u/TonyDunkelwelt

Grunt! The Wrestling Movie follows the bizarre aftermath of wrestling legend Mad Dog Joe DeCurso being decapitated in a match, setting off a chain of increasingly absurd series of events involving rival wrestlers, promoters, and fans. Presented as a mock documentary, the film blends staged interviews, backstage footage, and in-ring action, treating its outrageous wrestling universe with complete deadpan seriousness.

Wow. This was a trip down memory lane. I watched this back in the day a as a kid and it went waaaaaay over my head. Surprisingly Grunt! The Wrestling Movie has aged into something far more interesting than a forgotten wrestling comedy. Released in 1985, it anticipated the meta turn in both comedy and professional wrestling by decades. Much like This Is Spinal Tap did for rock music, Grunt! blurs the line between parody and documentary, creating a world where the absurdity of wrestling is funny precisely because it’s so close to the truth.

Long before fans routinely discussed kayfabe, backstage politics, or the performative nature of wrestling on the Internet, Grunt! treated the entire industry as a self-contained mythology populated by larger-than-life characters who seem incapable of stepping out of their gimmicks. What once looked like broad satire now plays as an uncannily perceptive commentary on wrestling’s unique blend of fiction, athleticism, and identity. In many ways, the culture had to catch up with the movie before its smartest jokes could be fully appreciated. It kinda also foreshadows Aranofski‘s The Wrestler which came out almost 25 years later. This, ladies and gents, is essential viewing. 9/10 V-Triggers.

I’m a bit out of the loop here. What’s the current status of the proposed new White Sox ballpark?

Last I remember, the whole “The 78” riverfront stadium thing seemed pretty serious, but now I’m seeing stuff about the Fire building there too. Is the Sox stadium still actually realistic, or is it basically dead at this point?

And if it does happen, what’s the realistic timetable? Are we talking early 2030s? Or is this still mostly just renderings and political maneuvering? How is it connected to the current and/or future ownership?

Curious what the consensus is among Sox fans right now.

Thanks in advance, guys—and GO SOX!

I’ml looking for sci-fi books that capture the vastness of space, the mysteries of time and existence, and a strong sense of wonder.

I’m especially interested in stories that explore philosophical or existential questions, cosmic scale, strange civilizations, consciousness, humanity’s place in the universe, etc.

Would love recommendations that feel awe-inspiring, haunting, mind-bending, or deeply thoughtful.