DWA #3

         Wrestlers portray personality in "Never Trust a Snake" by Henry Jenkins. Wrestlers are different from the public stereotype. Wrestling can play with emotions. It is acceptable for men to go beyond social rules and show emotion in the ring. Wrestling also breaks the division between social classes by giving priority to strength rather than money. My favorite part of the reading was the part called "Perfect Bastards". It vividly depicted the character of the wrestlers. A wrestler does not have internal conflicts. "Always he is undivided, unperplexed by alternatives, untorn by divergent impulses; all of his strength or weakness faces in one direction" (Jenkins 303). Each wrestler decorates their exterior in order to show their pride and try to intimidate their opponents. The wrestlers exaggerate their emotions in order to enhance their appearance. The audience feeds off the wrestlers' energy. The people cheer and boo for each wrestler. The wrestlers seem unreal with their over the top attitudes and appearances. What I can't understand is how the wrestlers are able to tune out the outside world and focus only on the competition ahead of them. Their eyes are on the prize of taking that win home. The amount of dedication they put into their wresting is too great for me to even imagine. I thoroughly enjoyed this reading because it gave me some insight into the lives of the wrestling community. I am unfamiliar with this scene because I'm not the biggest fan when it comes to violence. I don't understand how some people can find such enjoyment in such a brutal sport. I can, however, identify with the sincere emotion but into something one loves. Dedication is the ultimate characteristic. These wrestlers are great examples of dedication.