Grappling with Representation in the WWE

Lowery A. Woodall III

doi:10.5771/9781793608789

Summary

In this book, Lowery A. Woodall III explores the ways that diverse populations are portrayed, stereotyped, and sometimes villainized in the WWE’s colorful and dramatic programming. Each chapter examines the surprisingly complex and multilayered representation of marginalized populations throughout the modern history of the WWE under the leadership of Vincent K. McMahon. Through weekly shows like Raw and SmackDown, pay-per-view spectaculars like WrestleMania, and a vast library of wrestling-related material on their streaming platform, Woodall argues that the WWE and McMahon have created calculated and carefully curated representations of diversity that are viewed by millions of fans worldwide. What effects do those representations have on the men, women, and children who consume WWE content? How are wrestlers and performers impacted by their on-screen portrayals? This book explores these questions and demonstrates that when representations are inaccurate or problematic, more than just kayfabe is in danger of being broken. Scholars of professional wrestling studies, media studies, and communication studies will find this book of particular interest.

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Bibliographic data

Copyright year: 2022
ISBN-Print: 978-1-7936-0877-2
ISBN-Online: 978-1-7936-0878-9
Publisher: Lexington, Lanham
Language: English
Pages: 282
Product type: Book Titles

1. Dedication No access
2. Contents No access
1. A Short History of American Pro Wrestling No access
2. Why Study Professional Wrestling? No access
3. Why the WWE? No access
4. What to Expect from This Book No access
5. Final Thoughts No access
6. Notes No access
1. Iris Young and the Five Faces of Oppression No access
2. Women’s Wrestling in the 1980s WWE: Moolah, Leilani Kai, and Wendy Richter No access
3. The New Generation No access
4. The Attitude Era No access
5. The Revolution Will Be Televised No access
6. Notes No access
1. Muted Group Theory No access
2. Bobo Brazil No access
3. Tokenism No access
4. Ron Simmons No access
5. The Rock No access
6. Hypermasculinity and the Cool Pose No access
7. Mark Henry No access
8. Notes No access
1. Mauro Ranallo, JBL, and Internet Heat No access
2. Representations of Neurodiversity as an Object of Ridicule No access
3. Mental Health Should Be Scorned No access
4. Representations of Neurodiversity as a Sign of Danger and Villainy No access
5. Representations of Neurodiversity as a Curse of the Helpless No access
6. The Toll of the Squared Circle—Those Left Behind No access
7. Notes No access
1. You Gotta Have Faith? No access
2. A Message from God No access
3. The Devil Made Me Do It No access
4. Satanism in the WWE No access
5. A Place to Belong No access
6. That Old Black Magic No access
7. Boxing with Allah No access
8. I Have Seen The Light No access
9. Notes No access
1. Gorgeous George and the Birth of LGBTQIA Representation in Wrestling No access
2. Treatment of Lesbianism within Media No access
3. Representations of Homosexual Marriage in Media No access
4. Representation of Cross-Dressing and Drag in Media No access
5. Notes No access
1. Argument 1: I Was Only Playing a Character No access
2. Argument 2: That Was Years Ago No access
3. The Power of Fan Involvement No access
4. Notes No access
Bibliography No access Pages 247 - 264
Index No access Pages 265 - 280
About the Author No access Pages 281 - 282