John Quinn
MPhill/PhD – Media effects
7th November 2007 D.O.S. John Robertson
Summary
With regard to the title of this article, it is clear from the discussion of the results that the authors’ answers are yes; yes the violence in televised wrestling is indeed a cause for concern. Furthermore, the researchers concluded form the data collected, that the violence in wrestling is both greater in content, and different in context, from other forms of broadcast television violence, proposing that the violence in TV wrestling is unremitting, unpunished, presented as justified, yet lacking extreme harm. (Tamborini et al. 2005:216) Encouraging the conclusion that violence occurs with much grater frequency in TV wrestling, is the data from table 1. This data suggests that wrestling was the only form of
Directly related to this frequency of violence, the table 1 data further suggested that 23% of all violent interactions in TV wrestling were extreme (containing more than 21 individual acts of violence), almost 3 times that of movies broadcast on TV, where 8% of all violent interactions were extreme. (Tamborini et al. 2005:211) One of the key findings that emerged form the study, however, was the data concerning motivation for this violence. The researchers found that 58% of the violence in TV wrestling was mandated (violent acts compelled by the rules of the ‘sport’) and accordingly questioned whether or not this form of mandatory violence, given the nature of the acts, was perceived as justified by the viewer, and that if this perception of justification reduced the consumers inhibitions against aggressive behaviour. (Tamborini et al. 2005:216)
Furthermore, the study’s finding that the remaining 42% of violence in TV wrestling was un-mandated, suggested that a large proportion of the violence in TV wrestling was not justified as the consequences of a ‘sporting’ contest, such as in boxing, and that 94% of all violence went unpunished. (Tamborini et al. 2005:216) The researchers proposed that this distances TV wrestling form sports violence, and that it should be included in the broader debate over TV violence due to the diversity of motivations for violence represented throughout the broadcasts. (Tamborini et al. 2005:217)
Turning to the inhibition of imitative behaviour related to wrestling, Table 2 of the study found that 0% of all violence represented in TV wrestling suggested consequences resulting in extreme harm, and further found that 16% of the representations of the consequences of violence resulted in an unrealistic representation of the level of harm expected. (Tamborini et al. 2005:213) From this data the researchers concluded that, whereas the realistic representation of harm resulting from TV violence may inhibit imitative behaviour, the often unrealistic, and non extreme portrayals of the consequences of violence in TV wrestling may reduce this inhibition. This train of thought was continued by the study, which found that 91% of the violence in TV wrestling was conducted by ‘natural means’ (Tamborini et al. 2005:206) (kicking, punching etc.), enabling easier imitation than other forms of TV violence that utilise different means. (Such as controlled weapons which can be hard to come by.)
This concern over the possibility of imitative behaviour came to the forefront in the study’s analysis of the data. Tamborini et al. (2005) suggested that the unique lack of realism related to the consequences of violence in TV wrestling, combined with varying degrees of fantasy-reality distinction ability throughout the whole demographic, and the frequency of representations of extreme violence, makes further examination of TV wrestling violence ‘obligatory’. (Tamborini et al. 2005:218) Due mainly to the potential for harmful outcomes related to the consumption of TV wrestling.
Discussion
The concerns expressed by Tamborini et al. (2005), relating to the perceptual difference between TV wrestling violence and other types of ‘sports violence’ seems to corroborate the findings of the earlier ITC report on qualitative research on the audience’ perception of TV wrestling. (ITC 2001) The ITC report found that the vast majority of TV wrestling viewers considered TV wrestling to be entertainment rather than sport, and that this perception was, in part, related to the unrealistic representations of the consequences of violence compared to other sports. From this data therefore, it is possible postulate that TV wrestling violence is perceived as different from other forms of sports violence, (ITC 2001 p:9) and as such one can draw a correlation to Tamborini et al. (2005) and the reduction of inhibition toward imitation as being related to the unrealistic portrayal of the consequences of the violence showcased on TV wrestling. This can be seen to be evidenced by the data from the ITC report that suggested the vast majority of young male viewers do imitate TV wrestling. (ITC 2001 p:71) However, to further illustrate this point, one could hypothesise that less boxing viewers would be inclined to imitate the actions of a boxing bout due to the graphic depictions of the actual bodily harm that are seen to be the result of the violence in boxing.
Furthermore, the ITC report concluded that the majority of TV wrestling viewers can rationally identify TV wrestling as staged; with even the very young questioning the actuality of what they see. (ITC 2001 p:12) It is possible to suggest therefore, that potential imitation inhibiting factors such as fear of pain and adverse physical consequences are reduced by; the highly ostensive actions of the TV wrestlers (ITC 2001 p:57), the absence of representations of extreme harm, the regular unrealistic representations of the consequences of violence, (Tamborini et al. 2005 p:213) and serve to encourage viewers to recreate what they see. However the ITC report also concludes that the parents of many children involved in imitative behaviour related to wrestling believe the behaviour to be an inevitable part of childhood (ITC 2001 p:73-75), of course it is possible to suggest that this is also due to the parent sharing the same perception as the child, as is indeed frequently alluded to throughout the ITC report.
Nonetheless both papers agree that the portrayal of violence in TV wrestling is a necessary area for study, due to the potential for, and actual instances of, imitation (Tamorini et al. 2005 p:218, ITC 2001 p:86) and raise significant research questions relating to the possible cause of such behaviour.
Arising Research Questions
Does the highly ostensive performance of TV wrestlers encourage copycat behaviour in audiences, and if so why?
If TV wrestling’s performances were less ostensive, would there be less audience imitation, and if so why?
Does the justification of violence through mandating in TV wrestling encourage the audience to see violence as a just means of problem solving, and if so what facilitates this reasoning?
Can TV wrestling violence be considered ‘sporting violence’?
Does the audiences’ perception of wrestling as ‘staged’ encourage them to feel that imitation is not dangerous?
When imitating TV wrestling, are the participants recreating the ostensive performances of the wrestlers, with little or no intention of harming their colleagues, or do they intend to cause actual harm?
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Independent Television Commission (ITC) (2001) WRESTLING: How do audiences perceive TV and video wrestling? [Online]
Tamborini, R. et al. (2005). The Raw Nature of Televised Professional Wrestling: Is the violence a cause for concern? Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media [Online] Vol. 49 (2) p. 202. Available: InfoTrac [28 October 2007].
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