Yellowstone Creator Drops Some Harsh Truth for 'Anti-Woke' Critics

After all, Sheridan has a long track record of developing hit TV series that feature powerful patriarchs and kingdoms that are threatened by outsiders. And, considering that Yellowstone was the most-watched TV show last year outside NFL football, who could argue?

From humble beginnings in 2017, Sheridan has emerged as arguably the most powerful and influential person on television. The 52-year-old currently manages a lineup of 9 shows with more than $1 billion invested in developing his content. Even more importantly, Sheridan conceived his empire almost single-handedly – insisting on writing and directing everything on his terms.

However, this persistence has also rubbed some the wrong way. Sheridan has been defined by haters as "anti-woke" and repeatedly snubbed by award shows despite producing the top show on television. Moreover, critics have labeled Yellowstone everything from "the conservative show" to "the red-state Game of Thrones ".

Notwithstanding, Sheridan has always been quick to fire back at haters. He defends Yellowstone as being "wildly progressive" considering the show addresses controversial subjects. "And I just sit back laughing," Sheridan remarked about his anti-woke critics. "I'm like, really? [Yellowstone] is talking about the displacement of Native Americans and the way Native American women were treated and about corporate greed and the gentrification of the West, and land-grabbing. That's a red-state show?"

Sheridan draws plenty of disdain for being arguably the most important person on TV right now. Sheridan has a reputation for being unreasonable regarding artistic control as well as a tyrant on set. Still, some of the biggest names in Hollywood are lining up to work with him, including Kevin Costner, Sam Elliott, Harrison Ford, and Sly Stallone (who recently debuted in the new series Tulsa King).

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Be that as it may, Sheridan continues to get misrepresented as too conservative for mainstream Hollywood. In fact, the viewership numbers between Yellowstone and Succession are staggering yet it's the high-brow New York competitor that sweeps up at the Emmys. While established in very different settings – the two shows mirror each other in many ways yet do not receive the same treatment from critics.

Could it have something to do with comments Sheridan made about President Trump in 2017? According to an interaction with a reporter, Sheridan griped at the time about Trump not being impeached yet later retracted the statement, recalling he didn't remember saying it. While Sheridan may have prevented alienating a large bulk of his audience, it also doesn't define him as backwards, or "anti-woke".

"I'm shooting over $1 billion worth of television shows – that's how much money they've trusted me with," Sheridan opened up to The Atlantic. "So yes, it's a tremendous amount of responsibility… I'm aware of the opportunity." Indeed, it doesn't appear that Sheridan takes his influence lightly or takes it personally that objectors believe Yellowstone only takes one side of the political spectrum.

"Hopefully I can ride off into the sunset before [a show] tanks," Sheridan concluded in his notorious cynical, deadpan delivery regarding his legacy.