Postcolonial theory

Wider reading on race and Old Town Road

Read this W Magazine deep dive on the Yeehaw agenda and answer the following questions: 

1) What are the visual cues the article lists as linked to the western genre? 

This article shows the visual signifiers of; cowboy hats, cow print, rhinestones and fringed suede jackets as key codes of the western genre. These act as recognisable media language conventions that audiences immediately associate with cowboy culture and Americana. They function as symbolic shorthand for ideas of freedom, rebellion and frontier identity. This reflects how genres rely on repeated visual iconography to construct meaning for audiences.  

2) How did the Yeehaw agenda come about? 

A resurgence of interest in Black cowboy history, Viral internet culture and memes and push to reclaim country/western aesthetics as part of Black culture

3) Why has it been suggested that the black cowboy has been 'erased from American culture'? 

The black cowboy has been described as erased because mainstream representations of the American West have historically centred whiteness, despite around a quarter of real cowboys being black. Hollywood westerns and popular media have largely excluded these histories, creating a distorted cultural memory. This reflects Stuart Hall’s idea that representation shapes how groups are understood in society. The omission reinforces dominant ideologies by privileging white narratives of American identity. 

4) How has the black cowboy aesthetic been reflected by the fashion industry?

Black models styled as cowboys/cowgirls ,Luxury brands reworking cowboy imagery with modern, Black cultural influence and Runway collections featuring western wear

5) Read the section on Lil Nas X and Old Town Road. What does it suggest about race and the country music community?

This highlights how genre boundaries can be policed in ways that reflect racial bias. It suggests the industry still privileges white artists as the default representatives of country music. It suggests that race continues to shape who is accepted within the country music community. The removal of Lil Nas X’s Old Town Road from the country charts implied that black artists may face exclusion even when their work includes recognised country conventions

6) What elements of the song and music video are suggested to be authentically country and western?

Cowboy imagery and setting and Banjo-based instrumental

7) What genres of music does the article suggest have been shaped by black influences? 

Rock and roll, country and hip-hop

8) In your opinion, what do you think has been the driving force behind the Yeehaw movement? 

The Yeehaw movement is driven by cultural reclamation and digital virality.Social media also allowed Black creators to challenge historical erasure which allows black voices to not feel as marginalised as they used to be.

Applying postcolonial theory to Old Town Road

Revise the postcolonial theories we have studied and apply them to the Old Town Road music video: 

1) How does the Old Town Road music video both reinforce and challenge black stereotypes in the media?

The Old Town Road music video draws on familiar Black media stereotypes through its playful use of humour, performance, and exaggerated spectacle, echoing long‑standing portrayals of Black people as comedic or primarily entertainers. At the same time, it subverts these expectations by placing Lil Nas X at the centre of the traditionally white, hyper‑masculine cowboy/western genre, disrupting conventional ideas about race, identity, and cultural ownership within popular culture.

2) How could you argue that the Old Town Road video challenges Gilroy's theory of double consciousness?

Paul Gilroy’s concept of double consciousness argues that Black individuals can experience a tension between competing cultural identities. Old Town Road disrupts this idea by presenting Lil Nas X as confidently merging hip‑hop and country aesthetics without any visible internal conflict. His performance frames identity as fluid, hybrid, and self‑defined rather than divided. The video further promotes multiculturalism in its closing moments, where he poses for a photo with an elderly white woman, symbolising cross‑cultural connection and shared community.

3) How does Lil Nas X and Old Town Road provide an example of Hall's theory of race representations? Alternatively, you could argue against this if you prefer.  

This reflects Stuart Hall’s argument that race is constructed through shifting cultural meanings rather than fixed biological truths. By reimagining the cowboy figure through a Black performer, Lil Nas X reshapes how race is represented in popular culture, showing how media can challenge dominant stereotypes and generate new, more inclusive meanings around Black identity.

4) Are there any examples of Alvarado's theory of black stereotypes in the Old Town Road video? Why/why not? 

Alvarado identifies common stereotypes in Black representation, including portrayals of Black people as humorous, dangerous, exotic, or objects of pity. Although Old Town Road incorporates humour through its playful cowboy narrative, it does not strongly align with these reductive categories. Instead, Lil Nas X is depicted as confident, empowered, and firmly in control of the story. This challenges traditional racial expectations, particularly because the western genre has historically centred white masculinity. By placing a Black artist at the forefront of this space, the video redefines who is allowed to occupy positions of authority and visibility within the genre.

5) How does Lil Nas X provide a compelling case study for bell hooks's theory of intersectionality?

bell hooks’ idea of intersectionality emphasises how overlapping identities shape an individual’s lived experience. Lil Nas X embodies this concept, as his position as a young, Black, openly queer artist challenges dominant expectations surrounding race, masculinity, and sexuality in both hip‑hop and country music. His presence in Old Town Road demonstrates how multiple identities intersect within media representation, creating space for more complex and inclusive portrayals.