There are some spectacles in this world that have to be seen to be believed. Among those that shouldn’t be seen in the first place is the World Wrestling Federation.

Two nights ago, I had the privilege of witnessing a taping of the WWF’s “Raw is War” in Moline, Ill. As a fan of the WWF, I have seen the show on TV many times, and I have been to a live event before, but this was the first time I’ve been at a show taped for broadcast.

I had been looking forward to this event ever since we got our tickets about a month and a half ago. Granted, my enthusiasm did wane a little after the death of Owen Hart two nights ago. For a while, I was concerned as to whether or not there would even be an event.

But the show must go on, especially in the WWF. Hart’s death occurred on Sunday night and not only did they not cancel shows on Monday and Tuesday, they actually finished the pay-per-view event Sunday night.

Just hose down the ring and sound the bell for another match. Such is the way with the “world leader in sports entertainment.”

Anyway, once we got to the event on Tuesday, there was little indication of Hart’s death. There were a few signs saying “We miss you Owen.” Actually, there was also a guy who had a sign that had “WWF” down the left-hand side, and “World’s Worst Falls” extending out from those letters, which I thought was a little tasteless.

But if you’re not in the mood for tasteless, you probably should never have stepped into the “Warzone.”

What you see on TV in terms of fan behavior can be pretty disturbing, but it doesn’t hold a candle to what actually goes on at the event. It would be difficult for anyone who feels even a small sense of social responsibility to not feel guilty for being there.

I think my friends and I were the only people in our section who didn’t join in the chant of “Faggots” when the supposedly gay tag team “Too Much” were in the ring. The WWF rarely puts “Too Much” on television because they obviously don’t want to catch hell for pandering to the crowd’s behavior.

You also don’t really see the fans that much on television for the same reason. Now occasionally on “Raw,” you will see a 5-year-old boy giving someone the finger the same way Stone Cold Steve Austin does.

Whenever I saw that, I was a little disturbed, but I thought it was kind of cute, too. It’s the antithesis of a Norman Rockwell painting. What goes on at the actual event is a little less cute.

We had three guys sitting behind us who would lean over us with both middle fingers extended and shout “Fuck you” every time a wrestler they didn’t like entered the arena.

Now it would have been disturbing if these had been little kids, but what was even more disturbing was that they looked to be twenty something.

It would be nice to see these intellectual cretins using that energy to protest bad politics rather than attempting to fluster enormous men. I did find it amusing, however, when they would shout “Pussy” at guys who were about 6’10” tall, weighing around 320.

So at this point, you’re probably wondering why I even went to this event in the first place. I may have painted a fairly grim picture of the event, but I really did have a good time.

What student of human nature wouldn’t enjoy a WWF event? The fans are as amusing to watch as the performers.

But I did say that the WWF was the type of event that shouldn’t be seen in the first place, and I meant that. It shouldn’t be seen by some people, specifically children.

A few years ago, professional wrestling made a transition into more adult-based story lines, and when they did that they should have also stopped marketing their product to children.

I think when they started featuring characters who were pimps and porn stars they probably should have stopped selling plush toys.

It doesn’t stop there. The guys sitting behind us probably shouldn’t have been at the event unsupervised. They should have either been at court-ordered anger counseling, or better yet, a government-funded internment center for the dangerously stupid.

I get a kick out of professional wrestling. Following the story lines is like following a soap opera. You know it’s silly, but it’s fun anyway. I’ve always looked at them as a good parody. It may seem obscene, but it’s so silly you can’t imagine anyone taking it too seriously.

Boy, was I wrong. Many of the fans have a hard time distinguishing between reality and fantasy. But the WWF plays to that.

I’m not the first person to make this observation, but with professional wrestling you can actually see fictional characters. You could never meet Forest Gump, but you could meet Tom Hanks.

With pro wrestling, you could actually meet Stone Cold Steve Austin because the character and the person are one and the same. It’s a unique psychological concept in entertainment.

And many people (children and idiots) don’t realize that when the Undertaker disappears behind the curtain, he puts on a polo shirt and goes to his daughter’s dance recital.

So if you are able to tell the difference between illusion and reality, and you’re amused by the very base, the WWF may be your ticket. But it’s certainly not for the faint of heart or the weak of mind.

---

Ben Godar is a junior in sociology from Ames. He is arts and entertainment editor of the Daily.