SCREEN-L Archives

December 1994, Week 1

SCREEN-L@LISTSERV.UA.EDU

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Reply To:
Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 7 Dec 1994 13:01:38 -0500
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (29 lines)
On Tue, 6 Dec 1994, Yardena Rand wrote:
 
> Are people who love Westerns really human beings?  Is the worship of John
> Wayne synonymous with racism, sexism, and imperialism?  You tell me.  I'm a
> grad student in AmCiv and, as part of my investigation of America's
> fascination with the movie Western, I have conducted a national survey of
> people who love Westerns.  Over 500 individuals from around the country, from
> Florida to Alaska, have described themselves and told me why they love
> Westerns and I want to know from *you* what you think they're like.  Men,
> women?  White, of color?  Liberal, conservative?  Jot down your thoughts,
> Pard's, and I'll tell you what I've [log in to unmask]
 
I just took history of the Western (with Gaylyn Studlar) with a focus around
John Ford, and I certainly don't think that  the descriptions above could
fit all of the audience, but I'm sure that there are a large number of
bumbling-beer-guzzelng-just-a-little-too-lazy-to-ever-leave-the-couch-
except-for-commercials-during-rush-limbaugh guys out there who are major
western fans.  This is not to say that there aren't (double negs. only
count off two) a number of people who truly appreciate these films and
certainly do not fit into the categories as listed above.  Many of these
films (mostly Ford's stuff) are not in and of themselves racist or sexist
but must accurately reflect a time period where most men were.  You've
probably checked it out already, but a good book dealing with the myth of
the West as a frontier is Gunfighter Nation.
 
LAter,
 
Ian

ATOM RSS1 RSS2