In the industry of professional wrestling, some people get over with flashy moves.\u00a0 Others create clever catch phrases that worm their way into the collective conscious of the fans.\u00a0 Still others will resort to being arbitrarily controversial or just plain weird.\u00a0 In a way, Steve Austin used pieces of all these approaches, but more than anything, Austin got over in his own unique way.\u00a0 Steve Austin got over by being American.<\/p>\n
Before you start emailing me about Hulk Hogan, \u201cThe All-American\u201d Lex Luger, and even \u201cThe Patriot\u201d Del Wilkes (I can\u2019t remember the last time I thought about that guy!) I want to clarify what I mean by being American.\u00a0 The aforementioned trio, and a handful of others, have gotten over by intentionally associating themselves with patriotism.\u00a0 They wore outfits with the flag on them.\u00a0 They came out to songs declaring their love and devotion to the United States.\u00a0 They got over with American imagery and rhetoric.\u00a0 But they didn\u2019t get over by channeling American ideals.<\/p>\n
How could Steve Austin be more \u201cAmerican\u201d than the wrestlers mentioned earlier?\u00a0 He rarely spoke of his home country in his promos.\u00a0 He generally dressed in black and his music was hardly the \u201cStar Spangled Banner\u201d.\u00a0 What Austin seemed to understand was that American wrestling fans loved what America represented more than America itself.<\/p>\n
First of all, Austin was the embodiment of Rugged Individualism.\u00a0 He associated with no group.\u00a0 He relied on no partners.\u00a0 He was the lone wolf, his survival hinged solely upon his own skills and hard work.\u00a0 This philosophy makes for a difficult existence, but it produces toughness, self-reliance, and inner strength.\u00a0 This idea resonates with Americans because it\u2019s woven into the fabric of our history.\u00a0 Many fans view themselves as individualist, either consciously or unconsciously, and to see this idea played out in the vibrant and bombastic world of professional wrestling is deeply satisfying.<\/p>\n
Austin was also unapologetically blue collar.\u00a0 His interests were simple; hunting, fishing, and drinking beer.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t concern himself with notions of intellectual development or existential meaning.\u00a0 Not surprisingly, this \u201ccommon man\u2019s confidence\u201d spoke to the wrestling fans of his time period, and continues to do so today.\u00a0 The sociological makeup of the wrestling fan base is disproportionately blue collar.\u00a0 Inevitably, people are going to identify with those they see as part of their cultural group, and Steven Austin was a natural standard bearer for the American laborer.<\/p>\n
Finally, Steve Austin had a deep hatred for authority.\u00a0 The most affective story lines involving Austin, were also those involving his antithetical foil, Vince McMahon.\u00a0 Vince was a rich, educated, powerful, well-groomed Yankee who imposed his will on all those under him.\u00a0 Austin not only bristled at this authority, he openly rebelled.\u00a0 Wether it be the federal government or corporate suits, most wrestling fans despise people having power over them.\u00a0 The American ethic is built around the idea of individual freedom and responsibility.\u00a0 Fans got to live out their workplace fantasies when they watched Austin beat up his stuff-shirt boss.\u00a0 Again, in respect to the sociological makeup of the fan base, it is likely many viewers worked at a job where they had a direct supervisor, whom they likely despised.\u00a0 The notion of personal freedom is expressed most fervently when it is threatened.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, any wildly popular professional wrestler has to find a way to connect with the fans.\u00a0 Even the heels have to be able to identify something the viewers hate, and project it convincingly.\u00a0 The best wrestler, is one sensitive to the collective psyche of the fans.\u00a0 Austin was particularly memorable because he captured the ideas of a nation that prides itself on ideas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In the industry of professional wrestling, some people get over with flashy moves.\u00a0 Others create clever catch phrases that worm their way into the collective conscious of the fans.\u00a0 Still others will resort to being arbitrarily controversial or just plain … Continue reading