What do you like the most about ‘Yellowstone’?
What do you like the
most about ‘Yellowstone’?
“Authenticity”
Madeline,
26, Ore., independent
“Location”
Shirley,
74, Texas, independent
“Everything”
Neil,
50, Calif., Democrat
What is it about “Yellowstone,” the hit drama about a Montana ranch family, that has turned the show into a mirror for American politics? And why do so many of us love the law-breaking Duttons, finding heroism in their particular brand of antiheroism, led by the stoic patriarch John Dutton (Kevin Costner) and his fierce daughter, Beth (Kelly Reilly)?
Before the midseason finale of “Yellowstone,” on the Paramount Network, we convened 11 superfans of the show for our latest Times Opinion focus group to understand what (if anything) bound them in how they see America and our society today and why this show spoke to them. While some TV critics have described “Yellowstone” as a red-state show and it isn’t a favorite on the prestige awards circuit, it has become a cultural phenomenon with people across the political spectrum, including liberals who see plenty of blue-state issues at work in the series.
The focus group participants had plenty in common, such as most of them naming Christmas as their favorite holiday, many citing freedom and opportunity as the things they love most about America and saying negativity in politics is the thing they like least. And many of them related to John Dutton’s views about America, nodding along to his quotes, like “You build something worth having, someone’s going to try to take it” and “This is America. We don’t share land here.”
That last quote sparked an exchange in the focus group in which America’s border control issue was just below the surface. Frustrations with cities, land development and privacy were on their minds. They also appreciated the show’s depiction of Native Americans and had their eyes opened to crises on reservations because of the show.
We asked the participants about their heroes and about Donald Trump and Joe Biden. If those parts of the conversation were more downbeat — several struggled at first to name a hero — they embraced the antiheroes of “Yellowstone,” finding a lot of good in the Dutton family. Loyalty, authenticity and emphasis on family were traits and values that mattered the most to them; no one blinked an eye, meanwhile, at all the murders on the show, such as the Duttons’ occasional habit of taking people to “the train station.” (Spoiler alert: It’s not a train they’re meeting.)
With the 2022 midterms behind us, we’re going to continue the Times Opinion focus groups into 2023 and include more discussions about culture and society, along with our usual focus on politics and democracy. Please feel free to email us ideas about topics and groups that you’d like to see us cover in the year ahead.
Participants
Bradley
64, Florida, white, retired, Republican
Charmaine
40, Maryland, Black, student, Libertarian
Greg
63, Rhode Island, white, director of procurement, Democrat
Kathy
56, Minnesota, white, social worker, independent
Lauren
65, Louisiana, white, safety manager, Republican
Madeline
26, Oregon, white, online support, independent
Michelle
44, Missouri, white, hotel sales manager, Republican
Neil
50, California, white, delivery driver, Democrat
Rolando
35, New York, Latino, I.T. professional, Democrat
Roxanne
61, Georgia, retired, white, Republican
Shirley
74, Texas, retired, white, independent
Transcript
Moderator, Margie Omero
Fill in the blank for me. “What I love most about America is: blank.”
Lauren,
65, Louisiana, white, safety manager, Republican
I love religious freedom and diversity.
Madeline,
26, Oregon, white, online support, independent
Opportunities.
Rolando,
35, New York, Latino, I.T. professional, Democrat
Unlimited amount of choice.
Michelle,
44, Missouri, white, hotel sales manager, Republican
Opportunity and beauty.
Kathy,
56, Minnesota, white, social worker, independent
All of our freedoms.
Shirley,
74, Texas, retired, white, independent
That’s all that comes to mind when I think of America: freedom.
Charmaine,
40, Maryland, Black, student, Libertarian
I’d say “diversity and individuality.”
Roxanne,
61, Georgia, retired, white, Republican
I agree with “freedom.”
Greg,
63, Rhode Island, white, director of procurement, Democrat
The ingenuity of people and how they get through their lives.
Moderator, Margie Omero
For folks who said “freedom,” what kind of freedoms were you thinking about?
Roxanne,
61, Georgia, retired, white, Republican
Religious freedom, the ability to pick and choose if you want a particular religion. Also, if you look at China and the lockdowns that are happening, we experienced something along those lines but, obviously, nothing nearly as extreme.
Moderator, Margie Omero
OK. Shirley, you also said “freedom.”
Shirley,
74, Texas, retired, white, independent
Well, I think speech is very important and your voting rights. I think we’re one of the few countries that have all that. It’s important. If you don’t like somebody, you can go out and say it.
Bradley,
64, Florida, white, retired, Republican
Yeah, we can say bad stuff about the government, and they don’t come knock on your door and take you away.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Lauren, you said “religious freedom and diversity.” Can you tell me a little bit more about the diversity part?
Lauren,
65, Louisiana, white, safety manager, Republican
I have a son-in-law from India, so just the ability for all different walks of people to come together under one country and to get along. Unlike the media would have you believe, we do all get along.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Maddy, you said “opportunities.”
Madeline,
26, Oregon, white, online support, independent
America is the land of opportunity, and I think sometimes we take that for granted. We just don’t know what it’s like in other nations. I do want to acknowledge that there are systems in place that are designed to further oppress marginalized people. But for the most part, there are jobs that you can apply for, courses you can take to keep improving yourself.
Moderator, Margie Omero
I want to ask another fill-in-the-blank. “What I like least about America is: blank.”
Greg,
63, Rhode Island, white, director of procurement, Democrat
The media. I think they blow things out of proportion, for sensationalism.
Roxanne,
61, Georgia, retired, white, Republican
The government.
Neil,
50, California, white, delivery driver, Democrat
Political infighting.
Charmaine,
40, Maryland, Black, student, Libertarian
People who are struggling, it’s either no support for them or they don’t know where to get the support.
Bradley,
64, Florida, white, retired, Republican
Political division. It’s like, if I’m of a different party, then you won’t even talk to me. We’re all people, you know?
Shirley,
74, Texas, retired, white, independent
Politics.
Kathy,
56, Minnesota, white, social worker, independent
The negativity with politics.
Michelle,
44, Missouri, white, hotel sales manager, Republican
Misinformation and health care.
Rolando,
35, New York, Latino, I.T. professional, Democrat
Health care, politics, the lack of compromise.
Madeline,
26, Oregon, white, online support, independent
Anger, just an undertone of anger.
Lauren,
65, Louisiana, white, safety manager, Republican
I would say the media, the politicians and the coronavirus.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Negativity, infighting, bickering — where is that coming from?
Neil,
50, California, white, delivery driver, Democrat
Social media. It’s coming from — social media has been, I think, a huge negative impact on our political atmosphere. And I feel like right, left, far right, far left, moderate — most of us, as someone said, we get along. As Americans, we get along.
And most of us have common goals that we want to try to strive for. It’s just, sometimes we have different approaches.
Kathy,
56, Minnesota, white, social worker, independent
I can’t stand when I turn on the TV and a show like “The View” is on. And I am not either side, politically, but I cannot stand one side berating the other side just to berate the other side. It seems to be very left-sided whenever you turn on the TV. The guys at night — the comedians in the evening are always bashing Republicans.
Bradley,
64, Florida, white, retired, Republican
There’s no comedy anymore. It’s all political crap. It’s not funny. It just gets old. It’s just trashing the other person or whatever. I miss old comedians, where they’d just tell stupid jokes. It doesn’t have to be left or right.
Moderator, Margie Omero
A couple of people mentioned media.
Lauren,
65, Louisiana, white, safety manager, Republican
Gone are the days when they reported facts and let us make up our minds. It’s always their spin or their narrative. So you have to start doing a lot of research to figure out what is the truth. And I think they have taken Americans as dummies and they feel they have to tell you what to think.
Greg,
63, Rhode Island, white, director of procurement, Democrat
They’re all looking for ratings and sensationalism. We get a snowstorm here in Rhode Island of three to four inches, and they say it’s going to paralyze the state. It’s snow. It melts. Just push it to the side of the road. We’ll get by.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
A few minutes ago, we were talking about the freedom to do different things in America.
Have any of you moved to very
different places or parts of the country?
Have any of you moved
to very different places or
parts of the country?
4 people raised their hands.
Bradley, 64, Fla., Republican
Charmaine, 40, Md., Libertarian
Greg, 63, R.I., Democrat
Kathy, 56, Minn., independent
Lauren, 65, La., Republican
Madeline, 26, Ore., independent
Michelle, 44, Mo., Republican
Neil, 50, Calif., Democrat
Rolando, 35, N.Y., Democrat
Roxanne, 61, Ga., Republican
Shirley, 74, Texas, independent
Neil,
50, California, white, delivery driver, Democrat
I grew up in a very small country town in Central California — 5,000 people, ranches. These were all my friends — more conservative, Republicans. And then I went to a liberal-arts, hippie, pot-smoking college town in Claremont — very different. When I went to college down in L.A., in a big city, big urban area, I was farm boy. Everyone called me farm boy. I live in L.A. now. As I get older, I’m going to be moving back closer to a town I grew up in at some point.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
Like Neil, has anyone gone the direction of having lived in a big city but you want to trade it in for more of a rural or just far-outside-the-city experience?
Bradley,
64, Florida, white, retired, Republican
I grew up in Fort Lauderdale, right on the beach. And it got bigger and bigger and bigger. I lived there for 35 years. Crime went wild. I moved to Central Florida, met my wife. And that was real small, and then it got too crowded. So now I’m in the Panhandle. They’re pushing me out of my state. I just want quiet, but everybody wants more stuff. I’m not a big-city boy.
Roxanne,
61, Georgia, retired, white, Republican
Yep, we were in a relatively heavily populated suburb just outside of Atlanta for 28 years. Raised our girls. Three years ago, we moved outside of that area. So we’re now on four and a half acres and kind of in the middle of horse country. So the biggest reason was just a little more privacy, less traffic, less people, a little quiet and security and peace.
Lauren,
65, Louisiana, white, safety manager, Republican
The city that I grew up in was probably 125,000, which is not very big by any standards, for those of you in New York City. But now I live in a very rural area. We have five acres of land. I would have to walk quite a bit to go visit the nearest neighbor. So I like that.
Do you feel like a stranger
in your own country?
Do you feel like a
stranger in your own
country?
1 person raised their hand.
Bradley, 64, Fla., Republican
Charmaine, 40, Md., Libertarian
Greg, 63, R.I., Democrat
Kathy, 56, Minn., independent
Lauren, 65, La., Republican
Madeline, 26, Ore., independent
Michelle, 44, Mo., Republican
Neil, 50, Calif., Democrat
Rolando, 35, N.Y., Democrat
Roxanne, 61, Ga., Republican
Shirley, 74, Texas, independent
Neil,
50, California, white, delivery driver, Democrat
I’ve had that feeling for a while. I’m almost nostalgic for that time where religion, your sex and politics were more private. It just seems like the more divisive it gets, it isn’t the America that I’ve grown to love and grown up in and what I believe our ideals represent. This isn’t what democracy — these aren’t the constitutional ideals that our country was built on. It’s good to have conversation and disagreement, but it needs to be productive, and I feel like the last six years, 10 years, 15 — it’s becoming less and less productive. So I feel like a stranger in that sense.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
Roxanne, you were nodding a little bit. How do you see that statement, that question?
Roxanne,
61, Georgia, retired, white, Republican
I agree with Neil in that it’s not the country that it used to be, that you felt so proud of. I mean, there’s times where it’s almost an embarrassment. You kind of feel embarrassed for the country, with some of the things that are going on. But there’s nowhere else that I would want to live, for sure.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
What kinds of things are embarrassing?
Roxanne,
61, Georgia, retired, white, Republican
Our elections — why is it that we used to be able to determine the winner of a presidential election that night, but now, we potentially could be weeks before making that determination? For other countries to look and go, “America can’t even elect a president anymore.” What’s going on there?
Moderator, Margie Omero
So we’re going to shift gears a little bit. Name for me someone in American life who is your hero. So this person could be living, dead, political, historical, cultural, business figure. It could be someone famous that we all know, someone not famous that we don’t know.
Greg,
63, Rhode Island, white, director of procurement, Democrat
Stephen Covey.
Roxanne,
61, Georgia, retired, white, Republican
Oh, gosh. Can we come back to me?
Neil,
50, California, white, delivery driver, Democrat
Barack Obama.
Charmaine,
40, Maryland, Black, student, Libertarian
I’m drawing a blank at the moment.
Bradley,
64, Florida, white, retired, Republican
Oh, that’s a toughie. I need a second.
Shirley,
74, Texas, retired, white, independent
Barack Obama.
Kathy,
56, Minnesota, white, social worker, independent
Come back to me.
Michelle,
44, Missouri, white, hotel sales manager, Republican
It’s a tough one for me. Maybe Melinda Gates?
Rolando,
35, New York, Latino, I.T. professional, Democrat
Franklin Roosevelt.
Madeline,
26, Oregon, white, online support, independent
My grandmother.
Lauren,
65, Louisiana, white, safety manager, Republican
Da Vinci.
Roxanne,
61, Georgia, retired, white, Republican
Condoleezza Rice.
Charmaine,
40, Maryland, Black, student, Libertarian
Clarence Hester.
Bradley,
64, Florida, white, retired, Republican
Jonas Salk.
Kathy,
56, Minnesota, white, social worker, independent
Keanu Reeves.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Keanu Reeves?
Kathy,
56, Minnesota, white, social worker, independent
Yeah.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Why Keanu Reeves?
Kathy,
56, Minnesota, white, social worker, independent
Many actors and famous people aren’t nice. But every time you read about him, he’s a nice guy to everybody.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Let’s talk about the show “Yellowstone.” Now, when we recruited this group, we asked you if you were regular watchers of the show, and everyone here said yes. If we ask a question that sounds like we’ve never watched the show, it’s because we’re trying to make sure that the question is clear to people reading about this who might not have seen the show. In one sentence, what do you like the most about “Yellowstone”?
Lauren,
65, Louisiana, white, safety manager, Republican
Beth.
Madeline,
26, Oregon, white, online support, independent
Authenticity.
Shirley,
74, Texas, retired, white, independent
The location.
Charmaine,
40, Maryland, Black, student, Libertarian
I like that they are a family that don’t take no stuff.
Neil,
50, California, white, delivery driver, Democrat
Everything: cinematography, writing and acting.
Greg,
63, Rhode Island, white, director of procurement, Democrat
I think the mission that that family is on
Moderator, Margie Omero
What kind of mission are they on?
Greg,
63, Rhode Island, white, director of procurement, Democrat
They’re trying to save Montana, trying to save the farm life, trying to save the rural lands that have been in their families for generations, against the corporate mega-empires that just want to tear everything down.
Moderator, Margie Omero
What’s unique about the show? How is it different from other shows that you’ve watched in the last few years?
Rolando,
35, New York, Latino, I.T. professional, Democrat
I think it brings back the cowboy mind-set.
Moderator, Margie Omero
What’s the cowboy mind-set?
Rolando,
35, New York, Latino, I.T. professional, Democrat
The ranch, the family dynamics.
Neil,
50, California, white, delivery driver, Democrat
It’s like a reiteration of the western. And not glossing over the Native, Indigenous cultures. That’s what I love about the show — it incorporates those cultures and seems to be authentic in trying to bring that to the forefront of the discourse.
Roxanne,
61, Georgia, retired, white, Republican
It brings me back to, maybe, a simpler time in life. There’s not a lot of technology in the show. The parts that I like the most are what seems to be very authentic cowboying.
Bradley,
64, Florida, white, retired, Republican
It’s kind of like a Western Mafia. They take you to the train station, and that’s the end of that. So it’s different. It’s very good.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Do you like that similarity to a Mafia show?
Bradley,
64, Florida, white, retired, Republican
It’s entertainment. I enjoy it.
Moderator, Margie Omero
What do people think of what Neil said, about the portrayal of Native Americans and tribal interests?
Madeline,
26, Oregon, white, online support, independent
It’s really interesting. And I appreciate them bringing the Native American stories to, maybe, an audience that would have not otherwise explored them.
Lauren,
65, Louisiana, white, safety manager, Republican
I don’t think they had a choice not to bring in the Indians, because it actually goes hand in hand. This was the way the old West was founded — the bad things that happened to the Indians through the hands of our government. You know, I feel empathy for them, for the things that they’ve had to go through, how strong they are and their spiritual beliefs, how they treat their families, how they stay together and support one another.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Do you see the Dutton family as a symbol of what’s good about America? Is that what you think of when you think of the family? Or what’s not good?
Kathy,
56, Minnesota, white, social worker, independent
They’re a little rough, but yeah, I see them as good, for some reason. Because I like that John wants to keep his land. He’s fighting for what he truly believes in and believes that he can keep it if he tries hard enough. And his ancestors lived in that land. But then it brings in the Native Americans, and I think what we talked about before — showing it in a pretty realistic way, what they’re going through, what they went through before. We haven’t seen that for a long time.
Roxanne,
61, Georgia, retired, white, Republican
I had a personal struggle with this, because I want to see the good in them, because of the way that they treat their employees and they’re loyal. But then they take people to the train station and — you know. That’s the personal struggle. I’m not sure that their bad doesn’t outweigh the good.
Charmaine,
40, Maryland, Black, student, Libertarian
I see them as being good. I just see them as a family that, if someone comes up against them, then you kind of see the bad side.
Neil,
50, California, white, delivery driver, Democrat
I think Beth is bad. She’s got some — she’s got some issues.
Charmaine,
40, Maryland, Black, student, Libertarian
But I like that.
Neil,
50, California, white, delivery driver, Democrat
I think the Dutton family is like every family, in the sense that — I mean, everybody, like, we’re all part good, and we’re all part bad, right? So we look at the end of our life and the arc of it. Did we do more good, or did we do more bad? And I love Dexter, too. So I think of Dexter. This is making me think of Dexter. Was he a good guy or a bad guy?
Charmaine,
40, Maryland, Black, student, Libertarian
Yeah, but he was a good guy, too.
Neil,
50, California, white, delivery driver, Democrat
Yeah, I don’t believe in murder, but he was killing bad guys. And do the people the Duttons kill — maybe they deserve it a little bit? And it’s art. If this was my next-door neighbor, I probably wouldn’t like them.
Charmaine,
40, Maryland, Black, student, Libertarian
Right, right. I agree with that.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Has anybody watched the show and then thought differently or looked up an issue that came up in the show?
Greg,
63, Rhode Island, white, director of procurement, Democrat
I looked up an issue in the past couple episodes — they have been about the wolves, and the wolves were eating the beef stock, and then they’ve been protected with these GPS collars, because they don’t really want to save the wolves. They’re trying to undo nature. It gets in the way of people trying to survive and make a living. It’s like, it’s just counterproductive that we’ve gone too far. And the wolves are wolves. You know, let them do their thing.
Neil,
50, California, white, delivery driver, Democrat
A few seasons ago, women and girls were going missing on tribal lands. You don’t really hear a lot about that. And I did some research on how they just don’t have the resources. They go missing, and that’s it. And it’s a real thing. It happens every day.
Lauren,
65, Louisiana, white, safety manager, Republican
I would agree with Neil — what he just said about the missing girls. I think that’s not just to the Indigenous Indian, but I think it’s a real problem. And so they’re able to use that particular situation to bring some light to it. But I think it’s nationwide. I think we have missing people and children and girls all the time.
Moderator, Margie Omero
OK, now I want to talk a little bit about the women in the show. What do you think of Beth? How would you say she’s portrayed?
Charmaine,
40, Maryland, Black, student, Libertarian
She’s portrayed as someone who doesn’t take no stuff, and she will not let you mess with her family.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Anybody say that they dislike something about her, or do most people find her — like, they enjoy her as a character?
Bradley,
64, Florida, white, retired, Republican
She’s sexy.
Moderator, Margie Omero
She’s sexy?
Bradley,
64, Florida, white, retired, Republican
Oh, yeah. She’s sexy.
Neil,
50, California, white, delivery driver, Democrat
She had nice boots last night, too.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Oh, yeah?
Neil,
50, California, white, delivery driver, Democrat
She’s like a train wreck. Like, I have traffic on the 10, here on the 405 in L.A. Like, I’m not supposed to look at that wreck, because it’s going to slow traffic down, but you still look at it. That’s kind of like what she is. It’s entertaining, but I feel like she’s way too harsh on Jamie, though.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Do you feel like she’s a feminist? Is that how you would describe her?
Madeline,
26, Oregon, white, online support, independent
I don’t know if I would necessarily describe her as a feminist, but I would definitely describe her as a strong woman.
Moderator, Margie Omero
What’s the difference?
Madeline,
26, Oregon, white, online support, independent
I guess I see her as a leader in mostly male-dominated spaces, like, for example, the business and the corporate world. But she’s not necessarily advocating for a lot of typical feminism ideals, if that makes sense.
Kathy,
56, Minnesota, white, social worker, independent
Exactly. Yeah.
Greg,
63, Rhode Island, white, director of procurement, Democrat
She’s a little too out of control. I think that she has this streak that just gets going, and it’s like a freight train you can’t stop.
Moderator, Margie Omero
OK. What about Monica? What do people think about Monica’s character?
Rolando,
35, New York, Latino, I.T. professional, Democrat
Smart. Persevering.
Lauren,
65, Louisiana, white, safety manager, Republican
Well, she’s definitely meek, in comparison to Beth. She’s going to protect her family. She has her family values. But because she is Indigenous, I think she doesn’t feel like she can speak out.
Michelle,
44, Missouri, white, hotel sales manager, Republican
I was going to say, she’s very pensive and just thoughtful before she makes decisions and speaks. And I think, also, she makes it clear that her Indigenous people are something that she doesn’t want to be forgotten about.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Roxanne, what do you think? Do you think of Monica as a feminist?
Roxanne,
61, Georgia, retired, white, Republican
No, I think she’s very meek, but I also get the sense that she’s not comfortable in her current situation. It’s almost that she would much rather be on the reservation and living more of her true culture, as opposed to what she’s living now.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
So I want to actually read some quotes from characters over the seasons and get your thoughts about their worldviews. The first one is from Season 1, and it was from Dan Jenkins, the real estate developer and outsider who’s trying to build the subdivision by the Dutton ranch. And he was talking about cities. And he said, “Cities are the sunsets of civilization, monuments to an exhausted landscape.” I’m curious what you think about that quote, how much you agree or disagree with that.
Madeline,
26, Oregon, white, online support, independent
It definitely echoes that theme of opportunity that I was talking about earlier — undeveloped space.
Roxanne,
61, Georgia, retired, white, Republican
It’s very indicative of the decisions that we made in the move from Atlanta — security, privacy, a little bit slower way of life. But you know, I have a daughter that lives inside Atlanta. It’s all about whether you really enjoy the hustle and bustle of city life or you want the quiet, a little bit slower pace of a rural life.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
Brad, what about you? You’ve lived in some cities in Florida, and now you’re in the Panhandle.
Bradley,
64, Florida, white, retired, Republican
We’re taking a lot of natural beauty and resources and building great big cities. And they’re all the same. They’re all concrete. There’s not much difference from city to city if you were to go walk around. It’s sprawling.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
I’m going to read another quote. This one was from John Dutton, Kevin Costner’s character. He said at one point, “It’s the one constant in life: You build something worth having, someone’s going to try to take it.” Is that relatable to any of you?
Bradley,
64, Florida, white, retired, Republican
It’s human nature, I think. People just want the easy way.
Michelle,
44, Missouri, white, hotel sales manager, Republican
I think so, too. I think it’s a natural instinct of people — like insatiable needs, like always wanting more than what you have, more than what your neighbor has. Like jealousy or greed.
Charmaine,
40, Maryland, Black, student, Libertarian
Not wanting to work for something of your own but trying to take something from someone else — I think that’s kind of where he’s leaning to. It seems like it’s happening all over now. People on the news — there’s people carjacking people and things like that. I know that’s not what John Dutton was referring to, but people are working hard for what they have, and then others are trying to take it from them instead of working for those things themselves.
Greg,
63, Rhode Island, white, director of procurement, Democrat
You know, it can happen with state governments.
Charmaine,
40, Maryland, Black, student, Libertarian
Anything. Yeah.
Neil,
50, California, white, delivery driver, Democrat
Yeah, I feel like those two quotes encapsulate the whole show, really. It’s like cities or sunsets — John’s trying to keep Montana beautiful, and everybody wants that. But they’re coming in to build cities in that beauty, and then it’s no longer beautiful. So I see those two really intertwined. That’s almost the whole show to me.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
Here’s another quote from John. This is when some of the tourists were trying to get on his land to take photos. He said to them, “This is America. We don’t share land here.”
Lauren,
65, Louisiana, white, safety manager, Republican
I’m going to agree with him. We don’t share. What I worked for, I’m not going to share it with you.
Greg,
63, Rhode Island, white, director of procurement, Democrat
There’s a good saying: Fences make good neighbors.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
Kathy, do you think that’s a positive or a negative thing to say about America — “We don’t share land here”?
Kathy,
56, Minnesota, white, social worker, independent
I see it as negative. If people want to step on his land or walk on it or see it and experience it themselves, he shouldn’t keep them from that. It’s not his right. He didn’t make the land. Yes, he inherited it, but I think other people have the right to enjoy it as well.
Lauren,
65, Louisiana, white, safety manager, Republican
Kathy, I’m going to say that I think sharing is one thing and everybody should be able to enjoy it, but there are boundaries. And when you cross those boundaries, then you’ve opened up another set of problems. I wouldn’t just help myself to your backyard because it’s beautiful, you know? I mean, there’s boundaries that you have to have. I think the sharing — they could have looked at it from the other side of the fence? If it belongs to me and you’re not supposed to get on that, then you need to respect that.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
I’m going to do one last quote and ask for a show of hands on this if you agree with this statement. It’s one from Lloyd, the older ranch hand. He said, “You’re either born a willow or you’re born an oak. That’s all there is to it.”
Who agrees with that line, ‘You’re
either born a willow or you’re born
an oak. That’s all there is to it’?
Who agrees with that
line, ‘You’re either born
a willow or you’re
born an oak. That’s all
there is to it’?
4 people raised their hands.
Bradley, 64, Fla., Republican
Charmaine, 40, Md., Libertarian
Greg, 63, R.I., Democrat
Kathy, 56, Minn., independent
Lauren, 65, La., Republican
Madeline, 26, Ore., independent
Michelle, 44, Mo., Republican
Neil, 50, Calif., Democrat
Rolando, 35, N.Y., Democrat
Roxanne, 61, Ga., Republican
Shirley, 74, Texas, independent
Roxanne,
61, Georgia, retired, white, Republican
I think you’re born with a personality. It kind of gets molded as you grow, but you’re born with it. And I think you’re either a follower or a leader. And I believe that that’s probably what he’s referring to.
Madeline,
26, Oregon, white, online support, independent
I appreciate the hardwood-softwood comparison. I do think, to an extent, you pull yourself up by your bootstraps, as people love to say. And you can pursue every opportunity. But there are, again, systems in place where you may not be able to grow past a certain point. And that’s not in your control. That’s due to circumstances out of your control.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
I want to ask one other question on “Yellowstone.” Some people have called “Yellowstone” a red-state show, like a show that really appeals to conservative Americans and conservative audiences. And I’m just curious what you think of that description.
Lauren,
65, Louisiana, white, safety manager, Republican
I never thought of it as a red-state show, but I guess it is. I just think of it as a way of life in the country.
Michelle,
44, Missouri, white, hotel sales manager, Republican
I don’t watch it and think, “It’s one-sided.” I just think, “This is life.”
Bradley,
64, Florida, white, retired, Republican
They’re a little bad with their politics. I’m not that bad. But I just watched it as entertainment. I try to get away from all that stuff for a while, and I just watch the show.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
Is it kind of like escapism?
Bradley,
64, Florida, white, retired, Republican
Yep, yep. That’s entertainment.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
Yep. Kathy, what about you?
Kathy,
56, Minnesota, white, social worker, independent
It bothers me that they try and put a label on it and veer people to one side or another. That’s what’s happening so much in America now — is people are saying it’s right or left. And then I’m concerned that people on the left aren’t going to watch it because people are saying it’s — just, it shouldn’t be labeled.
Neil,
50, California, white, delivery driver, Democrat
Yeah, I’ve never seen it as a red state or blue state. My wife and I are liberal. We live in California. We’re blue state. We love it. It’s set in rural America, but it’s dealing with a lot of blue-state issues.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
Yup. Charmaine, what do you think?
Charmaine,
40, Maryland, Black, student, Libertarian
I just watch it for entertainment. I don’t see it as being a red state show. I don’t agree with that. I love the show.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Let’s talk about American political leaders for a moment. What one word or phrase would you use to describe Donald Trump?
Madeline,
26, Oregon, white, online support, independent
Embarrassing.
Kathy,
56, Minnesota, white, social worker, independent
Full of himself.
Bradley,
64, Florida, white, retired, Republican
Kind of gruff.
Shirley,
74, Texas, retired, white, independent
A liar.
Lauren,
65, Louisiana, white, safety manager, Republican
Businessman.
Roxanne,
61, Georgia, retired, white, Republican
Too big of an ego.
Moderator, Margie Omero
What one word or phrase would you use to describe Joe Biden?
Charmaine,
40, Maryland, Black, student, Libertarian
Laid-back.
Greg,
63, Rhode Island, white, director of procurement, Democrat
Grandfatherly.
Michelle,
44, Missouri, white, hotel sales manager, Republican
“Old” comes to mind first.
Neil,
50, California, white, delivery driver, Democrat
Virtuous.
Lauren,
65, Louisiana, white, safety manager, Republican
Unfit.
Shirley,
74, Texas, retired, white, independent
Honest.
Rolando,
35, New York, Latino, I.T. professional, Democrat
A career politician.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
Trump, as we know, has said he’s going to run for president again, and we think President Biden is going to run as well. How many of you would say you would vote for Trump if he was the Republican nominee in 2024 for president? [Two participants raise a hand.]
And how many would vote for Biden if he was the Democratic nominee in 2024? [Five participants raise a hand.]
Neil,
50, California, white, delivery driver, Democrat
Those are our only two choices, for now, at least.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
Does anyone have a different Republican they’d like to see run and get the nomination?
Lauren,
65, Louisiana, white, safety manager, Republican
Ron DeSantis.
Roxanne,
61, Georgia, retired, white, Republican
I agree. Ron DeSantis.
If you could live in the world of
‘Yellowstone,’ would you want to?
If you could live in
the world of ‘Yellowstone,’
would you want to?
6 people raised their hands.
Bradley, 64, Fla., Republican
Charmaine, 40, Md., Libertarian
Greg, 63, R.I., Democrat
Kathy, 56, Minn., independent
Lauren, 65, La., Republican
Madeline, 26, Ore., independent
Michelle, 44, Mo., Republican
Neil, 50, Calif., Democrat
Rolando, 35, N.Y., Democrat
Roxanne, 61, Ga., Republican
Shirley, 74, Texas, independent
Michelle,
44, Missouri, white, hotel sales manager, Republican
So I didn’t get to answer this question before, but I was one who moved. I actually moved to the Big Island of Hawaii for about five or six years. And it reminds me of that, just all these wide-open spaces where there’s nothing. And it brings me back to that slow-paced lifestyle — where here, I think, life is go, go, money, money, cash, cash. It’s just so much slower and a time to appreciate the beauty around you.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Kathy, tell me why you would want to live in the world of “Yellowstone.”
Kathy,
56, Minnesota, white, social worker, independent
I love mountains. I love open spaces and riding horses and the beauty of Montana.
Moderator, Margie Omero
So I get that it looks beautiful, but would you want to live in the world of the show?
Kathy,
56, Minnesota, white, social worker, independent
I would love to live on a ranch.
Moderator, Margie Omero
And which character do you think you’d want to be friends with if you were living in the world of “Yellowstone” the show?
Kathy,
56, Minnesota, white, social worker, independent
Kayce.
Greg,
63, Rhode Island, white, director of procurement, Democrat
Rip. Doesn’t say much, just acts.
Lauren,
65, Louisiana, white, safety manager, Republican
Uh-huh. Beth and Rip.
Neil,
50, California, white, delivery driver, Democrat
I wouldn’t mind hanging out with some of the barrel racers, too. They seem like fun.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Roxanne, you didn’t raise your hand. You wouldn’t want to live in the world of “Yellowstone”?
Roxanne,
61, Georgia, retired, white, Republican
Well, I could be on a farm immediately, but I don’t think that I would want to live with all of the turmoil that they go through.
Shirley,
74, Texas, retired, white, independent
Without the turmoil, yes, I’d love it.
Moderator, Margie Omero
OK. Yeah. It’s a lot of murders, right? Neil, how about you?
Neil,
50, California, white, delivery driver, Democrat
No. Being a bartender at the club they always go to, it’d be cool — to be around it and just know what’s going on. But not be a part of it.
Moderator, Margie Omero
OK. Patrick has our last question, back in reality.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
Thinking about real life, what are you most proud of in life? What’s given you your biggest sense of accomplishment?
Greg,
63, Rhode Island, white, director of procurement, Democrat
I’m on a short track to retirement, hopefully. So I see where I’ve come from, where I’ve gone, and I would have never picked the path that I would be in, professionally, but I’ve done well on it and worked hard for it. Looking back at myself when I was 14, pumping gas, I never knew I’d be here where I am today.
Bradley,
64, Florida, white, retired, Republican
I’ve been pretty blessed to be here, at the age I’m at, with all the stuff I went through. And I haven’t really done anything outstanding, so just happy to be here.
Madeline,
26, Oregon, white, online support, independent
Putting myself through college.
Shirley,
74, Texas, retired, white, independent
Raising two wonderful children.
Roxanne,
61, Georgia, retired, white, Republican
I have to say the same thing — raising successful children and reaping the rewards of hard work for my husband and myself and being able to retire in our 50s.
Rolando,
35, New York, Latino, I.T. professional, Democrat
Just living.
Lauren,
65, Louisiana, white, safety manager, Republican
My children and training wild mustangs.
Michelle,
44, Missouri, white, hotel sales manager, Republican
What I’m most proud of is just knowing that I have been, throughout my whole life, just consistently sincere to the people who matter the most to me, with my friends and family.
Charmaine,
40, Maryland, Black, student, Libertarian
I’d say I’m most proud of the foundation of hard work that I laid for my children. I mean, they watched me hold down a full-time job, raise two children and go back to school to get my master’s degree. And so that made them want to better themselves, too. My daughter, she went to college, and she’s like, “If my mom could get all A’s, I can do it, too.” And when I struggled to go back to school to get a master’s, it was hard work, but I did graduate with all A’s and B’s.
Neil,
50, California, white, delivery driver, Democrat
My life hasn’t been really bad, but it’s been worse than a lot of my friends or people I’ve been around. And just going through life being able to maintain my sense of humor and seeing the good in people, trying to see the good in even a John Dutton or just good in people in general, that’s what I’m most proud of.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
Thank you, Neil. And Kathy, last word just for you.
Kathy,
56, Minnesota, white, social worker, independent
Putting myself through college and getting my master’s degree and having two wonderful kids.