Top 25 Reasons to Be a Cowboy | #23 The Movies

Despite the COVID-19 lockdown, the cowboy countdown continues. People are realizing that life must go on in some form or fashion. For cowboys, the social distancing and shelter-in-place orders are probably somewhat moot. By definition, cowboys are isolationists and homebodies—not often crossing the cattleguard.

That’s why the 23^rd-best reason to be a cowboy on our top-25 list in honor of the WRCAs forthcoming 25^th World Championship Ranch Rodeo is so appropriate: Movies.

(And, if COVID orders have put a damper on your social calendar and out-to-eat nights, what better way to fill that time with a few good cowboy flicks?)

For years, Hollywood has celebrated the West and the cowboy on the silver screen. Rather than a list of my favorites, we’ll consider the overarching themes of the genre.

Even before movies existed, the Wild West Shows foreshadowed the public’s taste for the West, cowboys, and gunfighters. So, naturally, Westerns became the go-to genre for early Hollywood. Studios would crank out movies and television shows continuously, starring all the favorites like Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and John Wayne. At the time, America was not so disconnected from the West as we are now. Kids then wanted to be cowboys in the same way kids now want to be superheroes.

Storylines in Westerns, admittedly, aren’t much different from any other genre, but one reason Westerns endured is simply the scenery in which they’re filmed. Wide-open spaces, soaring vistas, and horses all contribute to the cinematic impact a film can have.

Another reason I think the Western is so popular is because it possesses a uniquely American backdrop. Not just the scenery, but the entire idea of a cowboy. While Hollywood has often mixed that up with the gunfighter (which is pretty uniquely American, too), the cowboy is ours alone as a country.

So, as a cowboy, it’s naturally fun to see our place, the West, and our job celebrated on the big screen—even if it’s rarely as accurate as we’d like it to be. The job is hard, the days is long, the pay is short, and our product is often taken for granted by our customers, so we might as well enjoy what little shine our culture gives us.

With that in mind, and with perhaps a bit more time on our hands, check out a Western. And in the meantime, comment on your favorite of all time. For the record, mine’s Lonesome Dove.