HULK HOGAN's New Restaurant Dress Code.

[HudsonHawk]

Comic book heros I get, but I've never understood the mass media appeal of Professional Wrestling on a national level such as WWF or WCW, especially to adults. I understand it better as local live entertainment, on the same level as Roller Derby. Something about the sleaze factor makes it better that way.

When it comes to the modern WWF type of wrestling, I think there's some about the over-the-top theater of it, beyond the sleaze factor. I think people enjoy the elaborate production effort.

 

[Fastuni]

"Yamamoto" (Harold Watanabe) was ethnically Japanese, but he was born in Hawaii.

Ah thanks for the clarification.

My point was that unlike most other "ethnic/enemy cliche" wrestlers, these two were really from the respective background.

He was one of the few who were trained in legit "scientific" wrestling. His "sheik" shtick was a huge draw in the late 70s/early 80s.

No doubt about that... he catered to the expectations/ignorance of the average audience which didn't know the difference between Iranians and Arabs.
In 1991 the "Iron Sheik" briefly even became Iraqi "Colonel Mustafa"... oh the irony.

I think he originally was acting as an original Iranian "Pahlavan"/traditional strongman.
Elements of this were incorporated with his persona (bald head, moustache, embroidered trousers and clubs).

Not sure whether he donned that Arab headcloth already from the beginning.

 

[dh66]

Wrestling appeals to its fans on the same level as super-hero comic books appeal to theirs -- larger-than-life power fantasies, with the added benefit of being "real."

I can see that in some cases, especially with some of the die-hard fans of the " big time" nationally organized stuff, but as a generalization I don't think I'd make that.
I think a lot of "legit" sports are way often taken too seriously, and probably some folks just want some lighthearted entertainment while slamming a few cold ones.
That's not to say there's any shortage of the T-shirt wearin' fan magazine buying types out there who fit your bill though.

 

[dh66]

Comic book heros I get, but I've never understood the mass media appeal of Professional Wrestling on a national level such as WWF or WCW, especially to adults. I understand it better as local live entertainment, on the same level as Roller Derby. Something about the sleaze factor makes it better that way.

Totally with you on this Matt. Rasslin', like fresh produce, is always better when it's local.

 

[EliasRDA]

Back in the early 80's, maybe 82 or 83, my class managed to get some rasslers to put on a show in our hs gym. I cant remember all of them but the biggest name was Brutus Beefcake & something Martel, think they were doing tagteam partners. I "think" that we had the rock & roll express too but that may be my mind adding to it. It was good, we raised a bit of money from it that our teacher/advisor then embezzled a few yrs later after we graduated in 84.

I used to watch rassling in the very late 70's & early 80's but sitting there & hearing the guys set up their moves sort of ruined it for me. Then the "big guns" came to Salisbury md's civic ctr in the late 80's, I loved Sting, he was awesome in his young years. So I saw both WcW & WWF before it got all shticky, way too over the top & a bunch of juiced up pretty boys. Then I was front row & heard again the move setups from the guys own mouths & that truly ruined it for me. I think the last great match I saw on TV was the Andre & Hulk big wrestlemania title turnover, then I heard Andre died not long later, maybe when I was in the service & it was never the same for me.

Chief Jay was cool, Macho Man & Miss Elizabeth, Sgt Slaughter, Jimmy Superfly Snooka, British Bulldog, The Von Erich boys who died way too young, Bret Hart, his brother Owen Hart, I could go on & like many others I hated the Iron Shiek.

I've tried watching WWE lately but seeing guys like Hulk & a southern boy named Rick Flair still rassling into their 60's just doesn't do it for me. Plus the fact that the wwe has basically killed any decent competition here in the USA just burns my jets. Oh well, guess that's part of growing up.

 

[dh66]

..........Plus the fact that the wwe has basically killed any decent competition here in the USA just burns my jets. Oh well, guess that's part of growing up.

I think that's a large part of the problem for me. Vince Macmahon has built an empire, but he seems to have at this point built a Bell like monopoly on the sport. There's no other options. The small time local level stuff, if it even exists in an area, is not getting any airtime.
The rasslin I grew up with was broadcast on Saturday nights from Boutwell Auditorium in downtown Birmingham on one of the local channels. These days the only Saturday night action is pay-per-view. That's no good.

Superfly Jimmy Snooks in action!

 

[V.C. Brunswick]