Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum

"Put him on the woolies"

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Jeff Wrangler:

--- Quote from: Ellemeno on July 20, 2006, 02:35:35 am ---Somehow, I figured it out the first time I read it.  From context, I guess, like "puttin' the blocks to," and "stemmin the rose."

--- End quote ---

What had puzzled me wasn't so much the meaning of the words but rather, What was the deal with a kid riding a sheep? The scene in The Cowboy Way looks like it's some kind of race for little kids, like it's supposed to be a little kid's first rodeo event. So in this light, it seems to me that Jack might be saying that his father had gotten him started in rodeoing by putting him in one of these kids' events, and then never followed through with teaching Jack anything about rodeoing--kind of interesting in light of John Twist's snide remark about Jack's plans never coming to anything. Also, I'm guessing now Jack didn't mean his father just put him on the back of sheep to ride around the home spread. It's actually a rodeo-type event for kids.

Another Brokeback resonance in The Cowboy Way: Sonny, Keifer Sutherland's character, had an unresolved issue with Pepper, Woody Harrelson's character, because Pepper had failed to show up for a national championship team calf-roping event that they were supposed to enter, thereby preventing Sonny from winning the money he needed to set up the little cow and calf operation he had dreamed of since childhood.

Oh, yes, their event was calf-roping, so in my mind I kept hearing the bartender say to Jack, "Ever try calf-ropin'?"  :)

Slightly OT: I also recognized Alison Janney, later/late of The West Wing, in a small role as a police officer.

Katie77, my folks here in Pennsylvania, USA, also used the term "winter woolies"--to mean old-fashioned woolen long underwear.  ;D

Meryl:

--- Quote ---Slightly OT: I also recognized Alison Janney, later/late of The West Wing, in a small role as a police officer.

--- End quote ---

That just rang a bell with me, Jeff.  Someone posted a pic on the "Heath Heath Heath" thread a few days ago with Allison Janney in it.  She was in "10 Things I Hate About You" with Heath, five years after "The Cowboy Way."   (Has absolutely nothing to do with anything, but that never stopped me posting about something.)  ;D

Front-Ranger:
This reminds me of the old Six Degrees of Separation game we used to play. I never had enuf time to do the research. Jeff, this sounds crazy but sometimes I think Jack's dad hated him because Jack turned out to be just like him. See my theory is that Jack's dad was gay and homophobic sort of like Ennis. After all, he starts out by saying, "I know where Brokeback Mountain is." I take that in a metaphorical way. So John Twist did the rodeo circuit, rode bulls, and then swore off that life and he wasn't about to have it for his son, so he didn't teach him about it. But Jack was naturally attracted to the rodeo. That's just my half-baked theory (I also think Uncle Harold was gay).

YaadPyar:

--- Quote from: Jeff Wrangler on July 19, 2006, 11:11:19 pm ---
"Jack said his father had been a pretty well known bullrider years back but kept his secrets to himself, never gave Jack a word of advice, never came once to see Jack ride, though he had put him on the woolies when he was a little kid." (Italics added.)


--- End quote ---


Poor kid looks terrified!!!

Jeff Wrangler:

--- Quote from: YaadPyar on July 20, 2006, 02:59:00 pm ---
--- End quote ---

Yup, that's it, like in The Cowboy Way.

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