Quote:
Originally Posted by CliffFletcher
I wasn't suggesting ranching and rodeos were made up by Weadick. Just that the Stampede and the white Stetsoned guy yelling yee-haw is a hoky, commercialized marketing of that history. People who think about Calgary and the Stampede don't think about the picture upthread. Weadick crafted a mass-market entertainment property. And that property is what people think of the when they think of the Calgary Stampede and cowboy culture. It can be fun and entertaining, but there's precious little authentic about it (anymore than the popular notions of gunfights and Dodge City accurately portray the real American West).
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Well no cultures had had gunfights. Not even the imaginary west in the States you are thinking about. That's Hollywood anyway. So to say Calgary never had it means nothing. You're comparing a fantasy to a supposed fantasy.
Yes Weadick was a NY salesman. But he hit on a culture that was here. That's why it worked. Why do you think he picked it?
You know, I like you Cliff. I was about to apologize to for my dismissive response to your Calgary thread a few months ago. A lot of your points were good. But like many arguments, you went to the 'what is wrong with kids today?'' and I couldn't get behind that. Calgary kids today work just as hard as the spoiled engineers in the 80's. Also, every generation in the past has made that argument about the generation in front of them. Tres lazy. You had such a good post, to get lazy at the end. Or you spent a bunch of time making good points, to enforce dumb stereotypes.
You make great points often, but then you wrap them into this pseudo conspiracy, easy explanation nonsense. Generally taking a stab at youth in the meantime.
Yes, there are examples of manufactured western and cowboy culture in Calgary. But why do you think it happened? Why was it endorsed? We're we lobster ranchers before then? Is there truth in the lie?
Furthermore, knowing many ranchers now, real cowboys, how can you say the culture doesn't exist? If it was made up before, which I'm not agreeing to, it certainly isn't made up now. If you go back far enough, there are no cowboys, no white people, no people at all.
Where does culture begin and where does it end?