Rodney Atkins hit song What I Love about the South say, “If you need a Dixie Fix just come on down,” How could you not want to just hop on a plane and go down south? That is exactly the response Rodney Atkins tries to get across in his song. This song is an amazing example of a rhetorical analysis; Rodney does a great job of persuading others to agree with him on his outlook about how great the south is. Rodney uses rhetorical appeal such as ethos logos and pathos, in his song What I Love about the South, to achieve a depiction of his opinion of what the south is like. Whhhheeeewwww whhhhhheeewww!!! Before the lyrics even began, you hear the happy and upbeat sound of guitars, banjoes, and a fun filled beat that automatically puts …show more content…
you in a happy mood. Rodney does this because if you are already in a happy or feel good mood you are more likely to want to listen to the song and hear what he has to say about the south. You are already intrigued and you do not even know it. The background music helps capture the audience’s interest, and with the audience’s interest captured; Rodney is in the best poison to begin his execution of rhetorical analyst. The audience that Rodney Atkins is trying to reach out to in his song What I Love about the South is the people who live in the south. He is trying to get them to see how their memories about the south are the same. Sitting back reminiscing and sharing their stories will allow the people in the south to see how they relate to each other. In addition, Rodney’s southern accent helps the listener better relate and helps bridge the gap between listener and songwriter. In contrast, he reaches people who do not live in the south. He shows them how nice, fun, and intriguing the south is. One way he affectively reaches this audience is by the use of visual and descriptive terms. There is not a music video for this song, however; the words of the song itself are so descriptive that you see mental pictures of it in your head. Rodney Atkins song What I Love about the South talks about fried pickles, chicken, crawfish, wild turkey, deer jerky, swimming, sweet tea, and several other things that have you wishing you were in the south. This line is so descriptive that you could close your eyes and imagine crawfishing on a hot day or even tasting deer jerky. Also, every time that he says, “What I Love about the South” there is a choir or a group of others that sing along with him. This is an example of not only does Rodney think the south is great, but so does the people singing along with him. It shows he is not the only one with this opinion. It is through these sense-invoking descriptions that Rodney builds strong rhetorical analysis. The definition of ethos according to the dictionary “is a means of convincing someone of the character or credibility of the persuader,” and the presence of ethos is throughout this whole song from start to finish.
For example, when Rodney says, “Southern bells with a drawl make you stop and drop your jaw,” this is a very persuasive line. One group that would find this line persuasive would be men. Men would think wow southern girls must be so amazingly beautiful maybe I should try to date a southern girl they must have something that other girls do not if they would stop and make me drop my jaw or they would go down south and see what all the fuss is about. Another group would be women, this line would make women stop and think, what do girls down south have that I do not have. The song may have the girls feeling they should try to be a southern girl. The song makes you believe southern girls are pretty and more desirable to men. It may have women trying to go down south to see what makes southern girls so much better. Ethos can be found in the line “Grew up down here and it's where I'll grow my kids [SIC].” written by Rodney Atkins. That line shows that in the south there is a sense of community and heritage. Most parents want the best for their children, they want their kids to have what they did not have, and they want to do better for them and for them to have more than they had. What this line says is that Rodney must have enjoyed his child hood and growing …show more content…
up in the south so much that he thinks it good enough for his kids to grow up in the south as well. It is good enough for his kids to grow up in the south as well. This line represents a since of tradition which in present day America What this line says is that Rodney must have enjoyed his child hood and growing up in the south so much that he thinks is hard to find and most people would find this appealing. With the use of the persuasive language and the input of his own experiences to build credibility in this song What I love About the South Rodney Atkins builds strong ethos. How does the song make you feel? Do you have a different perspective about the south after listening to this song? The way that you feel after listening to this song is the building of pathos. Pathos is the emotional appeal or the manipulation that a writer makes the reader feel; well in this case, how the writer makes the listener feel. Emotions are very strong and delicate things. It can effect something small like how you feel for the rest of the day or it can effect something big like your opinion or overall outlook on something for the rest of your life, which will be ultimately passed down to you kids. So writers have to be very careful when and how they building pathos. Rodney builds pathos before he even begins to sing before one word even come out of his mouth. How can he do that? Well there is a simple answer to it and it is his background music! Unbelievably, the background music is already creating an emotional response; the upbeat background music has already set the tone/mood of the song. When Rodney sings “If you need a Dixie Fix just come on down that’s what I love about the South”, this line makes you feel included and wanted down in the south. Another example of a line that makes you feel included is at the end of the song when he says “see yall”, not only does it make you feel included but it makes Rodney fell more relatable to you as the listener. No one wants to be alone no one want to feel excluded or as the odd ball of the group, we all want to feel wanted and needed. The term a “Dixie fix” is a phrase that means southern pride or in other words southern unity. With this line Rodney is telling you that if you feel like you are not wanted or that you are not needed, then all you need to do is come down to the south to change all of that. He is telling you that the south has a sense of community and unity that other places cannot offer, which is appealing to many people. Another example of pathos can be found in this line, “The devil came to Georgia Mr. Daniels showed him out,” the emotional appeal here is a since of strength, nobility. This line is a reference to a song written by the Charlie Daniels band called “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” this line shows unity between the south and its music. It shows that you can put a reference to another bands song and it is okay because down in the south we are all in this together. The point that Rodney is trying to get across here is the south is so strong that the devil came down and not even, he could stay, because Mr. Daniel showed him out. The emotional response for this song is a happy, upbeat, prideful, and united one. The song includes all people and shows a great sense of community. All of these Reponses show that Rodney Atkins built strong pathos as well. I have three words for you logic! logic! logic!! Logos are all about logic. Logos is how the writer appeals to the reader through logic. To better understand logos we have to first understand logic. The definition of logic according to the dictionary is “reasoning conducted or assessed according to strict principles of validity.” “Fried pickles, drunk chicken, crawfishin’ in the creek.
Wild turkey, deer jerky, tough as Tarzan's feet. Hot women skinny swimmin' barely bellybutton deep Turn muddy river water into sweet, sweet tea Hay loft lovin' in the holler’ hind the house No doubt about it, What I Love About The South Loretta Lynn, Maker's Mark That's Kentucky as can be Jack Daniels, Dolly Parton Oh, the hills of Tennessee Finger pickin', bluegrass blowing in the wind around here We believe the book of John and we drive John Deeres [SIC],” Written by Rodney Akins in his song What I Love About The South. Now after listen to this line, how could you not love the south it honestly just makes sense. Rodney’s logos achieved this response from this audience. In the song, What I Iove about the South there is not one negative sentence about the south. If you think about it logically if there are, only pros to the south why not go and see what all the fuss is about. When we as humans make logical decisions we sit down and make a pros and cons list. If you make your list after sitting down and listen to this song, you would have a long list of pros and nothing in the cons column. This is because Rodney paints a picture that the south is a place of simple fun, unity, community, good eating and where nothing ever goes wrong. Rodney also builds trust as he shares his experiences and feelings with the listener throughout the song, which is just another component to building strong logos. Let us take a
deeper look at a part of the line stated above to make sure that it makes logical sense that the south is a place to love. According to Rodney Atkins, “bluegrass blowing in the wind around here We believe the book of John and we drive John Deeres.” Can you imagine siting outside on a nice day and having blue grass blowing in the wind, it sounds peaceful and tranquil? According to the Washington times, “83 percent of the US population is Christian,” and when Rodney says we believe the book of John this would be very appealing to Christians. Now that we have dissected that line, we can see that there is not a lot of negativity about the south and that is just one line. Now think about the whole song. Rodney uses logic very efficacy to get this point across about just how much he loves the south. An equilibrium, a cycle, in a sense you cannot have one thing without the other. Some examples of this are the food chain, the water cycle, or even riding a bike, we see examples of these things every day. However, we see equilibrium, a cycle; you cannot have one thing without the other, when we look at the rhetorical triangle. Which states that you cannot achieve good strong ethos, logos, or pathos without having all three, in a world you cannot have one without the other. Ethos is the use of persuasion, pathos is the use of emotional appeal, and logos is the use of logic, and all of them are ineffective separately but together you have a strong argument to get the reader to agree with you. This is exactly what Rodney Atkins does in his song What I Love about the South he creates a rhetorical equilibrium. He effectively executes the right amount of ethos, logos and pathos so that ultimately buy the end of the song you agree with him that the south is a truly an amazing place and there is no place like the south. Rodney Atkins song What I Love about the South became a popular hit because of the upbeat sound, appeal, and relatability are the response that the audience would give. However, the true reason why it is so upbeat, appealing, and relatable is the presence of the strong ethos, logos and pathos that continually makes it known throughout the whole song. Rather if it is from the background music to the actual lyrics themselves, Rodney does a great job of forming a rhetorical equilibrium.
In “Antebellum Southern Exceptionalism: A New Look at an Old Question” James McPherson argues that the North and the South are two very different parts of the country in which have different ideologies, interests, and values. Mcpherson writes this to show the differences between the north and the south. He gives perspectives from other historians to show how the differently the differences were viewed. These differences included the north being more industrialized while the south was more agricultural. He gives evidence to how the differences between the north and south came together as the south produced tobacoo, rice, sugar and cotton, which was then sent to the north to be made into clothing or other fabrics. Mcpherson analyzes the differences
What is the most common perception held in this country concerning the people and the way they live in the South? The perception most of the country has about life down here in the South is one of slow-paced living, simple-minded people, and stubborn, unwarranted pride. One of the best ways to combat this perception is through the use of humor; Lewis Grizzard was one of the best at this, because he could take the experiences from his own life as well as the lives of others in the South and turn them into humorous semi-fictional stories. He was one of the preeminent fictional authors this country has ever seen because of his ability to connect with people and joke about everyday life in the south, without offending the subjects of those jokes, despite the popular opinion the rest of the country held.
Imagine a historian, author of an award-winning dissertation and several books. He is an experienced lecturer and respected scholar; he is at the forefront of his field. His research methodology sets the bar for other academicians. He is so highly esteemed, in fact, that an article he has prepared is to be presented to and discussed by the United States’ oldest and largest society of professional historians. These are precisely the circumstances in which Ulrich B. Phillips wrote his 1928 essay, “The Central Theme of Southern History.” In this treatise he set forth a thesis which on its face is not revolutionary: that the cause behind which the South stood unified was not slavery, as such, but white supremacy. Over the course of fourteen elegantly written pages, Phillips advances his thesis with evidence from a variety of primary sources gleaned from his years of research. All of his reasoning and experience add weight to his distillation of Southern history into this one fairly simple idea, an idea so deceptively simple that it invites further study.
We typically think of slaves as a mistreated African American. Thats not all they were, they sang, they read, they were a huge part of our history we don't even acknowledge. They contributed a lot to our music, you could say they were the roots of jazz and blues. Slaves sang almost every moment of their life, there is many different categories of their music, but one of the most interesting is field hollers. Field hollers contain a lot of information on the slave(s). This means emotion is strong in these songs. You can find three main subjects in their tunes, those three are; sad, happy, informative, or passing time.
Many wonderful memories come to mind when I think about my life growing up in the South. Family barbeques, friendly people, and neighbors that will help you in a time of need are only a few of the good things about growing up in the South. Neighbors will knock on your door and ask to borrow some sugar. Friends will bring you homemade soup when you are sick. There is almost always a kind person to help you if you are stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire. The South if full of wonderful people. If there were ever a natural disaster such as a hurricane, the best place to be is in the South because we pull together and help one another in times of need. Southern culture has taught me many good values that I live by even today.
In her book, A Voice from the South, Anna J. Cooper expressly addresses two issues: the participation of women in American society and America’s race problem. These are two issues very close to Cooper as an African American woman herself and she claims to speak for all African American women on these points. She argues that for America to be a truly democratic country that has freedoms for all people, it must have participation by women and blacks.
Part of the mythology every schoolchild in the United States learns…is that the colony of Virginia achieved quick prosperity upon the basis of slaves and tobacco. Thus, “the South” is assumed to have existed as an initial settlement, with little change until the cataclysm of the Civil War in 1861.
For many Americans, country isn’t just a type of music. It’s a lifestyle. From sippin’ sweet tea on the porch, drinking beer at a tailgate or driving a pick up down the backroads, country music has made its way into the hearts and minds of many Americans. It is one of the only truly home grown American art forms. Its relatability and wide appeal has made country music one of the most commercially successful and popular genres in the United States. Using the work of scholars Tichi, Pecknold, and Ellison, I will show how country music grew from its rural southern roots into an integral part of American culture.
Like Martin Luther King Jr. said, “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” In the 1950’s the South was heavily racially segregated. Elvis Presley unintentionally put himself in the position to become a valuable instrument in the battle against segregation. “Without casting himself as a fighter for racial equality, Elvis became a subversive standard bearer for cultural desegregation at a time when the codified racism of the South was under increasing pressure.” How did an uneducated white hillbilly from the south influence both black and white teenagers against segregation? It was quite simple, for Elvis Presley had a unique talent of combining traditional black music; such as the blues and jazz, with the traditional white music; like country and white gospel. This unique style of blending different types of music, gave Elvis the edge on the musical racial barriers America was facing; and open the path for both sides to enjoy the music together and therefore desegregated.
The South has always been known for its farming economy, confederate tendencies, family pride, and delicate females in ruffled dresses. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the South's familiar traditions become ostensible as a theme throughout the plot. This novel takes place in Alabama in the 1930s and tells a story about a lawyer who defends a wrongly accused black man while trying to raise his two children, Scout and Jem, as they go through life's most active learning stage. Southern ways enhance the plot of the story and give a realistic and historic perspective to the book. This portrayal of Southern culture appears in various forms of racism, hatred, meek women, and family.
This song implies that individual’s are violating the norms and values of society. They start the song with a verse that expresses this concern. “What’s wrong with the world, mama/ People livin’ like they ain’t got no mamas…” (lines 1-2). This makes one aware of the disobedience of values that are held in the family. Values are “standard[s] of judgment by which people decide on desirable goals and outcomes.” (Newman, 32) Another verse in this song that illustrates how society is defying norms and values is when they sing: “People killin', people dyin'/ Children hurt and you hear them cryin/ Can you practice what you preach/ And would you turn the other cheek…” (lines 50-53). These lines utter that society has failed to act in a sane and coherent way that society once viewed as correct. The actions affirm that individuals are not living up to society’s norms. Norms are similar to “rules of conduct” and suggest how an individual “should” act. (Newman, 34) In the song they question the acts that would be taken that violate certain norms. Another example of the infringement of society’s norms and values is expressed when the s...
Southern hospitality is the best in the world. People that live in the South are very nice and are always willing to help another person in any way they can. If someone is from out of town and needs directions to a certain place southerners will make sure he or she knows how to get there before he or she leaves them. Southerners are very polite. Every time we pass someone on the rode, we are going to wave at him or her. Towns in the South have fewer people and everyone knows everyone. The people in the South are nicer than anywhere else in the United States.
Percival Everett’s “The Appropriation of Cultures” (2004), demonstrates the power of a symbol and the meanings that it can carry. In the story, Daniel Barkley is a highly accomplished African American man who graduated from Brown and frequently plays guitar near the campus of The University of South Carolina. From the beginning of the story, Barkley exposes a distinct independent personality that isn’t afraid to break stereotypes or labels. The first scene describes an instance in a bar where white fraternity boys were challenging Barkley to play ‘Dixie’ for them. Instead of refusing, like most would have done, he instead begins to play and take ownership of the song. Later in the story, Barkley decides to purchase a truck with a giant confederate flag decal in the back. Despite the strange stares and confusion
Thus, there is a dual message that entices listeners to be “woke” and that proudly portrays their southern heritage that, during the 90’s and early 2000’s, was just beginning to be
If you could describe the idea of Southern Culture in fewer than three words? The author William Faulkner uses a special way to establish a perspective by way of imagery which helps the reader to visualize his views. Faulkner has ways of viewing regular ideas in a more abstract less conventional way. Faulkner has a unique perspective on Southern Culture, to explain what Faulkner explains as broken he uses imagery. He uses the imagery of a relation between characters along with a scent that allows for a sense of inspiration.