I haven’t done a formal study or anything, but it sure seems like pro wrestlers tend to flex their biceps more often than athletes from most other sports — and far more than the average dude. Obviously, the purpose of the entire sport is to celebrate masculinity, strength, and power (and to depict the loss and deflation of same) — so the bicep flex is the perfect way for the cocky stud to communicate his arrogance and brawn at the beginning of a match.
But who, exactly, is he flexing for? Is he showing off for the crowd (for the males or for the females)? Is he trying to intimidate his opponent? The answer depends upon the type of wrestler putting on the Big Gun Show…
The most common purpose of the Flex is to intimidate — to frighten the competition and take away some of his swagger by filling up his vision with some big scary Weapons of Mass Destruction. This is akin to the military parading their tanks and artillery down the streets of a conquered nation.
Then there are those arrogant Egotists who flex for their own visual pleasure. The cocky bastard will stare intently at himself, possibly pitching a little tent as he admires his own power. This is the ultimate self-centered narcissist — the center of his own universe.
Some wrestlers bring a mirror to the ring so they can stare at their own perfection. No dude is supposed to love his image this much, so their is an element of femininity (or homo-eroticism?) in the self-centered appreciation of one’s own muscle.
The Exhibitionist wrestler will always flex his muscles for us — the viewing audience. He stares into our eyes rather than looking at himself — he is digging the reaction he gets from the viewers looking at him. His attention is outward rather than inward, getting off on the shock and excitement he inspires in others.
These show-offs may climb the ropes to give us a better look, and hold the pose for a long time to give us viewers plenty of time to drink it in.
Psychologists have coined the term sthenolagnia to describe the fetish of being turned on by the display of one’s muscles. I suppose if a fetish is common enough to have a name, it is also common enough to be acted out in the pro wrestling ring and inspire a reaction from a good number of the audience.
Other wrestlers will put their biceps on display for the enjoyment of a partner or manager. The two men act out the fetish of Muscle Worship — the touching or rubbing of a big man’s muscles, often by a smaller, weaker man.
This is the most homo-social form of flexing because the two men are involved in a symbiotic relationship, one performing to excite the other, who returns the favor by acting very submissive and worshipful.
Who really holds the power in a Muscle Worship scenario? Is the stronger man in charge of the interaction because he is bigger?
Or is the worshipper actually driving this interaction — forcing the other man to perform for his viewing enjoyment? Who is exploiting and using whom?
Often in pro wrestling, the Worshiper is played by a “Boss” figure — an older, more professional man in a suit and tie, the uniform of patriarchal power. Clearly the Flexer is being depicted as an exploited He-Man — full of strength, but devoid of real authority or control, forced to perform for the Suit’s twisted pleasure. As usual, pro wrestling entices us by depicting an ideal male, muscular and powerful, then robbing the spectacular male of his power and potency by reducing him to eye-candy to be exploited and enjoyed by another man.
Ultimately, we are all the “Boss in the suit” — turning our male gaze on the wrestler’s flexing body, using our purchasing power to force the He-Man to do our bidding — to perform the Gun Show to excite and entertain us. We get to sit back and judge him, deciding whether he is suitable to hold the title of “Sexiest Man in Wrestling.”
This empowers the viewer, who is granted the ability to force other men to show their muscles to him while he sits in judgement. And the stronger, larger, and more impressive the Flexer, the more powerful the viewer feels.
This is why pro wrestling is fun to watch — the willing submissiveness of the big, strong participants makes the viewer feel like a real tough dominating stud, which can be intoxicating.
