Kenny Bania

Kenneth Bania
Seinfeld character
First appearance	The Soup
Last appearance	The Finale, Part II
Portrayed by	Steve Hytner
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Occupation	Comedian

Kenneth "Kenny" Bania (Template:Pron-en BAN-yə) is a fictional character on the situation comedy Seinfeld played by Steve Hytner.

Character

Bania is portrayed as a mediocre comedian who idolizes Jerry Seinfeld.

He appeared in at least seven episodes throughout the series ("The Soup", "The Secretary", "The Soup Nazi", "The Wig Master" (in a scene deleted before broadcast), "The Fatigues", "The Butter Shave", "The Finale"). His comedic act mainly revolves around milk-based drinks such as Nesquik, Bosco and Ovaltine; Jerry claims that Bania thinks "anything that dissolves in milk is funny." According to Jerry Seinfeld on the DVD release of the series, one of Bania's most lovable characteristic is the way he looks up to Jerry and always wants to be around him.

George Costanza called Bania "the voice of my generation". Bania and George share a fondness for "jokes you don't have to think about" such as the word "puke."

Jerry, on the other hand, thinks Bania is a "hack" and that listening to his act is "like being beaten with a bag of oranges."

Kenny will often refer to food items in superlatives, asserting that a particular dish is "the best," repeating the phrase twice. This format is first used in "The Soup," where he tells Jerry that Mendy's restaurant has "the best swordfish in the city. The best, Jerry!" Bania asserts in "The Secretary" that Mendy's "had the best pea soup. The best, Jerry!", that the Soup Nazi "makes the best soup in the city. The best, Jerry!" ("The Soup Nazi"), and that the duck at Poppie's is "the best. The best, Jerry!" ("The Fatigues").

At one point in "The Fatigues" when Kenny is depressed he describes his own comedic talents as "the absolute worst. The worst, Jerry!"

Also, Kenny is known for the quote relating to Jerry giving him a good comic idea, "That's gold, Jerry! Gold!"

Metaphor

It is widely speculated that the character of Kenny Bania was a metaphor for several sitcoms that NBC aired in the timeslot immediately following Seinfeld including Caroline in the City, Suddenly Susan, and The Naked Truth. NBC used the timeslot as a springboard for new shows before assigning them to other days in the primetime lineup. Each of these shows garnered remarkably high ratings until they were moved to other time slots and subsequently canceled due to a dramatic drop in viewership.

Real life

Like several other minor characters (including The Drake), Bania is named after a close childhood friend of the show's co-creator, Larry David. Kenny, Larry and "The Drake" attended the same Brooklyn high school in the 1960s. The real Kenny Bania, now known as Ken, emigrated to New Zealand in the early 1970s where he resides to this day. He has never pursued a career as a stand-up comedian, and bears little resemblance to Seinfeld's Kenny.

Appearances

Season Six

• The Soup
• The Secretary

Season Seven

• The Soup Nazi
• The Wig Master (deleted scene)

Season Eight

• The Fatigues

Season Nine

• The Butter Shave
• The Finale Part I
• The Finale Part II