Westerns: History, legend, show biz

Alex & Kelten talk about the history of the Western genre (that is, the cowboy movie), from its origin in the European imagination at the dawn of the modern era to a thriving industry of children's adventure novels, which would go on to shape the ambitions of real-life historical figure Teddy Roosevelt.

Then, they talk about the history behind the genre: not only the genocidal cavalry campaigns against Native nations, but also the history of self-interested puffery at the heart of the iconic Western Hero archetype, which overlaps with the history of Wild West exhibitions, which canonized and promoted this fabricated legend around the Western (that is, European colonial) world.

Then we wrap up by introducing the western film genre in its original historical context, as the quintessential subject of early Hollywood schlock: As much as 40% of movies made before 1960 were westerns!