Podcast Assignment #2 Jillian Clark

Buffalo Bill's Wild West show was a popular live show that introduced American entertainment to people around the world. It exported popular culture and presented themes of good versus evil and the cowboy hero, who embodied popular values. The show appealed to the masses by depicting universal stories that people could identify with. It used new technology, like specially equipped trains, to efficiently travel and perform in different locations. Despite not being considered elite art, its presentation and adaptability allowed it to resonate with audiences everywhere. Hello, I am answering question two. Buffalo Bill's Wild West show was a live show that toured the U.S. and the world in which it introduced foreigners to American popular entertainment. Rosenberg describes it as one of the first examples of the export of popular culture and that it created a formula by presenting archetypal themes. These themes included good versus evil and the cowboy hero that, as Rosenberg writes on page 35, exemplified popular values. He stood above man-made law but always allowed a higher law. He was close to nature yet a foe of savagery. People identified with this character, which is one of the ways it appealed to the masses. Another way it did so was by depicting the good versus evil as crowds from all over the world could identify with the story, as Rosenberg once again writes on page 35, where skill and heroism of the forces of progress pushed back the legions of darkness. These universal themes are what caught the attention of crowds from around the world. The show was also extremely efficient in its setup as it utilized new technology at the time, especially equipped trains, that brought the show easily from one place to the next. Though it was not considered elite art, its presentation, formulaic approach, and adaptability, depending where they were performing, all contributed to its ability to resonate with audiences.