Who was the definitive cowboy?

I’ve just finished up the latest Randy Rabbits On… video, although I did not have time to bleep the swear words this time. Apologies if you are offended by any content.

Here, Randy talks about a young feller in the slaughterhouse who thought of himself like a cowboy. Some people should really be kept away from guns without any priors, just for exhibiting generally idiotic behaviour.

Whilst making this video, it got me thinking about all the fantastic Westerns that I was lucky to watch growing up. And as soon as the title credits roll, I’d be whip-crack through the back door to play cowboys and injins in the garden with my mates. I’m not sure if kids play cowboys and injins any more. Probably play democrats and republicans instead.

My first memory of a Western was the Good the Bad & the Ugly. Probably most boys’ first memory of Westerns.

As an impressionable young lad, this film left an indelible mark on my psyche. In fact, from that day on I aspired to Blondie, frequently resorted to Tuco and sometimes strayed into Angel Eyes territory. But only when pushed, you understand.

Following on from this legendary masterpiece, there was A Fistful of Dollars, The Magnificent Seven, The Lone Ranger, The Alamo (Or pretty much any John Wayne). My grandmother liked the musicals so I’d watch Paint Your Wagon and Calamity Jane with her. Whilst other kids my age were excited for Back to the Future and the promise of space age technology, I found myself yearning for a time long past.

As I grew, I found solace in the promise that we could, one day end up in another Wild west. Joss Whedon’s Firefly anyone?

Short but very sweet. Or in novels such as Steven King’s fantastic Dark Tower series. I hear there’s a movie in the pipeline <barely contained, very uncowboy-like squeal>.

And of course, it would be remiss not to mention the eponymous Django Unchained, which blasted the wild west back into the collective consciousness of a generation abducted by smartphones and social media. I bet Clint would have missed a few of those trick shots when his Samsung Galaxy vibrated his chaps with Lee Marvin’s latest drunken Facebook status.

The only remains of the wild west is the arena of politics. Where a man’s word is as good as the paper it’s written on, where loyalties can be bought and fortunes can be blown. Yup. Politicians and used car salesmen. Nothing but cowboys…