Are cowboys a real thing? whole west thing as shown in movies, shows depiction close to reality?

20 comments

1. It’s a subcultural thing. Like, rodeos aren’t super popular outside of certain states. Cowboys still exist, to an extent, but they’re not roamin’ the plains huntin’ buffalo and killin’ outlaws, they’re just people working on ranches and stuff herding cattle.

2. One major difference between movie cowboys and real ones is that while the popular image of a cowboy is a particular anglo-American archetype- someone who looks like John Wayne or Clint Eastwood- very many working cowboys (both in history and today) have been immigrants from Latin America.

3. Absolutely! Howdy! 👋 I grew up on a large cattle ranch and hail from the cowboy state. there are very much real, working cowboys (and girls).

   Wyoming is also home to the world’s largest rodeo, Cheyenne frontier days.

4. >Are cowboys a real thing?

   Yes.

   >whole west thing as shown in movies, shows depiction close to reality?

   It depends on the period, but the “age” of cowboys was very short lived era that existed till the advent and use of barb wire (1850-1880). After that, the term cowboy became more culture from its early incarnation of a ranch hand.

   >I recently binge watched Yellowstone show and I was curious about the whole thing?

   I have not seen it, but it supposedly depicts life from a century ago. That said, the stories are still works of fiction.

   >like are rodeo’s famous? is it famous in certain states?

   They still exist and are popular enough that they are aired nationally on Sundays like on CBS (when there is no football). I would say most big shows are done in the southwest United States and northwest Mexico nowadays.

5. Yes. Cowboys were real.

   But no. Hollywood cowboys and real life cowboys were very different.

   Yes. Cowboys and their Mexican counterparts and ancestors, Vaqueros, did carry firearms. They had to. The Wild West was a very dangerous place and help could be days away ***on horseback***. Native American raids and attacks were common.

   However, cowboys didn’t usually own their own cattle. They were usually relatively poor contractors whose job was to protect the farmer’s cattle and move them as necessary, as well as protect them from rustlers as well as wildlife that may predate on them. And in an attempt to assimilate Native American children into the white American culture, Indian schools taught the Native children interned there cattle herding skills. Blacks were also relatively common in the cowboy occupation, as the West generally had more opportunities for blacks than the South and North did. Blacks are estimated to have ranged from 15-25% of the cowboy racial demographics and Mexican immigrants are believed to have constituted about 15%.

   It wasn’t until about the 1920’s did cowboys develop the romanticized image we have of them. They were hard working men who put their share into the economy, for sure, but they weren’t adventurers who were regularly challenging corrupt sheriffs and hunting down bandits. They were contracted by farmers to move their cattle from point A to point B and to use force to protect the cattle from threats. Nothing more, nothing less.

6. Rodeos certainly exist and can be a very big deal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Livestock_Show_and_Rodeo

   However, most of them are much smaller events like this: https://cfdrodeo.com or https://buckinghorsesale.com/

   Keep in mind this is a subculture, not a sport that permeates all of America, hardly anything is universally followed. They’re more popular in the western and Great Plains states.

   The depictions of the west in film are overdramatized, much more violent, and aren’t inclusive of minorities. It’s entertaining to watch. Life on a cattle drive was pretty boring, very dirty, low paying, and uncomfortable.

7. Pretty much all the states have rodeos and state/agricultural fairs and ranches and farms. So basically, yes.

8. Here you go OP. [This happened last summer in OKC.](https://youtu.be/U7gSc4zzvv0) Cowboys definitely (still) exist.

9. Yes cowboys exist. The ranchhands in Yellowstone are a pretty good representation of modern cowboys. Obviously the large amounts of murder and intrigue that happen in the show are not indicative of real life.

10. No, cowboys were mostly poor temp workers, half were Hispanic and Indian. The federal government-directed and sponsored and centralized irrigation settled the West, along with federal government-directed and sponsored genocide of Indians, especially in California.

    God I hate that fucking false cowboy myth. Stop entertaining yourself with bullshit, America.

11. Fun fact: most working ranch hands look more like Bedouin than cowboys.

12. I’m not originally from Idaho and no longer live there, but I spent a handful of years there, and… Yes. Cowboys are very much a real thing.

    The ones I met tended to be pretty chill, low-key, friendly guys, too.

13. Cowboys the historical occupation were just ranch hands. They mended fences, and various other things depending on time frame and location. They weren’t just random, wandering do-gooders.

    Cowboys I.e: the movie characters have inspiration from various real life outlaws and the like. The guy who won the OK coral was involved in early Hollywood, if I recall, so of course he ensured a rather glamorized view of his actions there.

    Rodeos, cowboy hats and boots, etc, are all
    Absolutely real. There are stores dedicated to them. You’ll mostly see these in Texas or the rural west. Saw a guy in full cowboy regalia on the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border once. Though at that point it’s basically cosplay.

14. Clearly, you’ve never been to Fort Worth

15. I’d argue that King Ranch is the most famous Texas one and is larger than the state of Rhode Island.

    https://king-ranch.com

16. Hollywood version is different than the real thing and they don’t show the really unpleasant stuff about taking care of cattle. Decided to go to school and become a gentleman rancher after working on my uncle’s ranch as a teen. Having your entire front covered in liquid green cow manure or up to your shoulder in a cow’s ass isn’t something they show on TV. Getting stepped on and kicked either.

17. A lot of the movies are based on things that actually happened. Sure a lot of dramatic effect but as someone who lives in the west, cowboys are real.

18. Yes, very real in a lot of America.

    “Cowboy” might refer to the culture, lifestyle, or a person exhibiting all that.

    *Wrangler* is the actual job title, at least in Montana and Wyoming. Ranches might have one owner, but it takes a whole crew to run them.

    Rodeos are famous in cattle/horse country, but not really beyond that. But that’s still a lot of America.

    I was just in Vegas for the National Finals Rodeo last month. Biggest celebration of cowboy culture, and not just American. You’ll see Canadians, Brazilians, Australians, etc.

19. Yes it’s a real thing but I’m sure Hollywood exaggerates or falsifies aspects of their day to day living, as the usually do with everything

20. Before rail roads had made much headway, cowboys were absolutely necessary to move large herds of cattle from texas to Chicago for slaughter and sale.

    Today rodeos are absolutely a thing, there’s one in my hometown every year that is a very big deal.