There is a famous quote in Woody Allen’s Hannah and Her Sisters in which Max Von Sydow’s character Frederick ponders aloud:
“You see the whole culture. Nazis, deodorant salesmen, wrestlers, beauty contests, a talk show. Can you imagine the level of a mind that watches wrestling?”
To Frederick it is baffling anyone would waste their time watching men in spandex engage in an orgy of pre-planned fake violence. Yet to Roland Barthes, the famous academic and acclaimed thinker, wrestling transcends the primitive notion that it consists solely of pretend fights; to him wrestling was one of the grand spectacles – part ballet, part Greek morality play, theatre and athletics combined, storytelling through physicality. Andy Kaufman, renowned for his eccentric humour, alternatively saw wrestling as a sublime medium for performing arts – blending fact and fantasy to invoke very real emotion from audiences.
To say professional wrestling is a subject that...
“You see the whole culture. Nazis, deodorant salesmen, wrestlers, beauty contests, a talk show. Can you imagine the level of a mind that watches wrestling?”
To Frederick it is baffling anyone would waste their time watching men in spandex engage in an orgy of pre-planned fake violence. Yet to Roland Barthes, the famous academic and acclaimed thinker, wrestling transcends the primitive notion that it consists solely of pretend fights; to him wrestling was one of the grand spectacles – part ballet, part Greek morality play, theatre and athletics combined, storytelling through physicality. Andy Kaufman, renowned for his eccentric humour, alternatively saw wrestling as a sublime medium for performing arts – blending fact and fantasy to invoke very real emotion from audiences.
To say professional wrestling is a subject that...
- 12/15/2009
- by Kieron Casey
- ReelLoop.com
imdb.1eye.us, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.