G. Wen
10-13-2007, 12:17 AM
No, this isn’t what you think; I’m not going on a rant about “misogynist” wrestling. One Fri. night, with waaaay too much time on my hands, I decided I wanted to find out about the origins of entertainment wrestling (I’m weird like that). That’s when I ran across this article (I quoted the segment of greatest interest to me):
Professional wrestling also has a great deal in common with the ideological underpinnings of the American carnival tradition, which according to Phillip McGowan "placed the subversive on display" and allowed Americans to define what was normal and what was "Other" (McGowan, 2). Sometimes, this is easy to see. One of the most enduring heel characters in professional wrestling has been the anti-American "foreigner, usually tied to on-going geopolitical crises. In an early-1980s contest pitting the Iron Sheik against uberpatriot Sergeant Slaughter, what is "Other" and what is "normal" is quite obvious. But the "Other" represented in the ring is more than geographical. Non-white, non-Anglo wrestlers often find their identities reconstructed as gimmicks: Ron Simmons, WCW's first black world champion, later competed in the WWF as Farooq, the leader of a militant black faction called the "Nation of Domination." Similarly, those who just "don't fit in" also make easy "Others." Scott Levy, after an initial WWF run as spoiled rich boy "Johnny Polo," transformed himself into Raven, a nihilistic, apathetic product of early 1990s grunge-his finisher, the "Evenflow DDT," recalled an early Pearl Jam song. Mick Foley, in his first WWF incarnation, portrayed Mankind, a leather-masked freak that had been confined to a basement since childhood and who reputedly enjoyed pain. Although the heel "Other" may occasionally, win, in the long run he is usually beaten by the face, who represents the "normal" side of American life. Wrestling fans, like carnival goers, could therefore encounter a menacing "Other" that was contained and ultimately defeated.
While the most common formula for wrestling before the "Attitude Era" was for the virtuous face to use his brute force and skill to overcome the trickery of the "Other" heel, in recent years "Others" have been pushed as faces. In an obvious, but ephemeral, example, the Oddities, promoted as a group of sideshow freaks, enjoyed a brief WWF run as fan-favorites. As American society has become more inclusive, wrestling has adapted. Today, the "Other" is just as likely to be the face as the heel, and a character like the clean-cut real-life Olympic gold medallist Kurt Angle is entrenched as a heel, while the painted, wig-wearing, sexually ambiguous Goldust is a beloved face-something that would have been unthinkable ten years ago.
www.dieiscast.com/AR_CarnivalEntertainment.html (http://www.dieiscast.com/AR_CarnivalEntertainment.html)
How the hell does this relate to women? Well, there was 1 thing that always bothered me about entertainment wrestling: NONE OF THE WOMEN WRESTLERS (TO THE BEST OF KNOWLEDGE) COULD WRESTLE! I have no problem with them wearing skimpy clothes (many guys wear less than the women). I have no problem with them looking “perfect” (most guys are also perfect athletically built). But none of them could wrestle! Their wrestling matches only serve to enhance their seemingly sole purpose: eye candy. Bra and Panties Match. Wresting moves consisting of girls just hugging and rolling around on the floor. I know it’s a guy’s show, and I know no one wants to see Ugly in skimpy clothes (me included), but is that that difficult to find attractive women who can wrestle?
Well, keeping in mind the article I just quoted, and keeping in mind this is NOT 1950 (when women were only expected to stay at home), do you think a female wrestler will be cast as a face or a heel if she behaved like this, if she can get cast at all:
1. She fights in swimsuits/bikinis/etc. But she will only perform in matches that
showcase her stunt skills, not her eye candy appeal. So contract wise, she will decline to do Bra and Panty matches, and other matches in similar nature. She will not brag about her decision in the ring, or talk down to women who decide to do those matches, because she has no right to criticize how others present their bodies.
2. She will work out to keep her sexy figure (like the guys). But she will not get cosmetic enhancements (also like the guys).
3. Contract wise, she will also decline to do Playboy shoots. She will not brag about this in the ring.
Will you watch a wrestler like that? Do you think a large enough audience will want to watch her? Or do you think she will be considered dangerous and subversive to the cultural fabric, and will only be cast as a heel? If you think the later, can you explain why?
I decided to post this because it’s something I think about, and because I know people here will discuss things without making immature statements such as, “U IZ FEM NAZI AND U IZ THE SUCK!!!!111!!”
Professional wrestling also has a great deal in common with the ideological underpinnings of the American carnival tradition, which according to Phillip McGowan "placed the subversive on display" and allowed Americans to define what was normal and what was "Other" (McGowan, 2). Sometimes, this is easy to see. One of the most enduring heel characters in professional wrestling has been the anti-American "foreigner, usually tied to on-going geopolitical crises. In an early-1980s contest pitting the Iron Sheik against uberpatriot Sergeant Slaughter, what is "Other" and what is "normal" is quite obvious. But the "Other" represented in the ring is more than geographical. Non-white, non-Anglo wrestlers often find their identities reconstructed as gimmicks: Ron Simmons, WCW's first black world champion, later competed in the WWF as Farooq, the leader of a militant black faction called the "Nation of Domination." Similarly, those who just "don't fit in" also make easy "Others." Scott Levy, after an initial WWF run as spoiled rich boy "Johnny Polo," transformed himself into Raven, a nihilistic, apathetic product of early 1990s grunge-his finisher, the "Evenflow DDT," recalled an early Pearl Jam song. Mick Foley, in his first WWF incarnation, portrayed Mankind, a leather-masked freak that had been confined to a basement since childhood and who reputedly enjoyed pain. Although the heel "Other" may occasionally, win, in the long run he is usually beaten by the face, who represents the "normal" side of American life. Wrestling fans, like carnival goers, could therefore encounter a menacing "Other" that was contained and ultimately defeated.
While the most common formula for wrestling before the "Attitude Era" was for the virtuous face to use his brute force and skill to overcome the trickery of the "Other" heel, in recent years "Others" have been pushed as faces. In an obvious, but ephemeral, example, the Oddities, promoted as a group of sideshow freaks, enjoyed a brief WWF run as fan-favorites. As American society has become more inclusive, wrestling has adapted. Today, the "Other" is just as likely to be the face as the heel, and a character like the clean-cut real-life Olympic gold medallist Kurt Angle is entrenched as a heel, while the painted, wig-wearing, sexually ambiguous Goldust is a beloved face-something that would have been unthinkable ten years ago.
www.dieiscast.com/AR_CarnivalEntertainment.html (http://www.dieiscast.com/AR_CarnivalEntertainment.html)
How the hell does this relate to women? Well, there was 1 thing that always bothered me about entertainment wrestling: NONE OF THE WOMEN WRESTLERS (TO THE BEST OF KNOWLEDGE) COULD WRESTLE! I have no problem with them wearing skimpy clothes (many guys wear less than the women). I have no problem with them looking “perfect” (most guys are also perfect athletically built). But none of them could wrestle! Their wrestling matches only serve to enhance their seemingly sole purpose: eye candy. Bra and Panties Match. Wresting moves consisting of girls just hugging and rolling around on the floor. I know it’s a guy’s show, and I know no one wants to see Ugly in skimpy clothes (me included), but is that that difficult to find attractive women who can wrestle?
Well, keeping in mind the article I just quoted, and keeping in mind this is NOT 1950 (when women were only expected to stay at home), do you think a female wrestler will be cast as a face or a heel if she behaved like this, if she can get cast at all:
1. She fights in swimsuits/bikinis/etc. But she will only perform in matches that
showcase her stunt skills, not her eye candy appeal. So contract wise, she will decline to do Bra and Panty matches, and other matches in similar nature. She will not brag about her decision in the ring, or talk down to women who decide to do those matches, because she has no right to criticize how others present their bodies.
2. She will work out to keep her sexy figure (like the guys). But she will not get cosmetic enhancements (also like the guys).
3. Contract wise, she will also decline to do Playboy shoots. She will not brag about this in the ring.
Will you watch a wrestler like that? Do you think a large enough audience will want to watch her? Or do you think she will be considered dangerous and subversive to the cultural fabric, and will only be cast as a heel? If you think the later, can you explain why?
I decided to post this because it’s something I think about, and because I know people here will discuss things without making immature statements such as, “U IZ FEM NAZI AND U IZ THE SUCK!!!!111!!”