It’s Not Gay, 1 of 3

Tommy Dreamer (the bearded dude jobbing to AJ Styles in the photo at left) has a very active Twitter account. His catch phrase on Twitter is: “It’s not gay, it’s pro wrestling.”

When he hears or sees anything that reveals the homo-erotic undertones of wrestling, Dreamer will explain it away (and avert gay panic) by explaining that it’s not gay, it’s pro wrestling.  Pro wrestling is deemed to be exempt from gayness by definition — it is always non-gay no matter how much the nearly naked men touch and hug each other.

For example, during WWE Raw on December 3rd, Jerry Lawler was announcing a very intense match and said: “I could watch these guys pound each other all night.” Dreamer then quoted Lawler‘s dirty little comment on his Twitter account, but added: “It’s not gay, it’s pro wrestling” to ensure nobody would think Lawler wanted to watch the guys pound each other in a gay sex way — only in a violent pro wrestling way of course…

When Dreamer saw a YouTube video of himself wrestling in Japan in 1995, he tweeted “Nothing like 2 men in giant red underwear on the internet.”

Then he added the hashtag:#itsnotgay itsprowrestling” just to make sure nobody would make the connection that two dudes wrestling in red briefs could indicate that they are homosexual or that the sport of wrestling might appeal to Gays.

In another recent tweet, Dreamer posted a drawing of himself with a huge pole sticking up from between his legs, a celebration of his masculinity and verility.

He invites the ladies (and some guys) to check out his big, phallic stick, but adds “its not gay its pro wrestling” just so none of the guys would feel uncomfortable after looking at his stick.

His comment that “it’s not gay” is meant to be ironic — he adds the comment after the most obviously homo-erotic images or comments.

He’s basically admitting: OK, you’re onto us.  Clearly wrestling is sexual and is designed to arouse men who get off on violence and suggestive positions.  But as a goof — to be ironic — I intend to keep denying the gay aspects of the sport.

Another wrestler named Colt Cabana hosts a PodCast called “The Art of Wrestling” where he interviews wrestlers and talks about the Biz from an insider’s perspective.

Some of the Podcasts are have been animated by a cartoonist (including the Tommy Dreamer interview) which you can view on YouTube.

In his interview, Tommy Dreamer admits to having an attraction to Bob Backlund when he was growing up — a desire to meet and form a relationship with the Champ which turns to anger and resentment after Backlund snubs young Tommy Dreamer.

Backlund was the ultimate Baby-Face of the 1970’s — the Good Guy forever suffering at the hands of cruel foreign invaders and ugly monsters and barely winning in the end.  I’m sure Backlund in his plain red trunks inspired the admiration and desire of many excitable young adolescent males in those days.  The cartoonist who animates Cabana’s podcast provided his take on young Tommy Dreamer dreaming about meeting Bob Backlund…

Backlund touches young Dreamer’s hand during an event and promises to give him an autograph, but later ignores poor Tommy: “I’ll get ya’ next time kid…”   During this short story about his crush on Backlund, Dreamer reminds us that “It’s not gay — it’s pro wrestling” lest we believe that his attraction to Backlund had homo-sexual undertones.

A young man’s attraction to a pro wrestler is more of a homo-social connection, the desire that many young men feel to be in the company of a hero, a warrior, a strong man — to form successful, empowering male-male relationships.  Or maybe it’s gay but nobody wants to admit it.

Dreamer goes on to explain that years later, he met Backlund on the indy wrestling circuit and the two kissed and made up.  As usual in pro wrestling, the homo-social relationship is the ideal relationship, so the story ends happily with Dreamer and his childhood crush burying the hatchet.  As his Art of Wrestling interview ends, with Backlund and Dreamer apparently walking off into the sunset, Dreamer reminds us again: “It’s not gay, it’s pro wrestling...”

To be continued…