The screen grab in this meme is from Clint Eastwood’s “Pale Rider” of 1985. While it’s not Clint Eastwood’s most inaccessible film (which was “The Beguiled” – Ugh!), Pale Rider was probably in his top 5.
That’s because the historical and spiritual allusions in the film were a bit too obscure for audiences who didn’t have an internet connection back then. Eastwood’s literal “avenging angel” in the film was fashioned after the vigilante squads of the early Mormon church.
The what? Oh, you really need to open a history book sometime instead of looking at memes all day, don’t you?
The giveaway is the hat that Eastwood is wearing. It’s a 4” Flair Top Crown with a distressed leather band that… What? What’s everyone looking at? We really know our hats here at Facts Not Memes, okay?
Anyway, the hat peaked in popularity in the 1880s and it was the hat worn by the notorious Mormon hitman Porter Rockwell. And if you think we made all of this up about a 1985 Clint Eastwood movie, you’re going to have an interesting time perusing Wikipedia for the rest of your day.
You’re welcome!
