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{{Use American English|date=December 2022}}
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{{Simpsons character| {{Infobox character
image= ]| | name = Kent Brockman
| series = ]
bgcolor=#000|
| image = Kent Brockman.jpg
fgcolor=#fff|
| first = "]"(1990)
name=Kent Brockman|
| creator = ]
gender=]|
| designer = ]
hair=White|
| voice = ]
age= 51 |
| full_name = Brock Kentman
job=News anchorman|
| gender = Male
relatives='''Daughter:''' Brittany <br> '''Wife:''' Lois <br> '''Sister:''' Unnamed|
| occupation = News anchor
appearance=]|
| family = Unnamed sister
voiceactor=]|
| relatives = Unnamed nephew
| spouse = Stephanie (wife)
| children = Unnamed adult daughter<br>Brittany (daughter)
}} }}


'''Brock Kentman''',<ref>{{Cite comic |date=May 19, 1998 |title=Simpsons Comics on Parade |story=Simpsons #25: Marge Attacks! |url=https://archive.org/details/simpsonscomicson0000unse_x9m4 |access-date=April 14, 2024 |artist= |page=45}}</ref> more commonly called '''Kent Brockman''', is a fictional character in the ] television series '']''. He is ] by ] and first appeared in the episode "]". He is the grumpy, self-centered, pompous ] for the local ] news.
'''Kent Brockman''' is one of the recurring ]s from ], and is voiced by ]. He is a local TV news "personality" for the fictional ] (Channel 6).


== Profile == ==Profile==
<!-- Deleted image removed: ] in "]"]] -->
Kent Brockman hosts the ] weekday news, as well as '']'', a local current-affairs program (a parody of the national current-affairs program '']''), '']'' (a parody of '']''), '']'' (a parody of ''Eye on LA''), which focuses mostly on ] entertainment news, the game show '']'', ''Springfield Action News,'' and has his own personal commentary segment of the 6:00&nbsp;p.m. news, "My Two Cents".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Groening |first=Matt |title=The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family |publisher=HarperCollins |year=1997 |isbn=0-06-095252-0 |edition=1st |location=New York, NY |pages=41 |language=en}}</ref> In the episode "The Mansion Family", he co-hosted an award show with pop music singer ].


It has been hinted that Brockman is ethnically ], having changed his surname from Brockelstein; this was first indicated in a 1960s flashback featured in the episode "]", in which Brockman was known as '''Kenny Brockelstein''' early in his career. He can sometimes be spotted wearing the ] ] symbol on a necklace. However, he is seen several times attending ]'s ] church, and in "]" he states his belief in the ],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.snpp.com/episodes/1F03.html |title=&#91;1F03&#93; Marge on the Lam |access-date=February 5, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141204084357/http://www.snpp.com/episodes/1F03.html |archive-date=December 4, 2014 }}</ref> suggesting he professes Christian religious beliefs.
Brockman hosts the KBBL weeknight news (] is the weekend news anchor and Kent's fill-in) as well as '']'', a local current affairs show and '']'' which focuses mostly on ] entertainment news. His character bears a striking resemblance to ] news anchor ]. Another well known anchorman, ] from ] (]), may be the model for Kent.


Brockman has a daughter, Brittany, who may have been the product of his fling with the Channel 6 weather girl. He also has a wife named Stephanie. In "]", Brockman is revealed to have during his career, reported on the ], the 1979-89 ], and the 1991 ].
Brockman represents the worst of his profession; frequently judgmental, careerist to the point of absurdity, and more than willing to film a schmaltzy, emotion driven puff piece for the sake of a few extra ratings points. He has been seen throwing tantrums because he cannot find certain snack foods, and once blithely announced that the boom operator on his news programme was being fired the next morning (for which he took a clout on the head from the angry soon-to-be-ex-employee). He seems to command excessive levels of power within Channel 6, even having a segment of the news programme to air his own (usually highly ]) opinions on current issues called ''My Two Cents''. Despite all of this, he has won a string of media awards, but is most proud of his unspecified trophy from ].


In "]", Brockman won the multimillion-dollar ($130 million) state ] jackpot and left the ] while still on the air. However, he remained a news anchor because he was under contract, though he also admitted that he likes making $500,000 a year. He has an ongoing feud with traffic reporter ], and has been shown to criticize Pye's reporting and also even chuckles when it was thought Pye had died in a helicopter accident. When Arnie Pye took Brockman's anchor position he admitted on the air he made out with Brockman's daughter but was sure to note it was with "the grown up one," thus revealing Brockman has an adult daughter.
Brockman has a preteen daughter and a preteen son, and has jealously mentioned his sister, who is a ] correspondent for ].


Brockman's penchant for using offensive language worked against him in the 400th episode, "]," where, after Homer accidentally spilled coffee on Brockman's crotch, he shouted what ] called a "super swear" that shocked everyone who watches it. Brockman was demoted to ] due to the station paying a fine to the ] (FCC) and was soon fired when the network executives deliberately mistook a ring of ] in Brockman's coffee for ]. Brockman was later given his job back to silence him (after doing an exposé that was seen on ] uncovering the real reason the FCC is cracking down on obscenity in the media), with a 50% raise, making his new salary $750,000 a year.
At one point, he was fired for using the ] "]" on air but was later rehired for unspecified reasons.


==Creation and inspirations==
On one notable episode, Brockman won the multi-million-dollar ($130 million) ] jackpot and left the news desk while still on the air. But, he remained a news anchor because he is under contract, though he also admitted that he likes making $500,000-a-year. He also mentioned to traffic reporter ] (with whom he has an ongoing feud) that he made some smart investments when Pie complained about the size of Brockman's house.
] designed Brockman.]]


Kent Brockman first appeared on television in the ] episode "]", which originally aired April 29, 1990.<ref>, '']''. Retrieved on December 30, 2008.</ref><ref>. ''The Simpsons.com''. Retrieved on December 31, 2008.</ref> The character was based on ] anchormen ] and ].<ref name=defined>Groening, Matt; Jean, Al (2003). Commentary for "]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season'' . 20th Century Fox.</ref> The director of "Krusty Gets Busted", ], designed the character and modeled him after anchorman ].<ref>Bird, Brad; Wolodarsky, Wallace (2001). Commentary for "]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete First Season'' . 20th Century Fox.</ref> Another influence on the character was '']''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s ], played by ].<ref>{{cite book |date=December 2004 |first=Stephanie |last=Woo |title=The Scoop on The Simpsons: Journalism in U.S. Television's Longest Running Prime-Time Animated Series |url=http://ijpc.org/uploads/files/IJPC%20Student%20Journal%20Stephanie%20Woo.pdf |pages=5–8 |access-date=December 31, 2008}}</ref> Dunphy was proud of the fact that Brockman was based on him and would tell people that he was Kent Brockman.<ref name=defined/>
In a flashback to the ] in the episode ], we see that when he started out in television his name was '''Kenny Brocklestein''' and he can be seen wearing the Hebrew ] as a ] ] around his neck in the episode ] after he had won the state lottery, suggesting ] ancestry. However, the comics say his name is Brock Kentman, though the comics are never treated as ].


==Cultural influence==
Brockman owns a ] named Jessica, whom he had ].
Brockman is responsible for popularizing the ] "I, for one, welcome our new '''' overlords", sometimes used to express mock submission, usually for the purpose of humor.{{sfn|Turner|2004|pp=293-294}} Brockman's comment about believing a spacecraft was taken over by a master race of giant space ants in "]" (1994), which generated the ],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hornshaw |first1=Phil |title=''The Simpsons'' 30th Anniversary: 12 Best. Memes. Ever. (Photos) |url=https://www.thewrap.com/simpsons-30th-anniversary-best-memes/ |website=TheWrap |access-date=November 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170420052008/http://www.thewrap.com/simpsons-30th-anniversary-best-memes/ |archive-date=April 20, 2017 |date=April 19, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Sarmiento |first1=Rafael |title=10 Best Scenes From ''The Simpsons'' That Became Memes |url=https://screenrant.com/simpsons-best-scenes-memes/ |website=] |access-date=November 7, 2024 |date=August 9, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Britton |first1=David |title=Here are some of the all-time greatest ''Simpsons'' memes |url=https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/simpsons-memes/ |website=] |access-date=November 7, 2024 |date=July 19, 2024}}</ref> is considered one of the show's classic moments. The spacecraft was carrying an ant colony, though the insects were accidentally released by Homer. This led to an ant drifting by the video feed, appearing gigantic due to its proximity to the camera, at which point Brockman contemplates if the "master race of giant space ants ... will consume the captive earth men or merely enslave them" and eventually utters the line "And I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords". Author ] called it "perhaps his finest hour as a journalist"{{sfn|Turner|2004|p=403}} and said the scene is "simply among the finest comedic moments in the history of television."{{sfn|Turner|2004|p=69}}


Variations of the phrase have been used in the media, such as '']'' magazine,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newscientist.com/blog/space/2007/06/british-government-welcomes-our-new.html|title=The British government welcomes our new insect overlords|magazine=]|access-date=December 30, 2008|date=June 5, 2007}}</ref> the '']'' <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.chron.com/opinion/editorials/article/End-food-truck-wars-4264461.php|title=End food truck wars|newspaper=]|access-date=February 11, 2013|date=February 10, 2013}}</ref> and ] on the '']'' (versus ]) on February 16, 2011.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2011/02/watson-jeopardy-finale-man-vs-machine-showdown.html|title=Watson wins 'Jeopardy!' finale; Ken Jennings welcomes 'our new computer overlords'|work=]|date=February 16, 2011|access-date=February 17, 2011|author=Melissa Maerz}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Zimmer |first=Ben |title=Is It Time to Welcome Our New Computer Overlords? |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/02/is-it-time-to-welcome-our-new-computer-overlords/71388/ |access-date=April 28, 2012 |newspaper=The Atlantic |date=February 17, 2011}}</ref> On May 6, 2014, ] made direct reference to the phrase by using it as the closing line of his television program '']''.
He is also characterized by using news-speak in everyday language, for example, "This just in, go to ]!"


==Reception==
It is said that Brockman was based on Dunphy and fellow L.A. News legend ]. There are episodes, however, in which he appears to emulate both ] and ]. He also bears a resemblance to ], the airhead news anchor from '']'', played by ].
The author of the book '']'', ], said that "if the institution of the News has a single iconic face on ''The Simpsons'', it's Brockman's"{{sfn|Turner|2004|p=400}} and that "in Brockman's journalism, we see some of the modern news media's ugliest biases", which he identifies as glibness,{{sfn|Turner|2004|p=400}} amplification, and ].{{sfn|Turner|2004|p=402}} ] called Brockman one of the worst TV news anchors.<ref>{{cite web|last=Semel|first=Paul|title=The Best & Worst TV News Anchors|publisher=]|url=http://tv.msn.com/tv/bestworstnewscasters-2/|access-date=December 30, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080121170244/http://tv.msn.com/tv/bestworstnewscasters-2/|archive-date=January 21, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>


"]" was well received by critics. ] called it the second best episode of ].<ref name=IGN>{{cite web|last=Canning|first=Robert|title=The Simpsons: "You Kent Always Say What You Want" Review: Number 400 delivers a classic.|website=]|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/790/790235p1.html|access-date=December 30, 2008}}</ref>
Brockman drives a blue ], which he can be seen washing in the opening credits of ''Eye on Springfield''.


==Merchandise==
In one of ''The Simpsons'' comic books, Kent Brockman is accosted by some ]ists, who threaten to reveal that his real name is Brock Kentman.
] created a Kent Brockman action figure for its ] toy line which was released in July 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://figures.nohomers.net/WoS_Figures_Series_5.html|title=Series 5|access-date=December 31, 2008|publisher=The Simpsons Action Figure Information Station}}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>


==See also==
Brockman's most famous phrase, repeated in various guises on internet message boards and within popular culture is "]", is used on the episode ''']''' where Brockman transmits live footage from the space shuttle cabin in which ] has clumsily released thousands of ants into ] aboard the ]. A lone ant drifts by the news camera, and Brockman's hilarious overreaction is to announce that Earth will soon be invaded by giant space ants. He continues his broadcast by stating:
{{Portal|The Simpsons}}
"One thing is for certain: there is no stopping them; the ants will soon be here. And I for one welcome our new insect overlords. I'd like to remind them that as a trusted TV personality, I can be helpful in rounding up others to toil in their underground ] caves." Later on in the episode, he re-pledges his allegiance back to planet ]. Another notable quote is "I've said it before and I'll say it again, democracy simply doesn't work".
* ]
In ''']''' Kent Brockman is a cardboard figure on the Channel 6 Thanksgiving dinner because he is in a rehab clinic according to ].


==References==
==2006 US Midterm elections==
{{Reflist}}
The phrase "I, for one, welcome our Democratic overlords" was used in several conservative blogs after the 2006 US Midterm elections. The blog ] is thought to be the first to have used this reference to Kent Brockman's phrase "I for one welcome our new Insect overlords".
Other conservative blogs used it included ] at the ]. The trend was documented in a Blog post on ]' ].


;Bibliography
==See also==
{{refbegin}}
*]
*{{cite book |last=Turner |first=Chris |author-link=Chris Turner (author) |title=Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation |others=Foreword by ]. |edition=1st |year=2004 |location=Toronto |publisher=] |oclc=55682258 |isbn=978-0-679-31318-2|title-link=Planet Simpson }}
*
*]: Song '']''.
*
{{refend}}
{{Simpsons characters}}

==External links==
* on ]


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Latest revision as of 20:11, 21 November 2024

Fictional character
Kent Brockman
The Simpsons character
First appearance"Krusty Gets Busted"(1990)
Created byMatt Groening
Designed byBrad Bird
Voiced byHarry Shearer
In-universe information
Full nameBrock Kentman
GenderMale
OccupationNews anchor
FamilyUnnamed sister
SpouseStephanie (wife)
ChildrenUnnamed adult daughter
Brittany (daughter)
RelativesUnnamed nephew

Brock Kentman, more commonly called Kent Brockman, is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer and first appeared in the episode "Krusty Gets Busted". He is the grumpy, self-centered, pompous news anchor for the local Springfield news.

Profile

Kent Brockman hosts the Channel 6 weekday news, as well as Smartline, a local current-affairs program (a parody of the national current-affairs program Nightline), Bite Back! With Kent Brockman (a parody of Fight Back! With David Horowitz), Eye on Springfield (a parody of Eye on LA), which focuses mostly on Springfield's entertainment news, the game show Springfield Squares, Springfield Action News, and has his own personal commentary segment of the 6:00 p.m. news, "My Two Cents". In the episode "The Mansion Family", he co-hosted an award show with pop music singer Britney Spears.

It has been hinted that Brockman is ethnically Jewish, having changed his surname from Brockelstein; this was first indicated in a 1960s flashback featured in the episode "Mother Simpson", in which Brockman was known as Kenny Brockelstein early in his career. He can sometimes be spotted wearing the Hebrew Chai symbol on a necklace. However, he is seen several times attending Reverend Lovejoy's Protestant church, and in "Marge on the Lam" he states his belief in the Book of Revelation, suggesting he professes Christian religious beliefs.

Brockman has a daughter, Brittany, who may have been the product of his fling with the Channel 6 weather girl. He also has a wife named Stephanie. In "Kamp Krusty", Brockman is revealed to have during his career, reported on the Vietnam War, the 1979-89 Soviet–Afghan War, and the 1991 Gulf War.

In "Dog of Death", Brockman won the multimillion-dollar ($130 million) state lottery jackpot and left the news desk while still on the air. However, he remained a news anchor because he was under contract, though he also admitted that he likes making $500,000 a year. He has an ongoing feud with traffic reporter Arnie Pye, and has been shown to criticize Pye's reporting and also even chuckles when it was thought Pye had died in a helicopter accident. When Arnie Pye took Brockman's anchor position he admitted on the air he made out with Brockman's daughter but was sure to note it was with "the grown up one," thus revealing Brockman has an adult daughter.

Brockman's penchant for using offensive language worked against him in the 400th episode, "You Kent Always Say What You Want," where, after Homer accidentally spilled coffee on Brockman's crotch, he shouted what Ned Flanders called a "super swear" that shocked everyone who watches it. Brockman was demoted to weather man due to the station paying a fine to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and was soon fired when the network executives deliberately mistook a ring of Splenda in Brockman's coffee for cocaine. Brockman was later given his job back to silence him (after doing an exposé that was seen on YouTube uncovering the real reason the FCC is cracking down on obscenity in the media), with a 50% raise, making his new salary $750,000 a year.

Creation and inspirations

Brad Bird designed Brockman.

Kent Brockman first appeared on television in the first season episode "Krusty Gets Busted", which originally aired April 29, 1990. The character was based on Los Angeles anchormen Hal Fishman and Jerry Dunphy. The director of "Krusty Gets Busted", Brad Bird, designed the character and modeled him after anchorman Ted Koppel. Another influence on the character was The Mary Tyler Moore Show's Ted Baxter, played by Ted Knight. Dunphy was proud of the fact that Brockman was based on him and would tell people that he was Kent Brockman.

Cultural influence

Brockman is responsible for popularizing the snowclone "I, for one, welcome our new overlords", sometimes used to express mock submission, usually for the purpose of humor. Brockman's comment about believing a spacecraft was taken over by a master race of giant space ants in "Deep Space Homer" (1994), which generated the meme, is considered one of the show's classic moments. The spacecraft was carrying an ant colony, though the insects were accidentally released by Homer. This led to an ant drifting by the video feed, appearing gigantic due to its proximity to the camera, at which point Brockman contemplates if the "master race of giant space ants ... will consume the captive earth men or merely enslave them" and eventually utters the line "And I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords". Author Chris Turner called it "perhaps his finest hour as a journalist" and said the scene is "simply among the finest comedic moments in the history of television."

Variations of the phrase have been used in the media, such as New Scientist magazine, the Houston Chronicle and Ken Jennings on the Jeopardy! IBM Challenge (versus Watson) on February 16, 2011. On May 6, 2014, Stephen Colbert made direct reference to the phrase by using it as the closing line of his television program The Colbert Report.

Reception

The author of the book Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation, Chris Turner, said that "if the institution of the News has a single iconic face on The Simpsons, it's Brockman's" and that "in Brockman's journalism, we see some of the modern news media's ugliest biases", which he identifies as glibness, amplification, and sensationalism. MSN called Brockman one of the worst TV news anchors.

"You Kent Always Say What You Want" was well received by critics. IGN called it the second best episode of the season.

Merchandise

Playmates Toys created a Kent Brockman action figure for its World of Springfield toy line which was released in July 2001.

See also

References

  1. "Simpsons #25: Marge Attacks!" Simpsons Comics on Parade, p. 45 (May 19, 1998). Retrieved on April 14, 2024.
  2. Groening, Matt (1997). The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family (1st ed.). New York, NY: HarperCollins. p. 41. ISBN 0-06-095252-0.
  3. "[1F03] Marge on the Lam". Archived from the original on December 4, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  4. Krusty Gets Busted, BBC.co.uk. Retrieved on December 30, 2008.
  5. "Krusty Gets Busted". The Simpsons.com. Retrieved on December 31, 2008.
  6. ^ Groening, Matt; Jean, Al (2003). Commentary for "Homer Defined", in The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season . 20th Century Fox.
  7. Bird, Brad; Wolodarsky, Wallace (2001). Commentary for "Krusty Gets Busted", in The Simpsons: The Complete First Season . 20th Century Fox.
  8. Woo, Stephanie (December 2004). The Scoop on The Simpsons: Journalism in U.S. Television's Longest Running Prime-Time Animated Series (PDF). pp. 5–8. Retrieved December 31, 2008.
  9. Turner 2004, pp. 293–294.
  10. Hornshaw, Phil (April 19, 2017). "The Simpsons 30th Anniversary: 12 Best. Memes. Ever. (Photos)". TheWrap. Archived from the original on April 20, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
  11. Sarmiento, Rafael (August 9, 2020). "10 Best Scenes From The Simpsons That Became Memes". Screen Rant. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
  12. Britton, David (July 19, 2024). "Here are some of the all-time greatest Simpsons memes". The Daily Dot. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
  13. Turner 2004, p. 403.
  14. Turner 2004, p. 69.
  15. "The British government welcomes our new insect overlords". New Scientist. June 5, 2007. Retrieved December 30, 2008.
  16. "End food truck wars". Houston Chronicle. February 10, 2013. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  17. Melissa Maerz (February 16, 2011). "Watson wins 'Jeopardy!' finale; Ken Jennings welcomes 'our new computer overlords'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
  18. Zimmer, Ben (February 17, 2011). "Is It Time to Welcome Our New Computer Overlords?". The Atlantic. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
  19. ^ Turner 2004, p. 400.
  20. Turner 2004, p. 402.
  21. Semel, Paul. "The Best & Worst TV News Anchors". MSN. Archived from the original on January 21, 2008. Retrieved December 30, 2008.
  22. Canning, Robert. "The Simpsons: "You Kent Always Say What You Want" Review: Number 400 delivers a classic". IGN. Retrieved December 30, 2008.
  23. "Series 5". The Simpsons Action Figure Information Station. Retrieved December 31, 2008.
Bibliography

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