A theme often portrayed by pro wrestlers is the contrast between a wrestler being covered and exposed. A wrestler may temporarily wear a ring jacket or mask or street clothes, for example, to cover himself, thus frustrating the viewer by preventing an open view of his flesh or face.
Often the wrestler will then be stripped, forcibly unmasked, or will willingly remove his garments to expose his vulnerability and humanity and allow the viewer’s ever-hungry gaze. As discussed in an earlier article, Cody Rhodes’ gimmick in recent months has been to wear a plastic mask to protect and conceal (somewhat) his dashing features.
This recent match from WWE Superstars between former friends Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase plays on the themes of exposure vs. protection in several ways. Cody, for example, wears a black leather vest and a stoic expression to the ring, thus concealing himself (hiding his humanity and emotion).
Ted DiBiase, on the other hand, bursts into the arena bare chested (accessible to our gaze). He smiles, flexes, and flirts, his love for life on display. Concealment and exposure are used to establish hero and villain (and to tease and titillate the fans).
Cody’s face mask is an ingenious and ironic example of exposure vs. concealment. This mask is a security blanket for Cody, who believes he has been disfigured (even though he’s arguably one of the most handsome men in wrestling). He is so deranged, he apparently doesn’t realize the clear mask does not hide his face from our view at all, but perhaps draws our attention even more to his supposedly disfigured face. Does his mask protect or expose him?
Wrestling trunks both cover and expose the wrestler. As the only lick of clothing he wears (unless you count boots and socks as clothing), the trunks conceal the wrestler’s privates. But most wrestling trunks are inadequate — tight and small, actually exposing the man’s body parts as he twists and sprawls and rolls around the ring.
Cody wears black trunks, which are more concealing than many other colors, but they are, at the same time, remarkably tight and skimpy.
Ted DiBiase understands better than most wrestlers how the act of self-exposure — putting his trunks on display — will attract the attention of the viewers and inspire their compassion and support. Seeing a man bent over or with his legs split open strikes a chord in the viewer — a man is not supposed to be put in such humiliating, submissive positions! It’s just wrong!
Wrestlers also cover, and then expose, their bodies to each other. At the beginning of the match, they protect themselves, but their resistance wears down and soon their body is left wide open to the gropes, grips, and caresses of the other man. The gradual exposure of the body to the other man’s touch is symbolic of a seduction.
This “exposure vs. concealment” debate is an intriguing angle upon which you’ve chosen to focus. The initial “HOOK” employed by the pro-wrestling organizers was to effectively tap into the seemingly innate human desire to witness “GOOD” triumphing over “EVIL”; hence the evolution of big, angry heels (sometimes masked, sometimes not) all in black and baby-faced, handsome jobbers, sporting white or baby blue trunks. Organizers had INITIALLY believed that a SATISFIED pro-wrestling audience REQUIRED that its wrestlers possess obvious, clear-cut, OPPOSING temperaments in order to feed this inner, primal EDICT. Yet here we are today – thanks largely to the bold, rebellious vision of “Vince” McMahon – with MOST, if not ALL,”pro” AND “indi” wrestlers alike, embracing a pretty much fifty/fifty mix of down-right, “NASTY” EVIL with “ANGEL CHOIR” GOODNESS; basically, the recipe from which we’re all made.
Today’s pro-wrestling continues to follow McMahon’s “revolutionary” FORMULA. Lately though…McMahon has elected to toss in a LARGE “blop” of SEXUALITY into the mixing bowl; grandmothers cringed, pious folks balked, looked away from their televisions, and then up toward the heavens for guidance. But the majority of the viewing audience remained loyal; becoming even MORE riveted to their television screens. Terms like, “STINK FACED” and “CHECKIN” THE OIL” started rolling off the tongue and right on into the ever-evolving wrestling lexicon. Strangely, the frequency of women’s matches started to GROW, just as their “costumes” had been reduced to those sold exclusively at VICTORIA’S SECRET. (Shhhh! Don’t tell anyone!) There was the gay marriage that wasn’t, Viscera’s sadistically raunchy shtick (first “wedgie-ing”, then spanking, and finally “dry humping” handsome, muscle boys’ smooth, firm asses), wrestlers’ trunks being pulled down, (exposing bared, well-muscled “glutes”), groin attacks (clawed, kicked, head-butted, kneed, targeted with tennis balls and water guns), and even bare ass cracks being pressed right up into other wrestlers faces and made to be kissed, (the “VISIONARY” himself…Vincent).
Yep. Pro-wrestling has become fixated on attempting to satiate its audiences’ insatiable SEXUAL appetites; and they are widely varied. But VINCE – the consummate CEO that he is – makes EVERY attempt each week to accommodate his customers by offering up a virtual SMORGASBORD of sexually stimulating delights. The awkwardly prominent wrestler bulges, the oiled chests, torsos, and legs, the close-up camera shots of sweaty ass cracks are the reason that the audiences feel compelled to tune in every week. I really don’t believe that the reason goes much deeper than that. Humans love their sex…and all I have to say to that is, “KEEP IT CUMMIN’, Vince!”
The jacket reveal is also telling as well. When a wrestler enters the ring with his upper torso covered in a jacket but in trunks or tights. A hero’s jacket is usually a satin-type collegiate varsity warmup, perhaps a slogan across the back. He will unzip it leisurely, doff it, place it out of the ring and pump his muscles a bit, not showing off but just getting ready for the match. A heel’s jacket is more dramatic – glitter, studs, or maybe even a Robe that denotes nobility. He takes his time taking it off, almost a striptease as he believes his physique is a Gift from the Gods. This type of arrogance is meant not only to psyche out his opponent but to cause a reaction from the crowd, to boo his vanity and condition them to resent him even more when he cheats during the bout. It’s a type of foreplay that always works.
also (not sure where this fits in) notice Cody doesn’t wear kneepads, further exposing those oiled, shaven legs!