I'm about to do everyone a little favor and dedicate this week's column to a new television show out there in the land of HBO that you may or may not have heard of: "Eastbound & Down." For those familiar, kudos; come find me and we'll exchange Kenny Power-isms and recite our favorite Stevie Janowski quotes. For those of you who haven't, I'll give a brief synopsis, history and why you need to stop studying immediately and watch this Will Ferrell masterpiece.
Alright, so "masterpiece" may be a far stretch for the crude and bawdy humor apparent in every episode. But by all accounts, this does have the fingerprints of the former SNL alum all over it, making it definite comedic gold.
"Eastbound and Down" is a six-episode series about washed-up major league baseball star, Kenny Powers (portrayed by Danny McBride; known by many as the guy who proclaimed, "thug life," in the stoner-flick "Pineapple Express"), who has moved back to his hometown of North Carolina, and becomes a P.E. teacher at his former middle school.
Kenny Powers is the quintessential stereotype of a redneck who whole-heartedly believes he is still number one and that he is well on his way back into the majors. This point is made further when scenes show Kenny listening to his motivational self-help book-on-tape, "You're F***ing Out, I'm F***ing In," filled with such gems like, "I've been blessed with many things in this life - an arm like a damn rocket, a cock like a Burmese python and the mind of a f***in' scientist. So people often ask me, 'Kenny, what are your weaknesses - do you have any?' I would say that my biggest flaw, my Achilles heel, is my tireless work ethic."
This show is not for someone who is unable to handle an excessive amount of cussing, derogatory comments and politically incorrect jokes. Chalk it up to the beauty of HBO. If all of the above is not your style, you're just not going to like this show at all. I personally probably would never have even known about it if my older brother and his roommates hadn't practically forced me to watch it. In retrospect, thank you.
Will Ferrell makes a few cameos as Ashley Schaeffer, the owner of Schaeffer BMW, and the banter between Ferrell and McBride is off the charts. It's so apparent that much of this show is improvisation, and particularly in these scenes, there is no holding back. The humor of Ferrell typically turns me off somewhat, but with "Eastbound and Down," I think he's really found his niche, both as a producer of and an actor within the series.
You're probably thinking, "What does this have to do with a website?" Well, I've enjoyed this show so much that to my surprise and delight, I have discovered the Kenny Powers website. Simply make your way to kennypowers.com, and enjoy the ridiculousness that is Powers' website. There are quotes all over the page saying things like, "The best part of being Kenny Powers is being Kenny Powers." Or, "Kenny is proud to say he has never once drunk a glass of water." Download his free trading cards, join his fan club and then make your way over to the official HBO page, where there are even more e-cards, videos and "powerisms."
So in the words of Stevie Janowski, "Don't be crazy, don't be lazy. Hire Kenny Powers." Or in this case, watch him.
