Monday, February 23, 2015

Hollywood definitions of rurality

I think it was Neil Patrick Harris, hosting the Oscars last night, who said something about "Boyhood" being about a boy growing up in rural America.  This struck me as odd since much of the movie takes place in Houston, and another bit takes place in San Marcos, population 54,076 and the county seat of metropolitan Hays County, population 157,107.  In the end, the "boy", Mason, Jr., goes off to college at Sul Ross State University, in Alpine, Texas, population 5,905, and the county seat of Brewster County, population 9,232.  With a population density of just 1.5 persons per square mile, Brewster County is certainly rural by any measure, but only a tiny part of Mason's life takes place there.  So, did Mason grow up in "rural America"?   I would say no.

Interestingly a search of "rural" and "2015 Oscars" came up with lots of hits tonight.  Turns out lots of movies were in one way or another associate with what some journalist considered to be the 'rural."    

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