| As America ushers in a new era of leadership at the White House, one of the nation's most identifying art forms - the western genre - struggles to be relevant. Motion picture studios show a reluctance to fund new installments on the big screen because popular audiences have shown dwindling interest, while many western authors are forced to publish multiple works each year, unable to live off the proceeds of one. The western has always captured the essence of American ideology, but more and more, that ideology is shifting, re-identifying itself and steering clear of stagnation. If the genre is to find a popular foothold with its homeland once again, rather than wither away as a once-ubiquitous source of entertainment to an entire population, it will have to evolve and address this ever-changing socio-cultural landscape. |
