Assignment 1-3
Journal Article Analysis
‘‘Back in My Day, Son’’: Dialogical
Constructions of the Cowboy Code of Justice
What better pop culture icon to write about then the cowboy. The cowboy is an interesting icon in that he or she is recognizable by the hat, the horse and the sun setting behind them. It’s not just one person, with one name – they are just cowboys.
This was a very interesting article about breaking down the 2003 hit song Beer for My Horses (BFMY) song by Toby Keith and the cowboy imagery it depicts with the lyrics and video in comparison to cowboy myths and stereotypes.
The article starts out by looking at how we came to stereotype cowboys and what types of images and values come to mind when we here the word cowboy. It pulled examples from old movies like High Noon staring Gary Cooper and The Virginian staring James Drury with their good looks, delivery of justice, honesty and politeness.
The author writes, “Films such as The Virginian and High Noon perpetuate the cowboy as provider of justice in a savage world, a world in which the only one
that can save us is the cowboy.” Back in My Day Son 2009
BFMH uses all of the cowboy imagery it can fit in, in both the lyrics and the music video, with the theme of justice or rather the lack of justice in modern society. The video uses imagery like the cowboy hat, guns, and horses to bring us back to a time where justice was serviced quickly and the bad guy never got away. It goes on to show us how in modern society is lacking in justice and very disrespectful of human life.
The article goes on to describe the video which shows contrasting times with the same basic plot. The plot of yester-year has the cowboy catching the bad guy while in the modern plot, the bad guy gets away from the police officer.
More importantly the video also has Willie Nelson as the older and wiser police officer hell bent on teaching the young police officer the way things used to be and should be, back in the time where cowboys always got their man.
Jensen, K. 2009 "Back in My Day, Son": Dialogical Constructions of the Cowboy Code of Justice The Journal of Popular Culture, Volume 42, Issue 1 (p 90-102)
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/121654506/PDFSTART
Hi, Shannon. Times certainly have changed. There were clear-cut lines between the good guys and bad guys back then too. I used to watch Roy Rodgers and Dale Evans who not only got the bad guys, they sang too! So did Gene Autry. Somehow though in the mid to late seventies, the bad boys took over. There was a flurry of movies in which Clint Eastwood played various bad boys (among even badder boys). That was the turning point for me though and I couldn't get enough of the new-fangled, bad boy movies. There was High Plains Drifter, The Outlaw Josie Wales, and Pale Rider. There was also Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Somehow, the outlaws took over, even with music as Waylon Jennings, Charlie Daniels, and Willie Nelson crooned about not letting babies grow up to be cowboys. I think that was both the end and the beginning of the cowboy as a hero, depending on how a person defines a hero. I, for one, like the bad boys!
ReplyDeleteI will echo Carolyn's comments also. I traveled the rodeo circuit for a couple years and grew up as a cowboy. I often find a cultural disconnect in my theories and thoughts as compared to some of my co-workers in how we handle situations and issues.
ReplyDeleteThe song by Toby Keith brings back that cowboy mentality. The movie of the same title, while different than the music video, still has the same cowboy value of "grabbing the bull by the horns". Cowboys have always had a special place with me, possibly because I am one. Good review and kudos for keeping the cowboy alive.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading your article I thought about one of our classmates who had previously said that he was a cowboy. I think it was during the assignment about a song that he liked, then I quickly viewed the comments and there he was J.J. There is definatley a culture within the cowboy image and story. I think there has been movies and music that depicted the cowboy even as a hero. I really liked your analysis.
Thanks, Bobbie Hill
I have to admit I am one of those people who associate cowboys with the Wild West and country music. The article focused mostly on the negative stereotypes of cowboys. When I think of cowboys, I picture a hard working, family oriented man. Good job summing the authors view points.
ReplyDeleteGreat article. This is just another example of stereotypes in American pop culture. Many think of the old days in the wild west when they hear the word cowboy. But cowboys are still around and flourish in many parts of the American west. It is ironic how this stereotype seems to have a time stamp associated with it.
ReplyDeleteI also think the traditional cowboy is a big part of pop culture. I think that the cowboy represents the wild west and has had a huge impact on country western music. Not sure if the music inspired the cowboy or the cowboy inspired the music. I do not agree with the article that the stereotypical cowboy is a negative thing. When I think of a cowboy, I think of someone who works hard on a ranch and provides for his family. The movies portray cowboys as men who travel on a horse and carry a gun, but I don't think that accurately portrays a cowboy today.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the other posts. Cowboys are actually one of the few icons that have had not changed over the years. Yes, movies have depicted them in different ways. Cowboys were known for the Wild West, but movies are now showing the cowboy as an outsider and are sometimes made fun of when they enter the city. But in the end, the cowboy still saves the day.
ReplyDeleteI have probably heard that song at least a thousand times, but never really took the time to think about it until this class. I thought you did a fine analysis.
ReplyDelete