As Not Seen on TV by Pete Wells was an article written about Guy Fieri’s restaurant called Guy’s American Kitchen & Bar. This was one of my favorite articles that we have read this semester. I have never read a restaurant review that was so extreme with its choice of diction. The subtle anger that is sown through out the story comes off as comical. This article was so entertaining and engaging I was truly sad when I found out that there was so sequel. The best parts of the article is all the rhetorical questions he ask. Such as “How did nachos, one of the hardest dishes in the American canon to mess up, turn out so deeply unlovable? Why augment tortilla chips with fried lasagna noodles that taste like nothing except oil? Why not bury those chips under a properly hot and filling layer of melted cheese and jalapeños instead of dribbling them with thin needles of pepperoni and cold gray clots of ground turkey?” He is absolutely brilliant at asking a question, while in return offering his own opinion about the food choices.
The most entertaining reader I read outside of the course was Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen by O. Henry for one of my mentor text as stylistic help for my dramatic short stories. Like many of his short stories he left his usual mark on them with irony, mocking humor, and twisty endings. With his writing you it always difficult to know exactly what O. Henry was up to. He was is satirizing the tradition of Thanksgiving, poking fun at a tradition for such a young country.
Pointing out that elements of Golds’ article that made it effective is really interesting because it makes me question whether the rhetorical questions were what made it effective, or was it the snarky undertone that each question had? I also love how you were disappointed that there wasn’t a sequel- I think this proves how well done and effective the article was and should be a goal of any writer.
I totally agree with your points made about the Guy Fieri restaurant review. I liked how you used specific points and lines from the review to support your points and think his diction was what made the text so powerful! Two Thanksgiving Day sounds really interesting as well..might have to check that out!