In October 1999, two titans of professional wrestling clashed in the ring—and all the announcer Jerry Lawler could do was laugh. “She’s got so many wrinkles, an accordion once fell in love with her face!” Lawler shouted, and again, when one of the combatants pummeled the other in the stomach, “She’ll never have babies again!” To be fair, the two contestants, World Wrestling Entertainment champion the Fabulous Moolah and her longtime friend Mae Young, were both in their seventies. And the comedy was as staged as the match. But the awkwardly anachronistic edge of the jokes—treating Moolah and Young like a pair of bawds in a Shakespeare play—was revealing about the way American culture responds to female wrestlers: We’re fascinated, but the whole idea makes us nervous, too. There are a lot of
… full text available to registered users
Access to this content requires registration to bookforum.com. Registration is free and your privacy is protected.
Already registered? Sign in here:
Forgot your password? Please click here to reset your password.
For further technical assistance, please feel free to contact us.