Oliver Bateman Does the WorkVerified account

Wrestling doesn’t explain Trump; Trump is a salesman. Sales explains wrestling, selling explains all American industry...convincing people to make decisions they needn’t make or wouldn’t make absent sales coercion

A niche pop culture thing exists because of everything else, but doesn’t “explain” the rest of culture. It exists within that culture, but not as some kind of microcosm or metonym for culture writ large. We need to put that analysis to bed. Cover these fields on their own terms

this

it goes for everything: gaming, other sports, movies, whatever. tell me about the technical aspects of the things. talk to players in the fields in a non-PR way. do the real work, not the "work" the "kids" do when writing lame quasi-political "takes" ("netflix is like trump")

Yep, it’s not just wrestling. Applies to all like takes. Good to call it out

Partly it’s bc these takes are a cost benefit thing, & saying the easiest thing saves time. Careful analysis takes a skilled eye, years of immersion. It’s why I go to a friend like @ZackMooreNFL, who played college ball and studies the pro game at a high level, for NFL commentary

And it’s why my powerlifting stuff doesn’t land on some “powerlifting explains Trump” theme, but actually evokes and explores the activities in question

Everything explains Trump and everyone is racist! #HotTake