{"id":184,"date":"2024-12-13T16:51:37","date_gmt":"2024-12-13T21:51:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/lao354-f24\/?p=184"},"modified":"2024-12-20T21:41:13","modified_gmt":"2024-12-21T02:41:13","slug":"singer-songwriter-wrestler-how-masculinity-and-culture-are-intertwined-in-bad-bunnys-wrestling-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/lao354-f24\/singer-songwriter-wrestler-how-masculinity-and-culture-are-intertwined-in-bad-bunnys-wrestling-career\/","title":{"rendered":"Singer, Songwriter, \u2026 Wrestler? How Masculinity and Culture are Intertwined in Bad Bunny’s Wrestling Career."},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/h2>\n

During in-class discussions of Benito\u2019s lyrics, music, videos, and general elements of his identity which comprise his image, a common theme that has arised is his activism for the queer community and embrace of gender fluidity in a genre where homophobia and toxic masculinity have previously been normalized (Avila). He has built this image of rebellion against the status quo with his motto of \u201cyo hago lo que me da la gana\u201d, and it is part of what has established him as a political icon amongst fans (Venkataramanan). Given this image, it was surprising to learn of his lifelong passion and interest in the world of professional wrestling, an institution which has long affirmed rigid boundaries on masculinity (Mazer 105). Indeed, he has two songs with professional wrestlers, eight appearances on WWE (Ramft), a feature in <\/span>Cassandro<\/span><\/i>, a movie about a queer Lucha Libre wrestlers rise to stardom (Ramirez), and is even featured in the cover of W2K23, the WWE video game.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Cover of W2K23, a popular WWE wrestling video game.<\/p><\/div>\n

One framework which has been presented by scholar of professional wrestling Sharon Mazer has been to analyze the dynamic between wrestlers through the scope of masculinities, noting that wrestling is a performance in which two wrestlers are both competing to fight emasculation and achieve the ideal of a \u201creal man\u201d (Mazer, 90). I argue that this framework is restrictive to white forms of masculinity and the way the ideals of a \u201creal man\u201d manifest in Benito\u2019s involvement in the wrestling world are more firmly aligned with latino ideals of masculinity such as machismo present in Lucha Libre. The dynamic between the two fighters should be analyzed by considering the intersection of masculinity, culture, and colonial resistance. To make this argument I will be looking at Benito\u2019s most recent appearance on WWE: Backlash 2023, where he wrestles Damien Priest, a wrestler also raised in Vega Baja, at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan.<\/span><\/p>\n

WWE, Machismo, and Lucha Libre<\/b><\/h2>\n

What\u2019s helpful in Mazer\u2019s framework is the understanding that WWE is a performance where the audience indirectly learns what masculinity is supposed to look like, not only based on the physique and attire of the wrestler, but factors like their role in a broader WWE narrative, identity outside the ring, if they cheated to win, etc. These elements serve to inform an audience how the epitome of masculinity, specifically white masculinity, should manifest in contexts outside the ring. In broadly analyzing WWE, an often underlying assumption that is made is that wrestling is \u201cright-wing and inherently American\u201d (Smith). This marks one of the primary differences between WWE and lucha libre. The difference in culture carries with it different ideals of masculinity, where machismo is most aptly reflected in the dynamic between Priest and Benito.<\/span><\/p>\n

To clarify their differences, when Javier Pereda writes about Lucha Libre he emphasizes the deep rooted ties to culture through beliefs and traditions, which are often reflected in the design of the luchador’s mask and in their performance (Pereda 1). Further, in Lucha Libre there are no narratives\u2014universally the dynamic between the fighters is always one of good (Tecnicos) vs evil (Rudos) (Pereda 3). Lastly, Pereda argues that this constant universal dynamic creates a metanarrative of hyperrealism: \u201cBased on the meta-narrative presented by Lucha Libre, the audience believe that the opponent genuinely hate each other, generating a hyperreal response from it, with real emotions\u201d(Pereda 3). Further, the representation of a machismo form of masculinity contributes to the hyperrealism of Lucha Libre.<\/span><\/p>\n

Puerto Rico vs. The World<\/b><\/h2>\n

The dynamic that ensues between Benito and his opponent Damien Priest follows the Tecnicos vs Rudos framework given that Benito is depicted as the hometown hero while Priest is painted as representative of the WWE institution as a whole. When the wrestlers are introduced, one cannot deduce that they both hail from Vega Baja, as only Benito\u2019s hometown is mentioned. Furthermore, although Benito has enough WWE appearances to fit into one of the larger narratives of allegiances and rivalries that exist within WWE, this part is omitted during his introduction. Paying close attention to audience reception during each introduction, it can clearly be deduced that Benito is perceived as the hero and Priest the villain.<\/span><\/p>\n

First introduced is Priest, who gets a short introduction and little audience reception. Take note of the somber music in the background, the close up shots of his angry face, and the banging of his chest with his arms, all deliberate elements of the production meant to characterize Priest as the villain.<\/span><\/p>\n