Kenny Powers (Danny McBride) was never shy when it came to talking about himself. Though with all the outlandish things KP said over four seasons of Eastbound and Down (available to stream anytime on HBO Now), the occasional genuine wisdom nugget did manage to slip out from time to time. While Kenny certainly had an impressive ego and the attitude to match, he was always concerned about not only being the best, but also his best. So, the next time you feel the desire to work toward becoming your ultimate self, let these Kenny Powers quotes be your guide.
“Sometimes you’ve got to wash away the paint and reveal to the world the jackass that’s hiding beneath.”
Few people were as wrapped up in their celebrity persona as Kenny Powers once was. After he sheds his public image, eventually taking refuge down in Mexico, he finds himself succumbing to a deep depression.
“Don’t skimp and get the Vizio, get what you deserve. Get the Sony.”
Becoming your ultimate self doesn’t mean it’s always about you. For example, when Kenny tells Stevie (Steve Little) to treat himself to a top-of-the-line flat screen TV, he does so because he feels it’s what Stevie deserves — so long as it’s not 3D. (Kenny has very strong feelings about 3D TVs, it turns out). Regardless, being generous with your friends will go a long way in helping you to better yourself.
“F*ck you, you poor sport. Take a beer and shut the f*ck up.”
Sometimes not everybody is going to appreciate a grand gesture of showmanship, and as Kenny pulls a stunt that ends up getting him tossed from the game, he doesn’t let it phase him. Sometimes being the ultimate version of you simply isn’t going to win everyone over, regardless of your intentions. In situations like this, it’s easy to see why having a beer or two to pass around might come in handy.
“I’m just saying in general, if you find someone you don’t like in your family, it’s perfectly acceptable to f*ck them over.”
Okay, so this has less to do with bettering who you are, and is instead more along the lines of advice you’ll want to keep in mind. You can look at it like Kenny would: that this family member might just be the egg that gets broken while you’re making the omelette that is your ultimate self.
“I got two hard rules I live by, Pop: I don’t f*ck with the devil and I never do tag-teams with blood relatives.”
In one of Kenny’s most personal moments, he realizes that despite growing up “a world away” from his father (Don Johnson), he ended up having much more in common with him than he realized — and not in a good way. It’s a hard situation to find yourself in, but like Kenny, you can use moments like this as a reminder that you’re starting to understand how to be the better person that you aim to become.
“Not all alphas are born, children. Some animals become great. They use their mind, form respect, and build alliances.”
If you’re going to have Kenny Powers impart a lesson on young minds, the idea that who you are is yours to decide is not a bad way to go. Although the follow-through, which involved trying to get one of those young minds to feed a handful of raw chicken to a dog, was a bad way to go. Remember, self-improvement is a journey, not a destination.
“The change into your ultimate self is easy when there’s no other option.”
Kenny’s lamentations on the nature of change is really where his ego-driven optimism gets its best chance to shine. To him, a fundamental change for the better is simple, and with the right mindset can be something that’s as inevitable as the caterpillar turning into the butterfly. Whenever your mind starts to give way to doubt, remember that the only direction worth facing in life, as Kenny himself says, “is f*cking forward.”
“Just like in life, all of my successes depend on me.”
Sometimes you just gotta give credit where credit is due, and looking back at the trials and tribulations of Kenny Powers over the years, everything he ever said, good or bad, all hinged on this one idea. After all, no one is going to be more singularly dedicated to your own self improvement than you are. While the road to your ultimate self may be a little bumpy from time-to-time, by channeling your inner Kenny Powers, you’ll be able to become the person you always wanted to be.
