WEEK 1: Semiotics

The World of Wrestling

This week was the introductory lesson of our essay module and to kick it off we looked at the topic of Semiotics - more specifically, "The World of Wrestling". Given a presentation of the ideas of Barthes, Saussure, and Pierce, we analysed the spectacle of wrestling and the myths* which surround it to answer the question: "is wrestling really a sport?".

​*Not Mythology as we know it, e.g mythological creatures, but ways of thinking which send messages in society to propagate 'cultural stereotypes'.

Notes of study below:

Conclusion: Wrestling appears to convey the image of a passionate, brutal sport - but in reality it is an image fed to us by various myths within the match. These myths range from the ideas of serving justice, types of costumes worn by 'good guys' and 'bad guys', and hopeful words and actions that assign an underdog image to one opponent but a malicious one to the other. These stereotypes reinforce the way that society wants us to see certain situations.


Extra Note Analysis on Bignell: Signs and Myths

References

Barthes, R. Mythologies (2000) London: Vintage Books