Yellowstone Tarnishes Montana Image By Portraying It Like Wild West, Residents Say

Not long ago, Lily Gladstone, the star of Martin Scorsese 's upcoming film Killers of the Flower Moon, called out the iconic Yellowstone TV series for its "delusional" portrayal of Native Americans, a mistake made by many installments in the Western genre.

However, it seems that Taylor Sheridan 's hit TV series has also had a mixed effect on the residents of the state of Montana, where the main show and many of its spinoffs are set.

According to The Washington Post, the success of the show has led to a boost in the state's tourism industry, as many people who never thought of visiting Montana have changed their minds after seeing the story of the Dutton family.

Naturally, this led to a thriving tourism economy, as a University of Montana study found that 2 million people were inspired to visit the state as a result of the show, spending $730 million in local businesses in 2021.

However, there is a downside to all this newfound attention, as the show has also created a rather negative image of Montana residents, making the state resemble the lawless Wild West.

Murders and shootings happen quite often during the running time of both the main series and its various spin-offs, which makes for a lot of effective scenes, but doesn't accurately reflect the real situation in the state.

Also, considering that Yellowstone takes place mostly during the warm seasons, the unsuspecting tourists are often unprepared for the cold and windy Montana winters when they arrive.

Another thing the show often gets wrong, according to locals, is that the characters are dressed much better than the average Montana farmer, creating a bit of a dissonance for visitors.

But even with all the misconceptions the show has created that leave some upset, Montanans in general seem to recognize the positive impact Yellowstone has had on their home.

More tourists means more money spent in local establishments, which greatly supports the state's economy, so in the end, the fame brought by the show's success does more good than harm.

Source: The Washington Post