Rhetorical Analysis of Lost in the Kitchen

Rhetorical Analysis of "Lost in the Kitchen"

In the satirical essay "Lost in the Kitchen," Dave Barry discusses the stereotype of men and women and their abilities to perform in the kitchen. He writes to both the men and women in Miami in order to awaken men to be more aware of their inadequateness and to make them feel an obligation to perform their role in the house. Dave Barry establishes that men are practically of no use when it comes to kitchen duties and that women are still unequal to men, and he supports this claim by proposing that men are worthless when they are needed in the kitchen, by illustrating a visual of what his thanksgiving is like, and by refuting his point of men being useless and instead, defends them.

Barry opens his argument by proposing that men are worthless when they are needed in the kitchen. He first explains in a somewhat funny way that men are "still basically scum when it comes to helping out in the kitchen" and that casts a powerful feeling of uselessness and resentment towards his male audience. Barry's use of pathos is beneficial in a way that makes the readers grip on to what he is saying and it also makes his male audience realize the error of their ways. Proposing the worthlessness of men in the kitchen by in a humorous way is effective so that Barry is able to catch the readers' interest and they will continue to read prior to his illustration of what a normal thanksgiving is to him.

Barry continues his argument by illustrating a visual of what his thanksgiving is like. Barry tells a story of how Gene, a friend of his, and he "feeling like the scum [they] are," had finally attempted to assist Arlene, Barry's wife, in the kitchen but had been politely declined because she had it all under control and someone needed to watch the children, even though they were both probably going to watch the football game on TV the whole time. Barry utilizes stereotypes to help prove that men have the inability to perform simple tasks and that women are the ones who are most likely to take on the domestic work in the house. His use of stereotypes and gender inequality makes the audience ponder about his explanations, which can possibly bring important topics to light so that even more people will become aware of these problems before he refutes his point of men being useless and instead defends them.

Barry closes

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