| Kyle Broflovski | |
|---|---|
| South Park character | |
 | |
| First appearance | Jesus vs. Frosty (1992, short) |
| Created by | |
| Based on | Matt Stone |
| Designed by |
|
| Voiced by | Matt Stone |
| In-universe information | |
| Alias | The Human Kite |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Student, School Counselor (future) |
| Family |
|
| Relatives |
|
| Religion | RegularlyJewish, brieflyBlaintologist andRoman Catholic |
Kyle B. Broflovski[b] (/broʊflɑːvskiː/ ⓘ) is a fictional character in theadult animated sitcomSouth Park. He is voiced by and loosely based on series co-creatorMatt Stone. Kyle is one of the series' four central characters, along with his friendsStan Marsh,Kenny McCormick, andEric Cartman. He debuted on television whenSouth Park first aired on August 13, 1997, after having first appeared inThe Spirit of Christmas shorts created by Stone and long-time collaboratorTrey Parker in 1992 (Jesus vs. Frosty) and 1995 (Jesus vs. Santa).
Kyle is an elementary school student who commonly has extraordinary experiences not typical of conventional small-town life in his fictional hometown of South Park,Colorado. Kyle is distinctive as one of the fewJewish children on the show, and because of this, he often feels like an outsider among the core group of characters. His portrayal in this role is often dealt with satirically, and has elicited both praise and criticism from Jewish viewers. He is currently 10 years old.
Like the otherSouth Park characters, Kyle is animated by computer in a way to emulate the show's original method ofcutout animation. He also appears in the 1999 full-length feature filmSouth Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, as well asSouth Park-related media and merchandise. While Parker and Stone portray Kyle as having common childlike tendencies, his dialogue is often intended to reflect stances and views on more adult-oriented issues, and has been cited in numerous publications by experts in the fields of politics, religion, popular culture, and philosophy.
Kyle attends South Park Elementary as part ofMr. Garrison's class. During the show's first 58 episodes, Kyle and the other students were in the third grade following which they have been in the fourth grade. He lives in South Park with his fatherGerald, a lawyer, and his overprotective motherSheila, a housewife who fits the mold of aJewish mother stereotype.[1] Gerald and Sheila have been referred to havePolish andRussian Jewish background,[2] and they mutually share a strong devotion to their Jewish religion, while expressing deep concern during the multiple times Kyle's faith in Judaism becomes enervated. Kyle has a younger brother namedIke, who Kyle learns was adopted and originally fromCanada in the episode "Ike's Wee Wee".[3]
Gerald often attempts to teach Kyle important morals. Although his mother's outspoken, manipulative nature usually overwhelms Kyle, he tends to show that he truly loves her, and takes offense to any insult Cartman may offer about her.[4] Although he engages in the reckless act of punting Ike like a football, Kyle shows concern for his brother's well-being. He was initially reluctant to embrace Ike as his brother upon learning that Ike was adopted, but Ike's genuine affection for his older brother persuaded Kyle to love him in return, and regard him as "true family".[5]
Kyle is modeled after Stone, while Stan is modeled after Parker. Kyle and Stan are best friends, and their relationship, which is supposed to reflect the real-life friendship between Parker and Stone,[6] is a common topic throughout the series. The two do have their disagreements, but always reconcile without any long-term damage to their friendship. The show's official website defines Kyle's role amongst his friends as "the smart one".[7] He often provides a sober thought to plans or ideas made by the other boys, and explains a moral outlook while drawing upon his vast knowledge and intelligence.[5][8] He tends to offer reasonable or scientific explanations both to situations most others view as supernatural in nature, and in opposition of propaganda dispensed by Cartman.[5]
Several episodes focus on Kyle and his religion,[9] and being the lone Jew has resulted in an enmity with theAntisemitic Cartman that has become significantly more pronounced as the series progresses.[10] Parker and Stone have compared the relationship to the one shared byArchie Bunker andMichael Stivic on the 1970ssitcomAll in the Family.[10] Kyle makes cracks at Cartman's weight and is horrified and disgusted with Cartman's immorality, cruelty, bigotry, and greed. Their rivalry often elevates to the point where Kyle becomes so obsessed with beating Cartman at whatever he does, he sometimes neglects Stan and Kenny in the process.[10] He has a tendency to make what he thinks are safe bets with Cartman, often losing these bets when the improbable actions promised by Cartman are accomplished.[10] Though he has claimed Kenny was not his friend, in order to avoid having to spend the night at his poverty-stricken household,[11] Kyle has professed a friendship with Kenny and shown genuine concern for Kenny's health and safety. Kyle normally has the angrier reaction of yelling "You bastards!" following Stan's exclamation of the popular catchphrase "Oh my God, they killed Kenny" after one ofKenny's trademark deaths.[6]
Near the end of the production run of the show'sfifth season (2001), Parker and Stone contemplated having an episode in which Kyle was killed off.[12] The reasoning behind the idea was to genuinely surprise fans, and to allow an opportunity to provide a major role forButters Stotch, abreakout character whose popularity was growing with the viewers and creators of the show.[12] Parker and Stone initially chose Kyle because they deemed him as being too similar to Stan in terms of personality. Instead, the character of Kenny was chosen, and he was seemingly killed off for good in the episode "Kenny Dies". The duo claimed they grew tired of upholding the tradition of having Kenny die in each episode, and regarded the character as a "prop".[13]
In many episodes, Kyle draws upon his sense of social purpose and moral outrage,[5][8] and reflects on the lessons he has learned during the course of an episode, with a speech that often begins "You know, I learned something today...". Kyle acknowledged this trend in theseason five (2001) episode "Cartmanland" when he states that he often gives the speech each week in an attempt to "try and better myself", and again in theseason seven (2003) episode "Butt Out" where he repeatedly reminds his friends that they continuously allow potentially riotous events to occur, and are only able to defuse the situation by giving such a speech to the gathered townsfolk.[14][15]
Kyle's mother reveals in the episode "Cherokee Hair Tampons" that Kyle isdiabetic and had to get a kidney transplant. His diabetes could explain why he gets sick more often than his classmates.[16]
Kyle has ademocratic political stance, as seen in the episodeThe Wacky Molestation Adventure, where he brings democracy to the previouslycommunistCuba.
An unnamed precursor to Kyle first appeared in the firstThe Spirit of Christmas short, dubbedJesus vs. Frosty, created by Parker and Stone in 1992 while they were students at theUniversity of Colorado. The character was composed ofconstruction paper cutouts and animated usingstop motion.[17] When asked three years later by friendBrian Graden to create another short as a videoChristmas card that he could send to friends, Parker and Stone created another similarly animatedThe Spirit of Christmas short, dubbedJesus vs. Santa.[18] In this short, which was the first appearance of Kyle styled as he is in the series, he is given his first name. When developing the character, Parker recalled there being only one Jewish student in his entire hometown ofConifer, Colorado, and described him as being "thetoken Jewish person".[9] Kyle next appeared on August 13, 1997, whenSouth Park debuted onComedy Central with the episode "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe".[19]
From the show's second episode, "Weight Gain 4000" (season one, 1997), Kyle, like all other characters on the show, has been animated using computer software, though he is presented to give the impression that the show still utilizes its original technique.[17] In keeping with the show'sanimation style, Kyle is composed of simple geometrical shapes.[17][20] He is not offered the same free range of motion associated with hand-drawn characters; his character is generally shown from only one angle, and his movements are animated in an intentionally jerky fashion.[10][17][20]
Kyle is usually depicted wearing winter attire that consists of a bright greenushanka, a bright orange jacket, dark green jeans, and lime-green mittens/gloves. The rare instances in which he is shown without his cap, he has a bright red-to-auburnJewfro. His hat and hairstyle were influenced by those of James Humphrey, a character whom Matt Stone portrayed in the 1993 filmCannibal! The Musical.[21] Matt also had a hat just like Kyle's as a kid. Stone cited that he came up with the voice of Kyle while he and Parker were in film class, where they would speak in high-pitched childish voices that would often get them into trouble.[22][23] The recorded audio is edited withPro Tools, and the pitch altered to make the voice sound more like that of a 10-year-old.[24][25]
Like his friends, Kyle is foul-mouthed as a means for Parker and Stone to display how they claim young boys really talk when they are alone.[20][26] Parker notes that while Kyle is sometimes cynical and profane, there is an "underlying sweetness" to the character,[27] andTime described Kyle and his friends as "sometimes cruel but with a core of innocence".[6] He is amused by bodily functions andtoilet humor,[6] and his favorite television personalities areTerrance and Phillip, a Canadian duo whose comedy routines on their show-within-the-show revolve substantially around fart jokes.[28]
Kyle often displays the highest moral standard of all the boys and is usually depicted as the most intelligent.[5] When describing Kyle, Stone states that both he and the character are "reactionary", and susceptible to irritability and impatience.[9] In some instances, Kyle is the only child in his class to not initially indulge in a fad or fall victim to a ploy. This has resulted in both his eagerness to fit in, and his resentment and frustration.[5][29]
As a Jew, Kyle often defends and shows pride in his religion and ancestry.[9] He is nevertheless lonely in this regard, particularly aroundChristmas time, though he takes solace in anticipating the annual appearance ofMr. Hankey, ananthropomorphic piece offeces who emerges from the sewer to spread Christmas cheer.[30]
A recurring plot element is the depiction of Kyle as insecure about Jewish traditions and beliefs.[9][31] Already regarding God as cruel for allowing him to suffer from a life-threatening hemorrhoid while Cartman enjoys a million-dollar inheritance, Kyle became further appalled after being read the story ofJob.[32] He also once feareddamnation for not having grown up as aCatholic.[33] During both instances, he renounced his affiliation with Judaism, only to have his faith restored by events occurring at the end of an episode. After watchingThe Passion of the Christ, a shameful Kyle suddenly felt that Cartman's antisemitism was justified, and suggested to angry members of hissynagogue that the Jews apologize for the death ofJesus.[4][34] Kyle's guilt is quickly alleviated when he encountersMel Gibson, the film's director, and perceives him to be nothing more than a deranged masochist.[34]
Kyle has a first cousin also namedKyle, whom he resents for being the embodiment of Jewish stereotypes and causing Kyle to question whether or not he was aself-hating Jew.[35] Kyle is hopelessly inept at choreographed dancing; in the eyes of Cartman, he perpetuated the stereotype that "Jews have no rhythm".[36] His birthday is May 26, the same day as Stone.[37] Kyle was conceived inNew Jersey.[38]
Kyle had a major role inSouth Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut,[39] the full-length film based on the series, and appeared on thefilm's soundtrack singing the same musical numbers performed in the movie.[40] As a tribute to theDead Parrot sketch, a short that features Kyle as the owner of a shop to where Cartman attempts to return a dead Kenny aired during a 1999 BBC television special commemorating the 30th anniversary ofMonty Python's Flying Circus.[41] Kyle also featured in thedocumentary filmThe Aristocrats, listening to Cartman tell his version of the film's titular joke,[42] and in "The Gauntlet", a short spoofing bothGladiator andBattlefield Earth which aired during the2000 MTV Movie Awards.[43][44] Stone performs as Kyle on tracks forChef Aid: The South Park Album andMr. Hankey's Christmas Classics.[45][46][47]
Kyle also appears in sixSouth Park-related video games: InSouth Park, Kyle is controlled by the player through thefirst-person shooter mode who attempts to ward off enemies from terrorizing the town of South Park.[48] InSouth Park: Chef's Luv Shack, a user has the option of playing as Kyle when participating in the game's several "mini-games" based on other popular arcade games.[49][50] In the racing gameSouth Park Rally, a user can race as Kyle against other players, selecting from a variety of vehicles.[51] InSouth Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play!, Kyle can be selected as a playable character used to establish atower defense against the game's antagonists.[52] Kylerole-plays as the Elf King in the 2014 game,The Stick of Truth,[53] as well as in its sequel,The Fractured but Whole, where he role-plays as the Human Kite.[54]
Kyle's depiction on the show has drawn both praise and criticism from the Jewish community.[55] Detractors of the character cite his own habit of eschewing common Jewish practices and reiterating negative stereotypes for comedic purposes.[33][55] Supportive Jewish viewers commend the show for using Kyle to accurately portray what it is like for a young Jew to have to endure loneliness and bigotry as an ethnic and religious minority.[55] One of the show's more popular episodes, "The Passion of the Jew" (season eight, 2004), deals largely with Kyle's religious anxiety.[4] The episode was independently released onDVD along with two other religion-themed episodes from the series.[34]
Over the seasons Kyle has addressed topics such asbrotherhood,[5] excessivelitigation,[56]hate crime legislation,[57]civil liberties,[58]profanity in television,[59]hybrid vehicle ownership,[60] and theeconomy.[61] In theseason 10 (2006) episode "Cartoon Wars Part II", Kyle expresses his opinions oncensorship,[62] and iterates Parker and Stone's sentiments on the topic by telling a television executive "Either it's all okay, or none of it is" in regard to whether any subject should remain off-limits to satire.[63] To Parker and Stone's disappointment, the episode received more attention for its criticism of the showFamily Guy than it did for Kyle's proclamation.[62]
Kyle's opinions have been the subject of much critical analysis in the media and literary world. The bookSouth Park and Philosophy: You Know, I Learned Something Today includes an essay in whichBridgewater State Collegephilosophy professor William J. Devlin references the teachings ofSocrates andFriedrich Nietzsche when describing Kyle's role in the show.[64] Essays in the booksSouth Park and Philosophy: Bigger, Longer, and More Penetrating,Blame Canada! South Park and Contemporary Culture, andTaking South Park Seriously have also analyzed Kyle's perspectives within the framework of popular philosophical, theological, and political concepts.[65][66][67]
Kyle Broflovski in the South Park wiki
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