Comedy Central Presents: Andrew Kennedy

Andrew Kennedy looks like a typical suburban dad but speaks fluent Spanish, a disconnect he milks for all its worth in his 2007 Comedy Central Presents. The core of his act is his upbringing. He is the son of a Colombian mother and a British father, a pairing that meant his parents basically couldn’t speak to each other when they met. Kennedy acts out his father’s stiff British flirtation (“I fancy you something wicked”) and details the absurdity of his own existence, confusing counter workers who treat his flawless Spanish like a lucky guess.

Filmed at The Hudson Theatre in New York City in August 2006, the half-hour set highlights a comedian who treats his chaotic childhood as standard lore. By the time he was 13, his family had lived in Colombia, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Hong Kong. Kennedy assumes this geographic spread simply meant his father was constantly getting fired and fleeing nations. Eventually landing in New Canaan, Connecticut, which he describes as the whitest town on the planet, Kennedy found himself positioned as an outsider everywhere. The special aired in January 2007 and was later voted into a top 20 fan-favorite list during one of the network’s stand-up showdowns.