"buffalo bill" cody
what are some differences between the real west and the mythic west of popular culture? what perspectives are usually missing in our cultural views?

One mythic west difference would be that settlers were always clashing with the Indians. I don't know if that would be new or not on this list, but it's a start! As for the last part, I think that the propaganda against the Indians accounted for so much of what we now think was constant battles and heroic actions of Western Settlers.