''
Monty Python's Flying Circus ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' (also known as simply ''Monty Python'') is a British surreal humour, surreal sketch comedy series created by and starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Terry Gilliam, w ...
''. Kenny was also featured in the
documentary film A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...
'' The Aristocrats'', listening to Cartman tell his version of the film's titular joke, and in "The Gauntlet", a short spoofing both ''
Gladiator A gladiator ( , ) was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their ...
'' and '' Battlefield Earth'' that aired during the 2000 MTV Movie Awards. Short that aired during the 2000 MTV Movie Awards Kenny also appears in six ''South Park''-related video games: In ''
South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boysStan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand the ...
'', Kenny is controlled by the player through the
first-person shooter A first-person shooter (FPS) is a video game genre, video game centered on gun fighting and other weapon-based combat seen from a First person (video games), first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action directly through t ...
mode who attempts to ward off enemies from terrorizing the town of South Park. In '' South Park: Chef's Luv Shack'', a user has the option of playing as Kenny when participating in the game's several "minigames" based on other popular arcade games. In the racing game '' South Park Rally'', a user can race as Kenny against other users playing as other characters, while choosing to place him in any of a variety of vehicles. In '' South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play!'', Kenny can be selected as a playable character used to establish a
tower defense Tower defense (TD) is a Video game genre, subgenre of Strategy video game, strategy games where the goal is to defend a player's territories or possessions by obstructing the enemy attackers or by stopping enemies from reaching the exits, usual ...
against the game's antagonists. In '' South Park: The Stick of Truth'', Kenny (as Princess Kenny) can be selected as a companion over the course of much of the game. In '' South Park: The Fractured but Whole'', Kenny is seen as his alter-ego Mysterion.


Cultural impact

Kenny's deaths are well-known in popular culture, and was one of the things viewers most commonly associated with ''South Park'' during its earlier seasons. ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
'' ranked Kenny at #6 on their "The Top 25 South Park Characters" list. The exclamation of "Oh my God! They killed Kenny!" quickly became a popular
catchphrase A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...
, while both Kenny and the phrase have appeared on some of the more popular pieces of ''South Park'' merchandise, including shirts, bumper stickers, calendars and baseball caps, and inspired the rap song "Kenny's Dead" by
Master P Percy Robert Miller (born April 29, 1967), better known by his stage name Master P, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, dancer, actor and entrepreneur. He founded the record label No Limit Records in 1991, which was relau ...
, which was featured on '' Chef Aid: The South Park Album''. The running gag of Kenny's deaths in earlier seasons was incorporated into the season 9 (2005) episode "
Best Friends Forever “Best friends forever” is a phrase that describes a close friendship. It is often written as the initialism BFF. Definition A BFF is a term for someone's best friend or close friend and is characterized by permanence, irrespective of the nu ...
" when Kenny, in a
vegetative state A vegetative state (VS) or post-coma unresponsiveness (PCU) is a disorder of consciousness in which patients with severe brain damage are in a state of partial arousal rather than true awareness. After four weeks in a vegetative state, the patie ...
, is kept alive by a
feeding tube A feeding tube is a medical device used to provide nutrition to people who cannot obtain nutrition by mouth, are unable to swallow safely, or need nutritional supplementation. The state of being fed by a feeding tube is called gavage, enteral f ...
while a media circus erupted over whether the tube should be removed and allow Kenny to die. The episode received much attention as it served to provide commentary on the
Terri Schiavo case The Terri Schiavo case was a series of court and legislative actions in the United States from 1998 to 2005, regarding the care of Theresa Marie Schiavo (née Schindler) (; December 3, 1963 – March 31, 2005), a woman in an irreversible ...
, originally airing just one day before Schiavo died. The episode earned ''South Park'' its first
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
for Outstanding Animated Program. Kenny's deaths have been subject to much critical analysis in the media and literary world. In the book '' South Park and Philosophy: Bigger, Longer, and More Penetrating'', an essay by
Southern Illinois University Southern Illinois University is a system of public universities in the southern region of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its headquarters is in Carbondale, Illinois. Board of trustees The university is governed by the nine member SIU Board of T ...
philosophy professor Randall Auxier, entitled "Killing Kenny: Our Daily Dose of Death", suggests that the fashion of the recurring gag serves to help the viewer become more comfortable with the inevitability of their own death. In the book ''South Park and Philosophy: You Know, I Learned Something Today'',
University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point The University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point (UW–Stevens Point or UWSP) is a public university in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, United States. Established in 1894, it is part of the University of Wisconsin System. UW-Stevens Point grants associ ...
professor Karin Fry wrote an essay concerning the parallels between Kenny's role in the show and the different concepts of
existentialism Existentialism is a family of philosophical views and inquiry that explore the human individual's struggle to lead an authentic life despite the apparent absurdity or incomprehensibility of existence. In examining meaning, purpose, and valu ...
. When Sophie Rutschmann of the
University of Strasbourg The University of Strasbourg (, Unistra) is a public research university located in Strasbourg, France, with over 52,000 students and 3,300 researchers. Founded in the 16th century by Johannes Sturm, it was a center of intellectual life during ...
discovered a mutated gene that causes an adult fruit fly to die within two days after it is infected with certain bacteria, she named the gene "Kenny" in honor of the character.


See also

*
South Park (Park County, Colorado) South Park is a grassland flat within the basin formed by the Rocky Mountains' Mosquito and Rampart Mountain Ranges within central Colorado. This high valley ranges in elevation from approximately 9,000 to 10,000 ft (3,000 m). It encom ...
*
South Park City South Park City is an open-air museum located at the west end of Front Street in the town of Fairplay in Park County, Colorado. The museum is a historic reconstruction of a mining town from the days of the Colorado Gold Rush and the later Col ...


Notes


References


External links


Kenny McCormick
on SouthParkStudios.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Mccormick, Kenny Child characters in television Child characters in animated films Television characters introduced in 1992 Fictional characters from Colorado South Park characters Fictional characters with death or rebirth abilities Fictional immortals Fictional child deaths Fictional ghosts Fictional murdered children Fictional resurrected characters Fictional scientists in television Fictional suicides Fictional vigilantes Fictional zombies Video game bosses Comedy film characters Male characters in animated television series Male characters in film Child superheroes Television superheroes Animated characters introduced in 1992 Fictional Catholics