How Hollywood Whitewashed The Old West

The past few years have seen a rise in popularity of re-envisioning classic stories for the big screen, whether it be through an adaption or direct sequel. Many of these new adaptations include features that actively whitewash the narrative by either completely omitting important characters of color, altering their characteristics, downplaying their significance to the plot, or even having them replaced with white people.

These changes are not only distracting from the original work, but also contribute to problematic tropes about race in storytelling. By removing key figures of color, the movie is telling audiences that they do not matter as much as whites; this can influence audience perception of marginalized groups. For example, when you remove African Americans at every turn, you create a subconscious expectation that there will never be any significant black characters again. In addition, when people of color are shown, they must be limited in importance and characterization to match what main character(s) the film’s audience already has preconceptions of.

This article will talk more specifically about examples of this trope in Western movies, why it matters, and some ways to fix it. However, before we get into those, let us take a look at two different versions of one story.

Two tales of the west: True Grit and The Magnificent Seven

In 2008, New Line Cinema released true gothic western thriller movie titled The Hunger Games.

Examples include The Wild Wild West, True Grit, Django Unchained

Many people refer to the ‘Western’ genre as being about cowboys in big hats riding horses across dusty plains while singing songs with lyrics like "Don't take away my gun, I'll shoot myself first!".

This perception is very limited. A closer look at Western films reveals that they are not only about guns but also about power, politics, racism, and how we define what it means to be an individualist in our society.

The term 'cowboy' was originally used for Native Americans who roamed free outside of European settlements. As time went on, however, white settlers incorporated this way of life into their own culture and even gave these individuals self-identified labels such as cowboy.

These early pioneers were often wealthy or affluent men who enjoyed outdoor sports and hunting. Some even made a living through ranching!

But what most people don't know is that many early westerns feature characters who are no longer portrayed as wholesome, upstanding citizens. They may drink too much, use offensive language, and/or treat minorities with disdain.

Critics claim that the west was much more violent than Hollywood portrays

Many people argue that westerns, or movies about cowboys in the old west are mostly made up of violence and gore. They say that instead of depicting a peaceful lifestyle, these films portray an exaggerated view of what life was really like back then.

This theory is called the “Violent Cinema” or “Gore Film Theory,” and it seems to be growing in popularity every year. People who believe in this theory state that the media creates dramatic situations for entertainment purposes.

They suggest that many filmmakers add gunfights, torture, and murder into their stories as part of the movie market. Some even go so far as saying that audiences enjoy watching these scenes because they feel something is going to happen next.

However, there is no proof that this theory is true. Many famous film franchises such as The Fast and the Furious and Jurassic Park rely heavily on creative storytelling, but not a single shot of guns or blood.

Furthermore, some historians dispute the validity of the Gore Theory. According to them, reports of frequent bloodshed and general bad behavior in the west have been overstated and sensationalized.

Some experts argue that the amount of violence in the west was actually lower than what we see portrayed in movies today. They also contend that most wars were fought with firearms, which means that less death happened due to lack of bullets.

There were very few female characters in Westerns

Many people argue that our modern day obsession with action movies and superhero films comes from the popularization of westerns. But while those are important parts of movie genre, they’re only a small part of what makes up the west as a whole culture.

Western cinema is not just about gun fights - it’s also about exploring themes like masculinity, feminism, racial stereotypes, and more.

But beyond all of these internal discussions happening within individual scenes or stories, there was barely any diversity in terms of gender representation outside of maybe one or two minutes here and there.

Mostly, we have male protagonists who work hard, save money for a house, and marry an equally strong woman who doesn’t question their leadership too much. In other words, women are often portrayed as weaker, subordinate to men.

This isn’t limited to old timey westerns either. Recent examples include The Magnificent Seven where most of the main characters are white males, and Suicide Squad which features mostly white male heroes with no black or Latino representatives aside from some minor roles.

There were very few African Americans in Westerns

While there have been some attempts to feature black characters in the western genre, these efforts are usually framed as “reboots” or “reimaginings.” The main character is still white, but they include references to race that discuss how marginalized people struggle with internalized racism.

There you have it - a movie where the protagonists are not only racially privileged, they are also rich! Most of the time, when these racial re-examinations occur, media representatives will cite this reason for including the diversity program. They claim that it was necessary because the stories needed to be told from a certain perspective.

This argument makes sense until you realize that most major studios already have diverse departments that create films. It is expensive to hire and retain talent so why should anyone get paid if they don’t feel like their work gets seen? This doesn’t make any logical sense.

Furthermore, many white people enjoy the west (and other genres) so adding more diversity by having one or two black characters isn’t going to change anything. Addressing issues of internalized oppression through narrative means is much better than making a film about white men who oppress minorities and women.

There were also very few Asians in Westerns

Many people assume that all Western movies are about cowboys, riding horses through the desert, shooting guns, and exploring new lands. While there is some truth to this, it has been slightly edited down.

Western films mostly focus on how white men dominate and take advantage of other people. This includes both groups with money or power (“I will use my wealth to exploit you!”) and ethnic minorities (“Why should I listen to you when I could be doing something else?”).

The most common themes revolve around whites taking credit for done things and avoiding responsibility. For example, after making an expensive purchase, they might complain that the person who sells similar products does not deserve their respect.

This happens because they do not want to pay for the product themselves. Even if they did, they would probably give less credibility to the seller since he/she is not a “white male millionaire�” like them.

There was little diversity in terms of ethnicity in Westerns. Most characters either play off being rich and powerful or poor and downtrodden, but almost never in between. As such, we get very polarized images of what people in the west are like.

It may seem obvious now, but Westerns actively promoted stereotypes and made frequent references to race. These include everything from black people as lazy and good at singing to Chinese people as cunning and intelligent.

There were also very few Latinos in Westerns

Many people may not know it, but there’s a myth that has been perpetuated in popular culture for decades about what kind of person lived in the old west. This myth goes something like this: only white men could have lived during the time period when the western genre was at its peak.

This is definitely not true! In fact, there are many examples of films where characters with dark skin exist and are shown to be just as successful, if not more so than their lighter-skinned counterparts. Some of these include:

John Wayne in The Searchers (1961) - Ethan / Dr. Karnstein is his name - he saved Natalie's life by injecting her with medicine after she almost died due to childbirth complications. He is clearly intelligent and self-confident, qualities which seem to matter little to some people.

- Ethan / Dr. Karnstein is his name - he saved Natalie's life by injecting her with medicine after she almost died due to childbirth complications.

There were also very few Muslims in Westerns

Many people think that the west is just full of cowboys, guns, and large muscles. While there are certainly some parts of America that feel like The Wild West, this isn’t actually the case anymore.

In fact, it’s more accurate to say that we have our own take on what the old western tropes really mean. For example, many people believe that being wealthy means owning lots of land and buildings, but this can’t be farther from truth.

Being rich in the west doesn’t necessarily mean having a lot of money, instead it usually means being well-connected or belonging to an influential group. It could even mean having a good work ethic or self-sacrifice skills.

There was one major difference between the way mainstream media presented the cowboy era and how we know them today though - most characters in Western movies are not only white, they are almost always completely devoid of any sort of religion.

This is definitely not the case in reality, which makes it kind of weird for us in the 21st century.

There were also very few Jews in Westerns

The west we know today is heavily influenced by the culture of America, which includes its media. One such medium is film!

Western films have played an important part in shaping our concept of what it means to be American. They tell us who the good guys are and how they should live their lives. By showing us examples, they shape our ideas about heroism and moral philosophy.

Film scholars refer to this as “cultural translation” because these stories translate something from one culture into another. In other words, the stories give you knowledge of the original culture - in this case, the old western civilization that flourished throughout North America before being conquered by European powers.

Another way to look at it is that the movies help you learn more about the people who made them.

A classic example of this is the movie It’s A Wonderful Life, where most viewers agree that Jimmy Stewart was a great man while some may even conclude that his life lacked worth.

However, in watching Iveryld say goodbye for the last time to everyone he knows and loves, including himself, you come away with a different impression. He saves the world several times over, and he goes out with dignity. That makes him worthy of celebration.