{"id":8896,"date":"2017-03-30T19:10:22","date_gmt":"2017-03-30T19:10:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=8896"},"modified":"2017-03-30T19:10:22","modified_gmt":"2017-03-30T19:10:22","slug":"will-trump-continue-to-pull-from-a-pro-wrestling-playbook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/will-trump-continue-to-pull-from-a-pro-wrestling-playbook\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Trump continue to pull from a pro wrestling playbook?"},"content":{"rendered":"

R. Tyson Smith<\/a>, Muhlenberg College<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

During a panel at Harvard on March 7 on press and the presidency, political journalist Jessica Yellin described<\/a> Donald Trump\u2019s conflict with the press as \u201cWWF, media edition: In one corner, Donald Trump, defending the anti-institutionalist position, fighting the elites. In the other corner, the media, defending their honor. We all know conflict does well with readers, with viewers.\u201d \"The<\/p>\n

Yellin\u2019s reference to World Wrestling Entertainment (the WWE, formerly known as the WWF) points to something deeper: the striking parallels between Trump\u2019s political style and professional wrestling.<\/p>\n

His connections to professional wrestling run deep, and, even if he isn\u2019t consciously drawing from the professional wrestling playbook, at the very least he intuitively understands its performative power \u2013 its ability to enrapture audiences, tell a story and dominate headlines. <\/p>\n

As a scholar who researched professional wrestling, I saw, in Trump the candidate \u2013 with his bombastic rhetoric and bravado \u2013 a distinctly pro-wrestling style. But now that he has transitioned from campaigning into an actual leadership role, can it translate into legislative action? Can he be a showman who also establishes legitimacy, builds alliances and delivers the goods? <\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s wrestling ties<\/h2>\n

In professional wrestling, two (or more) opponents stage a violent fight in front of paying spectators. Unlike competitive sports, pro wrestling is premised on telling the best story. As a performer it doesn\u2019t matter if you win; what matters is the strength of the emotional response you generate from fans. <\/p>\n

Matches are typically fought between a good guy (in wrestling parlance, a \u201cbaby-face\u201d or \u201cface\u201d) and a bad guy (\u201cheel\u201d). Characters and storylines commonly revolve around age-old scripts about injustice, vengeance and good triumphing over evil \u2013 with violence always celebrated as a means to resolve conflict.<\/p>\n

The American understanding of pro wrestling has come to be synonymous with the highly profitable<\/a> and powerful World Wrestling Entertainment Corporation. The publicly-traded business, founded by Jess McMahon<\/a> in the early 1950s, produces televised live events that are broadcast to millions of homes around the world year-round. <\/p>\n

Trump doesn\u2019t simply possess a performative style that resembles those of pro wrestlers. For years he\u2019s been connected with WWE and has actually participated in several of their shows<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Atlantic City\u2019s Trump Plaza<\/a> hosted WrestleMania IV and V. In 2007 he performed in WrestleMania 23, attacking WWE CEO Vince McMahon<\/a> in the \u201cBattle of the Billionaires.\u201d Two years later, he reemerged in a storyline in which he claimed to have bought Raw<\/a>, WWE\u2019s Monday night program, from McMahon, setting off another \u201cfeud\u201d between the two. <\/p>\n

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