I spent a few pleasant hours watching old cowboy TV shows during the weekend: Bonanza, Gunsmoke, and Rawhide. I grew up in Malaysia with lots of old Western shows and can pretty much hum the tunes from memory. Hokey as some of the sets and setting were, the stories still resonated and it was pretty amazing watching a plot unfold where no one took off their clothes or obsess about themselves. Of course, cowboys aren't talkative in the first place, so the dialogue was pretty sparse, LOL. I pointed this out to my friend and he said that was because things got solved so much easier in the old days--no nonsense, just shoot! LOL. But yeah, I get what he's saying.
So that gave me an idea about Hell and her commandos. I mean, being a GEM operative, she's just not used to working with all these guys so there's bound to be some kind of conflict.
Back on topic, though--at one time, there used to be a whole load of Western TV shows and historical romances set in the West. Not any more. Editors say that readers aren't interested in reading that period. I wonder how that came about.
I mean, there are still historicals set in that period, but they are very few compared to what we used to have. I wonder why readers suddenly stopped buying romances about the cowboy and the Western front? Is it because it's politically incorrect (Native American portrayals as well as depiction of black and Asian people)? That had never bothered me personally, even back in Malaysia, to watch Hup Seng run around with that funny accent. But I suppose I should be. And maybe that's why Western historical romances aren't so popular any more; too many "shoulds" and "shouldn't" dos to appease different groups of people.
Heck, look at my favorite movie, 300, at the moment. I truly enjoyed it for what it is: a great action epic done in comic book style, with lots of eye-candy. A touch of romance. Lots of male bravado. Nothing too deep, you know?
But already the intelligentsia and historical buffs are out in droves spitting and snarling about inaccuracies and political drivel mouthed by the characters. How dare they depict Spartans and Persians that way? Viewers might take that as the truth!
Seriously? I was twelve when I read Rosemary Roger's Sweet Savage Love, an epic historical romance that isn't in style any more. I was swept into that saga and was horrified at some of the things done to the heroine. So damn politically incorrect! Did I take it as the truth? Nah.
Seriously? Today I still enjoy Harlequin's Presents line, with its billionaires and princes seducing the heroines. Do I REALLY take that world as the truth? Nah. I love Helen Bianchin, but come on. How many gabillionaires does Sydney, Australia have? :-)
Do I really think everyone parties like that during the Regency era?
Do I really think everyone is always bathing in a Medieval era romance?
Nah.
After watching those episodes, with the Cartwrights and their protecting their land, with the sheriff in Gunsmoke, with the Texan cowboys driving a herd of cattle to sell in Rawhide, I miss the archetypal Cowboy in our romances very much.
Sure you can still find him in the archetypal Warrior (SEAL, commando, cop, Spartan hero) but it's not the same without the Wild West to tame. Now I'm going to have to pull out my old historical Lowells. Didn't she write some great cowboys or what?
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