Monday, March 26, 2012
Why have Westerns faded in popularity?
My questions is "Why have Westerns faded in popularity?" A few decades ago the Western genre was a very popular genre in film. Numerous Western classics were spawned between the 1940's and the 1960's, but now new Western films hitting movie theaters are few in number. And while there have been a few good Western films that have been popular, such as True Grit, they are few and far between. I really want to know what about it is about the Western genre that has made it fade from popularity. It could have something to do the fact that people aren't interested in the old west, it could potentially have something to do with the gender roles that are often in such films, etc. I would also like to see if I can draw parallels to similar genres that are also fading away. To do this I am going to primarily need statistics about the films; I need to see things like box office numbers and things like that. I'm not entirely sure how I will research this at the moment, but I'm sure that once I begin my research everything will come together.
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Hello Charlie,
ReplyDeleteI think that you can go far with this topic! Have you spoken with Ryan B. He also has some great opinions and info about the topic. I also like the idea about different faded and disappearing genres. Which one was your original inspiration? Were you just thinking about things that you no longer saw when you went to the movies, or do you have a special sense of investment in westerns?
I also see some good points about gender roles on westerns, but the best of the revisionist westerns like "Maverick" are really new ways of envisioning gender in the Old West! I wonder if the stereotypes of western conventions just scare the audience before they even get to the movie theater.
I like that you are seeing the need for logic (logos) in your research, and I would be inclined to agree if you are arguing that these particular film types are fast disappearing.
Good job on this prospectus, Charlie! I hope that this is truly a genuine interest of yours. If you find that it was not really your thing (I know that it was one of my suggestions), let me know, and we can brainstorm other options. I am here to help!
Cheers,
RW