Wrestling With Reality It’S A ‘Soap Opera For Guys’

“Know your role.” “We’ve got two words for ya.”

These trademark phrases have become known to virtually every teenager in the nation.

These are the words of The Rock and Degeneration-X, wrestlers and factions of the World Wrestling Federation.

In the past year, the sports entertainment world of wrestling has become the newest trend of teenage pop culture. From new slang to mannerisms, wrestling can be found almost anywhere.

Tonight’s “Monday Night Raw” airing on the USA Network took place live in the Spokane Arena last Tuesday.

The house was packed to the roof, with 10,000 plus adoring fans cheering their favorite wrestlers on to victory. Highlight appearances included Degeneration-X, Team Corporate, the J.O.B. Squad, Val Venus and his confidant The Godfather. As a result, crowd reactions ranged from ecstatic chants to obscene cheers and indecent exposures.

Signs were brought by people from near and far to pay homage and disrespect to the athletes.

Why, you might ask, has wrestling become such a phenomenon in pop culture?

“It’s cheap entertainment. It’s great to see two grown men in Spandex kicking … each other on network television,” says John Vaughn, 15.

What does this silly sport provide for today’s teenager that other sports don’t?

“Wrestling provides a way to vent emotions through characters and their actions,” said die-hard fan Nick Kelly, 16. At Ferris High School, it has become, “A soap (opera) for guys,” said Jordan Bursch.

WWF is a craze.

At Ferris people walk down the hall and exchange crotch-chops and fake head-butts with their friends. Students have also been heard using wrestling tag lines in their conversation with each other.

These references always seem to put smiles on the faces of everyone who is listening.

In addition to its teenage popularity, WWF has become one of the greatest media spectacles ever.

There are WWF action figures, T-shirts, home videos and now its own line of fragrances that have grossed more than a half a billion dollars this year.

Since it is internationally televised, the WWF reaches more than 40 million viewers. Crazy as it may seem, “Raw is War” has claimed a top 10 spot on cable television in America.

The best part to the fans is that there really are no limits on how vulgar or rude you are, so long as you get on TV.

There are, however, always the skeptics.

The comments like “You know it’s fake” and “How can you watch that?” are easily addressed by diehard fans.

Brian Steve, 15, said, “The key word here is sports entertainment. And that is exactly what it is - entertainment.

“People watch other television shows and don’t question if what they’re watching is real or not. I watch wrestling because I like it.

“If you have a problem with that, I have two words for ya!”