Talking smack: verbal aggression in professional wrestling.(Report)

Reservations about the type of verbal exchange often found in televised professional wrestling are perhaps best illustrated by the discourse of Degeneration X, who popularized the catch phrase "suck it!" No doubt, many parents are concerned when they hear this type of talk on television, and conventional wisdom suggests their concern is rational. Anecdotes about children imitating professional wrestlers' aggressive communication and behavior abound, and though such anecdotes may be alarming, there is little empirical research on the occurrence of verbal aggression in wrestling. In fact, the presence of verbal aggression across all television genres has been generally overlooked in favor of attention to physical aggression. This focus might be expected when we consider the harm that often results from physical aggression versus its verbal counterpart. However, the presence of verbal aggression in television and in sport should not be overlooked. The significance of sport in our culture makes the verbal aggression found in its televised portrayal an important concern. Verbal aggression seems abundant in many areas of sport, but most noticeably in professional wrestling. Given the popularity of this genre with male adolescents, one of our most vulnerable audience groups, practical concerns, as well as the need for basic understanding, compel our examination of verbal aggression in televised professional wrestling.

Physical aggression, or violence, involves the use of physical force or a credible threat of physical force intended to physically harm another (Smith et al., 1998). In contrast, verbal aggression involves "attacking the self-concept of another person instead of, or in addition to, the person's position on a topic of communication" (Infante & Wigley, 1986, p. 61). The present study begins to address the lack of research on verbal aggression in mediated sport through a content analysis of the verbal aggression in televised professional wrestling. Specifically, this research quantifies the frequency of verbal aggression, its forms, and the attributes of its perpetrators and targets in televised professional wrestling.

Society, Sport, and Aggression

The importance of sport in our culture can be seen in the extent to which it permeates daily life. "Sport talk" has become a part of everyday language, and an activity that promotes diverse social and cultural values (Shapiro, 1989). Whether used metaphorically to express meaning or called on just as a topic of discussion, sport plays an important role in our communication patterns, as well as our way of life; a role that seems particularly relevant among young men.

By their very nature, many sports are infused with aggression. As early as the ancient Greeks (Gunter, 2006), aggressive acts have been an essential feature of competition in sports such as boxing and wrestling. For other sports, aggressive acts may serve to create a significant advantage during competition. For example, a hard body-check is not a fundamental objective in hockey, but it can help a team score a goal, and it is legal under the rules of the sport. Even typically nonaggressive sports such as baseball and soccer frequently contain acts of aggression, such as the ever-popular bench-clearing brawl. These and other examples depict sport as a setting in which aggression occurs with some regularity (Kassing et al., 2004).

Not surprisingly, discussion of aggression in sport concentrates on physical behavior. By and large, the most salient aspect of sport is physical activity. However, such a focus might overlook models of verbal behavior likely to provoke hostility beyond the sporting arena. Research shows that verbal aggression is an important cause of physical violence at home (Infante, Chandler, & Rudd, 1989) as well as in school (Shapiro, 1999). And though well-learned social norms are likely to inhibit direct imitation of observed physical aggression, restrictions are weaker for verbal aggression (Potter, 1999), leaving receivers more susceptible to its influence. Most sports provide limited opportunity for exposure to verbal aggression. Only occasionally will viewers hear verbal aggression in interviews with players and coaches or from commentators trying to make provocative remarks. By contrast, professional wrestling is a "sport" in which opportunity for exposure to verbal aggression seems almost unlimited.

Televised Professional Wrestling