Original: Anthony Bourdain “Parts Unknown” Rhetorical Analysis Project

A fast paced montage sets the tone of an episode of Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown episode entitled Nashville. Clips of bars, heavy foods, cars, music, and fried chicken flash across the screen. The episode then begins by showing a stereotypical ranch house with an American flag hanging from it and a voice over describing Nashville as  “friends, family, kicking back and drinking beer, and cooking over the fire pit”. This quotation sets the intention of the episode because the episode is centered around the ideas of community and stereotypes.

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Stereotypes that are portrayed during the episode are classic country stereotypes. Boots, beer, white men, trucks. All the basics. However, Bourdain also attempts to show viewers a more in depth perceptions on what Nashville is actually like. He is able to dive deeper into the real lives of people from Nashville and deconstruct stereotypes. 

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Since Nashville is located in the South I think that people associate it with not being a very diverse place, but Bourdain depicts Nashville as a very diverse place. Many of the people who Bourdain talks to throughout the episode are not locals. I believe this is done on purpose in order to show the more diverse grouping of people living in Nashville. One man that Bourdain talked to in the episode was Jesse Boyce, an African American producer and CEO. He explained to viewers that their is more than just country music in Tennessee . He discusses what Night Train music is and how it differentiates from country (Hee Haw) music. Night Train was the African Americans genre of music that emerged at the same time as classic country music, however is often looked over in Nashvilles musical history. Because Boyce is an expert in the music field he is a creditable source for this information which is Bourdain using ethos to help get his message of diversity in Nashville across to viewers. 

There is also a constant emphasis on the ability for one to be able to create success in Nashville regardless of their prior life situations. Nashville is made to look like a safe spot. A haven for anyone and everyone who wants it. The cities values that are depicted in the episode are community, diversity, and growth. Community is the first value that I was able to pick out from the episode. During the duration of the episode all of the events shown were centered around the idea of gather and socialization. Whether it was gathering for a meal, a party, or just for fun people were always together. My family is from Chattanooga, Tennessee, so when I think of the south I think of family and traditions so this value made a lot of sense to me.  One example of community shown in the episode are dive bars. A dive bar is “neighborhood bar where local residents gather to drink and socialize”.  I think that adding in scenes like this to the episode was to portray to readers that Nashville is an open place where everyone is welcomed because in these scenes people of all different backgrounds were included and always looked as if they were having a good time. 

I wanted to compare my termanistic glasses to Bourdain’s throughout the episode and I found that our glasses were very similar. Bourdain opens up viewers eyes to see the real Nashville, not as the glamorized music city that it is often portrayed to be. He is able to portray Nashville as a community based place with wholesome values and opportunity.