Violence, Drama, Comedy, and Sex – It Must be Professional Wrestling

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Violence, Drama, Comedy, and Sex – It Must be Professional Wrestling

If prompted to identify every professional sport in recent history, the typical response would consist of: baseball, basketball, football, soccer, hockey, and golf. However, one very significant and deeply rooted sport is absent from this list. This sport is interestingly labeled as “Professional Wrestling,” the seemingly “advanced” level of amateur wrestling. Stemming from the gladiators of ancient Rome, this phenomenon has survived the greater part of 3000 years. Shunned and passed off as simply being fake, modern wrestling is commonly regarded as the least competitive of the professional sports. So why does fake, scripted competition have such a massive and deeply loyal fan base? The answer lies in one simple viewing of WWE Raw, a wrestling program that embodies all the unique elements that cultivate such a large following.

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is simply one cross-section of the modern form of wrestling. The flagship program produced by the WWE is Raw. Aired live every Monday night from arenas across the United States, this program attracts thousands of live audience members and millions at home. Yet the fact remains that everything from the punches to the storylines, unlike their gladiator predecessors, are fake, a fact acknowledged by WWE representatives as well as their fans. Thus, what would possess a person to spend two hours of their evening watching an utter facade? They watch for the same reason they spend two hours watching “Must See TV” For entertainment. However, wrestling takes this a step further becoming a multi-faceted entity blending music, athleticism, drama, comedy, violence, and sex.

This mix of mayhem is clearly ...

... middle of paper ...

... for older fans as well.

This juxtaposition of violence, drama, comedy, and sex is what truly captivates wrestling fans. These fans, though deemed lower than real sports fans, recognize the fallacy of wrestling, and that is their motivation for watching, as virtually every program from soap operas to reality shows are scripted. Many would argue that most forms of entertainment are heading towards the reality-based concept. I would disagree, as entertainment exists to satisfy its consumers, and consumers have varying desires. Some would rather see reality in its rawest form or maybe pure fantasy, or possibly both. Nevertheless, wrestling provides me, the consumer, with a never-ending roller coaster ride of entertainment, regardless if it is fake or not.

Works Cited

McMahon, Vince. WWE Raw. Spike TV, Mon. Oct. 13, 2003, World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.

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