In my objective analysis, I can confidently say the ’80s and ’90s were the best two decades in American history, even taking account of the 1770s.
Just think about it. We had MTV, synthesized pop songs, cool mullets and certainly the best Disney movies of all time. Most importantly, however, we had professional wrestling. We no longer have it.
Not only has wrestling become even more raunchy and degrading toward women, but it is also being replaced by something more devilish: mixed martial arts.
According to a recent CNN.com feature article, mixed martial arts has become legitimized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Over the last decade, this has become obvious. Look around, and you will see that a lot of folks have become fascinated by this blood sport.
With reality television’s continuing growth in popularity, this is not a surprise. Everyone wants the real thing, and they see anything that’s fake as insulting their intelligence as viewers.
But I propose that the strength of good old fake wrestling lies in its very phoniness. I don’t want to see two people really duke it out, especially to the degree of violence characteristic of the UFC. In my admittedly sanctimonious opinion, we are fighting enough as it is, without having to simulate it in a ring. If I want to see violence, I can go visit my hometown of Jackson, and that’s real enough for me.
On a slightly deeper note, why are fake programs something to be looked down upon? Have we lost our ability to pretend?
With our culture’s fascination with real stuff, our imagination may be going to the pits. The formulated family sitcoms of the last century were even more imaginative than some of our most popular shows now.
And even when we get to see a really creative work of art on television or at the movies, the drive of these works to look real is apparent. They hold no bars when it comes to violent or sexual content. “No Country for Old Men” and “Munich” are examples.
While the palpability of these works may be part of their strength, it can become numbing and take the emphasis off of the storyline and message of a movie or show. In ancient Greece, theatrical plays never portrayed violence on stage but only referred to presumed off-stage violent events. Although I’m not that much of a purist, sometimes I miss the opportunity to enjoy pure and simple plots of dramas without all the extra effects.
However, at least we can take solace in the fact that movie violence isn’t actually real. With the UFC, that is not the case. The violence is real, and no matter how much of a science real fighting may be, the fixation on violence is what draws large crowds and high ratings.
Matt Watson is the opinion editor of The Reflector. He can be contacted at [email protected] .