What used to be called Big Time Wrestling in the 70's has matured and evolved. They work harder out there than they ever used to.
It appears the modern popularity of Big Time Wrestling among people with
double-digit mental ages may stem from a couple of factors:
1) Pomo ironic sensibility
2) Recognition that those guys work hard out there, and *are* risking
permanent injury every time they step into the ring, and *do* wind up with
something perhaps like as much cumulative damage as (say) the average pro
footballer after n years.
3) Awareness that though the shows *are* _staged_, they aren't _rigged_ or
_fixed_ in an unfair way. Anyone who bets on the outcome better be
betting on being able to read the promoters' minds, that's all. And the
promoters are fairly predictable, as it turns out. Just like soap operas.
And for the same reasons.
4) Knowledge that *both*/*all* parties in the ring have to cooperate
in most of the techniques, or EMTs *will* be involved. This means that
there is honor among wrestlers--they pack each others' parachutes, so to
speak.
5) It's Twyla Tharp for the cave man in everybody. See #1.
Jesse Ventura, a by golly real live (former? can one ever be said to be a former?) SEAL, can be credited with significant contributions to most of the aforementioned evolutions, some of which have come about after he had to retire because of injuries really received in the ring.
That said, it's not my cup of chai.
> People in that state embraced him EXACTLy because he was a wrestler.
> The only class of person less trusted that a car dealer is a politician,
Sadly, BINGO. It's certainly *my* hope that he's worthy of trust.
MMB,
watching closely in case MN becomse less of a Peoples' Republic than CA