Kenneth Parcell

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Not to be confused with the child rapist Kenneth Parnell.
Kenneth Parcell
30 Rock character
First appearance"Pilot" (2006)
Last appearance"30 Rock: A One-Time Special" (2020)
Created byTina Fey
Portrayed byJack McBrayer
In-universe information
Alias"Cranston"
"Silas Merrymount-Peppercorn"
Dick Whitman
Nickname"Kenneth the Page"
GenderMale
OccupationNBC page (former)
CBS page (former; from episodes "The Fabian Strategy" – "Let's Stay Together")
NBC Standards and Practices department employee (former; from episodes "Alexis Goodlooking and the Case of the Missing Whisky" – "Grandmentor")
Janitor at 30 Rockefeller Plaza (former; from "Kidnapped by Danger" – "A Goon's Deed in a Weary World")
President of NBC (from "A Goon's Deed in a Weary World" – present)
FamilyPearlene Parcell (mother)
Unnamed father
Ronald "Ron" McDonnell (stepfather)
Nine unnamed siblings
Significant otherHazel Wassername (ex-girlfriend)
Grace Park (Possible ex-girlfriend)
RelativesUnnamed grandmother
Whitey (grandfather, unknown if maternal or paternal)
Unnamed uncles
Jesse Parcell (cousin)
Steven (cousin)
Clay Aiken (cousin)
Lyle (nephew)
Unnamed niece
ReligionChristianity ("Eighth Day Resurrected Covenant of the Holy Trinity")

Andromakennethamblesorton

breakout character.[3]

Biography

Kenneth is a perpetually cheerful

African-American high school,[8] Kenneth studied at Kentucky Mountain Bible College, majoring in Television Studies and minoring in Bible Sexuality.[9]

Throughout the series, Kenneth has painted a picture of a

prosthetics.[17]

Kenneth has a close relationship with his mother, Pearlene,

second season runner-up, Clay Aiken.[21]

In "Chain Reaction of Mental Anguish", Kenneth reveals to his boss Jack Donaghy that, after his father died, he befriended a pig, whom he named Harold. Unfortunately, Kenneth's mother had to sell Harold to a slaughterhouse, and, with Harold gone, Kenneth had no reason to remain in Georgia, deciding to move to New York. He needed $300 for his ticket and in order to get the money, Kenneth participated in a pig-eating contest but, to his horror, the pig that he was given to eat was Harold. He has since been plagued by extreme remorse for eating his "father pig." However, Jack is able to convince him that by eating Harold, Kenneth gave his death meaning, as it allowed Kenneth to embark on his new life.[22]

Kenneth may have been newly assigned to the TGS studio at the start of the series; in the

TGS with Tracy Jordan
.

As demonstrated many times throughout the series, Kenneth is incredibly selfless, one of the most notable examples occurring in the episode "Believe in the Stars," when he and others are trapped in an elevator. Jack claims that there is enough air for eight people, but, as the elevator contains nine, he announces that one occupant must die. Kenneth is appalled by Jack's statement, and when Jack tells him that he has placed a pistol loaded with one bullet in the emergency box, Kenneth removes the gun, holds it to his head and pulls the trigger (not just once, but twice, when it does not discharge the first time.) Finding the gun inoperable, he wraps his belt around his neck and urges the others to strangle him. Jack, disgusted by Kenneth's altruism, abruptly opens the elevator door and demands, "What is wrong with you?"[7]

When he is passing out from a severe allergy episode, Kenneth exclaims that his real name is Dick Whitman (a reference to the AMC drama, Mad Men.)[24] Kenneth has demonstrated a knack for conceptualizing rather unusual television shows, one of which (a game show called Gold Case) was actually developed, although it turned out to be ill-conceived and was promptly shut down.[25] In a pretend interview with Conan O'Brien, Kenneth shares his dreams of making "hit movies" with Zach Braff, and that he is also skilled at clogging.[26]

Kenneth has been shown to be able to speak numerous foreign languages, including

animals.[32] He is an unintentionally skilled poker player, with his thoughts being indecipherable to his opponents, since, according to TGS writer Frank Rossitano, "he doesn't have any."[33] Kenneth has also been shown to wear a concealed firearm.[34]

Kenneth has technically died two different times: his first death occurs in "

catatonic woman who he keeps in his closet.[43]

There have been many comments, made by both Kenneth himself and others, that hint at him possessing a

Hazel Wassername in "What Will Happen to the Gang Next Year?" that he does not sleep.[43] "St. Patrick's Day
" also establishes a physical deformity: a rabbit foot-resembling tail he had until he was 16 years old, which he gives to Hazel for good luck.

A relationship with Hazel is first hinted at in "

seventh season premiere, however, it is also revealed that she is only using Kenneth to get close to Tracy so that Tracy would cast her in a movie and in effect launch her career in show business, a plan which fails because of Tracy's devotion to Kenneth. Kenneth and Hazel still remain in the relationship up until she is fired for her actions in the episode "Aunt Phatso vs. Jack Donaghy
."

Despite his positivity, Kenneth has more situational awareness than he lets others normally see,[46] in one instance explicitly confessing to Jack that the only grasp he has on his optimism is by lying to himself.[47] In general, Jack has stated that Kenneth's Myers–Briggs Type Indicator "shows a rare combination of extroverted, intuitive, and aggressive" (which is the same as his own), claiming that "in five years we'll all either be working for him... or be dead by his hand."[33] A little more than six years later, Jack fulfills his own prophecy by appointing Kenneth to replace him as president of NBC,[48] thus making all but Jonathan and himself work for Kenneth.[49]

Religious, political and other views

Kenneth's

the Devil's temperature,"[29] among other oddities.[51][52][53][54]

Kenneth often offers religious advice to others, such as in "

political views as "choosing is a sin." Instead, he always submits write-in votes for God (however, according to Jack, those count as Republican.)[56]

Kenneth reads the Bible only in

pregnant despite never having sex.[59]

In various episodes, Kenneth is shown to be considerably uneducated and disrespectful of other religions. In "

Jewish network executives are "trained from birth to argue".[1]

In "

moustaches in the workplace.[61] In "Alexis Goodlooking and the Case of the Missing Whisky", Kenneth informs Jack, who is attempting to convince Kenneth to professionally ruin a potential rival in his new job, that he has never "crushed" anyone before, except for accused witches.[20]

Kenneth's family are staunch supporters of the

Confederate currency.[11]

Although he is respectful to others, male and female alike, Kenneth has displayed some harshly

gynecologists "disgusting".[1]

Immortality

While Kenneth appears to be in his mid to late twenties (McBrayer was actually 33 years old at the show's start, and 39 when it ended), it has been implied numerous times since

the third season that he is actually much older.[69]

This is first hinted at in "The One with the Cast of Night Court", when Kenneth states, "I've worn this old jacket since 19-hubeduh", intentionally mumbling the year.[70]

In the episode "Cutbacks", Kenneth states that he has owned his pet bird Sonny Crockett for almost 60 years, implying that it wasn't named for the Miami Vice character.[71]

In a deleted scene from "

Normandy.[72]

In the episode "

Into the Crevasse", Kenneth appears in a 1950s-era flashback, dancing to the song "Doin' the Microwave".[73]

In the episode "The Baby Show", Dr. Spaceman has a pamphlet on his desk, that reads "Never Die" with a picture of Kenneth on it.

In "

chimpanzee J. Fred Muggs was featured on the show, implying that he watched the program when the primate served as the show's mascot, which was from 1953 to 1957.[74]

In "The Problem Solvers", when Tracy asks him if he "want[s] to be a page forever", Kenneth nervously asks "Who said I've been alive forever?".[31]

In "Future Husband", Kenneth states that he remembers Jenna's first acting role in a commercial that aired in the 1970s, commenting that she was "a fat baby".[41]

In "Don Geiss, America and Hope", when NBC is bought out by Kabletown, Kenneth becomes worried and asks Jack if they will be implementing new rules for pages, such as "age limits and age verification".[75]

In "

cellphone app to generate a high frequency pitch that only young ears can hear, as well as a low frequency pitch only people over 40 can hear; while Frank is using the low-frequency pitch, Kenneth stumbles past the writers' room, screaming, "What is happening to me?!" implying that the low-pitched tone is deafeningly loud to his ears.[17]

In "

autographed photo of Fred Allen from 1947, that is dedicated: "Kenneth, you're the TOPS!", into a box marked "NBC Memories 1945-1967".[51]

In "

black bar that would cover the lower half of a television screen as to censor material considered inappropriate, he mentions how elderly viewers are offended by certain things that are on TV, subtly gesturing to himself while saying so.[54]

In the episode "TGS Hates Women", Kenneth comments that, when he first started working as a page at NBC, an 8-year-old Shirley Temple taught him to roll cigarettes, in 1936.[68]

In "Queen of Jordan", Kenneth's chyron reads "Kenneth Parcell: Elderly Page".[76]

During a

thumbs-up
to the camera, further supporting the theory that he is immortal).

In "

bald.[78]

In "Nothing Left to Lose", he implies that he is an angel, which could possibly be the secret behind his apparent immortality.[45]

In "

Rock and Roll song he has ever listened to is Mr. Sandman, which was released in 1954.[15]

In "Live from Studio 6H", he is shown as a page during a flashback to an old NBC News Report.[79]

In "

immortal being
.

In the series finale, after years of implications and clues, it is finally confirmed once and for all that Kenneth is indeed immortal when he is revealed in the distant future to have not aged. Decades earlier, at the start of his tenure as NBC president in "Hogcock!", he presents Liz with a list of "TV no-no words" that includes "immortal character," among other phrases that describe 30 Rock, such as "New York," "high concept" and "shows about shows".

In the intervening time, he apparently changes his mind, as he greenlights Liz's great-granddaughter's pitch for a period piece based upon the stories she had heard from Liz growing up. The series violates every one of the earlier no-no words; set at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in the early 21st century, it is 30 Rock, and Kenneth loves it.[80]

Reception

The Kenneth Parcell character has received highly positive reviews and was dubbed a

breakout character, moving into the main cast beginning in season two.[81][82] Slate Magazine named the character as one of the reasons they were looking forward to the return of the show in fall 2007.[83] On The Extratextuals website, Kenneth is placed as number 49 on their list of 50 Best TV Characters.[84]

In 2016, he was listed as the top 30 Rock character by IndieWire, ahead of Liz Lemon: "But most importantly of all, 30 Rock was by and large about how great and wonderful television can be. And no one loves television more than Kenneth."[85] On The Top Tens.com, he is also listed as the best character on the show, with the website commenting "[...] Kenneth is one of the best television characters I can remember. Perhaps second only to Dwight Schrute".[86] CST Online wrote "Perhaps 30 Rock’s most brilliant comic creation is Kenneth Parcell".[87] Nerve.com wrote, "Kenneth the page's naiveté and chinlessness spark endless comedy on the show. He might be a little repetitive, sure, but he's also got the highest laughs-to-screentime ratio of anyone out there."[88]

However, the character has received negative reaction, as well. The A.V. Club listed Kenneth on its list of television "Showblockers," writing "[...] Kenneth has been wrung especially dry in recent seasons, made into an ever-more-outsized caricature of sycophancy, fundamentalism, and hickdom".[89] Dustin Rowles, of Pajiba.com, listed Kenneth as a television character that should be killed off, writing "He was a great character for a few seasons, but Kenneth is useless to the show now".[90]

For his portrayal, McBrayer received a

Screen Actors Guild Award nominations, winning one.[94]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Standards and Practices". 30 Rock. NBC.
  2. ^ Brissey, Breia (March 9, 2012). "'30 Rock': Confessions of a teenage nemesis". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
  3. ^ "'30 Rock,' Solid Enough to Rebuild a Thursday Foundation". Washingtonpost.com. 2006-11-15. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  4. ^ "'30 Rock' turns Stone Mountain into hicktown USA".
  5. ^
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  6. ^ "Grandmentor"
  7. ^ a b c d "Believe in the Stars". 30 Rock. NBC.
  8. ^ "Reunion". 30 Rock. NBC.
  9. ^ "College". 30 Rock. NBC.
  10. ^ a b "Somebody to Love". 30 Rock. NBC.
  11. ^ a b c "Gavin Volure". 30 Rock. NBC.
  12. albinos
    there as the "Watchers."
  13. ^ "Grandmentor". 30 Rock. NBC.
  14. Do-Over". 30 Rock
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  15. ^ a b "Meet the Woggels!". 30 Rock. NBC.
  16. ^ "Sandwich Day". 30 Rock. NBC.
  17. ^ a b "Black Light Attack!". 30 Rock. NBC.
  18. ^ a b "Governor Dunston". 30 Rock. NBC.
  19. ^ "The Collection". 30 Rock. NBC.
  20. ^ a b c "Alexis Goodlooking and the Case of the Missing Whisky". 30 Rock. NBC.
  21. ^ a b "Kidney Now!". 30 Rock. NBC.
  22. ^ "Chain Reaction of Mental Anguish". 30 Rock. NBC.
  23. ^ "Pilot". 30 Rock. NBC.
  24. ^ a b c d "The Ones". 30 Rock. NBC.
  25. ^ "The Head and the Hair". 30 Rock. NBC.
  26. ^ "Tracy Does Conan". 30 Rock. NBC.
  27. ^ "Cooter". 30 Rock. NBC.
  28. ^
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  29. ^ a b c "Episode 210". 30 Rock. NBC.
  30. ^ "Audition Day". 30 Rock. NBC.
  31. ^ a b "The Problem Solvers". 30 Rock. NBC.
  32. ^ a b "Operation Righteous Cowboy Lightning". 30 Rock. NBC.
  33. ^ a b "Blind Date". 30 Rock. NBC.
  34. ^ "I Do Do". 30 Rock. NBC.
  35. ^ "Gentleman's Intermission". 30 Rock. NBC.
  36. ^ a b c d "Respawn". 30 Rock. NBC.
  37. ^ "My Whole Life Is Thunder". 30 Rock. NBC.
  38. ^ "Apollo, Apollo". 30 Rock. NBC.
  39. ^ "Dealbreakers Talk Show #0001". 30 Rock. NBC.
  40. ^ "Ludachristmas". 30 Rock. NBC.
  41. ^ a b "Future Husband". 30 Rock. NBC.
  42. ^ "Queen of Jordan 2: Mystery of the Phantom Pooper". 30 Rock. NBC.
  43. ^ a b c "What Will Happen to the Gang Next Year?". 30 Rock. NBC.
  44. ^ "Klaus and Greta". 30 Rock. NBC.
  45. ^ a b "Nothing Left to Lose". 30 Rock. NBC.
  46. ^ "The Tuxedo Begins". 30 Rock. NBC.
  47. ^ a b "Kidnapped by Danger". 30 Rock. NBC.
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  49. ^ "Hogcock!". 30 Rock. January 31, 2013. NBC.
  50. ^ "The Fighting Irish". 30 Rock. NBC.
  51. ^ a b In "When It Rains, It Pours," he voices his disapproval of sedation during childbirth, as he believes that the "whole point [is] to feel God punishing you."
  52. ^ a b "Black Tie". 30 Rock. NBC. Kenneth refers to Footloose as the movie where "those evil kids won in the end."
  53. ^ In "Plan B," he claims that sealing an envelope by licking it is a sin, unless you are married to it.
  54. ^
    soccer as one of the many things on television
    that is inappropriate.
  55. ^ a b "Christmas Special". 30 Rock. NBC.
  56. ^ a b "Subway Hero". 30 Rock. NBC.
  57. ^ a b "Dance Like Nobody's Watching". 30 Rock. NBC.
  58. ^ "Greenzo". 30 Rock. NBC.
  59. ^ "The Ballad of Kenneth Parcell". 30 Rock. NBC.
  60. ^ "Secret Santa". 30 Rock. NBC.
  61. ^ a b "The Funcooker". 30 Rock. NBC.
  62. ^ "Let's Stay Together". 30 Rock. NBC.
  63. ^ A comment solidified as fact in the episode "Reaganing" when Kenneth writes "Independent Nation of DeKalb County" on an envelope.
  64. alcoholic
    "
  65. sewn shut and is lit on fire
    .
  66. ^ In "Kidnapped by Danger," Kenneth mentions that the theme of his father's prom was "Enchantment Under the Jim Crow Laws."
  67. ^ "Stone Mountain". 30 Rock. NBC.
  68. ^ a b "TGS Hates Women". 30 Rock. NBC.
  69. ^ Raynor, Madeline (January 4, 2016). "Every Hint and Reference to Kenneth's Immortality on '30 Rock'". Vulture. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  70. ^ "The One with the Cast of Night Court". 30 Rock. NBC.
  71. ^ "Cutbacks". 30 Rock. NBC.
  72. Universal Studios
    ; dist. Universal Studios Home Entertainment, 2009.
  73. Into the Crevasse". 30 Rock
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  74. ^ "Verna". 30 Rock. NBC.
  75. ^ "Don Geiss, America and Hope". 30 Rock. NBC.
  76. Queen of Jordan". 30 Rock
    . NBC.
  77. ^ "Today You Are a Man". 30 Rock. NBC.
  78. ^ "Leap Day". 30 Rock. NBC.
  79. ^ "Live from Studio 6H". 30 Rock. NBC.
  80. ^ ""Last Lunch"". 30 Rock. January 31, 2013. NBC.
  81. ^ Volmers, Eric (November 23, 2018). "Jack McBrayer returns as Felix Fix-It Jr. in Ralph Breaks the Internet". Calgary Herald. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  82. ^ Pennington, Gail (January 31, 2013). "30 things we'll miss about '30 Rock'". STLtoday.com. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  83. ^ Patterson, Troy (September 21, 2007). "Oh, How We've Missed You!". Slate Magazine. Archived from the original on 2007-10-12. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
  84. ^ "50 Best TV Characters | The Extratextuals". Extratextual.tv. 2008-06-02. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  85. ^ Miller, Liz Shannon (October 11, 2016). "The 56 Most Important Characters of '30 Rock,' Ranked". IndieWire. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  86. ^ "Best 30 Rock Characters - Top Ten List". The-top-tens.com. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  87. ^ "THE STATE OF THE AMERICAN SITCOM (IV): 30 ROCK by David Lavery". Cstonline.tv. 2011-08-04. Archived from the original on 2011-08-14. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  88. ^ "Ranked: Every Character on 30 Rock, from Funniest to Least Funny - Page 6". Nerve.com. 2011-01-12. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  89. ^ Hyden, Steven (2010-08-16). "Showblockers!: 22 characters who stop good TV shows in their tracks | TV | Inventory". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  90. ^ Rowles, Dustin (26 January 2012). "10 Shows that Would Be Much Better If They Killed Off a Major Character". Pajiba.com. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  91. ^ "2009 Emmy nominations – part I". Variety. July 16, 2009. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  92. Gold Derby
    . March 7, 2016. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  93. ^ "30 Rock's Kenneth the Web Page". Television Academy. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  94. ^ "Jack McBrayer Awards". IMDb.com. Retrieved 28 August 2014.

External links

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