Response to "Gay Cowboys, Ranked" (Them)

I have not see all of these films, so I'm only going to discuss Midnight Cowboy, as I know too much about it. I also have watched Private Idaho (which stemmed a slight obsession with "Cattle Call"). The article is linked HERE, since I think this is a cool topic of conversation, whether or not I agree with the rankings. Midnight Cowboy is an R-rated film that features issues such as rape. This is not a take-down of the article. This is simply my adding onto it. I'm giving you more info... mostly because I can't make up my mind. ALSO Midnight Cowboy is a cool movie. And there were a lot of parts here where I had a lot of alternative interpretations of a scene. I THINK THAT'S REALLY FUN hehe but I won't divulge everything here! This is by no means a real essay or anything. I'm mostly spitballing.

Ultimately, I think the understanding of queer cinema as one on a sliding scale is useless for real discussions of queer depiction. Is Joe cliche? Maybe. But portions of his life are taken from Herlihy's. This is a messy liberal article. Also. Dude. Where are the lady cowboys. Where are the women of Johnny Guitar!!!!!!

(Side note-- I appreciate the discussion of Red River. Have I watched it? No. When I think gay cowboy, though, that comparing guns scene is the first in my head. Vito Russo at work, baby.)

Joe Buck, ranked #9.

NOW I WILL ADMIT I HATE THE DISINGENUOUS TONE OF JOE BUCK'S SECTION. 😢

I would say that Joe does lean towards the more cliche end of the spectrum. The homoerotic nature of Joe and Rico's relationship was something realized early in the film's history. Joe is tumbling towards a big win, which I would say is pretty common for Cowboys. There's an irony that this win is supposedly found in the tumult of New York, though. Additionally, Joe's cowboy appearance is a failing one. Joe is a cowboy, not a Cowboy. His outfit is newly bought when he escapes to the city. He dresses like this because around 20 years ago his grandmother had a relationship with a man that he thought was a masculine appeal.

It's interesting how different the Joe of the film is from the Joe of the book. I would say that, if this wasn't a cinematic ranking, Joe would be less cliche. His novel depiction is implied to have bouts with many men in his past. His cowboy identity is solidified by a male prostitute named Perry who dressed similarly. I would argue that this is partially apparent within the film, too. Joe's avoidance of Queer identity is one that seems more like a forced apathy. A form of protection. Joe has nightmares of his past. He, alongside his former lover Annie (played by Jennifer Salt), were raped by a group of men wearing cowboy attire. Joe doesn't truly reconcile this aspect of his identity within the span of the film, but I would argue it acts similarly to how the Perry character works in the novel. Joe's identity is one of playing the long game. He'll deny his queerness until it's too late. Rico's dead.

Joe's character does remind me of a Man With No Name type. This does not make him a cliche cowboy, of course. This depiction of the cowboy character was one that came to fruition during the new wave of Western films during the 1960s (a wave that was perpetuated by films such as The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly). Joe is a traditional cowboy in the way that Clint Eastwood's Cowboys are. He's the product of a long game of telephone rather than any sort of fresh-off-the-press depiction. Does that make him cliche? I don't know. One thing I find generally unique about Joe is his fear of himself. Not a fear of his sexuality- though this is a present theme in the film-, but his fear of becoming dangerous. His violent impulses are usually followed up with a pause. I don't think Joe wants to be violent. In most situations, Joe chooses to do anything but fight. His assault of Towny is one he's forced into. While there are multiple interpretations of Towny's fate, you get the impression that Joe isn't proud of himself no matter what happens.

"Ratso" Rizzo, ranked #5

Calling him Ratso in this is crazy lol. Call him Rico in his own damn place!

Now. There's nothing really of note here. Maybe that's why I'm so critical of this article. It's just so immaterial. There's nothing here worthy of making Rico less cliche, really. There's stuff I'll be discussing later, but not much in this description of Rico. If we're to use the word of my Junior year Pre-AP Lit teacher-- too much summary, not enough analysis! This article goes in-between these two markers.

Rico's "sass" is not necessarily a purely unique trait. Again- The Man With No Name was known for his sense of humor. The spaghetti Western My Name is Nobody also features comedy. Most absurdist, but there's a bitter lightheartedness certainly well identified as being aligned with the Western genre's resurfacing of the 60s. Rico is an interesting queer cowboy due to his shifting position within the film. Rico has a reliance on Joe that begins exploitative but turns into genuine. I do enjoy the article's recognition of Rico's involvement in gay nightlife. His interactions with Jackie (whom Rico pelts with homophobic slurs) are questionably personal. They feel like bitter exes. In this characterization, Rizzo is established an nonconforming. Similarly to Joe, Rico strives for an unattainable understanding of masculinity. He won't get there, but he will try. Rico is knocked down a societal peg due to his disability. He refuses to be thrown down another by being labeled as queer.

The music associated with Rico is strange for a Cowboy. There's the hot 60's bite that follows Joe's pretend perusal of Rico. There is also, of course, "Florida Fantasy". It's playful. It actually reminds me of the prior mentioned My Name is Nobody's theme. The Florida Fantasy sequence is insane. Rico longs for a neat little life where everyone knows his name and he gets to hang around in nice, clean hotels. He wants to be a provider. He just can't get to that place. He's a Marshall Will Kane. But Rizzo isn't going to throw away his tin star anytime soon. And he certainly isn't going to get married, either. Rico's an aspect of the world that won't make it into the 1970's. The Cowboys made a tough transition into the 1900s. Rizzo won't even make it over that gap. 

I certainly believe that one thing that sets Rico apart from the cliches is his death. Sometimes, Cowboys just die. And there isn't a blaze of glory or anything like that. Joe isn't left with an intense passion for revenge. There's a horror found that isn't present within a masculine cliche Western. Things will probably turn out alright when Blondie starts shooting- he's Blondie! Joe and Rico have an overarching goal of making it to Florida, but there's no real substance to what they want. Joe and Rico are the hearts of Midnight Cowboy, but they aren't just themselves. If Cowboys depict an ideal, Joe and Rico represent a reality.