How Pro Wrestling Explains Today’s GOP

[ZiprHead]

How Pro Wrestling Explains Today’s GOP

The battle between Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump could split the party with surprising results, argues the author of a new Vince McMahon.

www.politico.com

“Wrestling,” writes Riesman, “has metastasized into the broader world, especially since the inauguration of the 45th president. There’s little difference between Trumpism and Vince’s neokayfabe, each with their infinite and indistinguishable layers of irony and sincerity. Each philosophy approaches life with one goal: to remake reality in such a way as to defeat one’s enemies and sate one’s insecurities.”

Perhaps even more apropos, Riesman offers a fresh way to consider current dramas, especially within the Republican Party, including the most compelling conflict — Trump versus Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Many observers of politics tend to think about candidates who are at odds in terms of lanes, but at this point it might be more useful, Riesman suggests, to think in terms of roles: heroes and villains — in industry lingo, faces and heels — and the fluidity of such positioning within the twists and turns of storylines that can see similar combatants giving rise to new contestants and surprising results.
“The point of this book is to connect dots that people have been just seeing in plain sight and not connecting, or in some cases dots that were completely invisible to mainstream eyes but were very, very bold and apparent to wrestling fans,” said Riesman, previously the author of True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee and now at work on a book about the musician Beck.
“I’m getting interviewed by wrestling podcasts and also POLITICO,” she said with a laugh. “But that’s part of the point.”

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Certainly, there are some parallels. Think of Roman Reigns 6 years ago and Mitt Romney in 2012. WWE wanted Reigns to get over, but the fan base wanted Daniel Bryan so bad, they turned on a wrestler they originally loved. The GOP base tried to support anyone but Romney. Eventually Reigns turned heel and the fanbase was behind that.

Now days the issue is definitely the bases of both. The question isn't who the GOP will support. It is whether Trump's base still comes out for Trump and only Trump or enough Trump. In a fractured primary, that might be all it takes. People keep saying Trump is done, he's done. He is only done if those who voted for him say so. He doesn't need 50% of the vote to win a primary, just a plurality. And that is up to the voters, not the mega donors, not the GOP powers. Trump is an odd aberration of Democracy. He exists oddly enough because of Democracy and in spite of it. He is the awful version of Daniel Bryan... who the base just won't stop supporting. And the crucial thing here is that the base is controlling things, not the promoter.

Tucker Carlson is like Jerry Lawler, but much worse. Lawler was all about the puppies (thank goodness that shit is over and women's wrestling is a main event thing these days) and while a heel, he was popular. Carlson is odd in that he has been exposed as a liar but that doesn't matter. The more he gets caught, the more he is supported. A babyface that does nothing but cheats, a hyperbolic Eddie Guerrero, without any likeable charisma.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

It is kinda like Pro Wrestling if one will pardon the oxymoron. But I think the parallel is that some people cannot spot a fake, they think a contest and its contestants are real when in fact it's all staged for entertainment value. That's what constitutes the very foundation of the Orange base, folks that can't discern fantasy from reality, like when I was seven years old and thought Pro Wrestling was real.

 

[Patooka]

But I think the parallel is that some people cannot spot a fake, they think a contest and its contestants are real when in fact it's all staged for entertainment value.

You could be on to something...

 

[steve_bank]

Rememberpro westerner Jesse Ventura who became governor of Minnesota?

He likened politcs to pro wresting. Combat scripted by both the left and the right. Both sides need an enemy to raise money and focus followers.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

But I think the parallel is that some people cannot spot a fake, they think a contest and its contestants are real when in fact it's all staged for entertainment value.

You could be on to something...

Many people are not in control of their emotions. Rather, their emotions control them. There isn't any mystery here, the reasons are physical. But for folks so lacking control they might as well be on meth. We all share the same problem but to different degrees. If my PFC doesn't mature, I'm pretty much a kid for life. And if the environment is selecting for same, Katy bar the door.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

It is kinda like Pro Wrestling if one will pardon the oxymoron. But I think the parallel is that some people cannot spot a fake, they think a contest and its contestants are real when in fact it's all staged for entertainment value. That's what constitutes the very foundation of the Orange base, folks that can't discern fantasy from reality, like when I was seven years old and thought Pro Wrestling was real.

I think it is a bit further than this. It is staged. But it is also manipulative. And politics these days for the right-wing is highly manipulative. And politics in general has been so digested and studied that reactions to stupid details like tie color are in the hopper because of how people will react.

Wrestling and the GOP are a lot tighter because you've got the heel out their riding the voters up. The main difference is the heel is targeting the opponents not the crowd.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

It is kinda like Pro Wrestling if one will pardon the oxymoron. But I think the parallel is that some people cannot spot a fake, they think a contest and its contestants are real when in fact it's all staged for entertainment value. That's what constitutes the very foundation of the Orange base, folks that can't discern fantasy from reality, like when I was seven years old and thought Pro Wrestling was real.

It's not just the Orange base--most people aren't very good at recognizing deception that doesn't actually involve a lie that can be pointed to. It's just there is an awful lot more effort to exploit this by the far right. (For an example from the left, look at Michael Moore's stuff.)

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

There are partially true/partially wrong, accidentally mistaken, biased to ignore that it is mistaken, intended to muddle the truth, intended to misinform, flat out manipulation.

Iraq was a notable mistruth via muddling and intention to deceive.

Trump moved even beyond that, he doesn't care what you believe, as long as you follow him.

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

I can't help but notice the difference in physiques between the liberal wrestler and conservative one. I wonder if it reflects something, like jealousy.