The Wrestling-Redneck connection

[eDemento2099]

Salsashark, A fellow Wrestlecrapper, recently stated that much of the general public dismisses wrestling "redneck ballet" (Source: officialfan.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=wrestling&thread=116706&page=1). I thought that was an interesting way to characterize how wrestling's detractors regard wrestling. Having said that, I ask these questions of you:

1) Do you consider wrestling a redneck 'sport,' or even just redneck entertainment? If you like, you can reflect on what the product is like today vs. what it was like a century ago. Go nuts; just please provide an answer!

2) Do you live - or have you ever lived - in an area characterized by a redneck population (i.e. a rural area, or even much of the Southern United States)?

3) Aside from wrestling, do you enjoy other forms of so-called 'redneck' sports or entertainment (i.e. NASCAR, the old TNN channel, celebrity poker tournaments, Hee Haw, country music, etc)?

Here are my personal responses to those questions:

1) No, I never really perceived wrestling as a redneck sport or redneck entertainment. Maybe it's because I only started watching wrestling in the early 90s and never really got a sense of the territory system by which it used to operate, but but I never assocaited wrestling or its fans with the south. The only association I conjured up between wrestling and redneck entertainment is that, to the layman's eyes, wrestling resembles redneck entertainment in the sense that it is often crass, seemingly unsophistocated, and insulting to the intelligence of its audience.

2) No, I never lived in the Red states. I'm a Canadian citizen, for one, although I have admittedly spent most of my life living in the outskirts of a city - a neighbourhood which borders on being urban / rural in many respects.

3) No, I cannot stand that stuff, and regard most of it as crap. I wouldn't even know what TNN was if it wasn't for the fact that it used to broadcast ECW back in the day.

[Wrestling guru]

Jun 19, 2008 3:25:15 GMT -5 eDemento2099 said:

Salsashark, A fellow Wrestlecrapper, recently stated that much of the general public dismisses wrestling "redneck ballet" (Source: officialfan.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=wrestling&thread=116706&page=1). I thought that was an interesting way to characterize how wrestling's detractors regard wrestling. Having said that, I ask these questions of you:

1) Do you consider wrestling a redneck 'sport,' or even just redneck entertainment? If you like, you can reflect on what the product is like today vs. what it was like a century ago. Go nuts; just please provide an answer!

2) Do you live - or have you ever lived - in an area characterized by a redneck population (i.e. a rural area, or even much of the Southern United States)?

3) Aside from wrestling, do you enjoy other forms of so-called 'redneck' sports or entertainment (i.e. NASCAR, the old TNN channel, celebrity poker tournaments, Hee Haw, country music, etc)?

Here are my personal responses to those questions:

1) No, I never really perceived wrestling as a redneck sport or redneck entertainment. Maybe it's because I only started watching wrestling in the early 90s and never really got a sense of the territory system by which it used to operate, but but I never assocaited wrestling or its fans with the south. The only association I conjured up between wrestling and redneck entertainment is that, to the layman's eyes, wrestling resembles redneck entertainment in the sense that it is often crass, seemingly unsophistocated, and insulting to the intelligence of its audience.

2) No, I never lived in the Red states. I'm a Canadian citizen, for one, although I have admittedly spent most of my life living in the outskirts of a city - a neighbourhood which borders on being urban / rural in many respects.

3) No, I cannot stand that stuff, and regard most of it as crap. I wouldn't even know what TNN was if it wasn't for the fact that it used to broadcast ECW back in the day.

1. Mabey back in the 70's, especially in the NWA. WWE especially has a pretty diverse audience today. Although you will also see plenty of goobers at live wrestling events, you will also see people from all different types of people including the wealthy and sophisticated.

2. Always lived in a big city. Have also lived in Guam and Hawaii. The "red states" don't really appeal to me, not because of the people, but because there probably isn't much to do.

3. I'm caucasian, and I really can't stand country music, etc. Just my personal preference, to each his own.

[The Lodger]

1. No I don't consider it a redneck sport, I think a lot of rednecks like it. If anything it's childish, like Spongebob or Backyardigans.

2. I'm from Colorado, but my whole family is from the south. I was born in Tennessee. I consider myself a southern delgate, I live in New York now. (first of my family to live nroth of the Mason Dixon.)

3. I like watching poker if there's nothing on. I do enjoy country music, Cash, Williams (1 and 3,) Jennings (both Waylon and Shooter,) Steve Earle. It's no the only music I like but like all music, there's good and bad.


I was discussing this with my wife, the kind of people who discuss wrestling on the internet, are not the kind of fans the public percieve as a wrestling fans. They still associate them with rednecks. A closer comparison would be DnD and video game nerds.

[Joekishi]

I LOL that whenever I see a puro vid on youtube some dude says lol only rednecks watch this, when the audience is full of Japanese people.

[NOwave]

1. Without question, wrestling was VERY MUCH a Blue-collar form of entertainment in the south in the territorial days. I grew up in Memphis and even worked briefly in the business for Lawler and Jarrett back in the '70s. They definitely and admittedly aimed the product at a low socio-economic population. It was never a secret. But, it wasn't just white rednecks; wrestling in Memphis was HUGELY over with the black population. Lawler was easily the most popular white man among the Memphis black community. Hell, Sputnik Monroe single-handedly de-segregated Ellis Auditorium in Memphis in the late 1950's. He refused to perform unless they opened the doors to blacks.

2. That answered 2, I guess. I've lived most of my life in "redneck areas" Memphis, Louisiana, Texas.

3. I don't like NASCAR. I like older country music, and I'm not even sure what some of those things are.

[Tushingham Rimswell]

1) Not really, although occasionally I find promoters try too hard to appeal to the rednecks. (Tribute to the Troops, US guys are always face)

2) No, I live near Edinburgh, the most un-redneck place in the world

3) Some old country music, but never even heard of Heehaw, and think motorsports are the antichrist.

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

1) No, wrestling appeals to numerous demographics.

2) I've lived in the St. Louis metro area most of my life, so no.

3) I enjoy a bit of country music now and then, and I'll watch televised poker if there's nothing else on. I never got into NASCAR.

[The Line]

before the Rock and Wrestling era, I believe that it was heavily a redneck thing. But then people from all walks of life started to enjoy it. The same thing happened in the attitude era. You'll have guys from Michigan enjoying the same thing as guys from Alabama. Its mainly just the non-wrestling media still paints it as that.



But there is still some truth to it. A show running in Auburn, Washington really won't be appealing to a "redneck" audience, but a show in Auburn, Texas probably will.

[Dave at the Movies]

Would Tractor Pull be considered redneck sports entertainment? If so I'm guiltiar than OJ Simpson.

[Dr. Bolty, Disaster Enby]

I will say that wrestling has a LOT less stigma in Indiana (where I'm going to college) than in Pennsylvania (where I grew up). In PA, I'd get very weird looks for saying I like wrestling, but it seems a lot more normal further west.

[eDemento2099]

Jun 19, 2008 13:30:04 GMT -5 NOwave said:

I grew up in Memphis and even worked briefly in the business for Lawler and Jarrett back in the '70s.

Did you ever cross paths with Dennis Stamp?

Thanks for your complex answer, by the way.

[efarns]

1) mmmmm, yeah, basically I consider it lowbrow theater . . . guys who aren't quite actors acting out scenes that aren't quite scripted . . . but that looseness does leave room for some really inspired work

2) Yes, the Ohio/West Virginia border qualifies as redneck country

3) Not a lot . . . I like some country music and do a little fishing

[01 Mark!]

Jun 19, 2008 11:12:55 GMT -5 Joekishi said:

I LOL that whenever I see a puro vid on youtube some dude says lol only rednecks watch this, when the audience is full of Japanese people.

Another thing I noticed about Puroresu is that if you notice the audience in big promotions like NJPW and NOAH a majority is made up of kids and much smaller promotions like BJW and Zero 1 attract an audience of businessmen.

To the Main Topic
1. Yes, its a bunch of dudes getting half naked to fight each other and for the most part wrestlers use ridiculous aliases and ring names. Also if you look back to the origins of Pro Wrestling in America it originated from a traditionally redneck sport in Bare Knuckle Boxing.

2.Nope, I have only lived in NYC and the Metro Denver area.

3.No I dont enjoy Country or any other form of 'Redneck' culture. I also despise how many people like Johnny Cash even though he was a racist

[efarns]

Jun 19, 2008 21:49:41 GMT -5 01 Mark! said:

3.No I dont enjoy Country or any other form of 'Redneck' culture. I also despise how many people like Johnny Cash even though he was a racist

Nobody's perfect

[Kevin Hamilton]

Proof of Johnny Cash's alleged racism other than the Johnny Rebel song that he sometimes gets confused for? Cuz that wasn't him. Two different guys.

[01 Mark!]

Jun 19, 2008 22:34:02 GMT -5 Kevin Hamilton said:

Proof of Johnny Cash's alleged racism other than the Johnny Rebel song that he sometimes gets confused for? Cuz that wasn't him.

After doing some research you re right I still stand on my stance on Country

[Kevin Hamilton]

That's ok, you don't have to like it, diff'rent strokes and all.

I just love Cash and thought that might be what you were referring to.

[Gillberg: 0-175]

Jun 19, 2008 9:47:29 GMT -5 The Lodger said:

1. No I don't consider it a redneck sport, I think a lot of rednecks like it. If anything it's childish, like Spongebob or Backyardigans.

2. I'm from Colorado, but my whole family is from the south. I was born in Tennessee. I consider myself a southern delgate, I live in New York now. (first of my family to live nroth of the Mason Dixon.)

3. I like watching poker if there's nothing on. I do enjoy country music, Cash, Williams (1 and 3,) Jennings (both Waylon and Shooter,) Steve Earle. It's no the only music I like but like all music, there's good and bad.


I was discussing this with my wife, the kind of people who discuss wrestling on the internet, are not the kind of fans the public percieve as a wrestling fans. They still associate them with rednecks. A closer comparison would be DnD and video game nerds.

Which brings up a good discussion topic? Why do you think 'nerds' are attracted to half-naked guys fake fighting?

[salsashark]

Jun 19, 2008 3:25:15 GMT -5 eDemento2099 said:

Salsashark, A fellow Wrestlecrapper, recently stated that much of the general public dismisses wrestling "redneck ballet" (Source: officialfan.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=wrestling&thread=116706&page=1). I thought that was an interesting way to characterize how wrestling's detractors regard wrestling. Having said that, I ask these questions of you:

1) Do you consider wrestling a redneck 'sport,' or even just redneck entertainment? If you like, you can reflect on what the product is like today vs. what it was like a century ago. Go nuts; just please provide an answer!

2) Do you live - or have you ever lived - in an area characterized by a redneck population (i.e. a rural area, or even much of the Southern United States)?

3) Aside from wrestling, do you enjoy other forms of so-called 'redneck' sports or entertainment (i.e. NASCAR, the old TNN channel, celebrity poker tournaments, Hee Haw, country music, etc)?

Here are my personal responses to those questions:

1) No, I never really perceived wrestling as a redneck sport or redneck entertainment. Maybe it's because I only started watching wrestling in the early 90s and never really got a sense of the territory system by which it used to operate, but but I never assocaited wrestling or its fans with the south. The only association I conjured up between wrestling and redneck entertainment is that, to the layman's eyes, wrestling resembles redneck entertainment in the sense that it is often crass, seemingly unsophistocated, and insulting to the intelligence of its audience.

2) No, I never lived in the Red states. I'm a Canadian citizen, for one, although I have admittedly spent most of my life living in the outskirts of a city - a neighbourhood which borders on being urban / rural in many respects.

3) No, I cannot stand that stuff, and regard most of it as crap. I wouldn't even know what TNN was if it wasn't for the fact that it used to broadcast ECW back in the day.

I got a huge smile on my face from seeing my name in the first post. ;D You are seriously awesome for mentioning me!

1) Even as a huge wrestling fan, I absolutely see it as a very redneck sport. Actually, let me be specific: I don't think the act of "pro wrestling" is very redneck but much of the aura it gives off makes me think that way. For example, the whole booing of anyone that isn't from America or that it is okay to disrespect other countries. The WWE perpetuated this on a nationwide scale in as far back as 1993/94 in a casket match where Undertaker took Yokozuna's Japanese flag and snapped it in half and threw it into the casket with him. Granted, Yoko was a heel, but was that really neccessary? Everyone was supposed to cheer for Taker--no matter the continent--but then they go and do that. Considering that the crowd CHEERED and always pops for shit like that, I think it's very fair to say that the mentality surrounding pro wrestling is extremely redneck.

2. I actually started watching in Pakistan, where many people love wrestling and still wonder about its legitimacy (Kayfabe runs huge over there as much of the population is illiterate), so this doesn't count for me.

3. God no. F that s. I don't even watch any other sports, aside from basketball for a bit, and maybe I'll give MMA a couple of chances.

PS: Sidenote about the "redneck ballet" thing: I had met one of my girlfriend's best friends for the first time and we had a ton of taste in common, so when we were in a pharmacy I noticed a WWE magazine on the racks and asked him what he thought of it. That was the instant he dismissed it as "redneck ballet." Oh well, can't have everything.

[eDemento2099]

Jun 20, 2008 2:51:59 GMT -5 salsashark said:

I don't think the act of "pro wrestling" is very redneck but much of the aura it gives off makes me think that way. For example, the whole booing of anyone that isn't from America or that it is okay to disrespect other countries. The WWE perpetuated this on a nationwide scale in as far back as 1993/94 in a casket match where Undertaker took Yokozuna's Japanese flag and snapped it in half and threw it into the casket with him. Granted, Yoko was a heel, but was that really neccessary? Everyone was supposed to cheer for Taker--no matter the continent--but then they go and do that. Considering that the crowd CHEERED and always pops for crap like that, I think it's very fair to say that the mentality surrounding pro wrestling is extremely redneck.

Excellent point!