# MAD TV and Kenny Rogers

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-tv-and-kenny-rogers/254433>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [July 10, 2004, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-tv-and-kenny-rogers/254433 "2004-07-10T14:33:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-tv-and-kenny-rogers/254433/1 "2004-07-10T14:33:41Z")

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I’ll catch MAD TV on Comedy Central now and again. There’s quite a few sketches featuring their interpretation of Kenny Rogers as a fat, stupid slob.

What’s up with that?

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**Author:** ![Larry\_Griffin-Kentzel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_griffin-kentzel/32/14787_2.png) [@Larry\_Griffin-Kentzel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Griffin-Kentzel)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-tv-and-kenny-rogers/254433/2 "2004-07-10T15:50:22Z")

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Off to **Cafe Society**.

**Cajun Man**  
for the SDMB

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**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-tv-and-kenny-rogers/254433/3 "2004-07-10T16:40:31Z")

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He slimmed down substantially lately on a low-carb diet and had a bit of cosmetic surgery as well ([recent photo](http://www.talentandbooking.com/image1/208.jpg)), but he was (and also recently fathered twins at the age of 65), but he was pretty chubby for a while. He was never anywhere near as fat as [Will Sasso](http://www.collectmad.com/collectibles/madtvwsass.jpg), the actor who played him on MAD TV, but then Sasso isn’t nearly as big as he used to be either ([recent photo](http://www.chartattack.com/pics/2002/06/mmva2002/20.jpg) ). The character was basically a way Over the Top impersonation that took on a life of its own (and I have to admit the _Kenny Rogers Jackass!_ sketch damned near killed me) sort of like Billy Crystal’s Fernando Lamas imitation or Dana Carvey’s George Michael on SNL.

I don’t think Kenny’s ever been a slob or obnoxious- that was all Sasso. Since Kenny guested on the show he apparently didn’t mind it too much and saw it as what it was- funny and free publicity (really good for a guy who’s had major career ups and downs and financial troubles in recent years).

Congrats to Kenny, incidentally- he and (the fifth? sixth?) Mrs. Rogers had identical twin boys last week. (He’s 66, she’s not… though she is an identical twin herself.)

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**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-tv-and-kenny-rogers/254433/4 "2004-07-10T16:40:47Z")

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IIRC, Kenny’s had some drug abuse problems in the recent past.