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Silicon Cowboys

Name: Silicon Cowboys
Director: Jason Cohen
Released: 2016
Duration: 77 min

Representation Score

0.2/10

Minimal

2016

Director

Jason Cohen

Runtime

77 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Silicon Cowboys is a traditional historical account of the personal computing revolution. It uses a classic 'David vs. Goliath' cliché to depict the rise and fall of Compaq against IBM. The film highlights individual merit and American market competition, reinforcing the existing social and corporate hierarchies of the 20th-century tech industry without challenging them. Overall, the documentary serves as a conventional record of a specific era. It reflects the demographic and cultural homogeneity of the 1980s tech world without broadening its scope through diverse perspectives.

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Category Breakdown

Does Silicon Cowboys have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or explore non-cisgender identities.

How does Silicon Cowboys portray gender?

Limited

The documentary focuses on male-dominated corporate environments of the 1980s tech sector. Female leadership roles are notably absent.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Silicon Cowboys?

Minimal

The film centers on a homogeneous group of white male protagonists. It presents the tech landscape through an Anglo-centric lens.

How does Silicon Cowboys represent religion and culture?

Minimal

The narrative emphasizes traditional Western capitalist ideals. It celebrates entrepreneurship and market competition without addressing systemic power structures.

Does Silicon Cowboys include disability representation?

Minimal

The film does not feature any characters dealing with physical, neurodivergent, or mental health challenges. It does not address disability in the professional setting.

Present on Screen

Offers an accurate historical reflection of the demographic composition of early tech leadership.
Uses a compelling narrative structure to tell an underdog story.

Limited or Absent

Does not intentionally disrupt established social norms related to gender and race.
Does not include diverse perspectives or stories reflecting multiple aspects of identity.
Does not address disability or non-straight-centered identities within the historical context.

Official Synopsis

Launched in 1982 by three friends in a Houston diner, Compaq Computer set out to build a portable PC to take on IBM, the world’s most powerful tech company. Many had tried cloning the industry leader’s code, only to be trounced by IBM and its high-priced lawyers. Explore the remarkable David vs. Goliath story, and eventual demise, of Compaq, an unlikely upstart who altered the future of computing and helped shape the world as we know it today.

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