From Seiter’s book I was particularly interested in the chapter
“Wresteling with the Web: Latino Fans and Symbolic Violence”. It is an
interesting Anglo perspective the idea that wrestling consumption via Internet
seemed at first sight a superficial consumption of a product that glorifies
violence.
Wrestling consumption in the US comes from the Mexican tradition of Lucha Libre, which has been around for
several decades and is an important component of Mexican popular culture. The
understanding of this tradition is very important, because it is a cultural
appropriation of the super hero figures in American culture. Luchadores or wrestlers are the Mexican
super heroes, that also hide behind a mask. The article does a good job
describing the historical context of Lucha
Libre in Mexico and its importance as part of the popular culture that
continues today.
In the effort to institutionalize cultural studies in Latin America,
it has become important to study this phenomenon also. Lucha Libre and Luchadores
portray the identity of the working class that emerged in a Neoliberal era.
They are not only a consumption product, but they are also a component of the
creation of family ties, gender identity, and class identity.
In a society so harshly divided by social class, Lucha Libre is the representation of the
access to entertainment by “the people”, low and medium-low income families
that have limited access to live entertainment. Lucha Libre also plays an important role on the relationships
formed by the men of a family or social circle (compadres, uncles, godfathers), marking the difference between
genders and the place each occupies in the community.
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