I started thinking the other day about the changes we have seen in our society over the last 40 years. One of the greatest changes has been that we have lost our heroes. In the early 60’s prior to Vietnam and Watergate the president was revered it did not even matter so much what party you were with, and on television and movies were guys that you would not be afraid to emulate. I remember when the kids in my neighborhood would debate who got to be Davy Crockett in one of our imaginary adventures. The Lone Ranger was television for a very long time, and never shot anyone. John Wayne movies gave a picture of a tough man, someone we all wanted to be like. Strong men were present all over the media.
Something happened, somewhere between then and now. The heroes of today all have to have something wrong with them. They are misunderstood, by others and by themselves. They are frequently only slightly less bad than the bad guys and sometimes you are left wondering is right really right or is right wrong. In which case left must be right and now I have no idea which way to go.
Somewhere, moviegoers got the idea that things had to have reasons, people were bad for a reason, good guys were good for a reason, and movies had to have character development to explain all the reasons.
In the early 1960’s there was no question who the good guys were, now I’m not so sure. The problem is it is almost impossible to explain this to young kids. I’ve never been able, for example, to get my son to show any interest at all in the quality, hero movies of my youth. I tried one day to get him to watch The Magnificent Seven with me, he said, “Sorry dad, I would love too,” somehow lacking any sincerity, “but there is a new episode of Sponge Bill Triangular Trousers on television.” He then ran from the room as quickly as possible. Imagine preferring a cartoon sponge to Yul Brinner in a Cowboy hat.
So, I have decided that the problem with today’s youth is that there are no heroes to worship. So I have a proposal to make. In public schools all over the country, kids should be required to watch The Comancheros with John Wayne, every day until they know all the words, like I do.
I know this will be unpopular with people who think movies have to have stuff like character development to be good movies, and to those people I say, that is what is wrong with America of the 21st century, too much character development. But, if they feel strongly about it I am flexible we don’t have to use The Comancheros. War Wagon will do.
