The Progressive Liberal

we can't govern
Aug 23, 2017 · 4 min read

When fans of wrestling get together, their terminology may baffle the outsider. They speak of “marks” and “angles,” “baby faces” and “kayfabe.” One term that has spread outside the wrestling world is “heel.” A heel is a villain, someone the fans want to see lose: he incites them (generates “heat,” in wrestling parlance) by his acts of villainy, his cheating, or simply his rudeness.

The first and perhaps greatest heel of all was Gorgeous George. George’s character was not crude or hateful; he was flamboyant and glamorous, with long blonde hair and sparkling capes. He would arrive at the ring attended to by his valet, accompanied by rose petals and the sounds of “Pomp and Circumstance.” His overwrought pomposity was matched only by his love of cheating in the ring — whenever he thought the ref wasn’t looking, he’d cheat like crazy. George’s antics were a huge draw, and the massive crowds he attracted helped popularize the heel archetype.

In later years, heels like Roddy Piper, Triple H and The Sheik antagonized audiences with their rudeness, cheating, and contempt for the values of wrestling. That last part is important. One way to easily build a heel is to have him spit on something the audience values — either the concept of fair play, the reputation of a wrestling hero, or something completely unconnected to the world of wrestling. Sergeant Slaughter took the Iraqi side during the Gulf War, enraging patriots and demonstrating his villainy. Wrestling fans care about things other than wrestling, after all, and if they think that their beloved touchstones are being disrespected by a heel, they’ll hate him all the more.

That’s the secret behind the success of 2017’s greatest new heel: Dan Richards, the Progressive Liberal. Wrestling in the Appalachian Mountain Wrestling league, he’s instantly garnered all the heat that some of his contemporaries take years to patiently build up. In an era of hyper-polarization, his embrace of Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and the liberal politics of blue states has fans jeering and spitting.

image courtesy of youtube

Richards is really good at his job. It helps that he’s reflecting his real internal politics, at least according to interviews. He likes to talk about taking away people’s guns. He wears shirts with Hillary’s face on them. His origin is listed as Washington, DC, the dreaded “swamp” where the elites dwell. He mispronounces Appalachia, a clear signal to the audience that he’s Not From Around Here. And let it never be said that he’s behind the times: in response to the latest furor over Confederate symbols, he wiped his butt in the ring with a Confederate flag.

gif via Deadspin

The Progressive Liberal is great. He’s almost the perfect villain. No matter how crude, vile, or dishonorable his foe, the Progressive Liberal will always be the bad guy to Appalachian wrestling fans. His contempt for them and their values is clear. According to a Deadspin interview, he’s careful to avoid mocking the real suffering and pain of locals — the drug use, the mass unemployment — but will gleefully take on national politics and offer the biggest liberal strawman he can.

I think it’s fair to question whether this kind of thing might be cementing people’s hatreds. I mean, Richards is probably the only public liberal a lot of wrestling fans know. They have liberal friends, of course — no area of the country is 100% homogenous — but mostly, they probably avoid the fraught topic of politics. Too much potential for hurt feelings. When a liberal is just some guy you know, it’s hard to see him as the avatar of the contemptuous coastal elites. Richards, though, is absolutely fair game. He’s received death threats, and fans will wear Trump masks to his matches.

Ultimately, though, I have to suspect this is probably making things better, not worse. Wrestling fans know what they’re seeing. They know what they’re buying tickets to. The Progressive Liberal isn’t a threat to anyone; he’s annoying, but he’s a clown. More importantly, he’s meeting people on their own terms. He’s a wrestler, and he’s not afraid to get into the ring and put his flesh on the line. By so accurately depicting the caricature liberal the fans love to mock, he’s showing that he understands their concerns. He’s in on the joke, and so are they.

Eventually, fans will get sick of this gimmick. If nothing else, it’s bound to spawn a legion of imitators. And it’s hard to sustain anger at a political figure with no power or influence when your side controls everything. For now, though, the Progressive Liberal continues to infuriate crowds. Perhaps we’re awaiting a face turn, and he’ll rip off his I’m With Her shirt to reveal a red and white Make America Great Again logo underneath. Maybe he’ll become the Bernie Bro. There are a lot of great directions to take this in. We’ll see what he does.

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