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Vlad Marinescu Lisa Parcell Term Paper-Popular Culture Icon Comm 631 The American Cowboy as a Popular Icon

Theres a hundred years of history and a hundred before that All gathered in the thinkin goin on beneath his hat. And back behind his eyeballs and pumpin through his veins Is the ghost of every cowboy that ever held the reins. (Allen 15)

Although I grew up far away from the United States of America in Romania, the cowboy was always one of my favorite heroes. I do not remember exactly how I first became familiar with this character, but most likely it was from one of the many cartoons that featured a cowboy as either the outlaw or the lawman. Maybe it was from one of the shows that my grandmother always used to watch such as Dallas, or Walker, Texas Ranger. All I know is that somehow I feel as if the image and the traits of a true cowboy have always been familiar to me. I always dreamed about being a detective, a firefighter, a professional soccer player, and many other occupations, but when my dad first gave me a complete cowboy outfit, I was the happiest person alive. It had two guns, holsters, a badge, a hat, boots, and a cool belt with bullets around it. My father explained that I must use the guns only against bad guys and people who do not obey the law. I was not only a cowboy; I was a much respected sheriff, a person who is feared by bad guys and loved by all the others. I imagined myself riding a horse in the plains and fighting duels in small towns in order to

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save the day. Everything that I thought about cowboys had to do with guns, catching bad guys, riding giant horses, and being macho. I later discovered that the popular image of this icon is all that I thought when I was a child but also much more. The cowboy qualifies as a popular icon because he defines many characteristics that people will forever value. The American cowboy is placed alongside other western folk heroes like the long hunter, scout, frontier soldier, river man, or the rodeo-cowboy. There are two main types of cowboys, and there seems to be a debate over which is the authentic real cowboy: the working cowboy or the rodeo cowboy. Allen argues that, A real cowboy was a man who worked cattle on horseback during the days of the Great Plains cattle kingdom-the late nineteenth-century cattle-drive period (26). In the early twentieth century, it is argued that with the introduction of new and more advanced technologies, the real cowboy became a fast disappearing symbol of the Wild West: a dying breed (Mix 1). The vast plains of the American West have the ability to form this kind of character because it is so hard to survive in such an environment if one does not fully respect its mystery and power. Allen states that the West "has always been a region of endless possibilities, a vast, magnificent, ideal place. In the eyes and hearts of many, the cowboy was much more than someone who worked hard and rode horses in the west. The many virtues that made the American cowboy into a world renowned hero show the traits that made us unique and a spirit that still lives today (Mix 2). Another kind of cowboy that has gained great recognition and respect is the fearless rodeo cowboy. In the rodeo arena, two great forces clash: the force of true masculinity trying to tame the aggressive instincts of a fearless beast. The sport of rodeo has lifted the athletes to celebrity status. It is argued that, Other than baseball, no sport in the United States appears to epitomize American values, mores, and lifestyles as does rodeo (Pearson, Haney 1). The rodeo cowboy is not

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considered a true cowboy by many because some rodeo cowboys have never worked with livestock in a ranch setting. Either way the rodeo cowboy is loved and respected by many who consider this job, this breath-taking sport, to be another way of showing heroism in a true cowboy style. Pearson and Haney mark that, The image of the fearless cowboy attempting to tame and unforgiving frontier, is a cultural image that may be factual, fabricated or a combination of the two (3). The cowboy, and the sport that he practices, rodeo, have both become symbols of bravery, individualism, patriotism, and tradition. Rodeo cowboys are symbols of the American West, athletes in the true sense of the word, in one of the most dangerous organized sport forms ever conceived, and what better word can be put in the same sentence with the cowboy but the word danger- (Pearson, Haney 4). Both the traditional cowboy and the rodeo cowboy are characters who inspire greatness for the young generations. Their clothes, attitude, and ways of speaking are what bring them together. Allen states that, Cowboy speech is known for irony, understatement, and dry humor (68). A cowboy has the talent of saying a lot with very few words, leaving people smiling. He was so drunk he couldnt hit the ground with his hat in three throws (Allen 45). The question at hand is whether or not the American cowboy deserves to be considered a popular icon. A popular icon is a character or celebrity whose recognition and admiration remains constant or even increases as time goes by. He is associated with courage, honor, dignity, and freedom, but most of all pure, rugged masculinity. The American cowboy has achieved the status of a popular icon. The iconic cowboy lives by a very strict code until his last day. The code says that a cowboy must follow his heart, love nature, be courageous, loyal, individualistic, egalitarian, independent, hospitable, love and respect horses, use violence if needed, and show humility and passion towards what they consider to be good women. (Allen 277) The iconic cowboy was a

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loner, a superb horseman, and an expert with guns which he always used to serve justice. There was also a bad side to this American hero, and it involved growing apart from family, stealing horses, and abusing his weapons in order to get rich. This kind of cowboy was considered the outlaw, and he was the focus of many western movies. One aspect of the type of person that a true cowboy represents has been rooted deeply in some peoples minds making them act more aggressively and show less emotion in order to respect the cult of the masculine (Williams 96). This mentality represents imperialism and the survival of the fittest (Williams 96). Not only is the character and personality of the cowboy put him in the category of an icon; several items he owned also have become iconic. The cowboy is best represented by a few artifacts that represent to this day the essence of the cowboy's ways. The Colt revolver played a very important role in subduing the Great Plains. Franz and Choate believe that, A frequent incident in the Western fiction, the six-gun duel is more a belief than a statement of fact (Franz, Choate 50). The duels that are so entertaining in movies and that transformed many into cowboy fans are more mythical than they are real, but played an important role in the cowboy heros popularity. The cowboy is also very loyal to his hat, which was first referred to as the sombrero and came from Spanish roots, the only protection against the endless rays of sun from Texas. Yet another symbol of the cowboy is the high-heeled, pointed-toe boots which are great for riding horses and protection on long journeys. The cowboys appearance is probably what makes him so recognizable almost everywhere in the world.

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As part of the iconic role, the cowboy image shows up in movies and on television. The cowboys ways and his job have become extremely popular in the 1950s and 1960s mainly through the great number of good movies like The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance starring John Wayne, Rio Grande also starring John Wayne, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid starring Paul Newman, The Searches once again with John Wayne, The Magnificent Seven with Charles Bronson, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly with Clint Eastwood comma and one of the most acclaimed western movies of all time High Noon with Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, and Lloyd Bridges (Allen 197). In the 1980s and 1990s comma the western genre was proving once again that it was one of the favorite among audiences. Movies like Dances with Wolves starring Kevin Costner, and City Slickers I and II with Billy Kristal, Tombstone with Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer. A more recent example of the cowboy icon causing controversy comes from the 2005 drama Brokeback Mountain. The film caused a great deal of controversy and garnered media attention by taking a revered American symbol of rugged individualism and masculinity and cast him not only in a homosexual relationship but one that was sympathetically received by most in the audience. The controversy was, quite simply, that homosexuality was not

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consistent with the iconic image of the cowboy. Many television series like Young Guns, Harts of the West or Walker, Texas Ranger, Gunsmoke, and Bonanza also joined the strong line up of the western style entertainment (Allen 198). The so called Big 3 favorites, Gene Autry, Hopalong Cassidy, and Roy Rogers,all had great television careers, making more than 200 movies combined (Savage 133). Cowboys have been also represented by females who proved that they could also handle law and order and set an example for everybody. Annie Oakley was a star marksman in many western shows and also appeared in over 80 television episodes being brought to life by actress Gail Davis (Warren 54). Another part of the iconic image related to violence. Most of the western movies are based on the premise that only the toughest can survive in the West. More down to earth people respect the more realistic side of the cowboy icon and its playground. The West was not won by guns. It was won by shovels and sweat (Udall 277). Although people are in general attracted toward violence and the use of violence promoted many heroes worldwide, it is the mythology of our own creation that frontier violence forged the essential American character (Udall 285). No matter the reason why the American cowboy has become a popular icon, it remains one of the two most successful creations of American movies: the gangster and the westerner (Udall 285). Children were not left out of the media's attention to the cowboy as is evident from movies and cartoons. Probably the most typically iconic example of a cowboys representation of the hero figure who does no wrong is the character Woody from the animated film Toy Story that first came out in 1995. Three movies have been produced, and the third one earned great reviews in 2010. In this movie the cowboy character is

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the one who always displays leadership, never leaves a friend behind, never forgets where he came from or who his owner is, and shows amazing care for his toy family in general. These traits are closer to those of the real cowboy code than the other cowboy movies show, and this character does not show any aggression. Cowboys were also very popular in comic books such as does published by Marvel and DC Comics. They started becoming popular in the late 1940s, and stopped being printed in the mid 1980s. Already famous movie or television stars like Roy Rogers or Gene Autry had their own titles among comic books. Also, comic books were featured real life heroes like Wild Bill Hickok, Jesse James, Buffalo Bill or Annie Oakley. Some of the more popular comic books from this period were named after the Durango Kid, Gabby Hayes, Tex Ritter, Rocky Lane, or Hopalong Cassidy. (Taylor 1) In 1965, Dell Comics came out with Lobo the Cowboy who was the first African-American comic superhero (Taylor 1). Many of the issues came back unopened due to the fact that some rejected the idea of a black cowboy superhero. (Taylor 1) Another great example of a cowboy representation comes from the character Yosemite Sam. He appeared in a series of cartoons produced by Warner Bros. Animations. While having a couple of different roles, he is best recognized as being the shorttempered outlaw in the Buggs Bunny series. In the series, he is depicted as being very hateful towards Buggs Bunny, and does everything possible to try and capture him. These cartons gave birth to a classic rivalry, such as the one between Tom and Jerry. The setting is always different, but the

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constant chasing and shooting gives makes for a very funny, classic cartoon. Yosemite Sam is a very determined and sneaky, but always fails in trying to exterminate his enemy. (Markstein 2) In addition, cowboys have also been displayed in commercials as far back as the 1930s to the present day with Camel or Marlboro cigarettes, Wrangler Jeans, Levi Strauss clothes, beverages like CocaCola, trucks, rodeo competitions, and many others. Leiss, Klein and Jhally argue that advertising creates the need to have the desirable image that comes with acquiring a certain product or acting in a certain way. Such did the Phillip Morris Company through the 1950s Marlboro Man campaign that took one of the most positive American images of all timethe cowboyand attached it to a negative, death oriented productcigarettes(Kupelian 1). This campaign put a positive image on consuming something that was later determined to be harmful and showed people the desirable image that they would gain by buying their product. Voted the number one advertising icon of all time by The Advertising Century, the Marlboro Man is the most universally recognized, consistently profitable and aesthetically appealing image in the advertising world (Kupelian 3). This image made Marlboro one of the top selling cigarette companies in the world since the 1950s. The image that is portrayed in the commercials is the epitome of all cowboys. It captures the essence of what it means to be a cowboy, what it means to be a man, and the attitude that a man should have. A cowboy is rugged, tough, and free. He chooses to be alone if he wants to because he does not need

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anyone and no one can judge him except the law. People around the word choosing to smoke these cigarettes unknowingly embrace this attitude, this state of being. The Marlboro Man is a masculine trademark and through the mythical Marlboro country transformed a harmful product into something desirable, wild, and natural (Warren 53). There are some communication theories that help explain how the cowboy has gained the status of a popular icon and how this image has become desired by many who pretend they have a natural way of living, but have comma in fact comma lost their connections with the land. One such theory is called the cognitive dissonance theory. The theory explains how people live in a psychological discomfort found in individuals who entertain inconsistent opinions and values (Allen 2005). People take vacations in the wild where they try to reconnect with nature, but they rarely leave their amenities behind. They have long ago become separated from nature and the old ways, lost connection with the land, but they continue to try to rediscover the natural ways of living that helped made cowboys famous. Allen argues that The conflicting values of formerly Turnerian agricultural people ... have become Tocqueville urbanities and lost their ties to the land (208). People sometimes feel a discomfort when all their lives take place in an urban setting, but they desire the freedoms that they see in cowboy movies. Another theory that can help explain how and what people remember, or what they look up to, is the narrative paradigm theory. This theory explains how people remember and identify themselves better through great stories such as those about freedom, courage, or sacrifice rather than through arguments and reason. In addition, mass media has a very powerful influence on the people who come in contact with it. It can affect people on a long term, bit by bit, and these effects can last a lifetime; or, it can have immediate effects that do not last.

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There are very few cowboys who have written memoirs for historians to examine and draw conclusions about the lives of cowboys. Some of the few and important published memoirs have been written by Charlie Siringo, Andy Adams, and Teddy Blue Abboutt (Savage 5). Although these memoirs have helped a lot in determining the true ways of the cowboys, they are not what made the cowboy into a popular icon. Most of that credit is attributed to the cowboys who made themselves famous through the media. Many of these cowboys were just actors, or in some cases, just an image. One real figure of the West, Buffalo Bill Cody, was a soldier, western showman, and recognized bison hunter. Although many have cowboys as their heroes, most agree that the King of all Cowboys is Roy Rogers. Along with his horse Trigger and his dog Bullet, Roy Rogers was the hero of more than 100 movies and a television show. Born Leonard Franklyn Slye, he died in 1998 as an American western hero. His wife Dale Evans was considered a real cowgirl and appeared with him in movies and on television. Although modern society, technology, and the constant need for more and more material things have changed the way cowboys live their life, they still live by an unwritten code, close to nature and family. The great amount of work that cowboys are required to do on a daily basis has maintained to this day a great level of solidarity in their lives. Ranch cowboys are still very close to nature, creating bonds that are passed from one generation to another. Cowboys represent the values that Americans have been taught to strive to acquire. Overall, the cowboy hero is mostly loved because he is free, and that makes him a splendid American hero. The cowboy represents the heart and soul of the American people, a good man to have with you and a demon when he is against you (Fishwick 82). Fair and square, hard-fighting, hard-drinking, hard-loving, and hardliving, the cowboy represents all of these characteristics that appeal to the young and stick with them throughout their lives. The cowboy stays loyal to his code, his family, his horse, and cattle.

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No matter what ones code is or what he stays loyal to, if he does this with the same passion, he may say that the cowboy influenced him to become what he is today. Pearson and Haney argue that, It has been suggested that the image of the American cowboy is analogous to the American ways, in that success can be achieved through rugged individualism and aggressive behavior (2). The cowboy hero as a popular icon and all that comes with it will live forever in the hearts of many. Fishwick believes that the cowboys legend will never be lost, stating that, Even if the western range disappears forever, and the last doggie is put behind barbed wire, the memory and legend of the open-range American cowboy will follow that imaginary trail which winds its ways through the unbroken sea of grass" (92). Over the years the cowboy has represented and stood for many things, but overall he is accepted by Americans as a symbol (William 3). He represents rugged individualism in beer commercials, unadorned masculinity in cigarette advertising, and ultimate heroism in fiction and film (William 4).

Works Cited

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Allen, Michael. Rodeo Cowboys in the North American Imagination. Reno: University of Nevada, 1998. Print. Fishwick, Marshall W. "The Cowboy: America's Contribution to the World's Mythology." Western States Folklore Society Aprl., 1952 11.2 (1952): 7792. Web. 05 Nov. 2010. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/1496835>. Frantz, Joe Bertram, and Julian Ernest. Choate. The American Cowboy: the Myth and the Reality. Norman: Thames and Hudson, 1955. Print. Kupelian, David. ""Brokeback Mountain": Rape of the Marlboro Man." WorldNetDaily: 1-6. Web. 05 Nov. 2010. <http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=48076>. McLure, Helen. "The Wild, Wild Web: The Mythic American West and the Electronic Frontier." The Western Historical Quarterly Winter, 2000 31.4 (2000): 457-76. Web. 01 Nov. 2010. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/970103>. Michael, Alllen. ""I Just Want to Be a Cosmic Cowboy": Hippies, Cowboy Code, and the Culture of a Counterculture." The Western Historical Quarterly Autumn 2005 36.3 (2005): 275-99. Web. 01 Nov. 2010. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/25443192>. Mix, Joanna. "Photos Show "Vanishing Cowboy"- --Exhibit at Exploration Place Features Symbols of the American Wild West at Work." Wichita Eagle [Wichita] 01 June 2008. Print.

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Pearson, Demetrius W., and Allen C. Haney. "The Rodeo Cowboy as an American Icon: The Perceived Social and Cultural Significance." Literature Online 22.4: 5-17. Web. 01 Nov. 2010. Savage, William W. The Cowboy Hero: His Image in American History & Culture. Norman: University of Oklahoma, 1979. Print. Udall, Steward L. "How the West Got Wild: American Media and Frontier Violence: A Roundtable." The Western Historical Quarterly Autumn, 2000 31.3 (2000): 277-95. Web. 01 Nov. 2010. <http://jstor.org/stable/969961>. Warren, Louis S. "Cody's Last Stand: Masculine Anxiety, The Custer Myth, and the Frontier of Domesticity in Buffalo Bill's Wild West." The Wetern Historical Quarterly Spring, 2003 34.1 (2003): 49-69. Web. 10 Nov. 2010. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/25047208>. Wilson Moore, Shirley Ann. "Television, "The West," and "The Real West"" The Western Historical Quarterly Autumn 1997 28.3 (1997): 296-98. Web. 05 Nov. 2010.