Roland barthes seminal article on professional wrestling in mythologies, he describes wrestling as a spectacle of excess, where passions such as love and. Barthes whole project in mythologies was to analyze the structure of the myths that gave meaning to french culture. And in fact wrestling is an openair spectacle, for what makes the circus or the arena what they are. But if ballet dazzles audiences with grace and beauty, then wrestling, or at least professional wrestling, dumbfounds spectators with action and excess. Wrestlers on the simpsons professional wrestling, brought. The current wwf version retains the classic mythical images of wrestlingwhat barthes called the great spectacle of suffering, defeat, and justice. Some notable wrestling jargon includes babyface and heel, which mean good guy and bad guy, respectively. Watching wrestling takes on all the issues of the public torture session, all its lessons of power, justice, vulnerability, and formalizes them in a way that allows for the safe engagement with rancieres more fluid, active ideas of spectatorship. Beginning with roland barthess semiotic analysis of the spectacle of excess in his 1957 mythologies, theatre and performance have often been employed in studies of wrestling largely as a way to mark the form as somehow other than sport, but only rarely as a particular performance form. Roland barthes, wrestling, and the eucharist in 1957, during his structuralist stage, roland barthes published a book of collected essays titled mythologies. In 1972, the literary theorist roland barthes wrote an essay in which he called wrestling the pure gesture which separates good from evil and. Finally, someone says what were all thinking, amirite. Abstract this article examines how professional wrestlers, promoters and audiences perform the passion work of sports entertainment.
Dig a little below the surface, however, and you find so much more. For this purpose, we consider two broad areasthe transition of wwe from wrestling sport to entertainment, and analysis of various wwe characters. The french philosopher and semiologist roland barthes celebrated wrestling as a spectacle of excess, finding in it a grandiloquence which must have been that of ancient theatres. The simpsons has been around so long that theyve featured enough wrestlers for you to make a whole roster out of for your universe mode in the wwe 2k games. This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. For this purpose, we consider two broad areasthe transition of wwe from wrestlingsport to entertainment, and analysis of various wwe characters. This website is powered by the sportsengine platform, but is owned by and subject to the california usa wrestling privacy policy. In his analysis, wrestlings characters and storylines are infused with the legendary themes of cultures mythology barthes, the world of wrestling. Professional wrestling had been broadcast on national tv since the late 1940s, but by the 1960s the dozens of smalltime wrestling organizations in. The emergence of modern professional wrestling in the united states and australia. For all the attention it received, to my knowledge, no one provided much of a political analysis of darren aronofskys 2008 awardwinning motion picture the wrestler. Marketing management journals the spectacle of excess. Even trumps name is a wrestling trope, since the dictionary definition is to defeat someone publicly. The revolution is upon us, and i am so grateful for the first submission of aew analysis to the spectacle of excess.
In roland barthes seminal article on professional wrestling in mythologies, he describes wrestling as a spectacle of excess, where passions. On us notes on the spectacle of excess is a collaborative blog that explores the art of professional wrestling through cultural criticism, creative nonfiction, memoir, and other such writerly points of view. List of professional wrestling television series wikipedia. Aug 02, 2018 the spectacle of womens wrestling read online for free. In 1957, during his structuralist stage, roland barthes published a book of collected essays titled mythologies. The virtue of wrestling is to be a spectacle of excess, roland barthes begins but we are wary of excess in women, wary of too much flesh, too. The dwindling amount of oldtimers still alive that experienced the territories of the 50s, 60s, 70s and even 80s tend to look back on making towns with fondness, when wrestling was still considered by the masses to be real, so much so that even many rookies making their debuts at. Nov 02, 2007 whatever it is, a wrestler must embrace the spectacle of excess with his persona, performing the role not only in the ring, but also in interviews and in backstage shenanigans. Barthes begins with wrestling exactly because of the transparency of actions and symbols.
The spectacle of womens wrestling read online for free. Trump took a page out of the wwes playbook new york post. On wrestling, caring, and tetsuya naito i know barely anything about any of the wrestlers, its all a buzz of new names and styles. It is also one of the most popular performance practices in the united states and around the world, drawing millions of spectators to live events and televised broadcasts. Jan 30, 2012 in conclusion over all after reading his argument about the spectacle versus the commonly called sport moniker that is wrestling, it is indeed a spectacle of excess showing everything from tear jerking moments to the meaningless bastard that is the villain of the spectacle. And last saturday, the spectacle of professional wrestling was alive and well in north austin at party world rasslins, dinoslam. The institution of wrestling is profitable because those in power take advantage of the fact that it is a spectacle of excess and such a spectacle is seductive and therefore pleasurable to the audience, which makes them come back for more. But wrestling is exactly torture as a public spectacle. Everything is and always will be over the top in the world of wrestling.
Krein said, drawing a chuckle from the crowd of more. Here, the objective is to analyze wwe as a marketing spectacle. The virtue of wrestling is to be a spectacle of excess, roland barthes beginsbut we are wary of excess in women, wary of too much flesh, too much blood, too much lust or power. The virtue of wrestling is that it is the spectacle of excess. Addison wesley longman, second edition, 1996 and honorary professional fellow.
Ryan has made a painstaking study of wrestling from the eighties, nineties, and attitude era imagine the things he has seen. In the essay, world of wrestling, barthes describes the quasisport as a spectacle of excess that presents an idealized form of the constant struggle between good and evil. The grandiloquent truth of gestures on lifes great occasions. Roland goes on to mention what kinds of differences there are between amateur wrestling and professional wrestling and the difference is that in amateur. Read the spectacle of womens wrestling online free 30day. January smackdown a cultural history of professional wrestling. The spectacle cannot be understood as a mere visual excess produced by massmedia tech. Usaw insurance information california usa wrestling. Japanese wrestling notes on the spectacle of excess.
The praise singersanother aspect of tradition adapted to the wrestling spectacleand drummers lined the approach to the locker room tunnel, which ran under the west stands. Mar 12, 20 the praise singersanother aspect of tradition adapted to the wrestling spectacleand drummers lined the approach to the locker room tunnel, which ran under the west stands. I am excited to welcome new contributor ryan boyd to notes on the spectacle of excess. Many of the idiosyncratic terms of wrestling jargon have roots to turn of the century carnivals and circuses, where wrestling was a common attraction. Beautiful bart primed and ready to take the wrestling world of springfield by storm and become the newest bad boy. In roland barthes seminal article on professional wrestling in mythologies, he describes wrestling as a spectacle of excess, where passions such as love and hate are exaggerated through the expressions of wrestlers and audience members. Sep 21, 2017 barthes begins with wrestling exactly because of the transparency of actions and symbols.
Roland barthes has rightly called pro wrestling a spectacle of excess. Download the political economy of professional wrestling. The spectacle inherits theweakness of the western philosophical project. June 2015 learn how and when to remove this template message this is a list of professional wrestling television series. This brand of pro wrestling was familiar to roland barthes and todays gay men, but not pro wrestlings straight men and women fans who continue to support wwetna. The reason he goes on to further state why he views professional wrestling as a spectacle is the grand excess of not only brutality but also personalities and moreover traits of personalities. Our politics, like barthess wrestling, has become a spectacle of excess, which has no sense of time, and no logic of the future, mr. Challenging hypermasculinity in professional wrestling. Movies professional wrestling, brought to you by pop culture. The world of professional wrestling has its own vocabulary, full of strange and unusual terms.
Notes on the spectacle of excess in the ring, and even in the depths of their voluntary ignominy, wrestlers remain gods because they are, for a few moments, the key which opens nature, the pure gesture which separates good from evil, and unveils the form of a. But instead of looking to the classic myths that gave rise to western society, barthes examines. Here we find a grandiloquence which must have been that of ancient theatres. The emergence of modern professional wrestling in the united states and australia john rickard search for more papers by this author. It is human nature to enjoy watching other humans compete in a onetoone physical challenge. The main event is a tag match, and the first wrestler to the ring is someone who goes by evil in english, in all caps, carrying a scythe and wearing a purple and black velour robe. Notes on the spectacle of excess in the ring, and even in the depths of their voluntary ignominy, wrestlers remain gods because they are, for a few moments, the key which opens nature, the pure gesture which separates good from evil, and unveils the form of a justice which is at last intelligible. Notes on the spectacle of excess is a collaborative blog that explores the art of professional wrestling through cultural criticism, creative nonfiction, memoir, and other such writerly points of view. Itisaworldviewthathasactuallybeenmaterialized,aviewofaworldthathasbecome.
A key research question concerns how the passion work in professional wrestling involves different types. The passion work of professional wrestlers, fans and antifans this article examines how professional wrestlers, promoters and audiences perform the. And in fact wrestling is an openair spectacle, for what makes the circus or the arena what they are is not the sky a romantic value suited rather to fashionable occasions, it is the drenching and. Be it myth, sport, spectacle or simply wretched excess, pro wrestling has in recent years emerged from squalid halls and remodeled itselfup to a point. Jul 17, 2017 the simpsons has been around so long that theyve featured enough wrestlers for you to make a whole roster out of for your universe mode in the wwe 2k games. Apr 22, 2007 but wrestling is exactly torture as a public spectacle. Analysis of the world of wrestling by roland barthes roland barthess essay on the world of wrestling draws analogically on the ancient theatre to contextualize wrestling as a cultural myth where the grandiloquence of the ancient is preserved and the spectacle of excess is displayed. If there was a rebirth of locally promoted professional wrestling, as winningham photographed it in 1971, it was shortlived. The passion work of professional wrestlers, fans and antifans hill, annette lu in european journal of cultural studies 18 2. Every single action has to be exaggerated, and has the character of the ancient greek theatres.
Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. Jun 22, 2017 in his 1957 book, mythologies, the french literary critic roland barthes described wrestling as the spectacle of excess. Or to be more relevant with the times, create them on fire pro wrestling world. In fact, triple h is a wrestler that barthes would find. Here we find a grandiloquence which must have been that of ancient theaters. We think professional wrestling is important, and we read it like its literature. In his analysis, wrestling s characters and storylines are infused with the legendary themes of cultures mythology barthes, the world of wrestling. Capital, unions and spandex as pdfwage labour on the fringes. In the same way the eucharist as spectacle stands against the saccharinity of overwrought consumerism.
In his 1957 book, mythologies, the french literary critic roland barthes described wrestling as the spectacle of excess. I suspect this is largely a function of the subject matter of the film. It was pro wrestling as a spectacle of excess exaggerated gestures and moves in the ring. Naturally, there are sexual connotations to such an activity, notably in a derivative of pro wrestling known as apartment wrestling. Professional wrestling is often seen as a suspect sport and marginal entertainment. Read the spectacle of womens wrestling online free 30. The spectacle of excess a roland barthesinspired blog. That its display of violence is at once simulated and actual is part of the appeal for the fans who debate performance choices with as much. It is opulent and over the top in a way that barthes could hardly have imagined, but still very much the spectacle of excess that he knew. Aug 02, 2018 the virtue of wrestling is to be a spectacle of excess, roland barthes beginsbut we are wary of excess in women, wary of too much flesh, too much blood, too much lust or power. The spectacle of excess a roland barthesinspired blog of.
1262 955 482 785 426 1510 485 641 298 439 1388 931 390 3 609 75 985 329 330 937 847 471 1196 1190 1466 1524 15 1405 1152 445 895 1483 140 370 1420 1373 486 428 780 864 860 1136 1000 985 365 1007 605 753 1030 1233 1424