Thoughts on events, music, books and the whole enchilada of my human experience

  Kim's off a retreat for her job, so things have been pretty quiet here at Casa de Mergenthaler-Fry. I've managed to fill up most of my free time while she's gone with church activities, an impromptu game of Risus, and of course, hours in front of the computer playing Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood.

...which brings me to Westerns. I'm not quite sure how it does that, except that the Merry Men were outlaws of a sort, but we'll pretend that the jump is an easy one to make. I'm in the mood to talk about Westerns.

A while ago you couldn't have gotten me to watch a Western by hook or by crook. Tough white guys with chaps and lassos? Sounds like something out of L+O: SVU or a Village People concert. Ineffectual women that rely on men for very survival? Not likely to fly in this house. The main reason I never explored the genre before was a sense that it was boring, like how many people feel about old movies before they ever really watch any.

It turns out I was missing a lot of great stuff.

It all started about two years ago. A general dissatisfaction with science fiction led to me to start seeking out other genre fiction. I read forty or so mystery novels and burned out quickly on that genre, so only a few options were left to me: Fantasy (most of which I find poorly written and derivative), Romance (uh, no), Thrillers (maybe), Horror (maybe) and Westerns. I chose the latter to explore first.

I still haven't found much Western fiction I can digest, though some of the short stories I've read have had promise and there was one Louis L'Amour novel, Sitka, that I enjoyed but didn't love. I've also tried my hand at Western RPG's, picking up some stuff for GURPS and Deadlands, and a stand-alone game called Dust Devils. It's Western television and movies, though, where I've really struck gold.

Bonanza and Gunsmoke are both surprisingly enjoyable. The former focuses on the activities of a the family, the Cartwrights, and the ranch they own, the Ponderosa. Sci-Fi fans will recognize Lorne Greene, who plays the patriarch Ben Cartwright, as Commander Adama from BattleStar Galactica. Michael Landon was also a cast member. Really great acting on this show and the way it's filmed (read: bright technicolor) is pleasing to the eye. I'd consider myself a casual fan by now.

The better show was Gunsmoke, however. Trivia buffs may know that Gunsmoke was and still is the longest running program in TV history, with a mammoth 20 consecutive run that included over 350 epsiodes! To give you an idea how much television that is, that's more episodes than Cop Rock and Team Knight Rider combined! Seriously, though -- this was a superior program, featuring a really versatile cast, a wide variety plot lines and some evocative dialogue. I'm genuinely surprised how well this program has aged. Give it a shot with an open mind and you might be surprised how good this show actually was.

I'm running out of time, so I'll make the movie portion short: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is the best Western movie I've found, and one of the best films period I've ever seen. The plot, though simple, explores the issue of history and historiography deeply. Is it more important what happened or what people believe happened? The Old West, a place where history and legend existed side-by-side, is the perfect backdrop for exploring this issue and the script is intelligent, witty and exciting. Add direction by John Ford and acting by John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart and you really can't ask for much more from a film. Highest recommendations.

I would really like to hear other peoples' opinions and recommendations regarding the Western genre. I still consider myself a neophyte, though the Western Channel (yes, that's a real network) is going a long way to correct that. Have any of you favorite Western movies/TV/books/games/etc.? Why is it such an enduring genre? I'd love to hear back.

Finally, in the immortals words of Smitty: "Go West, Young Man!"

posted by Jon at 10:58 AM