WWE Vs. UFC

WWE Vs. UFC (Courtesy: www.ifcompare.com)

The article "The World of Wrestling" by Roland Barthes brought an interesting topic to light, the difference between spectacle and demonstration of excellence. In regards to wrestling, its roots as a performance based entertainment draws attention to the dramatizations performed by the wrestlers as opposed to boxing, where a match is determined by a battle of skill and passion for the sport. Barthes identified a grave reality when comparing the two in the following quote.

"The logical conclusion of the contest does not interest the wrestling-fan, while on the contrary a boxing-match always implies a science of the future." 

What Barthes does best in stating such, is the outcome of both wrestling and boxing as well as their importance to its spectators. Personally, I grew up watching wrestling but never worried about who won so long as there was sufficient action. With the advent of the UFC and boxing ever more prevalent than in the recent years, boxing has received much more praise for its ability to attract all crowds.  So therefore, I believe there is validity in Barthes viewpoint and statements to back it up. As mentioned in the reading, wrestling draws upon and shares elements of theatre. Suffering, defeat and justice as Barthes claims, can all be witnessed during a wrestling match, all while using the crowd's emotions to fuel the outcome.

Despite being predetermined matches, I would enjoy the Tables, Ladders and Chairs (TLC) matches. These always seemed to portray the more realistic violence than the proverbial punches or stomps. Fans have taken their own approach to the "sport" and have created backyard wrestling, which portrays similar themes, however, involves untrained participants who actually sustain real injuries. Many popular television shows such as Tosh.0 or Ridiculousness have aired home videos that have shown such events. Pop culture has also taken their approach at the modern day perception of the spectacle. South Park and Workaholics have parodied the theatrics of wrestling highlighting the outrageous backstories that the wrestlers direct to the audience and the whimsical gullibility of their audience. Overall, my take on wrestling is a negative perception, however, it is difficult to ignore because it is a multi-million dollar industry.