Episode 51: Grappling with Neokayfabe (w/ Abraham Josephine Riesman)

Serious Fun

English - March 20, 2023 17:58 - 1 hour - 115 MB - ★★★★★ - 5 ratings
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Previous Episode: Episode 50: The King of the Monsters (w/ Miriam Brabham and Zack Kruse)

Next Episode: Episode 52: You Meddling Musicians (w/ The Shake Ups)

What can professional wrestling and its largest figurehead tell us about our social and political moment? Turns out - a lot! Author Abraham Josephine Riesman returns to Serious Fun for an in-depth discussion about her new book "Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America". Riesman breaks down McMahon, his empire, his connections to politics and business, and how his contributions to pro wrestling have created a new weighted form of synthetic reality she calls "neokayfabe" that permeates our social, political, journalistic, and media lives.

SHOW NOTES:

Learn more about the book at:

https://www.ringmasterthebook.com

Riesman's article on the Book of Job for Slate is here:

https://slate.com/human-interest/2022/03/job-torah-story-despair-alternative-war-democracy-climate-apocalypse.html