Friday, September 30 2011
WWE’s Heels—the Jerks, Cowards and Miscreants—vs. Corporate Hedonism
Mainstream culture's failure to examine professional wrestling seriously -- in this case, workplace safety issues -- lets the WWE get away with all kinds of ridiculous villainy that no other media organisation could. And pocket a tidy profit while doing it.
Friday, May 20 2011
Killing Osama bin Laden and David Mamet’s Special Ops Drama, ‘The Unit’
Viewing the world through a haze of vaguely remembered TV shows, tough-guy dialogue and TV jingles, the news about Osama bin Laden’s death quickly turned thoughts to The Unit, the TV series created by once-great writer David Mamet.
Wednesday, March 30 2011
Homophobia Is Alive and Well on TV at the WWE
With the WWE's biggest event of the year on the horizon, fans and sponsors might want to take a closer look at its blatant homophobia and reconsider the wisdom of handing over their money to a bigoted and retrograde institution.
Tuesday, April 27 2010
Mickie James’ WWE Firing the Last Stop on a Road of Employee Bullying and Misogyny
Contrary to popular belief, misogyny is not a natural and inherent part of the wrestling business: the WWE and Vince McMahon's repugnant efforts have been active and consistent in their targeted application.
Thursday, March 25 2010
Beyond Barthes: Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker, Wrestlemania XXV
If any wrestling match has crossed over to the emotional realm, it's the epic bout between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker, but is it enough to bring sensitivity to professional wrestling?
Monday, January 4 2010
Yes, TV is art. Can we talk about wrestling now?
TNA's live broadcast against WWE on January 4 could be a turning point for American TV wrestling. One shot alone won't make it through the WWE's bovine skull, but at least someone's started firing.
Tuesday, July 21 2009
In the Wrestling Ring with Ric Flair, Where ‘Evil is the Natural Climate’
Ric Flair epitomizes Roland Barthes' 'perfect bastard', adopting a cowardly and devious state of jerkdom, elevating his coarse existence into some quasi-mythological state of being.
