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La Lucha Libre

I still watch a small amount of TV on a weekly basis, but a large number of that amount is devoted to programming in Spanish. Secretos Houston and Jose Luis: Sin Censura are still some of my favorites as they make zero attempts to hide how fake the storylines are. Plus, there's something really funny about watching really bad acting by non-actors. In so many ways, this is like watching WWE with its staged-but-entertaining appeal. In the last few weeks, I've found matters to be very funny with how "sports entertainment" is not just devoted to Raw, Smackdown and Saturday Night's Main Event.

I recently watched an episode of El Show de Maria Laria which featured masked luchadors talking about their problems with one another. Just the mere idea of masked luchadors sitting and discussing their problems with one another on a talk show is hilarious to me. Since these wrestlers were rivals in and out of the ring, they had quite a few fights on the set. Watching them fight made me think that the regular kinds of guests on Jose Luis and Maria Laria have a lot to learn from them. There is a definite science and formula to fake fighting that can pass as being real and that comes straight from the world of pro wrestling/sports entertainment.

Now I've become hooked on WWE matches dubbed in Spanish. Yes, the WWF/WWE has always been a sort of male-driven soap opera aimed at boys and men, but it's always been fun for me to watch. With its announcers doing play-by-play and translating the spoken dialogue in Spanish, I can't stop laughing, especially with the guy that has the wild sidekick role that Jerry "The King" Lawler has on the English version. This guy's voice is so high-pitched and overdramatic that this has become a main reason for me watch. Probably my favorite line from him is whenever Lady Jane is onscreen, he pronounces the name like "Layydee Jayyyne!" Something is just so funny about the tone and pitch of that voice of his.

Yes, I know this is silly television. I know this isn't stimulating my mind as much as writing a book, reading a book, watching a great movie, taking a walk, listening to music and so on does, but I know what's going on. It's easy for me to just watch and laugh, but I think that's one of the main points of these shows. This is not something I put full faith in or seek answers with. This is entertainment that is flimsy in nature but pretty fun in its intentional and unintentional ways.

Comments

I also recommend Laura on Telemundo, 10:35 PM Monday-Thursday and 3 PM M-F.

Like Jerry Springer, but with better fights.

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