“I can do math, but I’m not that smart. I’m not brilliant”
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Gonen Dori-Hacohen
Abstract
Radio call-in shows, mainly political ones, are prevalent in discursive research, dating back to Hutchby’s influential work. This chapter discusses the leading United States economic self-help radio call-in show, “The Dave Ramsey show” and how ordinariness is used in it. The host, Dave Ramsey, advises callers, and the audience, regarding their economic behavior. This counseling creates a paradox: an expert-millionaire advises ordinary people and fans regarding their economic struggles. The host presents himself as ordinary to solve this paradox. Ramsey constructs his ordinariness using vernacular language, referring to a shared ‘common-sense,’ using mundane stories and relating to the callers as a family. Then, the chapter discusses two interactions with “non-ordinary” callers, a poor and a rich caller, to show the uses of the ordinariness practices in them. The conclusion connects the ordinariness of the host to his neoconservative ideology, to point to the notion of ordinary success he tries to deliver.
Abstract
Radio call-in shows, mainly political ones, are prevalent in discursive research, dating back to Hutchby’s influential work. This chapter discusses the leading United States economic self-help radio call-in show, “The Dave Ramsey show” and how ordinariness is used in it. The host, Dave Ramsey, advises callers, and the audience, regarding their economic behavior. This counseling creates a paradox: an expert-millionaire advises ordinary people and fans regarding their economic struggles. The host presents himself as ordinary to solve this paradox. Ramsey constructs his ordinariness using vernacular language, referring to a shared ‘common-sense,’ using mundane stories and relating to the callers as a family. Then, the chapter discusses two interactions with “non-ordinary” callers, a poor and a rich caller, to show the uses of the ordinariness practices in them. The conclusion connects the ordinariness of the host to his neoconservative ideology, to point to the notion of ordinary success he tries to deliver.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Constructing ordinariness in politicians’ discourse
- Are Austrian presidential candidates ordinary people? 21
- “You bring the steaks, I’ll bring the salad” 51
- Quoting ordinary people in Prime Minister’s Questions1 73
- “Well, Yair? When will you be prime minister?” 103
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Part II. Constructing ordinariness in experts’ discourse
- “I can do math, but I’m not that smart. I’m not brilliant” 133
- Ordinary science 157
- Constructing ‘ordinariness’ 179
-
Part III. Constructing ordinariness in ordinary media
- Constructing ordinariness in online commenting in Hebrew1 and Finnish 209
- Ordinary people’s political discourse in old and new French media 237
- When being quotidian meets being ordinary 269
- Index 295
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Constructing ordinariness in politicians’ discourse
- Are Austrian presidential candidates ordinary people? 21
- “You bring the steaks, I’ll bring the salad” 51
- Quoting ordinary people in Prime Minister’s Questions1 73
- “Well, Yair? When will you be prime minister?” 103
-
Part II. Constructing ordinariness in experts’ discourse
- “I can do math, but I’m not that smart. I’m not brilliant” 133
- Ordinary science 157
- Constructing ‘ordinariness’ 179
-
Part III. Constructing ordinariness in ordinary media
- Constructing ordinariness in online commenting in Hebrew1 and Finnish 209
- Ordinary people’s political discourse in old and new French media 237
- When being quotidian meets being ordinary 269
- Index 295
