Wrestling Forum banner

Why does wrestling get called white trash?

16K views 30 replies 25 participants last post by  Geeve 
#1 ·
I'm not white trash at all and people keep calling the shows white trash. I guess it's because of the mullets, it's roots in the south, and music like Nickelback/Kid Rock/Limp Bizkit being played.
 
#2 ·
Wrestling is seen as a form of entertainment for the lower classes, that is why independent wrestling shows appear in dirty little high school gyms, town halls and any other ol building that will have them. These are stereotypically not the types of places that middle/upper class people would be seen associating in. The theatre is streotypically a place where middle/upper class people go to get their fun. Theatres which are well looked after, have better A/C facilities and cost more to attend.

I think that is one of the key stereotypical differences between the classes, working class people enjoy sports and athletism where as middle/upper class people enjoy more of a performance type artsy/farsty type shtick.
 
#3 ·
Because we all are white trash.

Really though I don't know why. When my dad is mad about something and yells at me he always says focus more on getting a job instead of watching wrestling and going on wrestling blogs all the time. He says "that shit is for white trash." Next time he repeats that little line at me when he's mad I'll be sure to ask him why he calls wrestling fans white trash.
 
#4 ·
Was speaking to a friend the other day, he goes to one of the best universities in the UK so you can imagine his social environment. He asked me if wrestling was like the theatre. My response? Yeah, kind of; not quite pitched at the same class though. Wrestling is our theatre. Now, admittedly, having just got an English degree, the actual theatre is also my theatre, but you get my point.

Wrestling gets called white trash for the same reason that theatre is deemed as being solely for upper/upper-middle classes. While there's plenty of spread in terms of the type of people, the contrast between the loftier theatre and the simpler wrestling is still clear to see. And, besides, the theatre started out as being for the uneducated masses; it was simply adopted by the social higher ups afterwards, and now wrestling is there to fill that gap for us.
 
#6 ·
The irony of theater being for the upper class, amuses me actually. Theater was originally for the people and most tickets sold during Shakespeare's time were to the ground-lings, aka the normal people who didn't get cushions or possibly even a chair/bench to sit on. So it's really quite funny that all the people who think they're better than us for reading Shakespeare and Marlowe(both of whom I've read for fun), and go to the theater(which I do go to when I can scrimp and save enough) do so because they're reading and attending plays that were, themselves, looked down upon by elitist pricks like the people of today. The truth is Shakespeare is only the legend he is today because Elizabeth the I had the same sense of humor as the ground-lings.

One generation's crap for white trash is a later generation's elite classic theater. Of course, the people who look down on us will take the same attitude of the people who looked down on Shakespeare's fans and claim it's different. At least what THEY love was actually good.
 
#12 ·
The irony of theater being for the upper class, amuses me actually. Theater was originally for the people and most tickets sold during Shakespeare's time were to the ground-lings, aka the normal people who didn't get cushions or possibly even a chair/bench to sit on. So it's really quite funny that all the people who think they're better than us for reading Shakespeare and Marlowe(both of whom I've read for fun), and go to the theater(which I do go to when I can scrimp and save enough) do so because they're reading and attending plays that were, themselves, looked down upon by elitist pricks like the people of today. The truth is Shakespeare is only the legend he is today because Elizabeth the I had the same sense of humor as the ground-lings.

One generation's crap for white trash is a later generation's elite classic theater. Of course, the people who look down on us will take the same attitude of the people who looked down on Shakespeare's fans and claim it's different. At least what THEY love was actually good.
Actually the groundlings didn't make up the majority of the crowd at Shakespearean performances. As you say the groundlings were the poorer classes who had to stand/sit right next to the stage, at the lowest point of the venue. The middle and upper classes occupied the majority of the seating, which was above the groundlings as a symbolic reputation of class and perceived worthiness.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ColeStar
#9 ·
It is white trash because of a.) the carny aspect. it was basically started off by carnies, who booked fake fights unbeknownst to the patrons to take advantage of people. b.) the whole idea of it is stupid and insulting to peoples intelligence to have fake wrestling matches and bad acting by a bunch of dumb ex bouncers and Junior college football players. c.) a lot of white trash people LOVE wrestling. Not so much anymore since TV wrestling and WWE, but at its core, it is still a traveling carny show, much like those shitty carnivals with the gravitron and the giant slide/w burlap bags. high income areas have no time for that shit.

I don't consider myself white trash, but I definitely have some WT tendencies. I like wrestling, and I will have a couple funnel cakes at a carnival. I also have a masters degree, love art and play a lot of golf. It is all a matter of whether you have the balls to just enjoy stupid entertainment and tell people who look down their nose at you to go fuck themselves, it is a perception thing. A lot of wealthy, educated people put on an act to keep up appearances, and have way less fun than everyone else. believe me, in their hearts they would rather see flaming tables than be at the cocktail party in the country club's new rose garden.
 
#11 ·
It's a stereotype that lacks any bit of evidence for the most part. If you look in the crowd, you see a whole bunch of different types of people. And nowadays, you see a lot of kiddies :no:
 
#18 ·
I hope this is a joke?

Wrestling is a performance art form, MMA is a real combat sport. Why are you even comparing them? If anything MMA has a white trash fan base, and if you look at it wrestling hot beds "Toronto New York Philly" wrestling hasn't necessary ever been white trash. I think roller derby holds that title fallowed by nascar.



And wrestling isn't for kids mainly, it just happens to be WWE's demographic right now because it is a business. And Vince realizes he will make the most money at this point in time directing his product at children. He's done it before.
 
#21 ·
I hope this is a joke?

Wrestling is a performance art form, MMA is a real combat sport. Why are you even comparing them? If anything MMA has a white trash fan base, and if you look at it wrestling hot beds "Toronto New York Philly" wrestling hasn't necessary ever been white trash. I think roller derby holds that title fallowed by nascar.





And wrestling isn't for kids mainly, it just happens to be WWE's demographic right now because it is a business. And Vince realizes he will make the most money at this point in time directing his product at children. He's done it before.
I feel the same way Andy362.


If MMA white trash, then wrestling is as well. Great point about the big wrestling places. I agree that NASCAR is the most white trash thing.
 
#25 ·
Have you seen some of the people that watch it?

Take a look at this guy, and you'll see a good representative of the very "uncool" or "social misfit" wrestling fan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srL7-vvNrBY

I'm not saying I'm the coolest cat in the world, but I feel alot better about myself when I see this guy.
 
#26 ·
For a number of reasons. I can say it's because historically that's who wrestling appealed to, but thats not even completely true. Wrestling in the 1950s in particular had lots of people of high class in the crowds, and I'm sure that was the case before then.

I don't know. Every artform/form of entertainment has a culture that accompanies it. Most wrestlers throughout history were southern born and bred so that could play a part. One thing that can't be argued is that, wrestling is not the most sophisticated thing in the world. Maybe that plays a part, too.

Most opinions about wrestling from nonfans are completely inaccurate anyway, so it's not hard to imagine that this can be inaccurate as well.
 
#27 ·
In many ways, it is white trash. I mean..take the Rock for instance. He's a icon. A self made legend. He and Austin made McMahon a billionaire during the Monday Night Wars. He put over Lesnar, Jericho, a returning Austin, HHH, etc. He made these guys look like champions and stars. And how does fans repay him? They call him a sell out. They hate hearing his name mentioned on this board. They take potshots at him while praising John Cena like he's the greatest wrestler of all time because he does charity work and shit. That's white trash behavior and that stigma is never going to ease up. It's a well deserved label when you think about cases like the Rock.
 
#28 ·
In many ways, it is white trash. I mean..take the Rock for instance. He's a icon. A self made legend. He and Austin made McMahon a billionaire during the Monday Night Wars. He put over Lesnar, Jericho, a returning Austin, HHH, etc. He made these guys look like champions and stars. And how does fans repay him? They call him a sell out. They hate hearing his name mentioned on this board. They take potshots at him while praising John Cena like he's the greatest wrestler of all time because he does charity work and shit. That's white trash behavior and that stigma is never going to ease up. It's a well deserved label when you think about cases like the Rock.

That make scene.
 
#31 ·
I blame the older looking people that are way to into it. A parent should not be doing you can't see me motions like a sheep when Cena does it, even if there's beer in them. Also the front row morons with mullets and stringy moustaches in smaller venues.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top