Steel Chair to the Head-PB [Paperback]

One thing can be said about this book: it's unique. Not just for the smarts but definitely not for the marks, this book falls into a third category: The curious onlooker who wants to study what wrestling's appeal is, dissect it from ethical, psychological and cultural perspectives, and interpret the results. That's not to say it's bad- it isn't, in fact I find it very interesting. But then again, I know a lot of people who would find it quite boring. It's written by psychology and sociology scholars, after all- but don't dismiss it just yet.

What the book does is examine what wrestling's impact is on the world- the female viewpoint, the way its masculine ideal is marketed, its approval of behavioral tendencies, its sometimes subtle racism, and so on. As stated, it's from more of a journalistic or scientific perspective.

This isn't to say it's not fun. It is, though for one to enjoy it one must step outside of wrestling for a while. The perfect audience for this book is an intelligent wrestling fan who not only has some knowledge of wrestling history but also an appreciation of the business side of things that make it tick- in other words, a fan who enjoys what he's watching but can then turn off the tv, step outside of the role of "fan", and learn more about the gears and joints that keep the industry churning.

I'll give a brief example: The book describes one of the lines of action figures, and how each figure was accompanied by an accessory such as a chair, metal piping, or other object with which to attack an opponent. It's pointed out that huge ex-WCW star Giant is accompanied not by such an object but rather a whole extra figure, small Rey Mysterio Jr. The packaging lists a feature which the book explains: "for fun one can slip Mysterio's tiny neck into the grip of the Giant's enormous right hand and then squeeze the larger figure's legs together to see him sadistically lift, lower, and strangle the hapless Mexican". They give an accompanying photo of said event which I find amusing, but that right there is what this book's all about: It goes on to examine why one would find such a thing amusing, and tries to figure out what led to this particular pairing of action figures in such a context, reaching pretty reasonable conclusions that range from potential racism to the size of wrestlers and how we're programmed to respond to them.

See, that's the kind of book this is- it helps to know some of the stuff they talk about, because then one's own familiarity, understanding, and enjoyment of the things dicsussed are enhanced. So in that way it applies to wrestling fans. At the same time, the book's goal- while not being combative- explores the very nature of the business/fan relationship and how it works, as well as when it does and doesn't. It's very well written and informative, and researched enough to make very few mistakes- these guys are definitely well-read on their subject.

So I guess it all comes down to a matter of how you answer the question "Why do you like wrestling?". If your answer is a perfectly acceptable "it's fun", "It's amusing", "it's entertaining", or something similar, then I'd have to say I agree but you won't want to bother with this book, you don't need to bother exploring all the cultural resonance. Now, if to that question you answer "Hmm, that's weird, why do I like wrestling? What makes me care about these guys, even though I know it's predetermined? Why do my minority and female friends watch? What's the point at the end of the day?", then this book will definitely be of interest to you. When all's said and done, it's essentially a bunch of smart people who got together to explore what wrestling does to (and because of) popular culture. A very interesting read for those who want to take the time to see what they've come up with.

› Go to Amazon.com to see the review  4.0 out of 5 stars