Running head (first page only): Eastbound & down all caps
Eastbound & down
Date
March 5, 2018
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Eastbound & down
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The comedy East bound and down is a series based on the life of Kenny Rogers. This
character is a former Major League baseball pitcher who has fallen out of his former glory
mainly due to his self-self-destructive behaviors. He is also an obnoxious fellow who is filled
with pride and drunk over fame. In relation to rectors, Kenny Rogers in the series has been seen
to bring about the aspect of crass due to his non religious behaviors. In terms of humor, we can
definitely say he has orchestrated his role well as his crudeness is filled with uncanny humor.
With his foul mouth, he is able to deliver humor in a way that most people cannot think of. Other
rectors in the series include Dustin, his brother and Cassie his wife, Kenny’s sister in law. The
couple and their children bring to the show the comfort of family and the expectations that they
have towards a person. This family also offers Kenny a home when he down hence shows the
untiring support of family even when we are at our worst (McBride, 2009).
There are several ways to explain why Kenny is such a huge jerk. One of them includes
the fact that fame and pride got the best part of him. While Kenny has been a super star in the
Major League most of his life, he refuses to accept defeat and the end of his fast-lane lifestyle
which causes him to act the way he does. His crudeness, however, extends to even when he was
part of the Major League which can only be explained as a result of pride since he had achieved
his dreams at that time and could not contemplate anything that would change this. His
motivation in this series is stardom and getting back to his former glory while we as the viewers
are motivated to watch the show in order to see if he achieves his goal of getting back to his
former glory.
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Characters like Kenny Rogers are needed to help people understand that the world is a
rollercoaster, one moment you are at a high and the next at a low point. We, therefore, need
shows like this to show people that behavior can highly affect a person’s life both socially and
professionally. It also motivates people to not give up on trying to achieve their goals when
things get rough. This comedy appeals to the needs of people to realize that even in tough
situations people can still find humor. Shows that make people laugh bring about happiness and
reduce stress (McBride, 2009).
The context of this series is based on the former stardom life of Kenny Rogers which
leads to the current situation of the series. After the end of his career life, Kenny is forced to go
back to his hometown to live with his brother and his family. In his hometown, he is forced to
work as a gym teacher in his former high school. Here his life revolves around people in his past
such as April, who he fancied back then and still does and his brother, sister in law and their
children.
The narrative of Kenny’s story can be described from his former life to his transition
from glory and the things that happen in between his struggle back to glory. While his
unorthodox behaviors cost him his career as a baseball pitcher, Kenny returns home to regroup
and plan his strategy back to his career. In his transition from glory, he has to face his past which
includes returning to his hometown and taking up a job that is below his level as a gym teacher.
When he figures he has a chance of redemption, he falls into a series of unsuccessful trials and
plans full of stupidity and hilarious failures. With numerous roadblocks, one after another,
Kenny’s consistent trials are powered by his need to get back to fame and prove to his family he
can make it again. He fails to realize that their love for him does not depend on his fame rather
for just being himself (McBride, 2009).
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As a comedy, this series delivers its knowledge in a very unconventional way. The best
way to learn is said to be from mistakes, and this is the main basis of knowledge in this series.
The series is based on unending downfalls in plans and strategies that Kenny make in an effort to
return to his career. While most of the time Kenny ends up learning something new every time
he makes a new mistake, he also seems to forget these lesson pretty fast. This drives the viewer
to remember these teaching and understand that had Kenny put the teachings into practice he
would have avoided other future mistakes. The use of humor in this series makes us laugh due to
the fact that it used in idiocy and depicts pure stupidity. An example of this is in the second
episode of season one where Kenny’s assistance Stevie fails horribly at appearing threatening
toward the local high school pitcher threatening to steal a spot at pro roster (McBride, 2009).
In discussing kairos, we will review several things that whose timing could not be
controlled (Wardle & Downs, 2016). The arrival of Kenny back at his hometown when an
engaged April has settled down for a boring lifestyle is one of them. His return, therefore, rustles
things up for her, and she eventually leaves her fiancée. Another thing that happens to Kenny
that is out of control in the first season is the cancellation of the contract he had worked so hard
to get at the last moment. Timing also affects humor as in episode four of season one when
Kenny tries unsuccessfully and hilarious to draw people’s attention at the barbeque party.
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Eastbound & down
References
McBride, D., Hill, J., Best, B. (Producers) & Ferrell, W., McKay, A. (Director). (2009).
Eastbound &
down. USA : Warner Bros Television.
Wardle, E., & Downs, D. (2016). Writing about writing. Bedford St. Martins.
https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781319071127/recent
Well done, Mohammed! What a great display of rhetoric going on inside the show.
Details: There are just a couple places where I’d like to see you bring more depth to what you’re
saying if you could. While you’re assuming that I as a reader have seen the show, which I have, I
also want to hear you talk about it in your own words. So, when you’re references incidents
inside the show, make sure that you describe what’s going on and link them directly to the
rhetorical element you’ve set up. I can make my own guesses as to why you’re focusing on the
barbecue party under Kairos, but I want to see you write through that directly so I don’t have to
make any guesses. Take those opportunities you’ve created for yourself. Also with knowledge
making, you don’t reference a specific scene yet, but I think there’s potential there, so choose
one and give it the same detailed treatment.
Viewer Rhetoric: In some places, you have incorporated the viewer and their interpretation into
your writing beautifully. As we move further into the paper though, we kind of lose the viewer
perspective. Don’t let that happen. The viewer is just a vital to the show as the creators and the
characters, and I want to see how you think they affect what’s going on. Context was one area I
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really wanted to see you address viewers further. What context do viewers have that might
change their interpretation. If they’ve been through some of the same things as Rogers, who will
that affect meaning for them? If they love comedy and idiocy, will they focus on different things
from those who find the show relatable? What about you? You are a viewer. What background
drew you to this show? How did you get into it? Why did you keep watching? Come back
through each of your paragraphs and make sure the viewer rhetoric gets as much time as the
character rhetoric.
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