I Hated Tonto..[Still Do] and The Lone Ranger

Alexie: I don't get why Alexie hated Indian stereotypes and Tonto so much. He said that "all" Indians are portrayed as blue-eyed, half blooded Indians because in the movies, hollywood wanted to portray Indians as more handsome than they really are. I guess he is offended by how people see these Indians instead of how they really act. "I mean, Tom Laughlin did have a nice tan and he spoke in monosyllables and wore cowboy boots and a jean jacket just like Indians. And he did have a Cherokee grandmother or grandfather or butcher, so he was Indian by proximity, and that was good enough in 1972, when disco music was about to rear its ugly head and bell-bottom pants were just beginning to change the shape of our legs." It seems like he was ashamed for being a real Indian and jealous of the Indians in the movies. "I mean, I knew I could never be as brave, as strong, as wiser as visionary, as white as the Indians in the movies. I was just one little Indian boy who hated Tonto because Tonto was the only cinematic Indian who looked like me." I was surprised by the end of the story that this was the reason why he hated Tonto so much....

The Lone Ranger: Speaking of stereotypes, I felt the beginning scene of this was so stereotypical for a cowboy. He has his cowboy hat, riding fast on his horse, and of course the music. The only thing I didn't understand was the mask. The mask was more of the legend of Zoro than a urban cowboy. I love how old fashion these episodes are with the narrator's voice in the background and the introduction of the famous Lone Ranger. In the episode, there was a lot of silent pauses and I wonder why that is. When the showed the Lone Ranger, it was very dramatic like he was an idol. The Indian helps the cowboy when he gets hurt and nurses him back to health which I think is kind of a legend with Indians. I feel that people think they will make everything better because they are looked upon as very wise. Because he met Tonto, he wanted to make peace with everyone which I don't really understand and put the mask on so no one would know who he was. Back then, it is such a different perspective of a famous cowboy than we have today. The vision I have of a cowboy today is a regular guy on a farm trying to make a living. I feel that the vision of the cowboys back then is more a of protector and a hero rather than today, a cowboy is just someone who likes to wear a cowboy hat, herd his cattle, grow his crops and ride a horse. It is interesting how he got his name "The Lone Ranger" and why he has a mask on.