# SNL question--Kenny Rogers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 30, 2005, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-question-kenny-rogers/287439 "2005-01-30T17:03:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-question-kenny-rogers/287439/1 "2005-01-30T17:03:13Z")
Last night they had a skit that was like a Kenny Rogers Apprentice type reality show. In it they show his as acting all crazy and drunk and hitting the contestants. Maybe I’m out of the loop, but does Kenny Rogers really act like this? Even a little bit? I’ve never heard of him being anything but a gentleman, but then, I don’t exactly follow news surrounding KR. If he doesn’t actually act like that, he should sue or do something to SNL. It was a really horrible portrayal of a man I’ve always thought was nice and gentlemanly. So, someone, please inform me, is KR really an obnoxious, violent, drunk? ---
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-question-kenny-rogers/287439/2 "2005-01-30T17:12:44Z")
I’m pretty sure that was MAD TV. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-question-kenny-rogers/287439/3 "2005-01-30T17:15:14Z")
> [@cheddarsnax](#): > > I’m pretty sure that was MAD TV. Yeah, you’re right. Well, still, same question, but substitute SNL with Mad TV. Thanks for making me feel stoopid. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-question-kenny-rogers/287439/4 "2005-01-30T17:18:07Z")
This doesn’t answer your question directly, but MAD TV had a similar portrayal of Kenny Rodgers. Will Sasso used to play him as a child-like lunatic. I always thought the joke was that the impersonation was based on absolutely nothing, like Tracy Morgan’s Star Jones, or Family Guy’s Margot Kidder. In fact, Will Sasso actually explained that that _was_ the joke by playing Kenny Rodgers straight in one sketch, and saying basically exactly what you said (i.e. “Kenny Rodgers really doesn’t act like that at all…he’s really a perfect gentleman…”). So anyway, maybe SNL is aping MAD TV’s gag. ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-question-kenny-rogers/287439/5 "2005-01-30T17:20:30Z")
Welp, looks like I took too long to post last time, so just shortened what I said to “Will Sasso explained that the impression isn’t really based on anything.” ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-question-kenny-rogers/287439/6 "2005-01-30T17:22:41Z")
Cool, that’s what I wanted to know. It wasn’t even a funny skit. I mean, if KR really did act that way, maybe it would be funny, but he was acting more like Don, from Don’s Guns (local commercial) than KR in that skit. Now, a skit about Don would be funny. Of course, only people from Indiana would get it, but still. 😃 ---
**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:** [January 30, 2005, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-question-kenny-rogers/287439/7 "2005-01-30T18:11:16Z")
I posed this question a few months ago. My guess is that Kenny Rogers is so bland that Sasso had to go to the exact opposite of the spectrum. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-question-kenny-rogers/287439/8 "2005-01-30T19:51:12Z")
Kenny Rogers’ Jackass, before they played it out, was the funniest damn thing MadTV ever did. ---
**Author:** ![pokey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@pokey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pokey)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-question-kenny-rogers/287439/9 "2005-01-31T02:00:53Z")
> [@pizzabrat](#): > > based on absolutely nothing, like Tracy Morgan’s Star Jones, or Family Guy’s Margot Kidder I think the Margot Kidder thing might be because she went crazy and was found in the bushes one time. It was 5 years ago or so. She is bipolar or something. She got better again. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-question-kenny-rogers/287439/10 "2005-01-31T02:22:16Z")
A friend of mine paid an obscene sum for a golfing vacation that had advertised Kenny Rogers as ‘celebrity host’ or some such that indicated that you’d get to rub elbows with him. He said Kenny was aloof as all hell. He wasn’t mean or crazy, but he obviously didn’t want to be around ‘commoners’. ---
**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:** [January 31, 2005, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-question-kenny-rogers/287439/11 "2005-01-31T02:22:30Z")
> [@pokey](#): > > I think the Margot Kidder thing might be because she went crazy and was found in the bushes one time. It was 5 years ago or so. She is bipolar or something. She got better again. Actually it was in 1996: > [@IMDB](#): > > In 1996, when Margot was going to write a biography of herself, she began to get paranoid, and her computer contracted a virus. Her manic depression, then took its toll. She panicked, and created problems in her head. This led to her fantasizing that her first husband was going to kill her, so she left her home, and feigned death. She even altered her appearance for dramatic effect. After an intervention took place, Margot got back on her feet and started the mental wellness campaign. ---
**Author:** ![pokey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@pokey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pokey)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-question-kenny-rogers/287439/12 "2005-01-31T02:36:40Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Actually it was in 1996: It seems like only yesterday! Time flies when Margot Kidder is going loony. ---
**Author:** ![RumMunkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@RumMunkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RumMunkey)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-question-kenny-rogers/287439/13 "2005-01-31T19:48:36Z")
If I may: -It was _Mad TV_, not _SNL_. -It \*was \*Will Sasso’s “Kenny Rogers” -he was on as a “Special Guest”. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-question-kenny-rogers/287439/14 "2005-01-31T20:19:55Z")
> [@RumMunkey](#): > > If I may: > > -It was _Mad TV_, not _SNL_. > -It \*was \*Will Sasso’s “Kenny Rogers” -he was on as a “Special Guest”. Geez, I already acknowledged the error. :rolleyes: Well, it was about the dumbest skit ever, especially now that I know for sure Kenny Rogers is not a violent, drunk, redneck. I wouldn’t put up with that if I werehim. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-question-kenny-rogers/287439/15 "2005-01-31T21:49:23Z")
> [@Indygrrl](#): > > Geez, I already acknowledged the error. :rolleyes: > > Well, it was about the dumbest skit ever, especially now that I know for sure Kenny Rogers is not a violent, drunk, redneck. I wouldn’t put up with that if I werehim. What’s he going to do about it? I would think that because it’s obviously a parody, it’s considered protected speech. Hey-_Hustler_ once published a fake confession by Jerry Falwell that he lost his virginity to his own mother in their outhouse. Falwell tried to sue-and lost because it was parody, and thus, considered protected. ---
**Author:** ![Augie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@Augie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Augie)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-question-kenny-rogers/287439/16 "2005-02-01T03:37:10Z")
There was something creepy in Kenny Roger’s past that made the news about 10 years ago. Something about phone sex. Anyone else remember?