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   Kit Rhett Aultman (roadriverrail@signs.codes)'s status on Friday, 08-Mar-2024 04:30:34 JST Kit Rhett Aultman

   The greatest life skill you can pass on to a younger person is teaching them how to spot a carny and how to not be a fucking mark.

   • Embed this notice
     sam (tin_can_sam@mastodon.social)'s status on Friday, 08-Mar-2024 11:29:23 JST sam

     in reply to

     • Geoff Berner

     @Geoffberner @roadriverrail this though ...

     https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kayfabe

     One of Peter Thiels underlings said in an interview i watched that t-dump lifted his entire schtick from the big time wrestling circuit

     Kayfabe is the name they use for it inside the 'industry' apparently

   • Embed this notice
     Kit Rhett Aultman (roadriverrail@signs.codes)'s status on Friday, 08-Mar-2024 11:29:23 JST Kit Rhett Aultman

     in reply to

     • Geoff Berner
     • sam

     @tin_can_sam @Geoffberner Indeed I am a wrestling fan and know all about kayfabe and neo-kayfabe and was unsurprised to find someone connected to Thiel talking about it.

     If you're a thoughtful wrestling fan, you learn a lot about being a carny.

   • Embed this notice
     Geoff Berner (geoffberner@zeroes.ca)'s status on Friday, 08-Mar-2024 11:29:24 JST Geoff Berner

     in reply to

     @roadriverrail So true. And sad. Trump's whole shtick is old-fashioned carny tricks that the education system failed to inocculate people against. Step right up.

   • Embed this notice
     Kit Rhett Aultman (roadriverrail@signs.codes)'s status on Saturday, 09-Mar-2024 03:51:22 JST Kit Rhett Aultman

     in reply to

     • Geoff Berner
     • sam

     @Geoffberner @tin_can_sam I cannot improve on anything you've said. I can only express my sincere agreement with it.

   • Embed this notice
     Geoff Berner (geoffberner@zeroes.ca)'s status on Saturday, 09-Mar-2024 03:51:23 JST Geoff Berner

     in reply to

     • sam

     @roadriverrail @tin_can_sam Professional wrestling is the real cultural Ur text of America. Bob Dylan's Chronicles credit Gorgeous George the famous flamboyant "heel" for his understanding of how to manipulate the press and the public with a persona. Muhammed Ali also credited the same man's work as a source for his own deft understanding of persona-based public self-promotion. People should be taking wrestling seriously as an important cultural political kind of American idea laboratory.

   • Embed this notice
     Kit Rhett Aultman (roadriverrail@signs.codes)'s status on Saturday, 09-Mar-2024 04:53:19 JST Kit Rhett Aultman

     in reply to

     • Geoff Berner
     • sam

     @Geoffberner @tin_can_sam I'd encourage you to see some of the things that have gone on in #AEW. They have a fan favorite tag team, The Acclaimed, that have actually taught the audience base what queer humor can look like.

     WWE's business model is theirs. There are fatback grosseros behind most promotions, but not all of them force story lines purely to the whims of their owners. Many give their talent a lot more space to explore their gimmick and story lines.

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     Geoff Berner (geoffberner@zeroes.ca)'s status on Saturday, 09-Mar-2024 04:53:20 JST Geoff Berner

     in reply to

     • sam

     @roadriverrail @tin_can_sam I don't know how to use this information though. It seems like rich predators like McMahon run most U.S. wrestling? So I guess the scripts or fight plans or whatever you call them reflect their prejudices about what the audience wants in a lot of ways? Is there a way to push wrestling to the left? Or is that anathema to the pro wrestling format? Should the left just adapt wrestling techniques in their own, um, arenas, like Dylan did? There's definitely something valuable there, but beyond that I feel pretty clueless.

   • Embed this notice
     Kit Rhett Aultman (roadriverrail@signs.codes)'s status on Monday, 11-Mar-2024 02:24:05 JST Kit Rhett Aultman

     in reply to

     • Geoff Berner
     • sam

     @tin_can_sam @Geoffberner Obvs, Max Caster is a cringe rapper and knows it. Anthony Bowens is gay and actually has lengthy thoughts about how #AEW encouraging his outness has led to his ability to bring queer humor to so many.
     https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/anthony-bowens-aew-wrestling

   • Embed this notice
     sam (tin_can_sam@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 11-Mar-2024 02:24:07 JST sam

     in reply to

     • Geoff Berner

     @roadriverrail @Geoffberner ok ok ... i just did some 'research' .. and the Acclaimed's intros are kinda dope :)

   • Embed this notice
     sam (tin_can_sam@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 11-Mar-2024 02:39:09 JST sam

     in reply to

     • Geoff Berner

     @roadriverrail @Geoffberner thanks for the link 💯
     I watched a couple AEW matches and I have to admit it was pleasant to see a non homophobic version of wrestling. It's still a bit campy for me but i can see the appeal ... and the brilliance

   • Embed this notice
     Kit Rhett Aultman (roadriverrail@signs.codes)'s status on Monday, 11-Mar-2024 02:39:09 JST Kit Rhett Aultman

     in reply to

     • Geoff Berner
     • sam

     @tin_can_sam @Geoffberner Yeah, wrestling is always gonna be campy and it's okay to not be into it, but I appreciate your open-mindedness to seeing that it doesn't have to be deeply tied to reactionary tropes and sentiments.