Blazing Saddles was a cheeky take on westerns and helped define the parody for years to come. Even though it takes place in a western setting with horses and guns, critics debate if it is a considered a hybrid or a full-fledged western itself. When we look at the movie poster, it seems like it would be your normal western, yet upon closer look, it isn’t what it seems. The poster helps set up the film, for nothing is what it seems to be.

In the American Sociological Review, writers at UC Davis wrote an article that helped define the grouping of genres. According to the paper, a western is defined if it has a main male hero who wields a gun, a villain who is after money and causes mayhem, a town or army, and lastly has natives in some form. If all of these are present, it is grouped as a western. While Blazing saddles has all the following, it also has the traits of a comedy. An article by Emily Soares from Time Warner has a similar view. Emily says, “Blazing Saddles (1974) is quintessential Mel Brooks — a Western spoof loaded with inside jokes, anachronisms, toilet humor and the director’s favorite actors performing his favorite form of broad burlesque comedy. Cleavon Little is Bart, a black sheriff hired by the nefarious Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman) to get the residents of Rock Ridge, who live in the way of his railroad, to sell out.” Even here, it is mentioned as a Spoof, but still a western.

Blazing Saddles was not meant to be taken seriously and is seen as a film that mocks itself and western culture as a whole. In a time when westerns were popular but the crude humor was not, how did this film affect comedy in the years following? In 2018, spoof films are as common as bugs, though it is hard to find one that sticks with you like Blazing Saddles. It was made with the thought that it would never be released, which allowed the writers to make it as outrageous as they wanted to. According to an interview with Mel Brooks in Entertainment Weekly, “I just wanted to exorcize both my angels and demons. I said to all the writers, “Look, fellas, don’t worry, this movie will never get released. Never. [Warner Bros.] will see it and they’ll say, ‘Let’s bury it.’ So let’s go nuts. Let’s write things that we never would dare write.” And we did.” Since this film broke the rules that had been put in place, many others have done the same. Scary Movie (2000) and Austin Powers (1997) both are recent comedies that are close to crossing the line, and I personally think that Blazing Saddles help set the standard and made those films possible.

For being a mainstream film, it pushes the lines more than other films for the time. While it had huge sets that Warner was known for, it also was offensive and overtly crude. The story is Unconventional for a western yet still follows the formula for what makes a western good. The town is in danger, even though someone who is hated is tasked to save it. With a story that mocks itself and society with themes of greed, racism, and expectations, it is surprising it made it past the drawing board. I am glad it did, for what we have is one of a kind that will be loved for years to come.