It’s been six months since I’ve
written in this blog. What got me
back? It turns out that the Lone Ranger
and Tonto may be gay after all.
It’s an old joke that the Lone Ranger
and Tonto were partners by the campfire as well as partners in the saddle. Two men, alone in the wilderness, forsaking civilization
(particularly women) and trusting entirely in each other? It’s downright romantic.
The argument against has always been
that the 1930’s and 1940’s were simpler times and people didn’t write that kind
of thing back then (people who think the early 20th century was a purer,
simpler time may not have heard of things like the Jazz Age or the World Wars). But what if two clearly gay characters show
up in a story? Can we really dismiss the
subtext then?
The 4/13/38 radio episode Reward
Money, starts by describing two long time pards:
Jake
Caldwell and Lem Purdie had fought hard and work hard through all their years
together. They had seen stampedes, and
dusty drives over long trails. They had
known good times and bad. They quarreled,
and each on more than one occasion had saved the others' life.
They
had never been parted, and as they grew old they lived in a small, two room
shack, some distance from town, their lifetime savings hidden in their home. It
is night as our story opens. Jake,
disturbed by a noise, excited awakens his partner.
(The YouTube link below goes to the same episode, quote above starting around 2:35)
There’s not much subtext here. Their home, their savings,
never been parted, growing old together.
Sounds like a marriage to me. If
we have two male side characters who are in effect married in a story, then maybe
all of that burning subtext about the Lone Ranger and Tonto isn’t really
subtext after all.
I don’t think it changes a thing about
the old stories. The friendship, trust,
and companionship between the Lone Ranger and Tonto are evident in every
episode and comic. The exact physical
expression doesn’t matter. It’s not sex
that binds two people together; it’s love.
And no, I haven’t seen the movie
yet. It looks like a train wreck.
There is a train wreck in the movie and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it and the rest of the movie. It was a blast from the past.
ReplyDeleteAh... NO.
ReplyDeletePal, there are lots of examples of long-time platonic male roommates. Our culture is just jaded.
I think the tight outfit in the TV version is actually the gayest thing in the overall canon.
pointing out the existence of many long-time ostensibly platonic male roommates does not obfuscate or dismiss the fact that two men decided early in the youth of their relationship that they'd rather be together for all time at one another's side than apart with women. if that isn't a marriage of commitment between two souls, then i don't know what is. besides, scores of married hetero couples are not sexually vigorous. the missing sexual heat of their marriage gives way to platonic companionship
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