back to reveal a film studio surrounded by boom mics and lighting fixtures . Keown explains to Beck that what he has just seen is called a “ promo ,” recorded to “ elicit a positive or negative response from our fans ,” further stating that in order to elicit a response , their characters , Zeb Colter and Jack Swagger , are using “ the current , relevant and topical story of immigration ” ( Meltzer ). Keown acknowledges that professional wrestling relies on the performance of public debates to engage their audience , comparing the WWE ’ s product to dramatic and popular television shows like NCIS and Glee , which similarly use “ good guys ” and “ bad guys ” to tell stories , and argues that the audience understands “ the difference between reality and entertainment ” ( Meltzer ). By laying bare the artifice , Keown elucidates the same point that I , myself , and other cultural critics have made , that professional wrestling is not just an ignorantly staged athletic competition , but a deliberate performance of social gestures . These social gestures , although frequently offensive and controversial , are not simply the byproducts of a populist artform appeasing its ignorant audience , but a complex social performance and exaggerated demonstration of cultural forces .
Works Cited
Brecht , Bertolt . “ Last Stage : Oedipus .” Brecht on Theatre : The Development of an Aesthetic . Ed . John Willett . New York : Hill and Wang , 1964 . 24-26 . Print .
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