Wrestling audience: Culture Industry vs. Fandom in the U.S. Media von Lasha Kurdashvili

Professional wrestling has become a popular form of entertainment. Its fan base earlier mainly consisted of closet fans, meaning that they didn't openly admit to being wrestling fans. That has changed over the past few years, as wrestling has become one of the highest rated shows on television. The wrestling itself as an attraction and form of entertainment has been analyzed in the works of Roland Barthes Mythologies and Laurence De Garis. "Logic of professional wrestling" and many other. Nevertheless the fan community`s participation in them has largerly been ignored or dissmissed. According to John Fiscke fandom is an intensification of the popular culture which is formed outside or even against official culture. As soon as the industrial text meets its fans it is reworked by their participation, making the moment of its reception, the moment of production in fan culture and at the same time separating one from another. Wrestling fans carry the posters, cry out the cheers and are actively involved in the action by getting into the verbal or even physical connection and conflict with the wrestling stars.

Lasha Kurdashvili - Phd, International Black Sea University, American Studies, Humanities, 2014-2017, Georgia. Master, International Black Sea University, American Studies, Humanities, 2011-2014, Georgia.Bachelor, International Black Sea University, American Studies, Humanities, 2007-2011, Georgia.