Rhetoric of Wrestling: Syllabus

Spring 2019 – RHE 309K: Rhetoric of Wrestling

Instructor: Tristin Hooker
Unique number: 43385
Class Time and Place: T/TH 3:30pm-5:00pm, FAC 7
E-mail: tristinhooker@utexas.edu
Course Website: Canvas & Our Site
Office Hours: Monday 1-2:30pm at Café Medici, Wednesday 8:30-10am at Prufrock’s (PCL), and by appointment.

Two models of professional wrestlers Mankind and The Rock stand in a model wrestling ring, holding their arms raised, with a photo of an audience in the background. Mankind wears a sock puppet on one hand, and The Rock wears a t-shirt with the words "Layeth the Smacketh Down!" printed on it.
Lyles, Jeffrey. “WWE SummerSlam Elite Mankind Figure Review – Second Time the Charm?” Lyles Movie Files, Lyles Movie Files, 29 Jan. 2018, lylesmoviefiles.com/2018/01/28/wwe-summerslam-elite-mankind-figure-review/.

About the Course

Professional wrestling isn’t just about bodyslams. It’s about narrative, audience, feedback, and persuasion: all the things that make up Rhetoric. In this course, we will begin by analyzing how those strategies play out in the small scale (within the ring and also in televised/digitally shared promos), and extend through the entire constructed wrestling world. We will examine how what happens in the ring bleeds into public personas outside of the ring, especially on social media. We will look at aspects of performance, gender, sexuality, ethnicity and cultural representation, as they appear within the wrestling world. We will also examine rhetorical strategies and how both fans and wrestling companies have seized on the growth of social media to interact with and/or direct their fanbase (and the way the fans have used those same strategies to talk back). Ultimately, the course will also help students produce texts that solidify the critical ideas we are looking at. We will also look at the way the language and tropes of wrestling have crept into broader public discourse, from journalism to politics.

In this class, we will watch a lot of footage, read some critical texts and some tweets. We will learn important terminology and principles from classical rhetoric and apply them to what we see. We will learn to recognize major tropes and subgenres within wrestling, but also to recognize rhetorical choices made in performing and producing sports entertainment. We will get into the rhetorical ring, ourselves, creating personas and commentary and defending the rhetorical moves we make. We will consider the audience’s role in production and persuasion, and evaluate the relationship between rhetorical performance, suspension of disbelief, and reality.

Course Goals

  • Recognize the manifestation of classic rhetorical principles in a popular medium, professional wrestling
  • Recognize the rhetorical choices made in text and visual media, both in terms of performing and producing sports entertainment
  • Identify major tropes and subgenres within wrestling, and recognize the use of those tropes and vocabulary in other parts of public discourse
  • Analyze the construction and performance of identities, roles, and narratives
  • Analyze rhetorical choices and strategies used identifying, cultivating, and speaking to particular audiences
  • Analyze the structural, stylistic, and affective features through which texts make arguments and make them persuasive
  • Compose and construct college-level writings in a variety of print and digital formats, including two extended rhetorical analyses, and the presentation of either a persona or a continuing platform for analysis, with strategies for making that product persuasive to an audience
  • Conduct extensive research utilizing databases of print and electronic materials and credit sources in appropriate formats
  • Revise ideas and compositions in response to feedback from the instructor and peers
  • Evaluate the relationship between rhetorical performance, suspension of disbelief, and reality

Textbooks

  • Becoming Rhetorical by Jodi Niccotra, 2017.
  • The Little Longhorn Handbook. Norton, 2014.
  • Other readings available on Canvas or by instructor.

Coursework and Grading

You will be assed both on in-class participation and writings, and on the written work you produce for the course blog and our major projects. You will also be required to collaborate and participate in peer review.

Grade Breakdown

  • 6 Blog Posts 10%
  • 2 Course Dictionary Entries (minimum) 5%
  • 3 Project Drafts 15%
    • You will submit a draft of each major project for feedback and a grade. 5% of the total semester grade per draft.
  • Major Writing Assignments: 45% all together
    • Project One (Due Week 4 ): An extended analysis (2-4 pages) of the rhetorical strategies used to create either a particular wrestling persona, or to develop a particular wrestling storyline. Written as an article for publication to a specific audience. 15% final grade.
    • Project Two (Due Week 8): A persuasive researched argument (3-5 pages) about a specific rhetorical performance of one of the cultural phenomena analyzed in Unit 2. Written as an article for publication to a specific audience. 15% final grade.
    • Project Three (Due Week 12 ): A persuasive researched argument (4-6 pages) about either a specific rhetorical strategy used to build or promote the industry of professional wrestling, or about an instance of wrestling’s language or practices influencing the world outside of wrestling. OR an archival research narrative, involving a visit to the Benson Latin American Archive. Details for this alternative to come. Written as an article for publication on the website. 15% final grade.
  • Final Creative Project (Due Week 16):
    • A final project either creating a persona or a venue for continued analysis, with a defense of rhetorical and performative choices. Described in more depth below. 20% final grade.
  • Participation 5%

**Peer Review required for each project**

Course Blogs

Course materials will be part of our course website, which you will help to create by contributing six blog posts each (two per unit), through the course of the semester. In the first and last post, the topic will be assigned, and will ask students to think metacognitively about your understanding of both wrestling and rhetoric. For posts 2-5, students will be able to post about any topic related to the aspect of wrestling we are covering in that unit, but must take a rhetorical approach. The goal of this on-going assignment is to keep students thinking about their topics and performing rhetorical analysis outside of the classroom, helping them to generate ideas and conversation. Additionally, these posts will encourage you to practice composing for the digital medium, and you will be asked to embed videos and images, as well as adding hyperlinks to give credit to external sources. Since the goal of blogging is to start and participate in conversations, you will also be required to comment two to other peers’ posts per blog to earn full points.

Course Dictionary

You will also contribute to a course dictionary, published on the website, defining our common course vocabulary for both rhetoric and wrestling. Each of you will be assigned at least one term, but will also be responsible for contributing at least one more term to our common lexicon, and providing a definition that includes clear, illustrative examples.

Major Writing Assignments and Drafts

You will complete one extended researched writing assignment per unit, involving rhetorical analysis, engagement with a topic of the student’s choice related to the unit. The first project will be pure source-supported analysis, while the second two projects will ask you to make a source-supported argument related to the unit. All three assignments will ask you to determine a venue for publication, determine the best sources for researching the topic, and structure and present their arguments in a manner that will be persuasive to their target audience, while giving credit to their sources.

All three projects will be required to go through a peer review process, where you will engage with one another’s thought and operate as a community of thoughtful, critical writers and rhetorical thinkers on the topic of wrestling. You will also submit each project as a draft for a grade and for feedback, and be expected to incorporate revisions into your revised project prior to submitting.

All major assignments must be completed to my satisfaction in order for you to complete this course successfully.

Final Creative Project

In the final project, you will get a chance to put the deeper understanding of rhetoric, performance, and rhetorical strategies to use in a more creative form. You will have a choice of what to create: options will include the creation of a persona, a themed platform for critique and commentary, or visual explainer of a concept or argument they worked with in text earlier in the semester. This project will require you to employ visual rhetoric, and to produce both a product that persuades through engaging the audience, in a form that extends beyond the medium of written text. This product could take the form of a podcast, YouTube channel, blog, photo essay, or media packet introducing a new character. The assignment will also require a brief written component, explaining the rhetorical choices involved in creating the final product. This project will be shared with the class during the last week of the semester. You will also have the opportunity to work in small, collaborative groups to create their final product.

Participation and Peer Review

Wrestling is a form of entertainment that requires an audience, teams, collaboration, and participation. This course will be no different. It is collaborative by nature, and students will work together to deepen your understanding of your topics. In addition to daily participation, it will be essential for you to work together in peer review and in in-class activities to realize your projects, and to be part of our larger course conversation, both in class and on the website we will be creating together.

Grading Scale

Final grades will be determined on the following scale:

  • A=94-100
  • A-=90-93
  • B+=87-89
  • B=84-86
  • B-=80-83
  • C+=77-79
  • C=74-76
  • C-=70-73
  • D+=67-69
  • D=64-66
  • D-=60-63
  • F=0-59

Course Outline

Unit I: Let’s Get Ready to Rhetoric! (4 weeks)

In this unit, we will introduce basic rhetorical principles and strategies, as well as give an overview of basic professional wrestling history, business, and terminology. In other words, we will establish a common class vocabulary. We will then turn to analysis, and students will begin analyzing the rhetorical choices that make up both effective wrestling personas and effective wrestling storylines.

Assignments:

  • 2 Blog Posts for course website
  • Project One Article Draft for peer review and instructor feedback
  • Revised Project One Article: An extended analysis of the rhetorical strategies used to create either a particular wrestling persona, or to develop a particular wrestling storyline.

Unit II: Performing Culture (4 weeks)

In this unit, we will continue with rhetorical analysis. This time, however, we will use a series of critical “lenses” to examine the way gender, ethnicity, class, and other identities or historical contexts and narratives are rhetorically performed in the ring and expected in the business. We will look at wrestling as both a generator and a mirror of larger culture.

  • Assignments:
  • 2 Blog Posts for course website
  • Project Two Article Draft for peer review and instructor feedback.
  • Revised Project Two Article: A persuasive researched argument about a specific rhetorical performance of one of these cultural phenomena.

Unit III: Breaking Kayfabe (4 weeks)

Wrestling performance is not limited to the ring. The rhetorical choices used in marketing, promoting, broadcasting, and analyzing the business also make up part of the construction of wrestling’s world. In this unit, we will look at the strategies and practices used to construct and maintain the idea of wrestling as character-driven sport, as well as the way the language and tropes of wrestling have entered into broader social discussions, media practices, journalism, and even politics.

Assignments:

  • 2 Blog Posts for course website
  • Project Three Article Draft for peer review and instructor feedback
  • Revised Project Three Article: A persuasive researched argument about either a specific rhetorical strategy used to build or promote the industry of professional wrestling, or about an instance of wrestling’s language or practices influencing the world outside of wrestling.

Unit IV: Revision and Production (2 Weeks)

During the last two weeks of class, students will have the opportunity to work collaboratively to create, revise, and present their final project.

Assignment:

  • Final Creative Project: 20%

Due Date Schedule

Unit One Due Dates:

Blog Post #1 Jan 31
Project One Peer Review Feb 12
Blog Post #2 Feb 14
Dictionary Entry #1 Feb 14
Project One Draft Feb 14
Project One Final Feb 28

Unit Two Due Dates:

Blog Post #3 Feb 28
Blog Post #4 Mar 7
Project Two Peer Review Mar 12
Dictionary #2 Mar 14
Project Two Draft Mar 14
Project Two Final Mar 28

Unit Three Due Dates:

Blog Post #5 Apr 4
Project Three Peer Review Apr 15
Blog Post #6 Apr 18
Project Three Draft Apr 18
Project Three Final May 2
   

Final Project:

Final Project Presentation May 9
Final Project Presentation Feedback May 9

 

Class Policies

iameliaswwe. “It took them 25 years to find me, but @WWE finally got it right.. #RAW.” Instagram. 23 Jan., 2018. https://www.instagram.com/p/BeTA6RrBf34/?taken-by=iameliaswwe

. . . Just Kidding.

Late Work

Writing assignments in this class are due at the beginning of class on the day they are due, unless otherwise specified.  I will accept late work for half credit during the week that the assignment was due. After that week, you cannot earn credit for a late assignment. However, please remember that in order to pass the class, you must turn in each of the major writing assignments, even if they earn no credit. Be aware, too, that late work will be graded as time allows.

Victor. “RANDY ORTON vs CM PUNK.” WWE In Live!!!!, 2 May 2011, victor-wweinlive.blogspot.com/2011/05/randy-orton-vs-cm-punk.html.

In short, don’t let the deadlines come outta nowhere.

Tardiness

In addition to being collaborative, our classes are short, and we don’t have much time to waste. I will take attendance at the beginning of every class. That means that if you come in late, it is your responsibility to be sure your attendance is recorded for the day. Being more than 15 minutes late (or leaving more than 15 minutes early) three times will equal an absence.

If you know of a reason that you need to leave early (or come in late) for a class session, please let me know in advance, so we can be sure you don’t miss anything. If you do not make arrangements with me in advance, it will be your responsibility to catch yourself up on what you have missed.

Email Etiquette

Before emailing me, please consult these resources to see if you can answer your question:

1. The syllabus
2. Canvas
3. Any recent handouts or emails from me
4. Your classmates (you can find each other’s contact information on Canvas).

If you still have a question, feel free to email me and/or visit me during office hours. When you send an email to me, be sure to clearly explain your question. Be as specific as possible. It would be helpful for me if you begin your subject line with “RHE306” so that I can quickly identify it.

Also, please write to me in a professional manner. That means a greeting; a signature; proper spelling, capitalization, and punctuation; etc. Perhaps you don’t apply these standards to social media or texting, but you should maintain them in emails.

Technology Policy

Our class is fortunate to take place in a technology-assisted classroom, and we will be taking advantage of that. Each of you will have a computer available to you for our work in class. However, there are times when technology, just like any other tool, can be a distraction from our learning as a community. We will discuss times when you might want or be able to use your personal devices, but at all other times, we expect those devices to be closed/screens off/put away.

Also, whether you are using your personal device or one of the school computers, remember that we are in class to do a specific job, and we don’t have much time to waste. Please refrain from using technology for any purpose unrelated to the work at hand during our short time together.

Cell Phones

@iameliaswwe. Instagram. 29 Aug., 2017. https://www.instagram.com/p/BYYPN32Blhb/?hl=en&taken-by=iameliaswwe

Cell phones should be placed on silent/vibrate, and put away. If you have an emergency situation you must monitor, please speak to me in advance, so I can make an arrangement with you.

Snacks and Drinks

You can bring drinks and snacks into our classroom, as long as they provide neither a mess to the classroom or a distraction to the learning environment. No food or drinks are permitted on the computer tables in the room. Please keep your drinks in a container with a secure lid.

Accessibility

Your success in this class is important to me. If there are aspects of this course that prevent you from learning or exclude you, please let me know as soon as possible. Together we’ll develop strategies to meet both your needs and course requirements.

I am committed to making all course materials as accessible as possible, and to working with students if any of these materials are inaccessible. We will all need some accommodations in this class, because we all learn differently. If you need specific accommodations, let me know. Any conversations we have about accommodations are confidential. I am happy to take extra steps to ensure accessibility for all students. Also, please note that I can only work to accommodate any needs or limitations once I am made aware of them. Communicate with me, early and often.

Any student with a documented disability who requires academic accommodations should contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 512-471-6259 (voice) or 1-866-329-3986 (video phone) as soon as possible to request an official letter outlining authorized accommodations. More information is available on the Services for Students with Disabilities website at http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd

Safe Space Policy

This class will always strive to be a safe space for learning and development; that is, a space where we can develop and refine the knowledge and skills necessary for culturally competent practice. Learning requires stretching beyond comfort zones, and yet feeling safe is a prerequisite for a good learning environment. As we all bring diverse experiences to our shared classroom, here are some general guidelines to help create the environment we want.

We aren’t here to create consensus. Most likely—and hopefully!—we will be able to discuss a range of perspectives, and to include a multiplicity of voices in our conversations this semester. This class needs to be a space where we can rigorously and vigorously debate the ideas that we come across. However, this class must also be a place where we do so respectfully, safely, and fairly. I will do everything in my power to create and maintain this environment in the classroom. If you feel that this environment is threatened, please come talk to me about it.

Behavior

Be respectful of your colleagues. There is zero tolerance for slurs or derogatory language. In general, don’t discriminate based on race, gender presentation, marital status, religion, disability, age, or sexual orientation.

Everyone in our class has the right to be addressed in accordance with their personal identity. The university provides me with a class roster containing each student’s legal name and sex marker. I will gladly address you by the name and gender pronoun with which you identify. Please let me know your preferred name and pronouns early in the semester, so your peers and I can address you appropriately.

If you find a reading or assignment triggering in any way, or suspect that you will be triggered, please contact me as soon as possible. I am happy to speak with you about the content of the material in advance and/or provide you with an alternative assignment. If you are troubled by or feel unsafe in any class discussion, please speak with me as soon as possible so that we can work to resolve the immediate problem and prevent future issues.

Learning Procedures

It is never okay to laugh at, belittle, or harass a colleague because of their opinion or point of view. Always think about how your comments will support our learning as a group. But safe doesn’t mean operating in an environment where beliefs and ideas go unchallenged. Challenging colleagues to explain their arguments in a thoughtful manner is key to creating an engaging learning community.

  • Make a commitment to understand unfamiliar positions from the context or point of view of your peers.
  • Speak for yourself rather than for a group (use your “I” statements).
  • Be present – really listening to your colleagues will dramatically improve your in-class experience and prevent most understandings.
  • Take risks in speaking honestly; this will help the learning of the group.

And even though some days you may feel like this:

Baker, William. “Paul Heyman Reveals SummerSlam Weekend Announcement.” ProWrestling.com, ProWrestling.com, 3 Aug. 2017, www.prowrestling.com/paul-heyman-reveals-summerslam-weekend-announcement/.

Our goal can still be for everyone to leave this class feeling like this:  

GiveMeSport. “WWE Raw Superstar Hints at Possible Heel Turn Soon – Fans Will Absolutely Love It.” GiveMeSport, GiveMeSport, 6 Feb. 2018, www.givemesport.com/1251438-sasha-banks-hints-at-possible-heel-turn-soon-before-wwe-raw.

Department of Rhetoric & Writing RHE Course Policies Statement, 2018-19

Writing Flag

This course carries the Writing Flag. You will write regularly during the semester, completing both short and long writing projects. Furthermore, you will, and receive feedback from your instructor and your peers. Based on this feedback, you will have the opportunity to revise one or more assignments. A substantial portion of your grade to comes from your written work. Writing Flag classes meet the Core Communications objectives of Critical Thinking, Communication, Teamwork, and Personal Responsibility, established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

DWRL Student Media Lab

We are working in a computer classroom where we have access to specialized software to create multimedia assignments. So that you can work on these kinds of projects outside of class time, the DWRL has a Student Media Lab in PAR 102 that is open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Thursday. Students in DWRL classrooms can check out equipment for their digital projects from the office in FAC 8. For more information, visit the Digital Writing & Research Lab website at http://www.dwrl.utexas.edu

Attendance Policy

Rhetoric & Writing has established this attendance policy for all RHE courses. Any questions or appeals concerning this policy must be made directly to the department Associate Chair. You are expected to attend class, to arrive on time, to have prepared assigned reading and writing, and to participate in all in-class editing, revising, and discussion sessions. Should you miss the equivalent of five TTH or MW class sessions or seven MWF sessions this semester, excused or not, you will fail the course. If you find that an unavoidable problem prevents you from attending class, you should contact your instructor as soon as possible, preferably ahead of time, to let him or her know.

You will not be penalized for missing class on religious holy days. A student who misses classes or other required activities, including examinations, for the observance of a religious holy day should inform the instructor, in writing, at least one week before the absence, so that alternative arrangements can be made to complete work. If you know you will have to miss class(es) for this reason, provide your instructor with the date(s) as early as possible. Please note that the University specifies very few other excused absences (e.g., jury duty).

When you must miss a class, you are responsible for getting notes and assignments from a classmate.

Scholastic Honesty

Turning in work that is not your own, or any other form of scholastic dishonesty, will result in a major course penalty, possibly failure of the course. This standard applies to all drafts and assignments, and a report of the incident will be submitted to the Office of the Dean of Students and filed in your permanent UT record. Under certain circumstances, the Dean of Students will initiate proceedings to expel you from the University.

So, take care to read and understand the Statement on Scholastic Responsibility, which can be found online at http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/rhetoric/firstyearwriting/plagiarismcollusion.php  If you have any doubts about your use of sources, ask your instructor for help before handing in the assignment.

Students With Disabilities

Any student with a documented disability who requires academic accommodations should contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 512-471-6259 (voice) or 1-866-329-3986 (video phone) as soon as possible to request an official letter outlining authorized accommodations. More information is available on the Services for Students with Disabilities website at http://ddce.utexas.edu/disability/

Email Accounts

Email is an official means of communication at UT-Austin, and your instructor will use this medium to communicate class information. You are therefore required to obtain a UT email account and to check it daily. All students may claim an email address at no cost by going to the IT Services website at https://get.utmail.utexas.edu/.

Emergency Information

Occupants of buildings on The University of Texas at Austin campus are required to evacuate buildings when a fire alarm is activated. Alarm activation or announcement requires exiting and assembling outside.

Familiarize yourself with all exit doors of each classroom and building you may occupy. Remember that the nearest exit door may not be the one you used when entering the building.

Students requiring assistance in evacuation shall inform their instructor in writing during the first week of class.

In the event of an evacuation, follow the instruction of faculty or class instructors.

Do not re-enter a building unless given instructions by the following: The University of Texas at Austin Police Department, or Fire Prevention Services office.

Information regarding emergency evacuation routes and emergency procedures can be found on the UT emergency page at http://www.utexas.edu/emergency

Other Important Emergency Information

You can find more information about planning for emergencies on the Emergency Preparedness site at http://www.utexas.edu/safety/preparedness/

Behavior Concerns Advice Line: 512-232-5050

Use this resource to help fellow UT members about whom you have concerns. You can learn more about the Behavior Concerns Advice Line on their site at https://operations.utexas.edu/units/csas/bcal.php

Questions about these policies

Questions about these policies should be addressed to this address:

Department of Rhetoric & Writing
The University of Texas at Austin
Parlin Hall, Room 3
rhetoric@uts.cc.utexas.edu
(512) 471-6109

Helpful Student Resources

The following websites will or may be helpful this semester: