Wrestling Literacy. The Diegetic World of World Wrestling Entertainment

Examination Thesis , 2009 , 103 Pages , Grade: 1,0

American Studies - Miscellaneous

This book gives an up-to-date insight into the world of professional wrestling, its history, its mechanisms, and its cultural importance both globally and nationally in the US. The author depicts the diegetic world of the WWE as a genre of its own, a genre that requires expertise from the viewer in order to be interpreted accurately. Accordingly, this paper analyses the way the WWE makes use of semiotic tools and narrative elements. Moreover key issues concerning gender, sexuality, authenticity, politics, ideology, and the fans' role and perspective are addressed. There is also a special focus on how the WWE has been playfully dealing with reality / real events within its fictional, diegetic world since the legendary Montral Screwjob from 1997 - the latter being an aspect which sets professional wrestling, which is widely regarded as part of postmodern "trash culture", apart from other, similar sorts of entertainment. All in all, "Wrestling Literacy" is a wonderful guide for anyone who happens to switch to one of WWE's weekly TV shows (such as Raw, Smackdown, or NXT) without having the slightest idea of what he sees. "Wrestling Literacy" is also a good read for all academics of culture and media studies in general. But "Wrestling Literacy" is a must-read for all wrestling fans, especially those with some degree of academic interest in the subject matter.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• I. Introduction
• II. Theoretical Approaches
  • II.1. What Does Media Literacy Mean?
  • II.2. Reality in the Context of Media Literacies
  • II.3. Representation
  • II.4. Roland Barthes
    • II.4.1. General Aspects about his Work
    • II.4.2. His Observations on Wrestling
• III. The History of Wrestling
  • III.1. Its Origins
  • III.2. Wrestling Moves across the Big Pond
  • III.3. The American Catch-as-catch-can
  • III.4. The Rise of Wrestling as a Show
  • III.5. Wrestling Moves to Television
  • III.6. The Monopoly of the World Wrestling Federation
• IV. The WWE Today
  • IV.1. Basic Structure of the Medium
  • IV.2. Popularity: Numbers, Figures, Explanations
  • IV.3. The Wrestling Match
    • IV.3.1. Context
    • IV.3.2. The Presentation of the Match
  • IV.4. The Role and Perspective of the Fans
• V. Key Issues in the WWE Diegesis
  • V.1. Authenticity and Reality
  • V.2. Gender and Sexuality
  • V.3. Politics and Ideology
• VI. Conclusion
• VII. References
• VIII. List of Figures

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper aims to analyze professional wrestling, specifically the WWE, as a cultural phenomenon and a unique medium. It explores the history, structure, and popularity of professional wrestling, examining its relationship to reality, representation, and the role of the audience. The paper also delves into key issues within the WWE's narrative universe, including authenticity, gender and sexuality, and politics and ideology.

• The evolution of professional wrestling from its origins to its current form as a televised entertainment spectacle.
• The relationship between professional wrestling and reality, exploring the concepts of authenticity and representation.
• The role of the audience in shaping the WWE's narrative and influencing its popularity.
• The portrayal of gender and sexuality within the WWE's storylines and characters.
• The intersection of politics and ideology in professional wrestling, examining how the WWE reflects and shapes societal values.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction sets the stage by contrasting the popularity of professional wrestling with the relative obscurity of Olympic wrestling. It highlights the cultural significance of professional wrestling, particularly the WWE, and introduces the main questions that the paper will address.

Chapter II explores theoretical approaches relevant to the analysis of wrestling, focusing on media literacy, the concept of reality in media, and representation. It also summarizes Roland Barthes's key observations on wrestling, highlighting his view of the sport as a spectacle of excess.

Chapter III provides a historical overview of wrestling, tracing its origins and evolution from traditional forms to its modern, televised incarnation. It examines the development of professional wrestling in the United States, the rise of the WWE, and the impact of television on the sport's popularity.

Chapter IV delves into the structure and popularity of the WWE today. It examines the basic elements of the WWE's medium, including its storylines, characters, and matches. It also explores the factors contributing to the WWE's enduring popularity, including its use of spectacle, its appeal to a diverse audience, and its integration of social media and fan engagement.

Chapter V examines key issues within the WWE's narrative universe, including authenticity, gender and sexuality, and politics and ideology. It explores how the WWE constructs its reality, how it portrays gender and sexuality, and how it reflects and shapes societal values.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The keywords and focus themes of the text include professional wrestling, WWE, media literacy, reality, representation, audience, gender, sexuality, politics, ideology, spectacle, entertainment, and cultural phenomenon.

• College: TU Dortmund
• Grade: 1,0
• Author: Karsten Keuchler (Author)
• Publication Year: 2009
• Pages: 103
• Catalog Number: V280131
• ISBN (eBook): 9783656732921
• ISBN (Book): 9783656732914
• Language: English
• Tags: WWE, wrestling, professional wrestling, diegesis, literacy, McMahon, Bret Hart, Montreal Screwjob, WWF, WCW, ECW, NXT, Divas, WWE Divas, Hulk Hogan, Keuchler, Karsten Keuchler, Dissertation, Media Literacy, postmodernism, postmodern, john cena, troops, wrestlemania, royal rumble, summerslam, ppv, pay-per-view, raw, smackdown, awa, orton, hhh, triple h, helmsley, stephanie mcmahon, analysis, modern media, wwe network, statistics, popularity, genre, show, tv, television, world wrestling entertainment, 50 years, 2014, 2009, german, english, hagen, ric flair, jake roberts, stamford