Within this theme we discovered that music that wrestlers use between appearances, have a certain effect on the audience. It is an introduction to the character without actually seeing the wrestler. Narratives are found in the language that the artists singing/rapping these lyrics are apart of that help promote the stereotypes that these companies created.
Music in media plays a big role in introducing audiences to a scene or tone of a story, this is the same for professional wrestling. Across all of the companies coded for, minority wrestlers all had something in common. Their theme songs would involve negative connotations and lifestyles that did not reflect their actual characters. Take Eddie Guerrero (2004) for an example, the lyrics of his theme song involve being with more than one woman at a time yet throughout his career he introduces his wife and children and his love for them. LAX (2006) theme music involved them using firearms and wearing timberland boots, which as far as one can remember never occurred in their tenure in professional wrestling. Similar to LAX, music played a role in the perception of Cryme Tyme as well. From the previous theme of Reinforcement of racial stereotypes through attire we heard their theme song “Bringin Da Hood TU” in which the entrance theme starts with “Yo yo yo pop a 40 and check your rollie” and the repeating chorus “Bringing the hood to you” was what the audience was introduced to when the team first appeared on a 2006 episode of Monday Night Raw (McMahon 2006).
In addition to that, I would use another wrestler in World Wrestling Entertainment who identified as a Latinx wrestler. Eddie Guerrero (2003) theme would highlight his infidelity with women, as well as stealing from people in the middle of the night. Throughout the song, the chorus repeated as “I lie, I cheat, I steal” (McMahon 2003) showing that whether he was cheered or booed from the audience, but the narrative was that Eddie Guerrero would have the negative behavior of those treats, which is what most fans remembered Eddie for, as well as what most of the segments that involved Eddie and other wrestlers throughout his career.
Voyant designed by Viva La Raza, World Wrestling Entertainment, conducted by Jim Johnston. Recorded March 20th, 2004.
Viva La Raza, Eddie Guerrero’s theme song contains lyrics that would have audiences immediately associate the character with not only being Latino, but also being known for Lie, cheating, and stealing. One would assume that these qualities would only be assumed about Eddie Guerrero right? If this song has anything to say about it, not only does Eddie have these qualities because of his wrestling character but in the same song, the lyrics claim he is all of these things “because I’m Latin” (Johnston 2004).
Music alone would not give this stereotype of these wrestlers of colour yet combined with their attire and the way in which the audience reacted to them reinforces this negative concept that wrestlers of colour could not extend beyond the realms of crime and deceitful behaviors.