Conspirituality
Brief: Trump the Babyface, Trump the Heel (w/Abraham Josie Reisman)
Jan 4, 2025
Journalist Abraham Josephine Reisman, known for her insights on pro wrestling and politics, discusses how Donald Trump's wrestling fandom shapes his political persona. She introduces the concept of 'neokayfabe,' where reality and fiction intertwine, making the public complicit in a spectacle of cruelty. Reisman explores Trump's theatricality and its implications for truth in politics, drawing parallels between wrestling archetypes and political dynamics. The conversation reveals how charisma in leadership echoes the performative nature of wrestling, complicating public perception.
46:08
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Quick takeaways
- Josie Reisman argues that Trump's political style, influenced by wrestling, blends fact and fiction, manipulating narratives for emotional engagement.
- The podcast explores how Trump's duality of 'babyface' and 'heel' allows him to captivate audiences through performative politics rather than moral clarity.
Deep dives
The Intersection of Wrestling and Politics
The podcast discusses the parallels between Donald Trump's political strategies and the world of professional wrestling, specifically referencing Vince McMahon's influence on Trump. Both engage in a form of storytelling that blurs the lines between reality and performance, requiring audiences to navigate a complex landscape of fact and fiction. This confusion enables leaders like Trump to manipulate narratives and maintain control over their supporters, as they create spectacles that elicit emotional reactions rather than rational discourse. The concept of 'neo-Kayfabe' is introduced, where the audience is fully aware of the fiction yet still engages in it, allowing political figures to act without accountability.
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