There’s no shortage of think-pieces about racism, or racially insensitive gimmicks, in wrestling, but little ever seems to be done about it in terms of activism by African-American leaders.
Boycotts are rarely, if ever, called for; protests outside the arenas have never occurred, to my knowledge; and summits to analyze the impact that racially insensitive gimmicks have on pro-wrestling viewers aren’t a priority of African-American civil rights groups, like the NAACP.
The advancement of people of color in professional wrestling often comes at the expense of their dignity and personhood; it is, in a way, a social justice issue. But, for whatever reason, it isn’t treated as such; in fact, it isn’t treated at all.
Yet, not all issues pertaining to malfeasance in pro-wrestling go unchallenged by advocacy organizations. When, in the late 1990s, the then World Wrestling Federation (WWF) offered up its Attitude Era – which appealed to college-aged men and featured heaps of violence, vulgarity, blood and over-the-top sexual innuendos – the Parents Television Council, claiming kids were being killed by re-enacting scenes from the broadcasts, raised voices of concern and attempted censorship.
Instances in WWE, formerly the WWF, that could be perceived as homophobic have caught the attention of The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), and as a result they were bought into the company to facilitate sensitivity trainings, and they now tout a partnership with WWE to promote anti-bullying messages.
Unfortunately, no such success story exist within the context of race and stereotypes, and that’s likely due the fact that the black leadership class, as a whole in America, has failed to recognize the popularity of professional wrestling and understand how the gimmicks and images influence’s society view of the black body.
If the overrepresentation of black men in crime-related news stories is a cause for concern, shouldn’t black men being overrepresented on wrestling shows as stereotypical racist caricatures matter, too? Racially insensitive gimmicks in pro-wrestling aren’t rare occurrences, they’re apart of the business, and they shouldn’t go unchallenged.
If pro-wrestling is influential enough to warrant a disclaimer to not try it at home – of course people try it at home; and at school; and in the park – why shouldn’t we assume it also influences thoughts and attitudes? Sure, there’s no qualitative data proving or disproving my argument, but pro-wrestling is pop-culture, which means its probability to influence is high.
Decades have gone by where racially insensitive gimmicks – like Akeem the African Dream, a white male biker who embraces his cultural roots after a tribal ritual in a ghetto and then began to wear a Dashiki and speak in jive-talk, or Cryme Tyme, a black male tag-team who spoke terrible slang, wore baggy clothes and stole items from fellow wrestlers to sell to audience members – have paraded to and from the wrestling ring, and in the decades to come, that shouldn’t be the case.
African-American leaders, and those who believe in a fair and balanced representation of blacks in media, must step up; speak out about racially insensitive gimmicks in pro-wrestling; and get ready to rumble against a giant-sized system of oppression which has more wins than losses.
Thanks for reading. Until next time, I’m Flood the Drummer® & I’m Drumming for JUSTICE!™
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