One of the most common gimmicks in pro wrestling, since the days of Gorgeous George, has been the flamboyant sissy villain. These colorful peacocks (usually bleach-blond) prance around the ring in wild costumes you might see at Mardi Gras while, ironically, defeating their straight, regular-guy opponents.
This always stirs up the ire and frustration of the fans — seeing these Nancy-Boys dominating and degrading the macho men. This British Pro match recently posted to YouTube depicts a flaming sissy known as Bobby Barnes dissecting and owning his masculine black opponent — Johnny Kwango. (Have I mentioned I’m really digging all this classic British wrestling now on YouTube??)
They say that the flaming Homo wrestler is so common in pro wrestling because he helps diffuse the sexual conflict in the fans’ thoughts. The straight fan can scream at or spit upon the clownish fairy, thereby proving to himself and anyone else in attendance that he is a confirmed Man’s Man, definitely hetero, and not watching pro wrestling because he likes to see shirtless, handsome muscle-men roll around together.
I think there is a bit more to the story. I think the sissy wrestler presents a serious Threat on several psychological levels, and is therefore frightening, thrilling, and entertaining to the fans, much like a dangerous roller-coaster or a drive through the bad part of town can be a thrill. How does this prancing sissy present a Threat? Let me count the ways:
1. He Might Win
The flamboyant sissy wrestlers — Gorgeous George, Adrian Street, Adrian Adonis, etc. — were usually depicted as very brutal, talented grapplers who, despite their feminine appearance, were known to dish out a whipping. This was an important part of the Queer Wrestler formula — that he is a Silly-Billy and also a brutal killer. They would routinely injure their straight opponents while skipping around shaking their Money-Makers. The sissy wrestler is a femme fatale with muscles. They would also use nasty, bitchy tactics like pulling hair, scratching eyes, or kissing an opponent to startle him (the implication being that Homos are, of course, under-handed and sneaky and won’t fight fair — as devious as a woman.)
This represents a Threat to the primarily male audience because the victory of the sissy implies that a straight guy may not be the strongest after all. Maybe, if the Homo can dominate in the manly sport of wrestling, then perhaps these sissies (or by extension women) actually deserve positions of dominance and leadership. Maybe manly men should NOT automatically be the leaders. Maybe our Over-lords, or at least our bosses at work, will now be a female or feminine — then what does that say about the straight male, relegated to a subservient role? Men will become the girls — it’s like a psychological castration. This was a scary thought, and you’d have to watch wrestling every week to make sure the gay didn’t keep easily winning — to hopefully see him beaten.
2. He Might Try Something
The straight male, when encountering a gay man, lives in fear that the gay will look at him sexually, or try to cop a feel, or brush up against him. In a pro wrestling match, the straight wrestler, who represents the men in the audience, must be in close contact with the sissy wrestler, touching and being touched. This raises a Threat, in the minds of the fans, that the homo wrestler may make a pass, using his wrestling opponent for some sexual gratification. After all, they say Homos are promiscuous don’t you know, getting their jollies from any man they can get a hold of. Aren’t they horny all day long?
The male fans dread being disrespected or subjugated, used by another man as a sexual play-thing (or worse, to be raped). The antics of the flamboyant pro wrestler, as he rubs up against his unwilling victim, raises this anxiety, stirs up heat, and keeps the angry fans on the edge of their seats, watching for any evidence of a cheeky move, an unnecessary touch, or a lingering gaze in the ring.
2. He Might Attract (or Convert) Me
The ultimate Threat that the clownish fag wrestler presents, between the laughter at his sissified actions, is that he might actually arouse the males in the audience, luring them or their sons into the dreaded lifestyle of Homosexuality. After all, he’s prancing around under the bright lights in an eye-catching costume, preening and primping like a female, his flesh exposed, his spectacular body on display, getting physical with another shirtless male — it’s almost like porn. What if I can’t help it and I start to find this arousing?? What does that say about me? Do I need counseling? Will the rest of my life be a living hell? Will I catch a disease? After all, they say Gays are constantly recruiting, trying to lure more men into their lifestyle don’t you know.
Whether in Britain or the U.S.A., this disgust, discomfort, and fear creates a nervous tension which seems to thrill the fans, keeping them coming back each week to laugh at (and think long and hard about) what they see in the ring. The thrill of the Threat must be working very well as a marketing tool because, in the past half-century, there has never been a shortage of the over-the-top, flamboyant queer wrestlers in the ring.
