Taylor Sheridan is an interesting dude. And I say this not having seen a single episode of ‘Yellowstone’ or any of the prequels or sequels. Literally ALL that I knew about Taylor Sheridan before this post and the video that predicated it was that he wrote the screenplay for ‘Sicario’ (one of my favorite movies, i’ll write another post on my “flicks/movies/films” hierarchy) and that he did ‘Landman’, which I absolutely love. Heck, I may even be getting some of THAT wrong.

Anything past that, even as I type this burning little missive, here, is pure speculation and what I can glean from context clues. And that assessment, based on the aforementioned is that Mister Sheridan is what they used to call a “man’s man”, back in the days of yore where testosterone-driven behavior and inclinations weren’t a thing to be excoriated and spoken of only in hushed tones.

Again, maybe i’m totally wrong. But when I just close my eyes and imagine Taylor Sheridan, knowing only what I know and cultural context clues, a clear picture emerges. Someone who smokes probably Marlboro reds, drives an 80s squarebody pickup with a V8 gasser or a coal-rolling Diesel, lifts weights, abides no bullshit, digs Skynyrd and Molly Hatchet, eats red meat, loves guns, loves Jesus, and votes Republican. So when I do an ‘image’ search…

. (yeah…this tracks)

RARE, indeed, such a man in the general population, but even more so in the Marx-dripping cesspool of Hollywood. But even THERE, in the aforementioned days of yore, they were present, and adored by the public as they were cast in “Man’s Man” roles in films that “Men’s Men” lined up to see. Men respectfully admired them, and women swooned over them.

Lee Marvin. Clint Eastwood. Charles Bronson. In films directed by the likes of other “Men’s Men” like John Milius. John Ford. John Huston. They were even grudgingly respected by their fellow actors. Even the plentiful Communist ones. So when the scope of my available information is what I listed above, it should be entirely unsurprising that I come to that conclusion. Especially considering the substance of ‘Landman’.

It should also be not at all surprising that part of the judgement criteria would include the people who dislike the man. What’s the saying, “he pisses off all the right people”? So when I see a kerfluffle about a particular episode or piece of dialogue from the now predictable circles, I think “yeah, that tracks”, But in my Youtube feed today, I come across a video titled “Landman is DUMB”.

So I think, “Okay. I’ll give this a day in court”. Only fair to hear out the other side in more than a snippet. Let ‘em plead their case, I say, it’s only fair. Like my post titled “Mandatories”, you should always know what the other side is thinking, and moreover, WHY. How did they come to these conclusions? First, another image search…

(yeah…this also tracks)

MAN. THIS fella. I was treated to a textbook case of what a generation of men raised by women in a culture that derides masculinity and all things testosterone will inevitably produce. I mean, just…DAMN. I was almost inclined to pity him before I came to the realization that he may VOTE. Or, God forbid, REPRODUCE, for which our society won’t even require a PERMIT.

You may or may not like the show. But this insufferable, whiny manlet? The tone in his voice just OOZES contempt. He never misses an opportunity to take a jab at not just a scene or joke, but at the kind of folk who would find that scene or joke entertaining or relateable. And fact-checking EVERY minute piece of dialogue for the sole purpose of reminding us how STUPID we are for finding that dialogue worthy of a cheer or a chuckle.

(like THIS guy, but more hair, more arrogance, and more contempt)

“Bruh, like, how STUPID do you have to be, maannn”. “Oh, FINE, there’s, like, an AUTHORITY FIGURE, right THERE to DEFER to, but nah, dude, you go ahead and TAKE CHARGE, actin’ all MANLY, dumbass”. “DUDE, the guy wanted a LATTE’, bruh, buncha dirty-ass WORKERS can’t hold up a bunch MORE dirty-ass WORKERS in a drive through line so dude can have his LATTE’, maannn? Buncha stupid blue-collar morons”.

“Oh, by the way, that comment dude made in passing? Yeah, man, well, here are the facts about that across five years and three countries to show that was TOTALLY, like BULLSH*T, man, so dude’s not NEARLY as cool as he thinks he is and YOU’RE stupid for thinking he’s, like, cool, mannn”…

Not to mention the inevitable jabs at capitalism, the oil industry, and he somehow managed to work in a dig at gun owners, even. He put some time in on this one.

And these are scenes that a LOT of us find relatable, showing just how clueless about and contemptuous of us common rabble that he really is. This isn't a show review. This is an unintentional statement of the cultural divide that grips us, and the unwillingness to even attempt to bridge the gap is perfectly understandable in light of the sheer depth of the disconnect.

Tell me your hands have never known a callous without telling me. Tell me you’ve never been on a job site, turned a wrench, hauled things up ladders, for a sixty hour week. Tell me equipment heavier than your Prius scares you. Tell me gyms make you feel icky and you can't do twenty push ups. Tell me you've never been in a fight. Tell me that you can't bench press your bodyweight.

Tell me that any of these things are anachronistic. That they aren't measures of a man anyway. People dumb enough to have work with their hands weren't cut out for this modern world, except in servile roles like fixing the leak in my mom’s basement, making the toilet flush, changing my tire when I get a flat, making the AC work in this stupid house, or, say… making the infrastructure and basic operations of the whole damned civilization continue to function.

Tell me they should've “learned to code”.

I also glean from cursory examination that you’re a former Mormon missionary. So by all means, regale me with how religion is stupid, hateful, bigoted, and every awful thing in the world without regaling me.

Oh, and definitely tell me you have a college degree and tens of thousands in student loan debt. And that folks like me should be made to pay for it out of respect for our intellectual and cultural betters. The kind of people who watch Landman and do manual labor should know their place. “HUH…as if some CRANE OPERATOR is as essential as content producers and influencers, bruh. Get with the times, boomer”

Now, the retort may come, and it may even be correct, mind you, that he’s yadayada YouTube blahblahblah of the year shlibbity shlabbity niche demographic woozlewuzzle dropped out of high school and makes six figures slagging other peoples’ creative work, yadayadablahblah.

And in all fairness, if he found that loophole, well then good on ‘im. Unlike this high-end minister of YouTube douchebaggery, i’m not gonna hate on somebody else’s success.

But if THIS mouthy, unappreciative punk is able to finance a comfortable lifestyle with THIS being the sum total of his cultural contribution? I submit to you that not only does the point stand, but that we’re in MUCH bigger trouble than I had originally believed.

…and also that i’m TOTALLY in the wrong line of work.

Hearing in his tone the contempt he carries for both working people and basic masculinity, compounded by the sheer UBIQUITY of this type of "man" in modern America and the ABJECT PERIL in which we find ourselves becomes UNDENIABLE. Oh, and worse...as previously mentioned, he likely VOTES, and SOME unfortunate woman sleeps next to him, even if she has his consent to bang other dudes. For which she could, objectively, be forgiven, given the option.

Okay. You’re right. That was just bitter.

LOOK…

We are encouraged to bridge the gap. To reach out. To compromise. Even, heck, ESPECIALLY to minister. As Christians, we’re admonished to pray for these people. And I do. And sincerely.

But the undeniable reality is that not only is that courtesy not returned, not only is ‘compromise’ a one-way street, but that these people HATE US. Not in that “man, that dude’s a jerk, I hope he gets fired” kinda way. In that “if we ever get our hands on the switch there will be GULAGS for these bastards” kinda way.

This sad, little man will of course not dirty his own hands, but he and literally MILLIONS like him will watch and applaud from in front of their Glow Box as we are loaded into boxcars. So before you dismiss this whiny, nit-picking show review as what it is on the surface? I will encourage you to look deeper, to focus instead on the tone and the attitude that it reflects.

Because a day is coming soon where that contempt will be unleashed with the power of the state behind it and an imagined mandate to ‘right the wrongs’. And us ‘deplorables’ will be those ‘undesirables’ steeped in the “Four Olds” as they make their ‘Great Leap Forward’. Train, live, and most importantly, PRAY accordingly.

God Bless.

-The Rev