Euphoria (HBO) | Worst Wrestling Portrayals O.A.T.

[jackwebster 296]

*** Disclaimer: I started teaching HS about 20 years ago, after an adjunct stint teaching comp & humanities at NSU in Tahlequah and Jess Dunn in Taft, Ok. With my delayed start with the teenage set, I recognized that I shared few cultural touchstones with my charges. So, I have tried to build a set by playing the games they play, visiting the social media platforms they visit, watching the movies and tv shows they watch. (I stop short of reading the books they read bc abomination.) ***

To this end, I have watched the HBO soap Euphoria. I can't recommend it, but beauty, eye, beholder, etc. However, it did get me thinking about a G.O.A.T. list ... or in this case a W.O.A.T. list.

One rpisode had a cold opening flashback to a character's formative experience as a high school wrestler. This was one of the worst renderings of wrestling that I have seen, amplifying the most persistent and misleading stereotypes associated with the sport: sadistic coaches, gateway to our latent homoerotic desires, violent homophobia that results from the repression of these desires, etc, etc. The only thing missing was a jeremiad on the cut.

And the "wrestling." Wtf. Couldn't they find a stunt choreographer w/ the number of a local club and just film a practice? 

So, Euphoria is at the top of my list of Worst Portrayals of Wrestling O.A.T.

What are some others? 

Let's keep this negative, e.g. no praise for Win Win

Edited January 29 by jackwebster

[Antitroll2828 996]

22 minutes ago, jackwebster said:

*** Disclaimer: I started teaching HS about 20 years ago, after a adjunct stint teaching comp & humanities at NSU in Tahlequah and Jess Dunn in Taft, Ok. With my delayed start with the teenage set, I recognized that I shared few cultural touchstones with my charges. So, I have tried to build a set by playing the games they play, visiting the social media platforms they visit, watching the movies and tv shows they watch. (I stop short of reading the books they read bc abomination.) ***

To this end, I have watched the HBO soap Euphoria. I can't recommend it, but beauty, eye, beholder, etc. However, it did get me thinking about a G.O.A.T. list ... or in this case a W.O.A.T. list.

The series had a cold opening flashback to one of the character's formative experience as a high school wrestler. This was one of the worst renderings of wrestling that I have seen, amplifying the most persistent and misleading stereotypes associated with the sport: sadistic coaches, gateway to our latent homoerotic desires, violent homophobia that results from the repression of these desires, etc, etc. The only thing missing was a jeremiad on the cut.

And the "wrestling." Wtf. Couldn't they find a stunt choreographer w/ the number of a local club and just film a practice? 

So, Euphoria is at the top of my list of Worst Portrayals of Wrestling O.A.T.

What are some others? 

Let's keep this negative, e.g. no praise for Win Win

The new season of Dexter had a pretty lazy approach with the wrestling scenes, like honestly how hard would it be to do some minimum research before filming  

[portajohn 439]

4 hours ago, Antitroll2828 said:

The new season of Dexter had a pretty lazy approach with the wrestling scenes, like honestly how hard would it be to do some minimum research before filming  

I'm surprised no one has done a separated at birth for Dylan Ragusin and Harrison Morgan

[Bardamu911 89]

on the other hand the wrestling scene in Rushmore might be the best of all time 

[Bardamu911 89]

Just now, Bardamu911 said:

on the other hand the wrestling scene in Rushmore might be the best of all time 

oooops I didn't notice the "let's keep this negative" directive 

[jackwebster 296]

20 minutes ago, Bardamu911 said:

oooops I didn't notice the "let's keep this negative" directive 

Idk that scene does a pretty good job of capturing what most private school wrestling looks like in VA. However, Anderson's formalism/mannerism seems ill-suited for any serious treatment of wrestling. ... the result would look like the series of stills in technique books. But what do I know: Kolat's dad sounded pretty serious.

Edited January 29 by jackwebster

[buckshot1969 579]

No way AC Slater was good at wrestling, everybody he got on the mat with immediately rolled onto their back.

[portajohn 439]

Just now, buckshot1969 said:

No way AC Slater was good at wrestling, everybody he got on the mat with immediately rolled onto their back.

You're discounting Slater's intimidation factor.  Opponents had two options. Give up and spare yourself from his wrath or spend the remainder of the school year in a body cast.  Pretty easy decision to make

[Antitroll2828 996]

31 minutes ago, buckshot1969 said:

No way AC Slater was good at wrestling, everybody he got on the mat with immediately rolled onto their back.

I’ve watched multiple guys just roll over for Mike Grey in high school and AC Slater had about 50 pounds on him and much better hair …way more intimidating 

 

30 minutes ago, portajohn said:

You're discounting Slater's intimidation factor.  Opponents had two options. Give up and spare yourself from his wrath or spend the remainder of the school year in a body cast.  Pretty easy decision to make

 

[Billyhoyle 2,479]

South Park was both the best and the worst. 

[jp157 517]

12 minutes ago, Billyhoyle said:

South Park was both the best and the worst. 

That South Park episode had some shockingly deep insights 

[jackwebster 296]

1 hour ago, buckshot1969 said:

No way AC Slater was good at wrestling, everybody he got on the mat with immediately rolled onto their back.

They also had duals on a 10' x 10' mat.

[Casey 21]

The Pacifier.   Brad Garrett in full wrestling gear takes on vin diesel.  Tries the nipple pinch move not often talked about here.

[Jaroslav Hasek 2,050]

Here's the best scene high school wrestling scene in a Hollywood movie.

 

[jackwebster 296]

5 hours ago, Jaroslav Hasek said:

Here's the best scene high school wrestling scene in a Hollywood movie.

 

Yup, but these and the others are played for laughs and the laughs grow out of our own absurdities as a community, e.g. the singlets and the headgear. I think the cringe induced by slapstick is intentional and thus a success. It's the half-assed atttempts at mimesis that make my list.

[BerniePragle 382]

I know it isn't the intent of the thread and it's so obvious it doesn't need to be mentioned, but the whole Professional Wrestling scene.

Sorry, but it's Sunday morning, my wife's still sleeping, too blanking cold to go outside or to the garage...I'm bored, so I chimed in.

What did suprise me is that you said "the books they read".  I'm an old guy.  I honestly didn't think anyone of this age group reads books, outside assigned reading in school, maybe.  Maybe there are some today aimed at them with all pictures, comic books perhaps with a smattering of lol, u, hieroglyphics (emojis)?  Honest question!

[jackwebster 296]

21 minutes ago, BerniePragle said:

Honest question!

When I started it was The Notebook and Harry Potter; then it was Twilight, 50 Shades, and Hunger Games; then it was The Fault in our Stars and 13 Reasons Why. Things like His Dark Materials, Divergent, a bunch of dragon books, Maze Runner, Manga, come in and out of fashion. Idk but a significant minority of my kids gobble up YA. I just can't read it.

[BerniePragle 382]

10 minutes ago, jackwebster said:

When I started it was The Notebook and Harry Potter; then it was Twilight, 50 Shades, and Hunger Games; then it was The Fault in our Stars and 13 Reasons Why. Things like His Dark Materials, Divergent, a bunch of dragon books, Maze Runner, Manga, come in and out of fashion. Idk but a significant minority of my kids gobble up YA. I just can't read it.

At least they're reading something. For thousands of years, our language evolved.  I fear in not that long, it will devolve back to hieroglyphics (a series of emojis).  I have 3 kids, 42, 34, 32 and 2 grandkids, 16 , 11.  I don't know how any of them chat with their friends, but when any of them texts me, the English is perfect.  I'm a proud Papa, Grandpa.  Keep fighting the good fight!

[Jaroslav Hasek 2,050]

8 hours ago, jackwebster said:

Yup, but these and the others are played for laughs and the laughs grow out of our own absurdities as a community, e.g. the singlets and the headgear. I think the cringe induced by slapstick is intentional and thus a success. It's the half-assed atttempts at mimesis that make my list.

It's also funny when Elly Mae says, "I call this one the hickory nut crunch!" and then steps on the dude's balls. 

[BerniePragle 382]

I remember an episode of King of Queens where Spence and Doug's brother (I think) were having a wrestling match on the living room floor for some kind of bragging rights.  Man, that was funny.