Kenny Powers and the Power of Cussing, Brawling, Drugs and General Mayhem

"Eastbound and Down" is a must see for anyone who enjoys the pasttime of cultural observation like I do. I really enjoy shows that portray a slice of life to a well written "t". And this show does that as much as any high- brow show with more high culture.."high" being a big word here.
When Kenny Powers returns to his hometown, an overblown, washed out baseball "star" who pulls up to his brothers house with all his possessions in a small u-haul and his beloved jet-ski on the back, we know we're in for a comedic treat. Immediately, he's spewing racial slurs, snorting coke like disco is still around, patronizing local bar sluts, and even saying the most un-attractive things to his ex-love April (his sweet but more mature high school love). With every line, Powers takes himself down a rung, and somehow we root for his redemption. He is the "bad guy" who doesn't know how ugly he really is, and this wonderful fact is what makes him different from the other major players via Showtime and HBO- he is not "self aware" like Tony Soprano seems to be, he does not have time to go to a counselor after doing ecstasy during the local high school prom (where he has been hired as a coach)...he's too busy reuniting with old friends, smoking lots of dope, snorting coke and trying his hardest to fight against own present self- which is older, overweight, unhealthy, and full of regret over his blown baseball stardom.
Kenny Powers is the person we can relate too, perhaps not due to being overweight, a druggy or a local prostitute soliciting jet ski rider, but we can relate to his subconscious effort to hang on to his youth. He doesn't do it right at all- he does things that contribute to a fast death, he insults people he doesn't understand, and he disregards the ones who are allowing him to mooch off of them. However, through it all, he is a strange hero to root for, and somehow the writers allow us to do so without feeling like scum.

We love you Kenny Powers...have yet to catch up on Season 2, but hear you are in Mexico doing God knows what and hopefully not calling every there muchachos and stinking burritos. I hope you've blown off the blow and gone back to that girl :) NOT THE ONE FROM THE BAR THAT WENT TOPLESS JET SKIING WITH YOU.