But now it is an early Summer weekend, and the few remaining sane Americans are entitled to some respite. And since for seven straight days the Cultural Elites have droned endlessly about gun control, we have decided to offer as our weekly recommendation a television series based on the life of a legendary American gunfighter, Johnny Ringo.
Johnny Ringo aired on CBS from 1959-1960. And even more politically incorrect, it was sponsored by a cigarette manufacturer. If readers can find copies of episodes (some are on Youtube) with the original advertisements, it will be refreshing viewing, whether one uses tobacco or not.
Johnny Ringo is a gunfighter who, because of his reputation, is offered a sheriff's job in a small Arizona town. In the premier episode, he is called upon to rid the town of the corrupt gang running it. The acting sheriff is an alcoholic named Case whom Ringo reforms by giving him an opportunity to prove his worth. Case goes on to become a respectable merchant and his daughter Laura becomes Ringo's steady girlfriend.
In these reviews we also hope to highlight the positive portrayals of masculinity against the absurdities posited by certain denizens of the Manosphere who peddle their false philosophy of Game as true masculinity. One of the most remarkable things about Johnny Ringo is how closely the villains approximate the Gamers' standards of masculinity. In the first episode and several which follow, Ringo's opponents are clearly employing Game Techniques as a way of dominating their presumed inferiors. In several other episodes, brutal men are holding women by fear; a few PUA-types appear among others. A very common theme is the clearly stated motivations of hatred and desire for unearned dominance and superiority the villains display. Those depictions should illustrate quite graphically just how much previous generations of real men and real women thoroughly despised men of these character traits.
For his own part, Ringo displays masculinity in a purer form. One especially noteworthy recurring theme in the series is redemption. Ringo, although never hesitant to use his marksmanship skills in pursuit of justice, is ever-willing to forgive those who've made mistakes and deserve a second chance. This is because of a masculine character trait which has vanished from popular culture altogether and never adduced by the Game Cult: humility.
In our narcissistic era of entitlement, humility is a virtue rarely seen or practiced. But humility and redemption are two closely related concepts; c.f., the writings of St. Paul in the New Testament. It's actually impossible for one to exist independently of the other. Hence we see in contemporary culture the seeming paradox wherein irredeemable evil is defined as anything that opposes personal entitlement. Humility though can only come from a position of strength. How else would it possible to redeem or reform unless one power to do it?
Johnny Ringo's plots are also interesting in that they frequently include moral dilemmas and metaphysical riddles that confront various characters. There is something of an undertone throughout the series of 'Right vs. Relativist' ethics being played out.
Though the series only lasted one season, Johnny Ringo is a genuinely underrated production. The scripts and plots show some sophisticated and intelligent thought went into them. From an artistic standpoint, despite capitalizing on the name of a Western legend, the characters are portrayed as genuinely human; with all their strengths and weaknesses who not infrequently fall to rise again. In other words, what we see is humanity in both its best and worst forms---with the caveat that any one of us are capable of both nobility and sin. Though Johnny Ringo never depicts any particular religious scenes or plots, it has a distinct current of Christian motifs and value systems running through it.
Johnny Ringo is in the public domain and nearly all episodes are on Youtube free of charge, although DVD sets are available.
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