Kenneth Parcell
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Ellen Parcell is a fictional character in the comedy television series 30 Rock
. He is portrayed by actor Jack McBrayer
and first appeared on television in the 30 Rock episode "Pilot
" on October 10, 2006. A supporting character
in the first two episodes, the show's producers see him as an example of a breakout character
.
who carries his mother's middle name, and hails from Stone Mountain, Georgia
(the actual hometown of former 30 Rock writer, and star of Community
, Donald Glover
), where his father was a pig farmer. He exclaims as he passes out from strawberry poisoning in the episode "The Ones
" that his real name is Dick Whitman
(a reference to the AMC drama Mad Men
). Kenneth's family appears to have been in poverty, as Kenneth mentions that the Parcells "have eaten [their] share of Rock Soup and Squirrel Tail" (but also mentions that they've known "lean times" as well). At some time during his childhood, Kenneth's family lived in a militia camp. Despite Kenneth's friendship with Tracy, the Parcell's were supporters of the Confederacy
, as in "Flu Shot
", Kenneth reveals that his family's traditional burial for Parcell men is that their body is wrapped in a Confederate flag, fried, and fed to dogs. In "Respawn
", Kenneth has a family recipe which he has tinkered with, saying he has replaced the ingredient of Union Soldier
meat with boiled potatoes.
The Parcells also had bizarre intercourse rituals, where if a, presumably, male succeeded in getting a mate, they would lay their woman across their Grandmother's lap in the "mating shed" (Kenneth mentions that Albinos would be in there as well, as they are the "Watchers").
After Kenneth's father died, his mother's "friend" Ron moved in. It is heavily hinted that his mother had a sexual relationship with Ron, but Kenneth remains blissfully unaware of this, though it is hinted that he has a great hatred towards Ron.
At Kentucky Mountain Bible College
, Kenneth majored in television studies and minored in bible sexuality, and his favorite subject was science
, "especially the Old Testament
." He considers his mother his best friend, and credits her with his persistent optimism, since she taught him that no matter how bad things seem, there is always someone else having a worse day, "like being stung by a bee, or getting a splinter, or being chained to a wall in someone's sex dungeon." At the end of "The Baby Show", it seems as though Kenneth had preserved his mother's corpse à la Psycho
, but it is later shown that his mother is alive (the skeleton was a Halloween decoration, and his mother was talking to him on the phone). Aside from being a pig farmer, not much else is known about Kenneth's father, although according to Kenneth in a deleted scene of "The One with the Cast of Night Court
", his parents were first cousins (a fact which Kenneth's father kept from Kenneth's mother, since if she knew she would not have married him), and in "The Collection
", he tells Jenna that his father died of a heart attack. It is also later established in the episode "Kidney Now!
" that Kenneth is the cousin of American Idol
2nd-season runner-up Clay Aiken
. He is almost never seen without his page uniform, even in his free time, and he once cried out, "Oh god it hurts" when he watched his jacket catch on fire.
An awkward yet polite rube, he is always smiling, excited and happy to do his menial job, which many people do not understand. He has explained in two episodes ("Pilot
" and "The Head and the Hair") that this is because he loves television so much. His love of television and his unending devotion to the NBC network are two of his most defining character traits. For example, he told Pete that he didn't want to "disgrace the peacock
" in "The C Word
," and, in "Corporate Crush
," he was seen knitting
a woolen bikini
with the NBC Peacock on it for his grandmother. He has stated in "Believe in the Stars
" that he only loves two things: "everybody and television." He also named his parakeet
after Sonny Crockett.
Kenneth is generally well-liked at NBC, but has a determined nemesis in Head Page Donnie (Paul Scheer
), who forced him to go through a humiliating series of tasks to get a new page jacket in "Rosemary's Baby
" and who worked overtime to subvert Kenneth's application to work at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
in the episode "Cooter
". In real life, McBrayer and Scheer are friends who have an acclaimed two-man comedy improv show together.
As seen in "Hiatus
," Kenneth has a considerably less friendly and more violent cousin, Jesse Parcell (Sean Hayes
), living in Needmore, Pennsylvania
.
In "Apollo, Apollo
", it was shown that Kenneth sees everyone as muppets
. In "Dealbreakers Talk Show #0001", he appeared as a muppet while walking by an HD
camera.
In different and numerous episodes, Kenneth is shown speaking different languages. These languages include Mandarin in "Cooter", French
in "Flu Shot", German
in "Episode 210
", and Latin
in "Audition Day
". This adds to the myth that Ken is older than he looks due to how fluent he seems to be in all of these languages. He can also speak backwards fluently, and in "Kidney Now!", he is shown to be able to talk to without moving his lips. In the episode "Succession
", he is able to guess cards with ease, although Grizz doesn't tell him he can.
He is also extremely selfless, as seen in "Believe in the Stars" when Jack trapped him in an elevator with 9 people and claimed there was only enough air for 8 and handed him a pistol, Kenneth immediately tried to shoot himself, and when he found the gun empty, he was willing to allow others to kill him with his own belt before Jack called it off. In "The Ones", Kenneth willingly went into anaphylactic shock by drinking water tampered with strawberries so that Jenna could see a cute paramedic. He had also been seen observing the other cast, and arguing with an unknown entity named Jacob (possibly a reference to the character from Lost
) about the good in them, claiming he needs more time, similar to the biblical character Lot
.
It also appears that Kenneth is consistently armed, as after giving an improper tour in "I Do Do
," he returns his NBC ID-badge as well as a pistol to Pete Hornberger (Scott Adsit
) , who was ordered by Kabletown to fire him.
" Kenneth states, "I've worn this old jacket since 19-hubeduh," intentionally mumbling the year, and in the episode "Cutbacks," Kenneth says that he's had a pet bird for over 60 years. In a deleted scene of "Mamma Mia
" it is implied that he is a veteran of World War II
when he is recognized by an elderly man as one of his war buddies (coincidentally like Dick Whitman in "Mad Men
").
In Subway Hero
, he recognizes a celebrity who was described as being active in the "40s and 50s" much to Jack's puzzlement. Similarly, in the episode Verna
, Kenneth says that The Today Show has not been as good since chimpanzee J. Fred Muggs
was featured on the show, implying that Kenneth watched Today when the chimp served as the show's mascot from 1953 to 1957. In "Black Light Attack!
", Frank's phone has a low frequency tone that people over 40 can hear, something that Kenneth is heavily affected by. Kenneth's actual birth-date would therefore be some time in the mid-1920s or earlier. Another possible hint in that episode about Kenneth being older than he appears is when he is at the Black Light party. Tracy asks him why his (Kenneth's) teeth aren't glowing, and Kenneth replies with "You'll have to ask the fellow who whittled them for me!", which may be a reference to Kenneth losing his real teeth due to his old age and thus needing a false pair. (Although this is somewhat of a stretch as it is possible the writers' were making a satirical reference to Kenneth's poor/"hillbilly" background.)
When asked if he "wants to be a page forever," Kenneth darkly and nervously asks "Who said I've been alive forever?" In "Future Husband
", Kenneth says he remembers Jenna's first acting role in a commercial circa 1970 ("You were a fat little baby"). When NBC was bought out by Kabletown, Kenneth became worried and asked if they would be having new rules for pages, such as "age limits or age verification." He is also shown to need medication or else he begins acting like a donkey. In Season 5's "When it Rains, it Pours
", Kenneth is seen nostalgically packing away a signed photograph of Fred Allen
from 1947 dedicated: "Kenneth, you're the TOPS!" into a box marked "NBC Memories 1945-1967". Kenneth's page jacket could also be an underlying running gag implying his age and longevity at NBC because those jackets were discontinued by the NBC page program many years ago in favor of grey jackets. In "Operation Righteous Cowboy Lightning
" Kenneth reveals that when he looks into a mirror "there is only a white haze" suggesting that he is a vampire thus explaining how he appears so young but implied to be much older (however, in the earlier episode "Klaus and Greta
", Kenneth sees his reflection in a mirror).
In "¡Qué Sorpresa!
", when he comes up with the idea of BlaBar, the black bar covering the lower half of a TV screen to censor material considered inappropriate; he mentions how older viewers are offended by certain things on television, subtly gesturing to himself while saying so. In the episode "TGS Hates Women
", Kenneth comments that Shirley Temple taught him to roll cigarettes at NBC when she was 8. This implies that he was at least born before 1936 (8 years after Shirley Temple's birth). Assuming NBC pages are 18 years old, Kenneth was born in 1918 at the latest. In "Queen of Jordan
", Kenneth's chyron reads Kenneth Parcell: Elderly Page. However, many assume that the jokes regarding Kenneth's age are mere personality quirks and that he is in his 20s as he appears. During a flash-forward in the episode "100
", Kenneth, Tracy, and Jenna speculate where they will be in five years. The scene then shows three tombstones, with Kenneth's date of birth appearing to be listed as May 27th, 1781, although the second digit is partially obscured by a leaf in multiple shots.
's staff, or even Liz herself. In the pilot episode
, Liz refers to Kenneth only as "that NBC
page." As the show progressed beyond its initial episodes, the character became more familiar with other staff of TGS with Tracy Jordan.
Kenneth is often shown creating his own ideas for rather unusual television shows and one (a game show
called Gold Case) became a reality in "The Head and the Hair," though it turned out to be very ill-conceived and was promptly shut down. When he pretends to be interviewed by Conan O'Brien
on the empty set of Late Night with Conan O'Brien
in the episode "Tracy Does Conan
," it is shown that Kenneth dreams of making "hit movies" with Zach Braff
and that he is skilled at clogging
. In real life, McBrayer performed in numerous skits on Late Night before being cast on 30 Rock. On the August 10, 2007 episode of Late Night, McBrayer made a cameo appearance
as Kenneth. He also appeared as Kenneth on the third episode of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
.
As seen in the episode "Blind Date", Kenneth is a very good poker
player due to the fact no one can read his thoughts, since, according to Frank, "he doesn't have any." In a high-stakes game with Jack Donaghy
, Kenneth is goaded into betting his job and loses. However, Jack gives him his page jacket back and tells him that he isn't really going to fire him, but just wants to remind him that he could. Jack then tells Liz that "in five years we'll all either be working for him... or be dead by his hand."
Kenneth often acts as Tracy Jordan
's personal assistant
, even going so far as to get him nachos
from Yankee Stadium
. He is sometimes seen trying to impress or emulate Tracy, even wearing Tracy's chains when he wins them in a card game. A running gag
with his character is the taking of his sandwich, which both Tracy Jordan and Jack Donaghy have done.
"Up All Night" hints at the possibility of romance between Kenneth and Cerie. In "The Aftermath," they are seen dancing together on Tracy's yacht
. Kenneth's innocence and sweet nature are a constant running joke. In "The Collection
", after insulting Jenna to get her to eat (using words written by Liz), Jenna starts kissing him seductively and later tells Jack that "I guess we have to get married now." Kenneth hosts occasional parties that no one but Liz ever attends, until a series of lies about music stars and celebrities turns one such party into such a destructive bacchanalia that Kenneth sternly reprimands the staff for their behavior, and then says he will never host another party again.
In "Ludachristmas
," it is revealed that Kenneth had "a 'coke' problem during his 'Wall Street
days.'" This turns out to mean that he used to work at a Blockbuster Video and was addicted to The Soft Drink around the time that the 1987 film was popular on home video.
In "Episode 210", Kenneth tries coffee
for the first time and is immediately hooked. When he sees himself in a mirror, he becomes depressed because he realizes he has broken the second of his two promises to his mother, that New York City
wouldn't change him (the first was that if he found any "MacKenzies", he would kill them). Kenneth leaves to return to his mother's home, but returns during the show-ending musical number, singing that he missed the Midnight Train to Georgia
because the train actually left at 11:45PM and he was misinformed about the time.
In "Sandwich Day
" Kenneth reveals during the drinking contest
against the Teamster
s that unknowingly he had alcohol before, what he calls "hill people milk" and, because he has been drinking it "since [he] was a baby," he has a very high tolerance
, managing to keep up on his feet while the Teamsters and the writing staff get blind drunk.
In the Season 2 finale "Cooter", Kenneth is determined to be a page for NBC's coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
. Head Page Donnie tries to ruin his chances by giving him false information and setting up a phony menial task so that Kenneth will miss the application deadline, while Jenna and Pete help him finish the application and get past Donnie. Kenneth gets his application in and is shown, in the episode's last scene, sitting in a Beijing hotel room with an attractive woman. She says in Mandarin, "Kenneth, I like you, because I'm attracted to your two healthy kidneys." This catches him by surprise (it is shown earlier in the episode that Kenneth speaks Mandarin fluently), and then an armed man bursts into the room and Kenneth says in Mandarin, "What! This is unbelievable!" as the episode and season ends.
of the Holy Trinity
". It seems to be an extreme sort of Charismatic Christianity
. In the episode "Greenzo
", Kenneth says he intends to "party like it's 1999
," which according to his Bible will be in seven years. He often doles out folksy religious advice, for example advising Pete to think of God
to prevent him from cheating on his wife in "Black Tie." His church (which was in the basement of a Cuban
restaurant) has a fire-and-brimstone preacher
, who scared away Tracy when Kenneth brought him there. It is revealed in "The C Word" that he attended Kentucky Mountain Bible College
, where he studied television theory, and where the Old Testament
was a part of science class. In "Black Tie," Kenneth referred to Footloose as the movie where "those evil kids won in the end." Also, he reads the Bible
in German
, because it is the only way "to get all the versteckte Bedeutungen (hidden meanings)." In "Episode 210
," he says he does not drink any hot beverages, for that is "the Devil's temperature."
In "Subway Hero", Kenneth reveals that he has no political views because "choosing is a sin." Instead, he always submits write-in votes
for God. However, according to Jack, those count as Republican
.
In "Christmas Special
", when Liz (believes) she got ripped off by two adults who scammed her through the letters to Santa program, Kenneth refuses to believe anyone would scam a Christmas charity (he further demonstrates his naïvety when he asks Liz, while trying to prove his point that people would not do something as wrong as scamming on a Religious holiday, "when has Religion ever caused any trouble?").
It is hinted that he is not very educated/respectful of other religions, such as when he wished Josh Girard a "Merry Jewish". Another example is in "100", when Jenna tries to seduce him so she can have a baby, he refuses on the grounds that they're unmarried and are a part of different religions. In "Secret Santa
," he sets up a multi-faith holiday display which includes a framed photo of Barack Obama
"for the Muslim
s."
Kenneth has said he does not believe in hypothetical situations because its like "lying to your brain" ("Believe in the Stars"). When Jack tells Kenneth he knows the ten commandments
, Kenneth snorts and says "Ten?" implying he follows more.
Although he is very respectful towards the other staff, male and female alike, he is shown to have some views on women that are somewhat sexist/misogynistic. In "The Funcooker
", when he is put in charge, his first act is to have all menstruating women go home immediately. In "TGS Hates Women", Kenneth reveals that he wants his legacy to be a Sesame Street
-esque show that "promotes illiteracy in girls". Another example is in "100", when Kenneth states that he believes it is crazy that women have the right to choose their own haircuts.
Unsurprisingly, Kenneth does not believe in Darwin's
Theory of Evolution. However, he does believe that Candles, Incense
and Disco Music are a part of the "Easter spirit". It is also hinted he prefers the clean shaven look, as when he was placed in charge (see above), he forbade beards and moustaches in the workplace.
In "Gavin Volure," Kenneth admits to having $76,000 in Confederate currency
.
In 2009 McBrayer received an Emmy nomination for his work as Kenneth.
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
. He is portrayed by actor Jack McBrayer
Jack McBrayer
Jack McBrayer is an American actor and comedian. He gained national exposure for his characters on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien"...
and first appeared on television in the 30 Rock episode "Pilot
Pilot (30 Rock)
The pilot episode of the American situation comedy series 30 Rock premiered on October 10, 2006 on the CTV Television Network in Canada, and October 11, 2006 on NBC in the United States...
" on October 10, 2006. A supporting character
Supporting character
A supporting character is a character of a book, play, video game, movie, television or radio show or other form of storytelling usually used to give added dimension to a main character, by adding a relationship with this character...
in the first two episodes, the show's producers see him as an example of a breakout character
Breakout character
A breakout character is a fictional character in different episodes, books or other media that becomes the most popular, talked about, and imitated. Most often a breakout character in a television series captures the audience's imagination and helps to popularize the show, sometimes inadvertently...
.
Primary character traits
Kenneth is a perpetually cheerful NBC pageNBC page
An NBC page is a person usually in his or her early twenties working in various departments of the NBC television network during a one-year period as a training ground for careers in television broadcasting and entertainment...
who carries his mother's middle name, and hails from Stone Mountain, Georgia
Stone Mountain, Georgia
Stone Mountain is a city in eastern DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,802 at the 2010 census. It is an outer suburb of the Atlanta Metropolitan Area.-Geography:...
(the actual hometown of former 30 Rock writer, and star of Community
Community (TV series)
Community is an American television comedy series created by Dan Harmon that airs on NBC. The series is about a group of students at a community college in the fictional locale of Greendale, Colorado. The series heavily uses meta-humor and pop culture references, often parodying film and television...
, Donald Glover
Donald Glover
Donald McKinley Glover is an American actor, writer, comedian, and musician. Glover first came to attention for his work in the sketch group Derrick Comedy, and is best known for his role as community college student Troy Barnes on the NBC comedy series Community...
), where his father was a pig farmer. He exclaims as he passes out from strawberry poisoning in the episode "The Ones
The Ones (30 Rock)
"The Ones" is the nineteenth episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by co-executive producer Jack Burditt, and directed by Beth McCarthy. The episode aired in the United States on April 23, 2009, on the National Broadcasting Company . Guest...
" that his real name is Dick Whitman
Don Draper
Donald "Don" Draper is a fictional character and the protagonist of AMC's television series Mad Men. He is portrayed by 2008 Golden Globe winner Jon Hamm. Until the third season finale, Draper was Creative Director of Manhattan advertising firm Sterling Cooper...
(a reference to the AMC drama Mad Men
Mad Men
Mad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each...
). Kenneth's family appears to have been in poverty, as Kenneth mentions that the Parcells "have eaten [their] share of Rock Soup and Squirrel Tail" (but also mentions that they've known "lean times" as well). At some time during his childhood, Kenneth's family lived in a militia camp. Despite Kenneth's friendship with Tracy, the Parcell's were supporters of the Confederacy
Confederacy
Confederacy may refer to:A Confederation, an association of sovereign states or communities. Examples include:* Confederate States of America, eleven southern states of the United States of America between 1861 and 1865...
, as in "Flu Shot
Flu Shot (30 Rock)
"Flu Shot" is the eighth episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by Jon Pollack, and directed by series producer Don Scardino. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company in the United States on January 15, 2009...
", Kenneth reveals that his family's traditional burial for Parcell men is that their body is wrapped in a Confederate flag, fried, and fed to dogs. In "Respawn
Respawn (30 Rock)
"Respawn" is the twenty-third episode and season finale of the fifth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 103rd overall episode of the series. It was directed by Don Scardino, and written by Hannibal Buress and Ron Weiner. The episode originally aired on the National...
", Kenneth has a family recipe which he has tinkered with, saying he has replaced the ingredient of Union Soldier
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
meat with boiled potatoes.
The Parcells also had bizarre intercourse rituals, where if a, presumably, male succeeded in getting a mate, they would lay their woman across their Grandmother's lap in the "mating shed" (Kenneth mentions that Albinos would be in there as well, as they are the "Watchers").
After Kenneth's father died, his mother's "friend" Ron moved in. It is heavily hinted that his mother had a sexual relationship with Ron, but Kenneth remains blissfully unaware of this, though it is hinted that he has a great hatred towards Ron.
At Kentucky Mountain Bible College
Kentucky Mountain Bible College
Kentucky Mountain Bible College is a four-year evangelical Christian holiness Bible college in Vancleve, Kentucky. The college is located near the town of Jackson in Breathitt County, and is a ministry of the Kentucky Mountain Holiness Association.Over 70% of KMBC's graduates have entered diverse...
, Kenneth majored in television studies and minored in bible sexuality, and his favorite subject was science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, "especially the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
." He considers his mother his best friend, and credits her with his persistent optimism, since she taught him that no matter how bad things seem, there is always someone else having a worse day, "like being stung by a bee, or getting a splinter, or being chained to a wall in someone's sex dungeon." At the end of "The Baby Show", it seems as though Kenneth had preserved his mother's corpse à la Psycho
Psycho (1960 film)
Psycho is a 1960 American suspense/psychological horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. The film is based on the screenplay by Joseph Stefano, who adapted it from the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch...
, but it is later shown that his mother is alive (the skeleton was a Halloween decoration, and his mother was talking to him on the phone). Aside from being a pig farmer, not much else is known about Kenneth's father, although according to Kenneth in a deleted scene of "The One with the Cast of Night Court
The One with the Cast of Night Court
"The One with the Cast of Night Court" is the third episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by co-executive producer Jack Burditt, and directed by Gail Mancuso. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company in the United...
", his parents were first cousins (a fact which Kenneth's father kept from Kenneth's mother, since if she knew she would not have married him), and in "The Collection
The Collection (30 Rock)
"The Collection" is the third episode of NBC's second season of 30 Rock, and the twenty-fourth episode overall. It was written by producer Matt Hubbard and directed by producer Don Scardino, and first aired on October 18, 2007 in the United States...
", he tells Jenna that his father died of a heart attack. It is also later established in the episode "Kidney Now!
Kidney Now!
"Kidney Now!" is the twenty-second episode and season finale of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 58th overall episode of the series. It was directed by series producer Don Scardino, and written by show producers Jack Burditt and Robert Carlock...
" that Kenneth is the cousin of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
2nd-season runner-up Clay Aiken
Clay Aiken
Clayton Holmes "Clay" Aiken is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and author who began his rise to fame on the second season of the television program American Idol in 2003. RCA Records offered him a recording contract, and his multi-platinum debut album Measure of a Man was released...
. He is almost never seen without his page uniform, even in his free time, and he once cried out, "Oh god it hurts" when he watched his jacket catch on fire.
An awkward yet polite rube, he is always smiling, excited and happy to do his menial job, which many people do not understand. He has explained in two episodes ("Pilot
Pilot (30 Rock)
The pilot episode of the American situation comedy series 30 Rock premiered on October 10, 2006 on the CTV Television Network in Canada, and October 11, 2006 on NBC in the United States...
" and "The Head and the Hair") that this is because he loves television so much. His love of television and his unending devotion to the NBC network are two of his most defining character traits. For example, he told Pete that he didn't want to "disgrace the peacock
NBC logos
The National Broadcasting Company has used several corporate logos over its history, yet the peacock is its most well known.-Microphone logo :...
" in "The C Word
The C Word
"The C Word" is the fourteenth episode of the first season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by series creator Tina Fey and directed by Adam Bernstein. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company in the United States on February 15, 2007...
," and, in "Corporate Crush
Corporate Crush
"Corporate Crush" is the nineteenth episode of the first season of the American television series 30 Rock. It was written by co-executive producer John Riggi and directed by Don Scardino. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company in the United States on April 12, 2007...
," he was seen knitting
Knitting
Knitting is a method by which thread or yarn may be turned into cloth or other fine crafts. Knitted fabric consists of consecutive rows of loops, called stitches. As each row progresses, a new loop is pulled through an existing loop. The active stitches are held on a needle until another loop can...
a woolen bikini
Bikini
The bikini is typically a women's two-piece swimsuit. One part of the attire covers the breasts and the other part covers the crotch and part of or the entire buttocks, leaving an uncovered area between the two. Merriam–Webster describes the bikini as "a woman's scanty two-piece bathing suit" or "a...
with the NBC Peacock on it for his grandmother. He has stated in "Believe in the Stars
Believe in the Stars
"Believe in the Stars" is the second episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 38th overall episode of the series. It was written by executive producer Robert Carlock and directed by series producer Don Scardino. The episode originally aired on the...
" that he only loves two things: "everybody and television." He also named his parakeet
Parakeet
Parakeet is a term for any one of a large number of unrelated small to medium sized species of parrot, that generally have long tail feathers...
after Sonny Crockett.
Kenneth is generally well-liked at NBC, but has a determined nemesis in Head Page Donnie (Paul Scheer
Paul Scheer
Paul Christian Scheer is an American comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He co-created and starred in MTV's sketch comedy series Human Giant and currently co-stars as Andre on the FX comedy The League. He also currently stars as Trent Hauser on the Adult Swim show NTSF:SD:SUV:: which he created...
), who forced him to go through a humiliating series of tasks to get a new page jacket in "Rosemary's Baby
Rosemary's Baby (30 Rock)
"Rosemary's Baby" is the fourth episode of the second season of 30 Rock, and the twenty-fifth episode overall. It was written by Jack Burditt and was directed by Michael Engler. The episode first aired on October 25, 2007 on the NBC network in the United States...
" and who worked overtime to subvert Kenneth's application to work at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
in the episode "Cooter
Cooter (30 Rock)
"Cooter" is the fifteenth episode of the second season of 30 Rock and thirty-sixth episode of the series. It was written by series' creator Tina Fey and was directed by one of the season's producers, Don Scardino. The episode first aired on May 8, 2008 on the NBC network in the United States...
". In real life, McBrayer and Scheer are friends who have an acclaimed two-man comedy improv show together.
As seen in "Hiatus
Hiatus (30 Rock)
"Hiatus" is the twenty-first and season finale episode of NBC's first season of 30 Rock. It was written by series creator and executive producer Tina Fey, and was directed by Don Scardino. It first aired on April 26, 2007 in the United States...
," Kenneth has a considerably less friendly and more violent cousin, Jesse Parcell (Sean Hayes
Sean Hayes (actor)
Sean Patrick Hayes is an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Jack McFarland in the NBC sitcom Will & Grace, for which he won an Emmy Award, four SAG Awards, one American Comedy Award, and six Golden Globes nominations.He also portrayed comedian Jerry Lewis in the...
), living in Needmore, Pennsylvania
Needmore, Pennsylvania
Needmore is a populated place in southern Fulton County, Pennsylvania. It lies at the intersection of U.S. Route 522 and Route 655 .-Geology:...
.
In "Apollo, Apollo
Apollo, Apollo
"Apollo, Apollo" is the sixteenth episode of the third season of American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 52nd episode of the series overall. It was written by executive producer Robert Carlock and directed by Millicent Shelton. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting...
", it was shown that Kenneth sees everyone as muppets
The Muppets
The Muppets are a group of puppet characters created by Jim Henson starting in 1954–55. Although the term is often used to refer to any puppet that resembles the distinctive style of The Muppet Show, the term is both an informal name and legal trademark owned by the Walt Disney Company in reference...
. In "Dealbreakers Talk Show #0001", he appeared as a muppet while walking by an HD
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
camera.
In different and numerous episodes, Kenneth is shown speaking different languages. These languages include Mandarin in "Cooter", French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
in "Flu Shot", German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
in "Episode 210
Episode 210
The untitled tenth episode of the second season of the television series 30 Rock was first broadcast in the United States on January 10, 2008, on the NBC network. The episode was written by show runner Robert Carlock and Donald Glover, and was directed by Richard Shepard...
", and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
in "Audition Day
Audition Day
"Audition Day" is the fourth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 62nd overall episode of the series. The episode was written by supervising producer Matt Hubbard and directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller. It originally aired on the National Broadcasting...
". This adds to the myth that Ken is older than he looks due to how fluent he seems to be in all of these languages. He can also speak backwards fluently, and in "Kidney Now!", he is shown to be able to talk to without moving his lips. In the episode "Succession
Succession (30 Rock)
"Succession" is the thirteenth episode of NBC's second season of 30 Rock and the thirty-fourth episode overall. It was written by Andrew Guest and one of the seasons' co-executive producers, John Riggi; it was directed by Gail Mancuso. It first aired on April 24, 2008 in the United States...
", he is able to guess cards with ease, although Grizz doesn't tell him he can.
He is also extremely selfless, as seen in "Believe in the Stars" when Jack trapped him in an elevator with 9 people and claimed there was only enough air for 8 and handed him a pistol, Kenneth immediately tried to shoot himself, and when he found the gun empty, he was willing to allow others to kill him with his own belt before Jack called it off. In "The Ones", Kenneth willingly went into anaphylactic shock by drinking water tampered with strawberries so that Jenna could see a cute paramedic. He had also been seen observing the other cast, and arguing with an unknown entity named Jacob (possibly a reference to the character from Lost
Characters of Lost
The characters from the American drama/adventure television series Lost were created by Damon Lindelof and J. J. Abrams. The series follows the lives of plane crash survivors on a mysterious tropical island, after a commercial passenger jet crashes somewhere in the South Pacific...
) about the good in them, claiming he needs more time, similar to the biblical character Lot
Lot
Lot or lots may refer to:*Lot , a unit of weight used in many European countries since Middle Ages until the beginning of the 20th century*Lot, a set of goods, together for sale in an auction; or a quantity of a financial instrument...
.
It also appears that Kenneth is consistently armed, as after giving an improper tour in "I Do Do
I Do Do
"I Do Do" is the twenty-second episode and season finale of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 80th overall episode of the series. It was directed by series producer Don Scardino, and written by series creator, executive producer and lead actress Tina Fey...
," he returns his NBC ID-badge as well as a pistol to Pete Hornberger (Scott Adsit
Scott Adsit
Scott Adsit is an American actor, writer and improvisational comedian. He is currently co-starring as Pete Hornberger in the hit NBC comedy 30 Rock and worked in the Adult Swim stop-motion animation programs Moral Orel and Mary Shelley's Frankenhole.-1990s:After attending Columbia College Chicago,...
) , who was ordered by Kabletown to fire him.
Kenneth's age
Kenneth appears to be in his early- or mid-twenties (McBrayer is actually in his thirties), but it has been implied numerous times since Season 3 that he is actually much older; in the episode "Into the Crevasse," Kenneth appears dancing in the 1950s flashback "doin' the Microwave;" in the episode "The One with the Cast of Night CourtThe One with the Cast of Night Court
"The One with the Cast of Night Court" is the third episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by co-executive producer Jack Burditt, and directed by Gail Mancuso. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company in the United...
" Kenneth states, "I've worn this old jacket since 19-hubeduh," intentionally mumbling the year, and in the episode "Cutbacks," Kenneth says that he's had a pet bird for over 60 years. In a deleted scene of "Mamma Mia
Mamma Mia (30 Rock)
"Mamma Mia" is the twenty-first episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 57th overall episode of the series. It was written by co-executive producer Ron Weiner and directed by series producer Don Scardino. The episode originally aired on the National...
" it is implied that he is a veteran of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
when he is recognized by an elderly man as one of his war buddies (coincidentally like Dick Whitman in "Mad Men
Mad Men
Mad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each...
").
In Subway Hero
Subway Hero
"Subway Hero" is the twelfth episode of the second season of 30 Rock and thirty-third episode of the series. It was written by Jack Burditt, one of the series' co-executive producers, and executive producer Robert Carlock. It was directed by Don Scardino. It aired on April 17, 2008 on the NBC...
, he recognizes a celebrity who was described as being active in the "40s and 50s" much to Jack's puzzlement. Similarly, in the episode Verna
Verna (30 Rock)
"Verna" is the twelfth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 70th overall episode of the series. The episode was written by co-executive producer Ron Weiner and directed by series producer Don Scardino. It originally aired on the National...
, Kenneth says that The Today Show has not been as good since chimpanzee J. Fred Muggs
J. Fred Muggs
J. Fred Muggs is a chimpanzee that was the mascot for NBC's Today Show from 1953 to 1957.The show debuted in 1952, with amiable host Dave Garroway. The show was in trouble initially; the addition of J. Fred Muggs boosted ratings and helped win advertisers...
was featured on the show, implying that Kenneth watched Today when the chimp served as the show's mascot from 1953 to 1957. In "Black Light Attack!
Black Light Attack!
"Black Light Attack!" is the tenth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 68th overall episode of the series. The episode was written by Steve Hely and directed by series producer Don Scardino. It originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company ...
", Frank's phone has a low frequency tone that people over 40 can hear, something that Kenneth is heavily affected by. Kenneth's actual birth-date would therefore be some time in the mid-1920s or earlier. Another possible hint in that episode about Kenneth being older than he appears is when he is at the Black Light party. Tracy asks him why his (Kenneth's) teeth aren't glowing, and Kenneth replies with "You'll have to ask the fellow who whittled them for me!", which may be a reference to Kenneth losing his real teeth due to his old age and thus needing a false pair. (Although this is somewhat of a stretch as it is possible the writers' were making a satirical reference to Kenneth's poor/"hillbilly" background.)
When asked if he "wants to be a page forever," Kenneth darkly and nervously asks "Who said I've been alive forever?" In "Future Husband
Future Husband
"Future Husband" is the fourteenth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was directed by series producer Don Scardino, and written by Jon Haller and Tracey Wigfield. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company network in the United...
", Kenneth says he remembers Jenna's first acting role in a commercial circa 1970 ("You were a fat little baby"). When NBC was bought out by Kabletown, Kenneth became worried and asked if they would be having new rules for pages, such as "age limits or age verification." He is also shown to need medication or else he begins acting like a donkey. In Season 5's "When it Rains, it Pours
When It Rains, It Pours (30 Rock)
"When It Rains, It Pours" is the second episode of the fifth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 82nd overall episode of the series. It was written by co-show runner and executive producer Robert Carlock and directed by series producer Don Scardino...
", Kenneth is seen nostalgically packing away a signed photograph of Fred Allen
Fred Allen
Fred Allen was an American comedian whose absurdist, topically pointed radio show made him one of the most popular and forward-looking humorists in the so-called classic era of American radio.His best-remembered gag was his long-running mock feud with friend and fellow comedian Jack Benny, but it...
from 1947 dedicated: "Kenneth, you're the TOPS!" into a box marked "NBC Memories 1945-1967". Kenneth's page jacket could also be an underlying running gag implying his age and longevity at NBC because those jackets were discontinued by the NBC page program many years ago in favor of grey jackets. In "Operation Righteous Cowboy Lightning
Operation Righteous Cowboy Lightning
"Operation Righteous Cowboy Lightning" is the twelfth episode of the fifth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by executive producer Robert Carlock. The director of this episode was Beth McCarthy-Miller. It originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company ...
" Kenneth reveals that when he looks into a mirror "there is only a white haze" suggesting that he is a vampire thus explaining how he appears so young but implied to be much older (however, in the earlier episode "Klaus and Greta
Klaus and Greta
"Klaus and Greta" is the ninth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by co-showrunner and executive producer Robert Carlock and directed by Gail Mancuso. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company network in the United...
", Kenneth sees his reflection in a mirror).
In "¡Qué Sorpresa!
¡Qué Sorpresa!
"¡Qué Sorpresa!" is the thirteenth episode of the fifth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 93rd overall episode of the series. It was directed by John Riggi, and written by Matt Hubbard. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company network in the...
", when he comes up with the idea of BlaBar, the black bar covering the lower half of a TV screen to censor material considered inappropriate; he mentions how older viewers are offended by certain things on television, subtly gesturing to himself while saying so. In the episode "TGS Hates Women
TGS Hates Women
"TGS Hates Women" is the sixteenth episode of the fifth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 96th overall episode of the series. It was written by co-executive producer Ron Weiner and directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller. The episode originally aired on the National...
", Kenneth comments that Shirley Temple taught him to roll cigarettes at NBC when she was 8. This implies that he was at least born before 1936 (8 years after Shirley Temple's birth). Assuming NBC pages are 18 years old, Kenneth was born in 1918 at the latest. In "Queen of Jordan
Queen of Jordan (30 Rock)
"Queen of Jordan" is the seventeenth episode of the fifth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 97th overall episode of the series. It was "written" by Tracey Wigfield and directed by Ken Whittingham. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company ...
", Kenneth's chyron reads Kenneth Parcell: Elderly Page. However, many assume that the jokes regarding Kenneth's age are mere personality quirks and that he is in his 20s as he appears. During a flash-forward in the episode "100
100 (30 Rock)
"100" is a double-episode of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, covering the 20th and 21st episodes of the fifth season, and the 100th and 101st episodes overall of the series. It was written by Jack Burditt and the show's executive producers Robert Carlock and Tina Fey, who is also the...
", Kenneth, Tracy, and Jenna speculate where they will be in five years. The scene then shows three tombstones, with Kenneth's date of birth appearing to be listed as May 27th, 1781, although the second digit is partially obscured by a leaf in multiple shots.
Role on the show
In initial episodes, it appeared as though Kenneth was not very familiar with some of Liz LemonLiz Lemon
Elizabeth Miervaldis "Liz" Lemon is the main character of the American television series 30 Rock. She is portrayed by Tina Fey, who is also the creator of the series and its showrunner.-Personal history:...
's staff, or even Liz herself. In the pilot episode
Pilot (30 Rock)
The pilot episode of the American situation comedy series 30 Rock premiered on October 10, 2006 on the CTV Television Network in Canada, and October 11, 2006 on NBC in the United States...
, Liz refers to Kenneth only as "that NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
page." As the show progressed beyond its initial episodes, the character became more familiar with other staff of TGS with Tracy Jordan.
Kenneth is often shown creating his own ideas for rather unusual television shows and one (a game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
called Gold Case) became a reality in "The Head and the Hair," though it turned out to be very ill-conceived and was promptly shut down. When he pretends to be interviewed by Conan O'Brien
Conan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....
on the empty set of Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
in the episode "Tracy Does Conan
Tracy Does Conan
"Tracy Does Conan" is the seventh episode of NBC's first season of 30 Rock. It was written by the series' creator and executive producer, Tina Fey and it was directed by one of the season's supervising producers, Adam Bernstein. It first aired on December 7, 2006 in the United States and November...
," it is shown that Kenneth dreams of making "hit movies" with Zach Braff
Zach Braff
Zachary Israel "Zach" Braff is an American actor, screenwriter, producer, comedian, and director. Braff first became known in 2001 for his role as Dr. John Dorian on the television series Scrubs, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award and three Golden Globe Awards.In 2004, Braff made his...
and that he is skilled at clogging
Clogging
Clogging is a type of folk dance with roots in traditional European dancing, early African-American dance, and traditional Cherokee dance in which the dancer's footwear is used musically by striking the heel, the toe, or both in unison against a floor or each other to create audible percussive...
. In real life, McBrayer performed in numerous skits on Late Night before being cast on 30 Rock. On the August 10, 2007 episode of Late Night, McBrayer made a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
as Kenneth. He also appeared as Kenneth on the third episode of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show that featured Conan O'Brien as host from June 1, 2009 to January 22, 2010 as part of NBC's long-running Tonight Show franchise...
.
As seen in the episode "Blind Date", Kenneth is a very good poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player due to the fact no one can read his thoughts, since, according to Frank, "he doesn't have any." In a high-stakes game with Jack Donaghy
Jack Donaghy
John Francis "Jack" Donaghy is a fictional character on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. He is the Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming for General Electric and later Kabletown....
, Kenneth is goaded into betting his job and loses. However, Jack gives him his page jacket back and tells him that he isn't really going to fire him, but just wants to remind him that he could. Jack then tells Liz that "in five years we'll all either be working for him... or be dead by his hand."
Kenneth often acts as Tracy Jordan
Tracy Jordan
Ogbert Jordan, better known by his stage name, Tracy, is a fictional character on the American television series 30 Rock, based on and played by Tracy Morgan.-Brief overview:...
's personal assistant
Personal assistant
A personal assistant or personal aide is someone who assists in daily business or personal tasks. It is common in design to have a PDA, or personal design assistant....
, even going so far as to get him nachos
Nachos
Nachos are a popular food based on nixtamalized corn, of Mexican origin associated with Tex-Mex cuisine that can be either made quickly to serve as a snack or prepared with more ingredients to make a full meal. In their simplest form, nachos are tortilla chips or totopos covered in melted cheese...
from Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
. He is sometimes seen trying to impress or emulate Tracy, even wearing Tracy's chains when he wins them in a card game. A running gag
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....
with his character is the taking of his sandwich, which both Tracy Jordan and Jack Donaghy have done.
"Up All Night" hints at the possibility of romance between Kenneth and Cerie. In "The Aftermath," they are seen dancing together on Tracy's yacht
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
. Kenneth's innocence and sweet nature are a constant running joke. In "The Collection
The Collection (30 Rock)
"The Collection" is the third episode of NBC's second season of 30 Rock, and the twenty-fourth episode overall. It was written by producer Matt Hubbard and directed by producer Don Scardino, and first aired on October 18, 2007 in the United States...
", after insulting Jenna to get her to eat (using words written by Liz), Jenna starts kissing him seductively and later tells Jack that "I guess we have to get married now." Kenneth hosts occasional parties that no one but Liz ever attends, until a series of lies about music stars and celebrities turns one such party into such a destructive bacchanalia that Kenneth sternly reprimands the staff for their behavior, and then says he will never host another party again.
In "Ludachristmas
Ludachristmas
"Ludachristmas" is the ninth episode of the second season of the television series 30 Rock and was first broadcast on December 13, 2007 on the NBC network in the United States. The episode was written by Tami Sagher and directed by Don Scardino...
," it is revealed that Kenneth had "a 'coke' problem during his 'Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
days.'" This turns out to mean that he used to work at a Blockbuster Video and was addicted to The Soft Drink around the time that the 1987 film was popular on home video.
In "Episode 210", Kenneth tries coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
for the first time and is immediately hooked. When he sees himself in a mirror, he becomes depressed because he realizes he has broken the second of his two promises to his mother, that New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
wouldn't change him (the first was that if he found any "MacKenzies", he would kill them). Kenneth leaves to return to his mother's home, but returns during the show-ending musical number, singing that he missed the Midnight Train to Georgia
Midnight Train to Georgia
"Midnight Train to Georgia" is a 1973 number-one hit single by Gladys Knight & the Pips, their second release after departing Motown Records for Buddah Records...
because the train actually left at 11:45PM and he was misinformed about the time.
In "Sandwich Day
Sandwich Day
"Sandwich Day" is the fourteenth episode of the second season of 30 Rock and the thirty-fifth episode overall. It was written by one of the season's executive producers, Robert Carlock, and one of the season's co-executive producers, Jack Burditt. The episode was directed by one of the season's...
" Kenneth reveals during the drinking contest
Drinking game
Drinking games are games which involve the consumption of alcoholic beverages. These games vary widely in scope and complexity, although the purpose of most is to become intoxicated as quickly as possible...
against the Teamster
Teamster
A teamster, in modern American English, is a truck driver. The trade union named after them is the International Brotherhood of Teamsters , one of the largest unions in the United States....
s that unknowingly he had alcohol before, what he calls "hill people milk" and, because he has been drinking it "since [he] was a baby," he has a very high tolerance
Alcohol tolerance
Alcohol tolerance refers to the bodily responses to the functional effects of ethanol in alcoholic beverages. This includes direct tolerance, speed of recovery from insobriety and resistance to the development of alcoholism.-Consumption-induced tolerance:...
, managing to keep up on his feet while the Teamsters and the writing staff get blind drunk.
In the Season 2 finale "Cooter", Kenneth is determined to be a page for NBC's coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. Head Page Donnie tries to ruin his chances by giving him false information and setting up a phony menial task so that Kenneth will miss the application deadline, while Jenna and Pete help him finish the application and get past Donnie. Kenneth gets his application in and is shown, in the episode's last scene, sitting in a Beijing hotel room with an attractive woman. She says in Mandarin, "Kenneth, I like you, because I'm attracted to your two healthy kidneys." This catches him by surprise (it is shown earlier in the episode that Kenneth speaks Mandarin fluently), and then an armed man bursts into the room and Kenneth says in Mandarin, "What! This is unbelievable!" as the episode and season ends.
Religious and political views
Kenneth is very religious. It is revealed in "The Fighting Irish" that his religion is called "Eighth Day Resurrected CovenantCovenant (biblical)
A biblical covenant is an agreement found in the Bible between God and His people in which God makes specific promises and demands. It is the customary word used to translate the Hebrew word berith. It it is used in the Tanakh 286 times . All Abrahamic religions consider the Biblical covenant...
of the Holy Trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
". It seems to be an extreme sort of Charismatic Christianity
Charismatic Christianity
Charismatic Christianity is a Christian doctrine that maintains that modern-day believers experience miracles, prophecy, speaking in tongues, and other spiritual gifts as described in of the Bible...
. In the episode "Greenzo
Greenzo
"Greenzo" is the fifth episode of NBC's second season of 30 Rock and twenty-sixth episode overall. It was written by Jon Pollack and directed by series producer Don Scardino. It aired on November 8, 2007 in the United States...
", Kenneth says he intends to "party like it's 1999
1999 (song)
"1999" is a song by Prince, the title track from his 1982 album of the same name. The song is one of Prince's best-known, and a defining moment in his rise to superstar status....
," which according to his Bible will be in seven years. He often doles out folksy religious advice, for example advising Pete to think of God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
to prevent him from cheating on his wife in "Black Tie." His church (which was in the basement of a Cuban
Cuban cuisine
Cuban cuisine is a fusion of Spanish, African and Caribbean cuisines. Cuban recipes share spices and techniques with Spanish and African cooking, with some Caribbean influence in spice and flavor. This results in a unique, interesting and flavorful blend of the several different cultural influences...
restaurant) has a fire-and-brimstone preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
, who scared away Tracy when Kenneth brought him there. It is revealed in "The C Word" that he attended Kentucky Mountain Bible College
Kentucky Mountain Bible College
Kentucky Mountain Bible College is a four-year evangelical Christian holiness Bible college in Vancleve, Kentucky. The college is located near the town of Jackson in Breathitt County, and is a ministry of the Kentucky Mountain Holiness Association.Over 70% of KMBC's graduates have entered diverse...
, where he studied television theory, and where the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
was a part of science class. In "Black Tie," Kenneth referred to Footloose as the movie where "those evil kids won in the end." Also, he reads the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, because it is the only way "to get all the versteckte Bedeutungen (hidden meanings)." In "Episode 210
Episode 210
The untitled tenth episode of the second season of the television series 30 Rock was first broadcast in the United States on January 10, 2008, on the NBC network. The episode was written by show runner Robert Carlock and Donald Glover, and was directed by Richard Shepard...
," he says he does not drink any hot beverages, for that is "the Devil's temperature."
In "Subway Hero", Kenneth reveals that he has no political views because "choosing is a sin." Instead, he always submits write-in votes
Write-in candidate
A write-in candidate is a candidate in an election whose name does not appear on the ballot, but for whom voters may vote nonetheless by writing in the person's name. Some states and local jurisdictions allow a voter to affix a sticker with a write-in candidate's name on it to the ballot in lieu...
for God. However, according to Jack, those count as Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.
In "Christmas Special
Christmas Special (30 Rock)
"Christmas Special" is the sixth episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by executive story editor Kay Cannon, and series' creator, executive producer and lead actress Tina Fey. The director of this episode was series producer Don Scardino...
", when Liz (believes) she got ripped off by two adults who scammed her through the letters to Santa program, Kenneth refuses to believe anyone would scam a Christmas charity (he further demonstrates his naïvety when he asks Liz, while trying to prove his point that people would not do something as wrong as scamming on a Religious holiday, "when has Religion ever caused any trouble?").
It is hinted that he is not very educated/respectful of other religions, such as when he wished Josh Girard a "Merry Jewish". Another example is in "100", when Jenna tries to seduce him so she can have a baby, he refuses on the grounds that they're unmarried and are a part of different religions. In "Secret Santa
Secret Santa (30 Rock)
"Secret Santa" is the eighth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 66th overall episode of the series. The episode was written by series' creator Tina Fey and directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller. It originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company ...
," he sets up a multi-faith holiday display which includes a framed photo of Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
"for the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s."
Kenneth has said he does not believe in hypothetical situations because its like "lying to your brain" ("Believe in the Stars"). When Jack tells Kenneth he knows the ten commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
, Kenneth snorts and says "Ten?" implying he follows more.
Although he is very respectful towards the other staff, male and female alike, he is shown to have some views on women that are somewhat sexist/misogynistic. In "The Funcooker
The Funcooker
"The Funcooker" is the fourteenth episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by Tom Ceraulo and Donald Glover, and directed by Ken Whittingham. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company on March 12, 2009...
", when he is put in charge, his first act is to have all menstruating women go home immediately. In "TGS Hates Women", Kenneth reveals that he wants his legacy to be a Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
-esque show that "promotes illiteracy in girls". Another example is in "100", when Kenneth states that he believes it is crazy that women have the right to choose their own haircuts.
Unsurprisingly, Kenneth does not believe in Darwin's
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
Theory of Evolution. However, he does believe that Candles, Incense
Incense
Incense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term "incense" refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces. It is used in religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, meditation, for creating a mood, and for...
and Disco Music are a part of the "Easter spirit". It is also hinted he prefers the clean shaven look, as when he was placed in charge (see above), he forbade beards and moustaches in the workplace.
In "Gavin Volure," Kenneth admits to having $76,000 in Confederate currency
Confederate States of America dollar
The Confederate States of America dollar was first issued into circulation in April 1861, when the Confederacy was only two months old, and on the eve of the outbreak of the Civil War....
.
Critical response
Slate Magazine named the character as one of the reasons they were looking forward to the return of the show in fall 2007.In 2009 McBrayer received an Emmy nomination for his work as Kenneth.