‘Yellowstone’ Creator Rebuts Claim the Popular Western is a ‘Republican Show’
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Taylor Sheridan is bemused by the idea that his popular Western series Yellowstone is somehow a “Republican show” appealing to “red state” audiences.
The writer addressed the perceived politics of his Kevin Costner-starring series in an interview with The Atlantic this week ahead of the show’s fifth season premiere.
“They refer to it as ‘the conservative show’ or ‘the Republican show’ or ‘the red-state Game of Thrones,'” Sheridan said. “And I just sit back laughing. I’m like, ‘Really?’ The show’s talking about the displacement of Native Americans and the way Native American women were treated and about corporate greed and the gentrification of the West, and land-grabbing. That’s a red-state show?”
Yellowstone follows John Dutton (Costner) and his family as they try to hold onto the largest ranch in Montana. The massively popular series has inspired multiple spinoffs, including 1883 and the upcoming 1923.
The New York Times previously referred to Yellowstone as a “conservative fantasy” that liberals should watch, while The Guardian dubbed it “Game of Thrones set on a ranch,” explaining Sheridan’s reference to the HBO series in his new comments.
Sheridan is one of the most prolific writers in Hollywood today. On top of Yellowstone, his other shows include Mayor of Kingstown and the upcoming Tulsa King starring Sylvester Stallone. He’s also penned acclaimed movies like Hell or High Water and Sicario.
Sheridan’s work is dismissed by some of his critics as right-leaning, and the filmmaker has addressed the theories before, claiming everything he touches is considered “red state,” despite much of it having “wildly progressive notions.”
“People perceive all my stuff as ‘red state,’ and it’s the most ridiculous thing. If you truly look at this show or Wind River or Sicario, these are pretty wildly progressive notions,” he told the New York Times, adding those referring to Yellowstone as “red state” have “probably never watched it.”
