Most people in our society have, at one point in his or her life wanted to be a cowboy or cowgirl. This urge occurs because as a child the persona of a cowboy or cowgirl excites one since he or she has experienced it in a movie, show, or real life. In the TV documentary This is Life with Lisa Ling: Gay Rodeo, Lisa Ling investigates and interviews the participants of the “Gay Rodeo.” The rodeo aims to accomplish ones dream of being a cowboy while allowing one to be his or herself and not hide his or her sexuality. I personally grew up watching Clint Eastwood’s western films, which always made me want to be a cowboy and take on the persona that Eastwood made famous. Because of this I believe Clint Eastwood’s characters serve as perfect representation …show more content…
as the typical cowboy persona. Although the TV show This is Life with Lisa Ling: Gay Rodeo makes a strong case on why society should also view gay people as the embodiment of the typical cowboy persona, I disagree and believe society will never see gay cowboys and cowgirls as the typical cowboy persona because of the difference in personality, speech, and style. I believe that while there are some similarities between gay and straight cowboy personas, society will never see gay people as the embodiment of the typical cowboy persona because of the difference in personality.
I would define the cowboy persona as a man or women that portrays being very tough, masculine, stern, and incapable of feeling fear. I would also say when speaking his or her tone must be very masculine and strong. If one has ever watched a western featuring Clint Eastwood, one knows that he portrays a man that is often considered the epitome of this persona. This is because Clint Eastwood’s characters traits and tone portray that he is tough, strong, assertive, heroic and incapable of being intimidated. In one of his most famous movies called The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, Eastwood portrays a cowboy on quest for gold with a supposed friend, while an evil Union Sergeant is on their tail. Eastwood is eventually faced with situation that would truly test one’s capabilities to be tough, heroic, and not intimidated: Eastwood’s character is faced with a three-way gun standoff with the evil union sergeant and Eastwood’s supposed friend. Here Eastwood’s character shows his sense of heroism and inability to feel fear by killing the evil sergeant and incapacitating his supposed friend while having the risk of being shot. Eastwood’s character does this because both antagonist’s agendas involved various crimes and sins, thus Eastwood’s character believes that they should be persecuted (Gelten Par. 6). I feel this persona would not be embodied by any of the cowboys represented in Lisa Ling’s show. This is true because while the people shown did do various events that involve toughness and strength like bull wrestling. I feel if put in the same situation as Eastwood’s character he or she would not be able to have the same effect because the personality portrayed would be more feminine. Thus when faced with pointing a gun at a supposed friend and another bad human
being, I feel that a more feminine cowboy would be more emotional and hesitant to pull the trigger without fear. As a result, I don’t think society will see gay people as the typical cowboy persona. While the ideas represented in Lisa Ling’s documentary titled “Gay Rodeo” do make valid points as to why gay cowboys and girls embody the typical persona, I disagree and believe that society will never see gay people as the epitome of the typical cowboy persona because of the difference in speech. When thought of old western films many of Clint Eastwood’s dialogues have been iconized, and that is true because of his deliverance of it. In Lisa Ling’s documentary the cowboy David portrays the toughness needed to be qualified as a “cowboy” by his appearance and participation in the events like calf lassoing, but fails to do the same when speaking (“Gay Rodeo”). This is true because when speaking David’s words have a very feminine connotation and his mannerisms add to it. Because of this I feel David cannot be the iconic “cowboy” since I believe society requires the “iconic” cowboy to not only act masculine but also he must posses a tone that must be very masculine and strong. While This is Life with Lisa Ling: Gay Rodeo does provide valid points as to why gay cowboys and girls qualify for the typical cowboy persona, I disagree and believe that society will never agree because of the difference in style. In the documentary Ling mentions that Gay Rodeo has an event where “Drag Queens” or men dressed as women participate in where they have to climb on top of a steer (“Gay Rodeo”). This event while considered tough would never cause society to label the participants as to having the typical cowboy persona. This is true because the typical cowboy represents masculine figure. Thus meaning a figure that is strong, assertive, and intimidating, which is done partially through his appearance because of this a man dressed as a woman cannot have the same effect. According to Stephen Marche, “[Eastwood]… has been defined throughout his career as an icon of macho. Macho is a preening pose assumed by men who … compensate by needing more, having more, showing more (Par. 2).” Thus showing more means being intimidating and masculine through ones appearance. As a result, I believe society will never see gay cowboys qualifying for the typical cowboy persona. Society’s view on homosexuality differs from person to person and therefore each person is entitled to his or her opinion, to me Gay Rodeo is something that is needed as it creates a safe place for people to not be discriminated. I also support the rodeo because some of my closest friends are gay and I would never want them to feel discriminated against. Additionally, since gay rights are currently present in thirty-seven out of our fifty states (Maciag Par. 2), I believe that rodeos will eventually combine to cater to both sexualities and the discrimination will end. However when questioned if a gay cowboy could represent the typical persona of a cowboy, I disagree and believe society will never see gay cowboys and cowgirls as the typical cowboy persona because of the difference in personality, speech, and style.
"Relocating the Cowboy: American Privilege in "All the Pretty Horses"" Pepperdine University: Global Tides Seaver Journal of Arts and Sciences. Maia Y. Rodriguez, 2014. Web. 2 May 2016. . The Western typically illustrates the journey of a man, usually a horse riding cowboy, into the Western frontier where he must conquer nature "in the name of civilization or [confiscate] the territorial rights of the original inhabitants... Native Americans" (Newman 150). What this brand of mythology promotes is precisely the values of American culture: rugged individualism, achievement and success, activtity and work, democracy and enterprise, and--most importantly--
The image created for the outlaw hero is the “natural man.” They are adventurous but also wanderers, and loners. Outlaw heroes are more likely to commit a crime, use weapons and carry guns. The outlaw hero represents self-determination and freedom from conflicts. On the other hand, the official hero is portrayed to be “the civilized” man. He often follows the norms of society, and has typical roles such as a lawyer, teacher, and family man.
In “The Thematic Paradigm,” Robert Ray explains how there are two vastly different heroes: the outlaw hero and the official hero. The official hero has common values and traditional beliefs. The outlaw hero has a clear view of right and wrong but unlike the official hero, works above the law. Ray explains how the role of an outlaw hero has many traits. The morals of these heroes can be compared clearly. Films that contain official heroes and outlaw heroes are effective because they promise viewer’s strength, power, intelligence, and authority whether you are above the law or below it.
Language is a powerful tool. The artful manipulation of language has sparked countless revolutions and has continuously fueled social progression over the course of human history. In Carmen Vàzquez’s “Appearances,” Vàzquez argues that homophobia is a serious concern in society. She rallies for all people, regardless of sexual orientation, to challenge society’s unyielding gender roles and homophobia. Through the art of persuasion, Carmen Vàzquez blended careful diction, emotional stories, and persuasive structure to aggressively address the problem of homophobia both coherently and effectively.
Overall, Grady represents the ideal cowboy because he is yearning to live free, adventurous and is honest. He does get into bad situations at times but it is not his fault, it is the outside forces or other individuals that do not view life the same way he does. He tries to live up to his code no matter what situation he finds himself in which is impressive. He hold himself to his morals without compromise.
In his work about gay life in New York City, George Chauncey seeks to dispel the various myths about the gay lifestyle before the Civil Rights era of the 60’s. He distills the misconceptions into three major myths: “…isolation, invisibility, and internalization” (Chauncey 1994, 2). He believes a certain image has taken in the public mind where gays did not openly exist until the 60’s, and that professional historians have largely ignored this era of sexual history. He posits such ideas are simply counterfactual. Using the city of New York, a metropolitan landscape where many types of people confluence together, he details a thriving gay community. Certainly it is a community by Chauncey’s reckoning; he shows gay men had a large network of bar, clubs, and various other cultural venues where not only gay men intermingled the larger public did as well. This dispels the first two principle myths that gay men were isolated internally from other gay men or invisible to the populace. As to the internalization of gay men, they were not by any degree self-loathing. In fact, Chauncey shows examples of gay pride such a drag queen arrested and detained in police car in a photo with a big smile (Chauncey 1994, 330). Using a series of personal interviews, primary archival material from city repositories, articles, police reports, and private watchdog groups, Chauncey details with a preponderance of evidence the existence of a gay culture in New York City, while at the same time using secondary scholarship to give context to larger events like the Depression and thereby tie changes to the gay community to larger changes in the society.
...nd a man of reserve against violence. Also as a man who will stand for the good of the community, protecting those who need protecting as the Vigilante of the western frontier. The Virginian was a true cowboy hero because he was a vigilante who followed his own moral code. The cowboy’s moral code was not dictated by the laws of society because he was an independent who was working to escape civilization. The Virginian was the first of the western heroes who gave the world someone to look unto as an example. He showed a very strong moral code which had a special responsibility to the protection and respect of women such as Molly. He also had a great many skills which gave him the realistic air that made the hero’s of the west so popular in the early 1900’s as the western frontier came to a close.
The Enola Gay is a B-29 bomber that was used in the bombing of Japan. It was flown by the pilot, Paul Tibbets who named the plane after his mother, Enola Gay Tibbets. Tibbets flew the plane on August 6, 1945, carrying a bomb, nicknamed Little Boy that was a result of the Manhattan Project. The bomb dropped on Hiroshima and left tens of thousands of people dead (“Enola Gay pilot felt dropping atomic bomb was his duty.”). The dropping of the bombs, Big Boy and Little Boy caused a lot of controversy, because of the repercussions it left in Japan. Many thousands of people died or suffered injury as a result of the bombing. The pilot of the Enola Gay stated in an interview, “I viewed my mission as one to save lives...I didn't bomb Pearl Harbor. I didn't start the war. But I was going to finish it.” (“Enola Gay pilot felt dropping atomic bomb was his duty”). Many people consider Paul Tibbets a symbol of atomic warfare, but we must remember that he was a pilot following orders. He honestly believed that if he had not dropped the bomb, “It would have been morally wrong if we'd have had that weapon and not used it and let a million more people die” (“Enola Gay pilot felt dropping atomic bomb was his duty”). Tibbets said this in a PBS interview for the 50th anniversary of the event. The use of the Enola Gay in the Great War or World War I was controversial because of its use in the bombing of Japanese citizens, many of whom were not soldiers. Another controversy in which the Enola Gay is involved is known simply as the Enola Gay Controversy.
The image of the cowboy as Jennifer Moskowitz notes in her article “The Cultural Myth of the Cowboy, or, How the West was Won” is “uniquely
For many Americans, the image of the cowboy evokes pleasant nostalgia of a time gone by, when cowboys roamed free. The Cowboy is, to many Americans, the ideal American, who was quick to the draw, well skilled in his profession, and yet minded his own business. Regardless of whether the mental picture that the word cowboy evokes is a correct or incorrect view of the vocation, one seldom views cowboys as being black. The first cowboy I met was from Texas and was black. After he told me that he was a cowboy, I told him that he had to be kidding. Unfortunately, I was not totally to blame for my inability to recognize that color has nothing to do with the cowboy profession; most if not all popular famous images of cowboys are white. In general, even today, blacks are excluded from the popular depiction of famous Westerners. Black cowboys were unheard of for almost a century after they made their mark on the cattle herding trade, not because they were insignificant, but because history fell victim to prejudice, and forgot peoples of color in popular depictions of the West and Western history.
When one thinks of the United States of America, they probably consider our history, our culture, our media, our impressive cities and the extremely wide variety of beautiful wildernesses that we are lucky enough to still enjoy. We are lucky enough to have a melting pot of cultures in this country, and many different kinds of people. However, when thinking of an original, all-American figure, cowboys come to mind for many people. Our history and the settlement of the U.S. was unlike any other country, and the development of the country in the more western states came with the unique and fascinating time period referred to now as “The Old West”. The Old West was a crucial time in American history, and though it was a simpler time it also came with its share of excitement. Some of the most memorable details about the Old West were the characters that came with it, and some extremely interesting ones were the least conforming- the outlaws. Jesse Woodson James was one of the most notorious outlaws in American history. His name would go down in history as one belonging to a tough as nails and fearless bank robber who led a group of outlaws across the mid-west robbing banks and trains, and even murdering people. When we look at the big picture of what the U.S. has become today, The Old West certainly has had a large impact on our culture, and Jesse James certainly had a large impact on the Old West. Though most would argue that he was not a decent or moral person, one cannot argue that he was still a very interesting and unique icon of the west. So how did Jesse Woodson James change and leave his mark on the United St...
The development of the Western genre originally had its beginnings in biographies of frontiersmen and novels written about the western frontier in the late 1800’s based on myth and Manifest Destiny. When the film industry decided to turn its lenses onto the cowboy in 1903 with The Great Train Robbery there was a plethora of literature on the subject both in non-fiction and fiction. The Western also found roots in the ‘Wild West’ stage productions and rodeos of the time. Within the early areas of American literature and stage productions the legend and fear of the west being a savage untamed wilderness was set in the minds of the American people. The productions and rodeos added action and frivolity to the Western film genre.
A typical Western would usually be set in the late 19th century in the mid-west of America in a remote town. The town is usually small, lonely and unwelcoming. Typically a western set looks like it is in the middle of a desert with sand, cacti and tumbleweed which gives a desert look, there are usually never any lakes or rivers around these features make the place look really hot and deserted. The buildings are generally timber board houses with swinging doors and outside the buildings are places to keep their horses, there is also always a General Store and a Saloon. Horses and carriages and cattle are used to give a western feel. The cowboys are typically dressed in western style clothing for example they wear simple shirts and jeans they may also wear ponchos, waist coats, hats, boots with spurs, guns and a belt to hold the gun and bullets, Hero's tend to wear lighter clothing and the villain’s tend to wear darker clothing.
The cowboys of the frontier have long captured the imagination of the American public. Americans, faced with the reality of an increasingly industrialized society, love the image of a man living out in the wilderness fending for himself against the dangers of the unknown. By the end of the 19th century there were few renegade Indians left in the country and the vast expanse of open land to the west of the Mississippi was rapidly filling with settlers.
Few Hollywood film makers have captured America’s Wild West history as depicted in the movies, Rio Bravo and El Dorado. Most Western movies had fairly simple but very similar plots, including personal conflicts, land rights, crimes and of course, failed romances that typically led to drinking more alcoholic beverages than could respectfully be consumed by any one person, as they attempted to drown their sorrows away. The 1958 Rio Bravo and 1967 El Dorado Western movies directed by Howard Hawks, and starring John Wayne have a similar theme and plot. They tell the story of a sheriff and three of his deputies, as they stand alone against adversity in the name of the law. Western movies like these two have forever left a memorable and lasting impressions in the memory of every viewer, with its gunfighters, action filled saloons and sardonic showdowns all in the name of masculinity, revenge and unlawful aggressive behavior. Featuring some of the most famous backdrops in the world ranging from the rustic Red Rock Mountains of Monument Valley in Utah, to the jagged snow capped Mountain tops of the Teton Range in Wyoming, gun-slinging cowboys out in search of mischief and most often at their own misfortune traveled far and wide, seeking one dangerous encounter after another, and unfortunately, ending in their own demise.