Page 241 - A Handbook Genre Studies in Mass Media

CHAPTER 9

• Law contending with encroachment of civilization
Cowboys and cattle kings versus homesteaders (farmers and
ranchers)
Civilizing the Western frontier
The end of the gunfighter

Novels, magazines, radio, film, and television have recounted the major
events in the settling of this mythic West, including the Alamo, the Pony
Express, Custer’s Last Stand, and the development of cattle towns like
Dodge City and Tombstone. The Western genre also tells of the exploits
of heroes like Wild Bill Hickok, Bat Masterson, and Wyatt Earp, as well
as bad men like Billy the Kid and Jim Ringo.
Cultural myths may evolve as a result of surrounding events and con-
ditions. For instance, after World War II, the cowboy hero of Saturday
morning television programs reflected the conservative sensibility of
the times. Instead of the isolated, ruthless hero of prewar Westerns, the
cowboy of the 1950s was a bastion of morality. George N. Fenin and
William K. Everson describe Western actor Gene Autry’s Ten Command-
ments of the Cowboy, which illustrates the Sunday school didacticism
of the postwar Western:

Under this code, the cowboy becomes a sort of adult Boy Scout. He must
not take unfair advantage, even when facing an enemy. He must never
go back on his word, or on the trust confided in him. He must always tell
the truth, be gentle with children, elderly people, and animals. He must
not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant ideas. Moreover,
he must help people in distress, be a good worker, keep himself clean in
thought, speech, action, and personal habits. He must respect women,
parents, and his nation’s laws. He must neither drink nor smoke. And
finally, the cowboy is a patriot. 19

Mystical Places

Other cultural myths involve an idealized location that represents
an idyllic lifestyle. For instance, in the popular reality show Laguna
Beach: The Real Orange County (MTV), Laguna Beach is a world of
privilege, youth, and glamour. According to reporter Laura Bly, teenage
fans embrace the series “as a voyeuristic glimpse into an out-of-reach
world.” Many residents of Laguna Beach complain that this depiction
20

226