allegiances with the crowd and other wrestlers as either heroes or villains . In the 1980s and 1990s , hero wrestlers would often enter the ring waving an American flag , while the villainous heels waved either Japanese , Iranian or Canadian flags . These portrayals help to reinforce the ties between America ’ s national identity and citizenship on a moral level . If you were a wrestler who wore a pattern of stars and stripes , you were essentially an automatic hero in the eyes of the crowd . Regardless if this may still be the case in many current WWE storylines , it is not consistent with regards to The Real Americans , who are villain characters . Interestingly , they are able to use patriotic symbols like the Gadsden flag and allusions to the Constitution as vehicles to undermine their racist views . Their performance becomes a satire of American patriotism , in which these symbols are seen as artifices that legitimize hatred , racism , and exclusion through dominance and power . In her essay , “ Professional Wrestling as Conflict Transformation ,” Ashley Souther discusses the potential of professional wrestling to be “ used as political satire or even a rallying cry for community mobilization ” ( 271 ). As far as I am aware , The Real Americans are the first example in professional wrestling in which American nationalism and patriotism are satirized , reversing the moral order that generally intertwines white Americanness with justice and good .
Colter also satirizes the political arm of U . S . antiimmigration policies with his repeatedly used closing remark , “ my name is Zeb Colter , and I approve this message ” ( Stan ). This phrase parodies political candidate advertising campaigns that are seen commonly throughout the election process . Colter ’ s speeches demonstrate with irony that although overtly villainous , his xenophobic politics have an actual presence in U . S . conservatism .
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