Was Adorable Adrian Adonis scary stereotype of gay in 80s?

[Zen411]

Looking back at Adorable Adrian Adonis. It's crazy in today's day and age what an offensive one dimensional stereotype it was. I guess he was supposed to be the typical fans vision of what it was to be gay at the time. Strutting around the ring effeminately. Limp wrists. Cross dressing. Makeup. He was an effective heel but I didn't get the whole presentation. Dressed like an overweight church lady. Cheap birthday present bows. One eye with giant eyeshadow. Gay? Transgender? Both? Automatically hated like foreigners were hated at the time? Who liked this character?

[DiBiase is Good]

According to wrestling legend, Adonis was given the character as a punishment due to his weight gain. I don’t think they counted on just how well Adonis would play the role.
Yes, it is a stereotypical OTT representation of a “flaming” gay man and wrestling isn’t well known for its subtlety but beneath the surface it tapped into people’s homophobia and helped to make the character a success.
I personally like The Adorable One but most of that was down to Adonis selling it so well.

[Zen411]

Feb 10, 2019 17:04:16 GMT -5 DiBiase is Good said:

According to wrestling legend, Adonis was given the character as a punishment due to his weight gain. I don’t think they counted on just how well Adonis would play the role.
Yes, it is a stereotypical OTT representation of a “flaming” gay man and wrestling isn’t well known for its subtlety but beneath the surface it tapped into people’s homophobia and helped to make the character a success.
I personally like The Adorable One but most of that was down to Adonis selling it so well.

Adonis' mannerisms and facial expressions helped make the character work. It's a buried character with no legacy due to the offensive stereotypes. If the character wasn't just "generic gay", Adonis would have a better reputation in the history of wwf and maybe be a hall of famer.

[arrogantmodel]

Oh man, in high school, me and my buddies would go to the local wrestling shows. There was a tag team who wore pink and purple, had feathered boas, pranced around, and blew kisses to each other. And they were managed by a guy who looked like Rockstar Spud.

God damn, did they get the business from the crowd. And we're not some backwoods hick town, but they were showered with "Faggot!" chants. And what's worse, I guess, is that they played up to it.

I don't know, it's very cringey now, but that was an easy heat getter back in '99-2000. It's pretty shitty if a wrestler is like, "Hmmm, how can I get people to hate me? I know, I'll act gay."

Same as the guy from Pittsburgh who wrestled down in Mexico. How did he get the crowd to boo him? He played a super Trump supporter. I saw this on the ABC World News. Dude was like, "I don't like politics, but it works." I think it's pretty careless to use real life issues. Some crazed fan may not get that it's acting.

[WoodStoner1]

It was an 80s version of Gorgeous George, essentially. But with the added wrinkle of Adrian not being ambiguous. Yes he comes out (NPI) and says he's gay on an episode of TNT and made sexual comments about other wrestlers. Want to find the Body Shop (?) where he tells Jesse they were close in the past and wants to get closer in he future.

They emphasized the flamboyance and cross-dressing later on, and there were fewer references to Adonis being gay (unlike with the original incarnation of Goldust) .

I agree it wasn't a washout cause of how Adrian played the character.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Feb 10, 2019 17:51:15 GMT -5 arrogantmodel said:

Oh man, in high school, me and my buddies would go to the local wrestling shows. There was a tag team who wore pink and purple, had feathered boas, pranced around, and blew kisses to each other. And they were managed by a guy who looked like Rockstar Spud.

God damn, did they get the business from the crowd. And we're not some backwoods hick town, but they were showered with "Faggot!" chants. And what's worse, I guess, is that they played up to it.

I don't know, it's very cringey now, but that was an easy heat getter back in '99-2000. It's pretty shitty if a wrestler is like, "Hmmm, how can I get people to hate me? I know, I'll act gay."

Same as the guy from Pittsburgh who wrestled down in Mexico. How did he get the crowd to boo him? He played a super Trump supporter. I saw this on the ABC World News. Dude was like, "I don't like politics, but it works." I think it's pretty careless to use real life issues. Some crazed fan may not get that it's acting.

They’ve always used real life issues.

I forget what Piper did originally but he apologized and promised next time he was back, he’d have taught himself the Mexican National Anthem on the bagpipes.

So the day comes, everyone stands and he plays La Cucaracha.

[OVO 40 hunched over like he 80]

Feb 10, 2019 18:07:11 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

Feb 10, 2019 17:51:15 GMT -5 arrogantmodel said:

Oh man, in high school, me and my buddies would go to the local wrestling shows. There was a tag team who wore pink and purple, had feathered boas, pranced around, and blew kisses to each other. And they were managed by a guy who looked like Rockstar Spud.

God damn, did they get the business from the crowd. And we're not some backwoods hick town, but they were showered with "Faggot!" chants. And what's worse, I guess, is that they played up to it.

I don't know, it's very cringey now, but that was an easy heat getter back in '99-2000. It's pretty shitty if a wrestler is like, "Hmmm, how can I get people to hate me? I know, I'll act gay."

Same as the guy from Pittsburgh who wrestled down in Mexico. How did he get the crowd to boo him? He played a super Trump supporter. I saw this on the ABC World News. Dude was like, "I don't like politics, but it works." I think it's pretty careless to use real life issues. Some crazed fan may not get that it's acting.

They’ve always used real life issues.

I forget what Piper did originally but he apologized and promised next time he was back, he’d have taught himself the Mexican National Anthem on the bagpipes.

So the day comes, everyone stands and he plays La Cucaracha.

The most ironic part was that the Guerreros were booking that territory and told Piper to do that.

[Mozenrath]

Honestly, I've often assumed some of his shtick was just shamelessly cribbing from "The Chris Colt Experience", at least the eye makeup part.

[Big BosskMan]

Feb 10, 2019 17:51:15 GMT -5 arrogantmodel said:

Oh man, in high school, me and my buddies would go to the local wrestling shows. There was a tag team who wore pink and purple, had feathered boas, pranced around, and blew kisses to each other. And they were managed by a guy who looked like Rockstar Spud.

God damn, did they get the business from the crowd. And we're not some backwoods hick town, but they were showered with "Faggot!" chants. And what's worse, I guess, is that they played up to it.

I don't know, it's very cringey now, but that was an easy heat getter back in '99-2000. It's pretty shitty if a wrestler is like, "Hmmm, how can I get people to hate me? I know, I'll act gay."

Same as the guy from Pittsburgh who wrestled down in Mexico. How did he get the crowd to boo him? He played a super Trump supporter. I saw this on the ABC World News. Dude was like, "I don't like politics, but it works." I think it's pretty careless to use real life issues. Some crazed fan may not get that it's acting.

That tag team you mentioned might have been the Christopher Street Connection, which was a team in the nascent days of ROH.

[Guacamole Anderson]

I always thought Adonis could have been more effective in the role had he played up his previous "leathered" persona and straddled the "is he or isn't he?" line.

The "Adorable" Adonis always just came off as a poor man's version of Adrian Street. I would've loved to see Street on the national stage but I'm sure his stature held him back. He was so great at antagonizing the crowd.

[Feyrhausen]

Feb 10, 2019 17:51:15 GMT -5 arrogantmodel said:

Oh man, in high school, me and my buddies would go to the local wrestling shows. There was a tag team who wore pink and purple, had feathered boas, pranced around, and blew kisses to each other. And they were managed by a guy who looked like Rockstar Spud.

God damn, did they get the business from the crowd. And we're not some backwoods hick town, but they were showered with "Faggot!" chants. And what's worse, I guess, is that they played up to it.

I don't know, it's very cringey now, but that was an easy heat getter back in '99-2000. It's pretty shitty if a wrestler is like, "Hmmm, how can I get people to hate me? I know, I'll act gay."

Same as the guy from Pittsburgh who wrestled down in Mexico. How did he get the crowd to boo him? He played a super Trump supporter. I saw this on the ABC World News. Dude was like, "I don't like politics, but it works." I think it's pretty careless to use real life issues. Some crazed fan may not get that it's acting.

For my bachelor party I brought a couple friends to a TNA house show in some backwards Louisiana town. Beer Money was doing the Brokeback Mountain stuff for cheap heat. My friends were not prepared for 9 year old kids yelling f*****.

[Aceorton]

Feb 10, 2019 17:51:15 GMT -5 arrogantmodel said:

Oh man, in high school, me and my buddies would go to the local wrestling shows. There was a tag team who wore pink and purple, had feathered boas, pranced around, and blew kisses to each other. And they were managed by a guy who looked like Rockstar Spud.

God damn, did they get the business from the crowd. And we're not some backwoods hick town, but they were showered with "Faggot!" chants. And what's worse, I guess, is that they played up to it.

I don't know, it's very cringey now, but that was an easy heat getter back in '99-2000. It's pretty shitty if a wrestler is like, "Hmmm, how can I get people to hate me? I know, I'll act gay."

Reminds me of an indie act I saw in the same time period - 1999-2000 or so. The main guy was "Big Flame" and looked like Guy Fieri doing the Adorable gimmick. Hot pink ring gear and makeup. He was accompanied by two scrawny man-boy gimp flunkies who looked about 17 and didn't even seem like wrestlers. Their names were Neil and Bob.

Who showed up and annihilated them (unannounced, I might add)? The Insane Clown Posse.

[arrogantmodel]

Feb 10, 2019 18:38:39 GMT -5 Big BosskMan said:

Feb 10, 2019 17:51:15 GMT -5 arrogantmodel said:

Oh man, in high school, me and my buddies would go to the local wrestling shows. There was a tag team who wore pink and purple, had feathered boas, pranced around, and blew kisses to each other. And they were managed by a guy who looked like Rockstar Spud.

God damn, did they get the business from the crowd. And we're not some backwoods hick town, but they were showered with "Faggot!" chants. And what's worse, I guess, is that they played up to it.

I don't know, it's very cringey now, but that was an easy heat getter back in '99-2000. It's pretty shitty if a wrestler is like, "Hmmm, how can I get people to hate me? I know, I'll act gay."

Same as the guy from Pittsburgh who wrestled down in Mexico. How did he get the crowd to boo him? He played a super Trump supporter. I saw this on the ABC World News. Dude was like, "I don't like politics, but it works." I think it's pretty careless to use real life issues. Some crazed fan may not get that it's acting.

That tag team you mentioned might have been the Christopher Street Connection, which was a team in the nascent days of ROH.

I think they were "The Beauties." Looking it up, there was also a wrestler named "Dirk Ciglar." Haha.

But yeah, there were kids yelling "faggot" at them. Some adults were even yelling "f***ing faggots!"

One security guard told one guy to stop swearing. The guy then asks if he can still say "faggot" and the security guard was like, "Yeah, that's fine." lol.

Me and my buddy were just amazed. We were 16 or so and were uncomfortable with it. Fun shows otherwise.

[chazraps]

Feb 10, 2019 19:51:10 GMT -5 arrogantmodel said:

Feb 10, 2019 18:38:39 GMT -5 Big BosskMan said:

That tag team you mentioned might have been the Christopher Street Connection, which was a team in the nascent days of ROH.

I think they were "The Beauties." Looking it up, there was also a wrestler named "Dirk Ciglar." Haha.

But yeah, there were kids yelling "faggot" at them. Some adults were even yelling "f***ing faggots!"

One security guard told one guy to stop swearing. The guy then asks if he can still say "faggot" and the security guard was like, "Yeah, that's fine." lol.

Me and my buddy were just amazed. We were 16 or so and were uncomfortable with it. Fun shows otherwise.

Wow, how many of these teams were there?

I remember one, same time period, in the midwest. A trio, with one large Guy Fieri-as-a-bear looking gent and two twinks named Big Flame, Neil and Bob (say it out loud to catch the innuendo).

Very cringe then, very cringe now.

[Deleted]

We didn’t hate him because he was gay. We were supposed to hate him cause he used it to play mind games and make guys uncomfortable. That’s what made him a heel.

[carp (SPC, Itoh Respect Army)]

I remember the really weird, specific defense people would make of gimmicks like Rico back in the day: "See, it's not homophobic, because he's actually a tough guy!"

Not sure if there's very twisted logic I can't follow there, or no logic at all.

[chrom]

Feb 10, 2019 17:51:15 GMT -5 arrogantmodel said:

Oh man, in high school, me and my buddies would go to the local wrestling shows. There was a tag team who wore pink and purple, had feathered boas, pranced around, and blew kisses to each other. And they were managed by a guy who looked like Rockstar Spud.

God damn, did they get the business from the crowd. And we're not some backwoods hick town, but they were showered with "Faggot!" chants. And what's worse, I guess, is that they played up to it.

I don't know, it's very cringey now, but that was an easy heat getter back in '99-2000. It's pretty shitty if a wrestler is like, "Hmmm, how can I get people to hate me? I know, I'll act gay."

Same as the guy from Pittsburgh who wrestled down in Mexico. How did he get the crowd to boo him? He played a super Trump supporter. I saw this on the ABC World News. Dude was like, "I don't like politics, but it works." I think it's pretty careless to use real life issues. Some crazed fan may not get that it's acting.

You talking about Sam Adonis?

[SirLucas]

The stereotypical gay has been a common trope in wrestling for years. In recent times, we have Velveteen Dream.

[Mozenrath]

Feb 10, 2019 21:44:49 GMT -5 SirLucas said:

The stereotypical gay has been a common trope in wrestling for years. In recent times, we have Velveteen Dream.

Have they stated or even implied he was gay? I figured it was him just evolving the Prince gimmick, with the camp and sensuality that comes part and parcel with that.

["Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik]

It's always awkward in these situations because of course the gimmick is horribly offensive but part of me also wants to appreciate the fact that he played it really well.