Editing Kent Brockman

{{Use American English|date=December 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Kent Brockman
| series = [[The Simpsons]]
| image = Kent Brockman.jpg
| first = "[[Krusty Gets Busted]]"(1990)
| creator = [[Matt Groening]]
| designer = [[Brad Bird]]
| voice = [[Harry Shearer]]
| full_name = Brock Kentman
| gender = Male
| occupation = News anchor
| family = Unnamed sister
| 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 [[animated cartoon|animated]] television series ''[[The Simpsons]]''. He is [[voice acting|voiced]] by [[Harry Shearer]] and first appeared in the episode "[[Krusty Gets Busted]]". He is the grumpy, self-centered, pompous [[News presenter|news anchor]] for the local [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]] news.

==Profile==
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:You Kent Always Say What You Want.png|225px|thumb|left|Brockman interviewing [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] in "[[You Kent Always Say What You Want]]"]] -->
Kent Brockman hosts the [[Media in The Simpsons|Channel 6]] weekday news, as well as ''[[Media in The Simpsons#Journalism|Smartline]]'', a local current-affairs program (a parody of the national current-affairs program ''[[Nightline]]''), ''[[Media in The Simpsons#Bite Back with Kent Brockman|Bite Back! With Kent Brockman]]'' (a parody of ''[[Fight Back! With David Horowitz]]''), ''[[Media in The Simpsons#Journalism|Eye on Springfield]]'' (a parody of ''Eye on LA''), which focuses mostly on [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield's]] entertainment news, the game show ''[[Hollywood Squares#Parodies|Springfield Squares]]'',  ''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 [[Britney Spears]].

It has been hinted that Brockman is ethnically [[Judaism|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 language|Hebrew]] [[Chai (symbol)|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]],<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 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 forecasting|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==
[[File:Brad bird cropped 2009.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Brad Bird]] designed Brockman.]]

Kent Brockman first appeared on television in the [[The Simpsons (season 1)|first season]] episode "[[Krusty Gets Busted]]", which originally aired April 29, 1990.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season1/page12.shtml Krusty Gets Busted], ''[[BBC|BBC.co.uk]]''. Retrieved on December 30, 2008.</ref><ref>[http://www.thesimpsons.com/episode_guide/0112.htm "Krusty Gets Busted"]. ''The Simpsons.com''. Retrieved on December 31, 2008.</ref> The character was based on [[Los Angeles]] anchormen [[Hal Fishman]] and [[Jerry Dunphy]].<ref name=defined>Groening, Matt; Jean, Al (2003). Commentary for "[[Homer Defined]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> The director of "Krusty Gets Busted", [[Brad Bird]], designed the character and modeled him after anchorman [[Ted Koppel]].<ref>Bird, Brad; Wolodarsky, Wallace (2001). Commentary for "[[Krusty Gets Busted]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete First Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> Another influence on the character was ''[[The Mary Tyler Moore Show]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Ted Baxter]], played by [[Ted Knight]].<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/>

==Cultural influence==
Brockman is responsible for popularizing the [[snowclone]] "I, for one, welcome our new ''[fill-in-the-blank]'' 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 "[[Deep Space Homer]]" (1994), which generated the [[Internet meme|meme]],<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=[[Screen Rant]] |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=[[The Daily Dot]] |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 [[Chris Turner (author)|Chris Turner]] 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 ''[[New Scientist]]'' 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=[[New Scientist]]|access-date=December 30, 2008|date=June 5, 2007}}</ref> the ''[[Houston Chronicle]]'' <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.chron.com/opinion/editorials/article/End-food-truck-wars-4264461.php|title=End food truck wars|newspaper=[[Houston Chronicle]]|access-date=February 11, 2013|date=February 10, 2013}}</ref> and [[Ken Jennings]] on the ''[[List of Jeopardy! tournaments and events#IBM Challenge|Jeopardy! IBM Challenge]]'' (versus [[Watson (computer)|Watson]]) 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=[[Los Angeles Times]]|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, [[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|Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation]]'', [[Chris Turner (author)|Chris Turner]], 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 [[sensationalism]].{{sfn|Turner|2004|p=402}} [[MSN]] called Brockman one of the worst TV news anchors.<ref>{{cite web|last=Semel|first=Paul|title=The Best & Worst TV News Anchors|publisher=[[MSN]]|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>

"[[You Kent Always Say What You Want]]" was well received by critics. [[IGN]] called it the second best episode of [[The Simpsons (season 18)|the season]].<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=[[IGN]]|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/790/790235p1.html|access-date=December 30, 2008}}</ref>

==Merchandise==
[[Playmates Toys]] created a Kent Brockman action figure for its [[World of Springfield]] toy line which was released in July 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://figures.nohomers.net/WoS_Figures_Series_5.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120801212007/http://figures.nohomers.net/WoS_Figures_Series_5.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 1, 2012|title=Series 5|access-date=December 31, 2008|publisher=The Simpsons Action Figure Information Station}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|The Simpsons}}
* [[Media in The Simpsons|Media in ''The Simpsons'']]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

;Bibliography
{{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 [[Douglas Coupland]]. |edition=1st |year=2004 |location=Toronto |publisher=[[Random House Canada]] |oclc=55682258 |isbn=978-0-679-31318-2|title-link=Planet Simpson }}
*[[Hed PE|(həd)<sup>pe</sup>]]:  Song ''[[Hed PE (album)#Track listing|I.F.O.]]''.
{{refend}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160513221152/http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0003026/ Kent Brockman] on [[IMDb]]

{{The Simpsons}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brockman, Kent}}
[[Category:Animated characters introduced in 1990]]
[[Category:Fictional American Jews]]
[[Category:Fictional television news anchors]]
[[Category:Fictional television reporters and correspondents]]
[[Category:Male characters in animated television series]]
[[Category:Male characters in animation]]
[[Category:American male characters in sitcoms]]
[[Category:The Simpsons characters]]
[[Category:Television characters introduced in 1990]]
[[Category:Fictional Jews]]