Is Professional Wrestling Modern-day Theater or Trashy Entertainment for Rednecks?

For as long as I can remember I have been a fan of professional wrestling and yes for much of my life I was what is called a mark. A mark is a fan of professional wrestling who buys into the characters and believes the storylines and moves are real. However a little over 10 years ago I ended up becoming friends with a man trying to break into the professional wrestling business. He opened my eyes to a lot of things about the business that I thought I knew but I was wrong. Although that's not what this article is about.

So let's get back on track wrestling is entertainment. No longer do the promoters and wrestlers try to hide the fact that they are acting out storylines. In fact today's professional wrestling is more story than it is wrestling. In my opinion especially World Wrestling Entertainment really have a theatrical flair with the way they produce there stories. They use a wide variety of the same techniques used in theater such as lighting, music, and costumes. They even take it a step further with pyrotechnics.

In some cases wrestling ability is not even a requirement for some entertainers such as Hulk Hogan for instance who admittedly couldn't wrestle his way out of a paper bag but to be fair to him over his career he did learn a few wrestling holds. Although his in ring ability is still the worst I have ever seen he still today after 26 years has one of the biggest followings among wrestling fans. For that reason I'm definitely not a fan of his. Again his drawing ability is the theatrical aspects of his character. The persona of Hulk Hogan with his say your prayers and eat your vitamins and being driven or powered by his fans or Hulkamaniacs as he calls them, no evil can keep him down. If that's not theatrical I don't know what is.