| Image by Box Brown |
On its face, “facts” may not seem true or at least do not add up.
However, I want you to believe it.
You want to believe it.
If we believe it, it makes us both happy.
Together, we believe it.
This is the basis of professional Wrestling for at least the last 100 years in the U.S. and this is the logic with which we must understand the support for the now Justice Kavanaugh.
The idea for the connection between Kavanaugh and the world of Professional Wrestling had been bouncing around in my head for some time. Jennifer Weiner’s piece in the New York Times, How Do I Explain Justice Kavanaugh to My Daughters?, reminded me of that. As the author of TrumpMania: Vince McMahon,WWE and the making of America’s 45th President, I didn’t need much reminding.
No, there was no testimony of Kavanaugh hanging with the boys, drinking beers and going to see Ron Simmons win the world title in the Baltimore Area or staying up late on a Saturday Night as not to miss SNL fill-in, the World Wrestling Federation’s Saturday Night’s Main Event. However, his greatest supporter, President Donald Trump, has a long history in the world of professional wrestling and to understand America and Kavanaugh, you must understand professional wrestling.
Professional wrestling is a world of half-truth’s and put on’s. Carnival barker meets sport. Outside of the occasional ultra-realistic storyline, the quasi sport is no longer about fooling the public. It’s all fake. There is no debate. Although often miscategorized as such, pro wrestling fans are no less intelligent than anyone else. They only believe what they want to believe.
When one is a fan, they suspend their disbelief long enough to wrap themselves in the storyline. They listen to their heroes and boo the villains enough to have a rooting interest in who wins. You may be familiar with this if you are a fan of movies like Star Wars or Spiderman. Darth Maul and Venom are just characters but we want to see them lose. We want to see Luke Skywalker or Peter Parker ultimately triumph.
Trump has learned how to manipulate these desires to the ultimate effect. He learned what a crowd wants to hear- even if it isn’t the ultimate truth. It is about keeping people (or at least your people) happy. Give them what they want. He helped to usher in a long sustained period of wrestling’s biggest weekend, WrestleMania. There has never been a WrestleMania not in a stadium after he helped to co-headline the Battle of the Billionaires against Vince McMahon. Both men put their hair on the line- with stand ins to do the hard work, wrestling the actual match, of course. Part of the draw for that event was to consider the impossible- what if Trump has his head shaved? What will it look like? Is it real like he’s always told us?
The temperament of Kavanaugh. The credible accusations. The questions left unanswered. Rationally, how could he be nominated to serve on the highest court of the land? However, just like in pro wrestling, take off your rational hat, put on your fan baseball cap and think of whom you want to win. Or, at least who you were told you want to win and cheer. Just like the cheers at a Trump rally: “Kavanaugh! Kavanaugh!”
Lavie Margolin is the author of TrumpMania: Vince McMahon, WWE and the making of America’s 45th President. Tweet him via @Laviemarg
