No Guns, No Glory

The Wall Street Journal ^ | Friday. May 24, 2002

[TroutStalker]

The Clunes of "Frontier House" -- the PBS "reality" miniseries chronicling three families attempting to live the life of 1883 Montana homesteaders -- may not win any popularity contests. But patriarch Gordon Clune said things would have been better if public television had been more realistic about one of the biggest realities of pioneer life: guns. Not only did the producers turn down Mr. Clune's request to be allowed to hunt for meat to feed his family, they imposed strict limits on using guns to ward off hostile varmints. "We were supposed to give a predator two warnings," Mr. Clune told the Los Angeles Times. "'Excuse me, Mr. Coyote, please don't eat my chicken. Excuse me, Mr. Coyote, please don't eat my chicken.' Then, you were supposed to fire a warning shot."

[Cincinatus]

Not only this, but the families will have to recycle all plastics and newsprint, use energy-efficient solar panel arrays and solar furnace heating for their hot water, wear OSHA-approved bicycle helmets while horseback riding, and use only UDSA-approved color additives to their tofu-jerky.

Just like the 1880's pioneers had to.

[bloodmeridian]

If it's supposed to be "real," then why not shoot the coyote first and ask questions later? And the recycling bit doesn't sound too 1883ish to me.

[PoisedWoman]

I caught the first two shows of three-part series and found it fascinating. Totally ridiculous that the families had no guns, of course. But very interesting watching extremely spoiled California kids try to adjust to frontier life, which, bless their hearts, they did a pretty good job with, and even more fascinating watching the adults. The wealthy California family adjusted much better, I think, than the less affluent couple. The less affluent pair was totally dominated by the wife, the husband was a total wuss. Not the kind of guy who would have headed to the frontier in the firt place...But the self-made millionaire CA guy did a wonderful job on the frontier...he would have made out anywhere! Good show, and I hope PBS reruns it.

Does WSJ have more of this article? If so, I'd love to see it. Thanks.

[Huck]

But very interesting watching extremely spoiled California kids try to adjust to frontier life

I was wondering what other folks thought of the show. I love reading about frontier history, and so I watched the first couple of shows. But I guess the premise wasn't made for me. It is sort of an educational version of Survivor, set in frontier times. Or that's my take on it. I disliked it for the same reasons you like it: It is more about the modern families than it is about frontier life. I would have rather just watched a re-enactment of frontier life. I don't know. Their personal problems about smelling bad and oh it's so hard out here just turned me off to it. But I'm glad someone liked it.

[TroutStalker]

That was the entire blurb in the Tony & Tacky part of Review & Outlook in the Weekend Journal.

[dd5339]

My wife and I saw 2 out of the 3 episodes and really liked it. We were wondering about the use of firearms though. In the real frontier meat hunting was a major part of feeding the family.

The wife and I were playing the what-if game as to what we would have taken with us. My choice would have been a 45-70 Sharps.

Guess it shouldn't suprise me that PBS wouldn't allow hunting. It does disappoint me though. Frontier House was the only one of the relality shows that was remotley entertaining.

Semper Fi

[serinde]

The wealthy California family adjusted much better, I think, than the less affluent couple.

I don't know about this. The less affluent couple got things done right away, like building a latrine, while the wealthy wife just complained about everything. The same with the sweetener issue; the wealthy couple "just couldn't go a day without something sweet," and used up all their sweeteners in a month, while the other family actually rationed stuff out over time and had plenty.

I do agree that the wealthy, spoiled children learned more from the experience than their parents did. Guess what, kids? Life isn't all fun and games, esp. when it snows in June and you are all of 1/2 mile from your cow!

[szweig]

Why waste your time watching any of this agenda-driven CRAP !

[brbethke]

It's a shame you didn't stick with it through the end. The "three months later" follow-up was very educational. The young marrieds were wonderfully happy, the California brats were in the hot tub whining about how bored they were now, and the Tennessee(?) husband had told his soon-to-be ex-wife where to stuff it and moved out.

[GunsareOK]

This could have been a deception by the show's producers but they said that the State of Montana would not allow hunting because it was out of season. I wondered if that would be true for all game that might have been available.

There was a shooting scene during the first day that showed the families (the adults anyway) shooting Russian-made single shot shotguns. I think the whole thing would have been more realistic if they had had single action revolvers and lever action rifles as well but, just as with arming air pilots, no responsible use of guns will be shown or allowed if that use conflicts with the politically correct orthodoxy.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

According to PBS, friendly Indians supplied food and housing to early American settlers so they didn't need guns.

[Destructor]

"Mr. Clune's request to be allowed to hunt for meat to feed his family, they imposed strict limits on using guns to ward off hostile varmints."

This is just another example of how Political Correctness goes contrary to reality.

[Destructor]

"Not only did the producers turn down Mr. Clune's request to be allowed to hunt for meat to feed his family, they imposed strict limits on using guns to ward off hostile varmints."

Whoops! This is the whole quote.

[dd5339]

Hmmm, shooting game out of season would have been against the law so they couldn't do it.

But making and selling your own hooch is against the law and was allowed!

BTW, Although my wife and I strongly disliked Weasel guy, the idea of the still was brilliant!

Semper Fi!

[Jeff Head]

What they really don't want to admit is that guns are still a mainstay in the way of life out in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, etc.

No Guns, No Liberty.

I have ranch hand friends out here that make a living hunting coyotes in the winter when the ranch work is slack ... and they don't do it with bows and arrows, tranquilizers or blow darts. LOL!

[Big Dan]

Not only did the producers turn down Mr. Clune's request to be allowed to hunt for meat
to feed his family, they imposed strict limits on using guns to ward off hostile varmints.

The hostile varmints that they wanted desperately to ward off were the "PC idiot" producers of the program. They're out-of-season, though, even in Montana.

[DuncanWaring]

I watched the first two episodes, but not the third. My wife watched the third.

As I understood her report of the "final exam", the opinion of the judges was that:
1. The rich California family did not store up enough food to make it through the winter.
2. The folks from Tennessee (Kentucky ?) had enough food, but would have killed each other due to cabin fever or something like that.
3. The newlywed couple didn't really have enough food stored up, but since they were young and healthy, would probably have survived. (My suggestion at that point was "Yeah - after the other folks kill each other, the newlyweds can eat their leftover food"). ;-)

[Destructor]

"The hostile varmints that they wanted desperately to ward off were the "PC idiot" producers of the program. They're out-of-season, though, even in Montana"

HA! Why that is an outrage! Here in Texas we have no season for varmints. They may be take year 'round with no bag limit! (PC producers take note).LOL!!

[drjimmy]

But the self-made millionaire CA guy did a wonderful job on the frontier...he would have made out anywhere!
In the real frontier he would have been dead sooner than anyone else, if not from the coming winter that he was completely unprepared for then from being shot by the someone he tried to cheat. He had no morals about breaking the rules he had agreed to abide by before going off to the "frontier," saying that he would do anything to help his family survive. I have no doubt about that, so I'm sure he would have found himself at the wrong end of a gun barrel in due course.