Sharon Montano DE English 111 Pd. 1 Turkeys in the Kitchen Canvas post In Dave Barry's article "Turkeys in the Kitchen", Barry talks about the possibility that gender roles are stereotyped. The primary method Dave Barry uses is humor. Throughout this essay, he uses comedy to keep the tone light to amuse the reader; yet still make it easy get his message across. We see him admit to his deficits as a man while comparing it to his inability to help out in the kitchen –or really to do anything– on thanksgiving. As Barry continues to describe his attitude towards the Thanksgiving occasion, he describes and exaggerates the chaos in the household. As described by Barry, his house is overloaded with "three small children and a dog who long ago had her brain eaten by fleas running fast "(Barry, Pg.1) similarly as "the Detroit Lions are doing" (Barry, Pg.1) He explains that the chaos is not meant for men to deal with. He says that the women are more efficient at settling down the commotion. Barry used humorous metaphors and hyperboles such as “I would no more enter that kitchen then I would attempt to park a nuclear aircraft carrier, but my wife, who runs her own business, glides in the very casually and picks up exactly the right kitchen implement and starts doing exactly the right thing without receiving any instructions whatsoever.” (Barry, Pg.1) to compare his incompetence in the kitchen to something much more severe but understandable to get his point across. So, Barry and the other dads are left to watch the children due to their inability to help the women in the kitchen. However, they weren’t even capable of that task, as they were constantly reminded to “please watch the children,” (Barry, Pg. 1), meaning that the women are also better at caring for children. This leaves the reader wondering, then what can men do? I believe this is exactly what Barry wanted others to think. He wanted others to recognize the true message behind his writing on their own. His comedy makes it obvious that the comparison is more than just the ability of two genders in a kitchen, but more about stereotypes and how he admits they are mostly true. In a rhetorical analysis I read, “Through the use of stereotypes he wants his readers to make a reform and change these societal norms.”, this statement got me thinking and I agree with it because I noticed that his tone near the end did begin to change making it seem as if he believes that women do not get enough credit for their work and that these stereotypes should be reformed. I do not believe that Barry refutes these stereotypes, because throughout the essay he explains how incompetent he is as a man and how women are more competent at cooking, caring for children, and settling the household (women stereotypes). He is admitting to his faults but he was able to turn it into a light topic, making the essay entertaining to read while also easy to comprehend and understand the underlying message. “Rhetorical Analysis - ‘Turkeys in the Kitchen.’” AP Language & Composition @ CCECHS, http://apenglangccechs.weebly.com/blog/rhetorical-analysis-turkeys-in-the-kitchen.
