What happened to the Western?

I was having a discussion the other day with some 20-somethings about what was the greatest Western film of all time. I have to say I was shocked by their responses. One of them said the best Western of all time was "3:10 to Yuma." Not the 1957 version with Glenn Ford, but the 2007 movie with Russell Crowe. Although this was an OK Western, it was far from the greatest of all time.

But wait, it gets even more discouraging. The other young person I was speaking with said that the greatest western of all time was "All Quiet on the Western Front." This is a movie about World War I. When I asked how they could even consider that a Western, the reply was, "Well, they have old clothes on and are shooting guns at each other."

So I thought, well everyone has different taste, so I began to ask their opinion about some of the films that I consider to be great Westerns. I asked about "The Searchers," neither had seen it or heard of it. I asked about "The Outlaw Josey Wales," neither had seen it or heard of it. I got the same response for "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon," "Who Shot Liberty Valance" and "Rio Bravo." I said OK, I need to ask them about a more recent film. I thought of the 1992 Oscar-winning movie by Clint Eastwood, "Unforgiven." Sadly, neither of them had seen nor heard of this Western either.

What is this world coming to when young folks haven't seen John Wayne movies? I don't think you can blame it only on age, because I wasn't even born when "The Searchers" came out, but it is one of my favorite movies. Maybe it is the fact that Hollywood doesn't make as many Westerns as they used to either in movies or TV shows. I grew up watching "Bonanza" and "The Big Valley" on TV. I also loved watching "The Lone Ranger" on Saturday afternoons when I was a kid. Is that the reason young people aren't as into Westerns? I don't think so, because with the hundreds of channels everyone gets with TV and online now, there is always a Western on.

Has the world changed so much that Westerns are no longer cool? I refuse to believe that. Cowboys will always be cool.

I guess it must just be a generational thing. My dad's generation loved Westerns and he passed that love on to me. Neither of my daughters like Westerns and I have to feel that I have failed them a little. I think their lives would be much more full if they could enjoy The Duke's great wisdom in the line "Sorry don't get it done, Dude." Or when the wise ol' philosopher Clint Eastwood says, "Now remember, when things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean."

I don't think people will be quoting the "Avenger" series in 40 years, but what do I know? I'm just a guy who doesn't remember the great Westerns of World War I.