Taylor Sheridan is known for creating the neo-Western show Yellowstone, which has been widely appreciated for its depiction of the ‘true blue American’ culture. The Kevin Costner starrer is set in the Yellowstone Ranch in Montana and sees the power struggle that the patriarch of the ranch has to deal with at all times.
Sheridan’s show is often regarded as a show that celebrates the culture of the USA, with its depiction of the ranch life and the classic portrayal of power conflict between siblings, businesses, and land owners. It uses many of the tropes of classic Westerns. Sheridan recently revealed that he was accused of celebrating toxic masculinity by the liberal media.
Taylor Sheridan On Toxic Masculinity
Showrunner and screenwriter Taylor Sheridan began his career as an actor and then pivoted to screenwriting. He wrote the successful crime drama Sicario, which starred Emily Blunt and Josh Brolin and was directed by Dennis Villeneuve. The film was based on the Mexican cartel in Juarez and the battle against the Drug Cartel by the USA.
Sheridan then wrote the Western Hell or High Water, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. He is most known for his Western show Yellowstone, which starred Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Wes Bentley, and Kelly Reilly. The successful show also spawned two prequels titled 1883 and 1923.
Also read: “It’s designed for them to hate”: Taylor Sheridan Reveals Why Yellowstone is the Critics’ Kryptonite
Taylor Sheridan sat down with Joe Rogan on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast to talk about Yellowstone, 1883, and more. On the show, Sheridan brought up the poem ‘If I Were The Devil’ by Paul Harvey which spoke about the fall of conservatism in the USA. The conversation then moved on to the topic of toxic masculinity and liberalism.
Sheridan revealed that he was accused of celebrating toxic masculinity in his shows. He said,
“Oh yeah, I’ve been accused of that…These are all terms that have been created. It’s fascinating that language is being reinvented before our eyes. There’s all these new words that are just meant to keep one person from disagreeing with another person’s position.”
Joe Rogan agreed with Taylor Sheridan and spoke about the need for having masculinity and femininity in society and that masculinity in itself was not toxic.
What Is Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone About?
On the surface, Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone followed the story of John Dutton, the patriarch of the Yellowstone Ranch which is being eyed by business tycoons to be razed to the ground and then build an economic establishment filled with casinos, resorts, and tourism. Dutton is naturally against the idea and fends off the greedy with his group of ranch hands.
However, many analyses of the show have theorized that the struggle between the Yellowstone Ranch and the industrialists represents a culture war. It was theorized to be a war between the old American Cowboys and the new American industrialists who sought to build businesses on top of the natural cover of the land.
An analysis from The New York Times stated,
“In general, in this saga of land, the enemy is the sea. Or rather, it’s a certain, specific caricature of people who live near the coasts: Surf vs. turf…Its fantasy is the fantasy of living the good life right where you are, without having to go to someone else’s colleges or adopt someone else’s tastes.”
The article also stated that according to Paramount, the studio behind the show, Yellowstone was more popular in the South and Middle parts of America, which is largely believed to be conservative. Hence, Taylor Sheridan has had to deal with accusations of ‘toxic masculinity’ in the show which celebrates being connected to one’s own land.
