I can't bring myself to watch the show, given everything you've described here. After reading Wounded Knee by Heather Cox Richardson, I find these stories about white men/women building dynasties just disgusting. I did watch one episode, and couldn't stomach it.
Dude: One of the most finely crafted sentences I've seen in a long time. "Yellowstone is just a show (and a damn good one at that), but one doesn’t need to look far to find real-life instances of the legacy of manifest destiny colonialism it depicts."
I agree with what you write here. I love the show overall, but it's filled with inconsistencies and contradictions. I like Taylor Sheridan's depiction of First Peoples, but then he immediately glamorizes the Duttons for unapologetically never accepting responsibility for their massive theft.
'who are clearly in the wrong try to convince themselves they’re in the right. To overcome this contradiction and maintain ownership of “the largest ranch in Montana,”'
I've never seen the show, but I wonder if you think this contradiction is conscious on the show's part? Put it another way, does the show think the Duttons are wrong too?
(I see it talked about on social media every now and then, and from the general tenor of those posts it feels like 'no,' but I know that's just social media. I guess I'm wondering if the show has a self-awareness that doesn't come through in its marketing.)
That's a great question, and something I've gone back and force on myself. The show's creator comes from ranch life, so he's certainly drawing from real experiences.
If I had to bet on it, no, I don't think it was created by Marxists who set out to critique capitalism like the show Succession does. Rather, I think he wrote about realities caused by the inequities of capitalism and ended up increasing the despair.
I love this show. It shows various perspectives.
I can't bring myself to watch the show, given everything you've described here. After reading Wounded Knee by Heather Cox Richardson, I find these stories about white men/women building dynasties just disgusting. I did watch one episode, and couldn't stomach it.
Dude: One of the most finely crafted sentences I've seen in a long time. "Yellowstone is just a show (and a damn good one at that), but one doesn’t need to look far to find real-life instances of the legacy of manifest destiny colonialism it depicts."
Thank you! I'm trying to be more succinct and clear with my writing, so I'm excited to hear its working.
I agree with what you write here. I love the show overall, but it's filled with inconsistencies and contradictions. I like Taylor Sheridan's depiction of First Peoples, but then he immediately glamorizes the Duttons for unapologetically never accepting responsibility for their massive theft.
God help me -- I still want to be John Dutton.
'who are clearly in the wrong try to convince themselves they’re in the right. To overcome this contradiction and maintain ownership of “the largest ranch in Montana,”'
I've never seen the show, but I wonder if you think this contradiction is conscious on the show's part? Put it another way, does the show think the Duttons are wrong too?
(I see it talked about on social media every now and then, and from the general tenor of those posts it feels like 'no,' but I know that's just social media. I guess I'm wondering if the show has a self-awareness that doesn't come through in its marketing.)
Anyways, looking forward to the other two parts.
That's a great question, and something I've gone back and force on myself. The show's creator comes from ranch life, so he's certainly drawing from real experiences.
If I had to bet on it, no, I don't think it was created by Marxists who set out to critique capitalism like the show Succession does. Rather, I think he wrote about realities caused by the inequities of capitalism and ended up increasing the despair.
I'd love to hear his thoughts in an interview!