The Gay Off

In October 2011, three independent wrestling federations (CZW, WxW, and BJW) worked together to present the 2011 Triangle of Ultra-Violence show in Germany.  On the card was an eight man Tag Team match with Adam Cole leading one team, and Marty Scurll from England leading the other team.   This YouTube video presents a little show-down between Cole and Scurll that occurred before the match began.

When Marty Scurll accuses Adam Cole of being gay, the homophobic crowd began to chant “You are gay!  You are gay!” as if being gay is something to be ashamed of.  I was reminded of the Junior High playground when Cole responded with: “I’m not gay — YOU’RE gay!” and a shoving match ensued.  Cole then pretends to suck a dick to imply that is what Scurll always does (although Cole is the one with the invisible cock in his mouth, and he appears quite skilled at the task.  So which man is really acting gayer here?)

So to settle the question of who is gayest, Scurll proposes a “Gay Off” — a competition where both men will perform homosexual acts to determine which one is most gay.  The rules of this game are a little confusing to me — the intent of both men up to this point has been to AVOID being defined as gay.  Now, the winner of the competition will be the one who outs himself by demonstrating the most outrageous and flamboyant behavior.

In a nutshell, this “Gay Off” demonstrates the ambiguous way that pro wrestling handles homo-erotic content.  A mixed message is embedded in the performance.  On the one hand, any hint of homo-sexual attraction between the (very attractive) wrestlers is strictly forbidden — sure to cause Gay Panic and a backlash from the audience such as the “YOU ARE GAY!” chant.  Flamboyant (queer) wrestlers are the villains and usually get their asses kicked.

On the other hand, pro wrestlers frequently cross the border into Gayland with their prolonged body contact, dancing, posing, skimpy colorful costumes, close relationships between partners, and demonstrations like the “Gay Off” seen here.  In the right context, the fans will cheer with great enthusiasm when they see gay antics in the ring — supporting rather than vilifying homosexuality up to a point.  In pro wrestling, it’s acceptable (and actually preferred) for the wrestlers to perform homo-erotic acts, as long as they’re not too gay going about it.

So let the Gay Off begin.  First, Adam Cole shakes his ass and wags his bulge around.  Actually his dance is not necessarily “gay” by itself — Cole could just as well be performing the same dance with a female partner, or for screaming women at an All Male Review.  The gay aspect comes from the fact that he is dancing in front of a primarily male audience.  The audience is therefore complicit in the gay act — their presence at the show provides the gay context, not the actions of Adam Cole himself.  So maybe the crowd should be chanting “YOU ARE GAY!” at one another.

Next, Marty Scurll asks his partner, Chuck Taylor, to get in the ring and bend over so he can thrust his hips into the dude from behind.  On the one hand, the wrestlers are mocking homosexuality as if saying: “Aren’t gay people ridiculous?!  Look at what they do to each other.”   On the other hand, the wrestlers are willingly participating in the Gay Off and placing themselves in these positions (including Taylor who is not even in the competition) while the audience reacts with excitement and enthusiasm, as if saying: “This is sure fun and hot!  Be sure to show up next week for even more!”

Finally, Adam Cole invites his partner Drew Gulak into the ring to serenade  him with a Backstreet Boys song and invite him to dance.  (Meanwhile, I’m sure some folks in the audience are thinking:  “Wow, I’ll dance with you Cole, if Gulak refuses…”)

Once again, I’m impressed by Adam Cole’s workrate, his willingness to Play the Gay and act as the Clown.  He is so versatile and eager to please, and always steals the show.  Is it any wonder he is currently my favorite wrestler?!

I find it ironic that this gay performance is happening in Germany, a historically warlike place not known for its tolerance of alternative lifestyles.

Also the event was an Ultra-Violent show, featuring weapons, broken glass, thumbtacks, barbed wire, etc.  You get the picture — the focus was on pain, destruction, blood, and Man’s inhumanity to Man.

To halt the extreme violence and present this romantic, tender, almost beautiful slow dance between the good looking dudes is an interesting contrast to the mayhem and violence of the day.  Maybe the German audience (the German people) had grown weary of seeing hate, aggression, and destruction (the negative aspects of masculinity) and they were eager to witness a kinder, gentler male-male relationship.

The heat builds between Cole and Gulak and eventually boils over.  The state of Gay Panic is reached when Cole grabs Gulak’s ass.  Their opponents break up these unacceptable queer antics with Drop Kicks to the gays.

Chuck Taylor holds up a sign defining the other men as the gayest, and himself presumably as straight (even though he was bent over accepting his partner’s hip thrusts just minutes ago…)

So this Gay Off scene, like so many pro wrestling matches, follows the same formula for presenting homo-erotic content and then averting Gay Panic that I first defined in my Pay for Gay article:

• 1. Present homo-social partnerships as the ideal. (Calling Adam Cole “gay” is meant to vilify him and imply he is somehow defective compared to Marty Scurll and his straight friends.)

• 2. Push the limits of homo-eroticism, dancing dangerously all over the gay border. (The antics during the Gay Off by both teams are increasingly outrageous and suggestive.)
  

• 3. Avert the homo-erotic tension and relieve the Gay Panic by punishing the queers. (Cole and Gulak are drop-kicked into submission and humiliated for their actions.)

There are two more steps in the formula which I assume were carried out later in the match, but the short video clip is cut off before we see these last steps take place:

• 4. Re-establish the dominance and superiority of hetero-sexuality as the preferred lifestyle in our society.

• 5.  Offer a final gay tease to keep them coming back for more.