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Caliente
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Caliente Contest
Professional boxer-turned-
comedian Joey Medina, who
returns to Laffs Comedy Caffe in
Tucson this weekend, was still
wet behind the ears when he
embarked on Paul Rodriguez's
Latin Kings of Comedy Tour in
the 1990s.

Although Medina got his start at
Laffs in 20 years ago, the Latin
Kings of Comedy Tour was the
turning point in his career,
launching him to the upper
echelon of Latin comedy.

What other unknown Latin comic
appearing on the Latin Kings of
Comedy bill went on to succeed
Rodriguez as the king?

Click here to submit your
answer for a chance to win one of
several new books about dogs.

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Aznightbuzz Calendar
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Shane Jacobson plays Kenny, a portable-toilet man and hero of the award-winning Aussie comedy/faux documentary "Kenny."
Courtesy of Lightning Entertainment
Review
Kenny
***1/2
• Rated: PG-13 for crude content, language and partial nudity.
• Cast: Shane Jacobson, Jesse Jacobson, Ronald Jacobson.
• Director: Clayton Jacobson.
• Family call: A few off-color spots aside, fine for families.
• Running time: 99 minutes.
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Movie gem from Down Under is sure to charm your pants off

By Phil Villarreal
Pvillarreal@azstarnet.com
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 08.07.2008
Kenny loves his work, even though he has to put up with a lot of crap.
The portable-toilet man, hero of the Aussie comedy "Kenny," waxes on about the beauty and honor in human waste management. Dressed in a ball cap and overalls, the rotund Kenny delivers and sets up his potties, then runs around putting out fires with the vigor of a superhero.
Women lose their wedding rings, urine will start spouting out the back of the johns, rascals will tip them over and set them aflame, and Kenny (Shane Jacobson) is always there in an instant with a philosophical quip and a stoic resolution.
Talking with a speech impediment and such a thick Melbourne accent that subtitles run on the bottom of the screen, Kenny — dignified and self-assured — tugs you through his trials and joys on and off the job in the winning faux-documentary, filmed in a style with hints of TV's "The Office."
That's winning in both a literal and figurative sense. Released in 2006 in Australia, the comedy picked up a slew of nominations and awards from the Australian Film Institute and the Film Critics Circle of Australia.
The film is a family affair. Jacobson collaborated on the screenplay with his brother, Clayton, who directs and stars in a small role as Kenny's snobby brother. The men's father, Ronald, plays their crusty dad, and Clayton's kid, Jesse, plays Kenny's boy, whom he hardly sees because his domineering ex-wife.
Kenny puts up with an admirable amount of derision from those who are grossed out by his profession, but never takes an insult personally. Kenny's a master of keeping his dignity in undignified situations.
He rationalizes that what he deals with is completely natural, and in fact is 85 percent water. Kenny also spins a historical yarn about the origin of a four-letter term for feces and describes how the ancient Greeks used refuse to predict the future. His one pet peeve? When it comes out green, a color, he says, fit only for apples, pears and Martians.
The comedy is mostly a slice-of-lifer, with a rare twist coming when Kenny's boss sends him on a plane — his first flight — to the International Pumper and Cleaner Expo in Nashville, Tenn. There he joyfully hobnobs with other toilet-obsessives and starts hanging out with Jackie (Eve von Bibra), a flight attendant who Kenny would realize is crushing on him if he weren't too innocent to notice.
The romantic aloofness is all part of Kenny's charm. He's an untouchable, indomitable saint of plastic outhouses.

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