![\"swagger:coulter\"](\"http:\/\/www.the-belt.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/swaggercoulter.jpg\")
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Professional Wrestling has a long history of xenophobic themes and story arcs.\u00a0 \u201cForeigners should be feared\u201d is as ingrained in the collective psyche of the average wrestling fan as \u201cvillains cheat\u201d and \u201cheroes don\u2019t tap out\u201d.\u00a0 Just in the Wrestlemania Era there are countless examples of people portraying evil, dastardly or bizarre characters hailing from different countries and\/or minority cultures; The Iron Sheik (Iran), Papa Shango (Haiti), Kamala (Uganda), Giant Gonzalez (Argentina), Mohammed Hassan (Muslim-American), Eddie Guerrero (Mexico), William Regal (England), Rene Dupree (France), Nikoli Volkov\/Boris Zubov (Russia) just to name a few.\u00a0 Even the beloved Bret Hart portrayed a heel for a brief time built around his Canadian heritage.<\/p>\n
This is no surprise.\u00a0 The business of pro wrestling has always catered to the whims of its largest sociological demographic.\u00a0 Historically, the fan base has been disproportionately caucasian, low to lower-middle income, lower education level laborers and their families.\u00a0 These bombastic tales of foreign masses \u201cinvading\u201d the United States and changing the American way of life would have resonated strongly with many in this group.\u00a0 The ethnocentricity of wrestling remained unchanged for several decades.<\/p>\n
Yet now, in 2013, a funny thing happened on the way to the ring; the xenophobic storyline was turned inside-out.<\/p>\n
After a several month layoff, Jack Swagger resurfaced, but instead of being his former persona (a mean, somewhat generic tough-guy heel) he is now the controversial \u201cReal American\u201d Jack Swagger.\u00a0 Additionally, he is managed by a character named \u201cZeb Coulter\u201d who is a more over-the-top (if that\u2019s possible) Glenn Beck-type, fiery rhetoric and histrionics in-tow.\u00a0 They are currently feuding with Mexican wrestler Alberto Del Rio, largely built around Del Rio\u2019s Mexican heritage and Swagger\/Coulter\u2019s hatred for immigrants.\u00a0 What makes this story special, however, is that the Mexican wrestler, Del Rio is actually playing the face, and the white Americans, Swagger\/Coulter are being booked as the heels.\u00a0 Perhaps the most fascinating thing of all is that the audience is embracing it.<\/p>\n
A story like this would have been utterly unthinkable 25, 15 or even just 5 years ago.\u00a0 Not only would the idea have been a non-starter at brainstorming level, if it had somehow made it onto the program, the fan base would have fervently rejected it.\u00a0 So what could possibly account for the rapid paradigm shift?<\/p>\n
One explanation would be the changing demographic of the wrestling audience and the nation as a whole.\u00a0 As the United States continues to diversify at a unprecedented pace, all aspects of the market will have to adjust.\u00a0 At one point, professional wrestling seemed impervious to this changing dynamic, but as the WWE has rebooted to try and reach a younger population with a \u201cTV-PG\u201d product, they have inevitably drawn a more diverse group of young people.\u00a0 Vince McMahon is, after all, an expert businessman, who has always thrived because of his ability to evolve.\u00a0 So it\u2019s no surprise that he would create a show that capitalizes on this new market.<\/p>\n
Another reason the Del Rio\/Swagger program has been successful is that it reflects the struggles of the diverse audience.\u00a0 It is not enough just to have minorities portray good guys and carry titles; to truly connect with any person the material must speak to their own existential experience.\u00a0 The Del Rio\/Swagger storyline is probably very meaningful to the Latino portion of the audience because it is a retelling of their own challenges.\u00a0 Swagger and Coulter are the consummate bigots; self-righteous, judgmental, and inflexible.\u00a0 They assault Del Rio with stereotypes, leveling their rhetorical dagger at Del Rio\u2019s work ethic, morality, value as a member of society.\u00a0 Del Rio is portrayed as a self-made man who has worked hard, acted responsibly and realized the ever-elusive American Dream.<\/p>\n
It goes without saying that many Latinos have experienced prejudice on some level, and could easily identify with Del Rio.\u00a0 Most Mexican immigrants would tell you, wether legal or illegal, that the intention of coming to America is to work hard, receive a fair wage, and be able to fulfill their familial responsibilities.\u00a0 For their \u201cside of the story\u201d to be demonstrated in the traditionally racially intolerant world of professional wrestling is a powerful symbol of the direction of American dialogue.<\/p>\n
In the end, xenophobia has not only been named (ideologically speaking) but has been transformed into something wholly different.\u00a0 As the wrestling audience continues to grow more diverse we are bound to see more revolutionary storylines that seek to capture the American narrative from a multitude of other perspectives.\u00a0 The sociological themes that have dominated the storytelling for so many decades appear to be losing their footing.\u00a0 In the very near future, professional wrestling may not only cease to be a lovably-backward piece of American kitsch, but may develop into a grandiose retelling of the American experience of diverse populations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Professional Wrestling has a long history of xenophobic themes and story arcs.\u00a0 \u201cForeigners should be feared\u201d is as ingrained in the collective psyche of the average wrestling fan as \u201cvillains cheat\u201d and \u201cheroes don\u2019t tap out\u201d.\u00a0 Just … Continue reading