Episode
#1261 Neal Hebert & Jon Cogburn: Professional Wrestling, Donald Trump, and the New Cynicism
- Podcast
- The Dissenter
- Published
- Jun 1, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 7469
- Processing state
not_requested
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Summary
******Support the channel****** Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedissenter PayPal: paypal.me/thedissenter PayPal Subscription 1 Dollar: https://tinyurl.com/yb3acuuy PayPal Subscription 3 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ybn6bg9l PayPal Subscription 5 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ycmr9gpz PayPal Subscription 10 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y9r3fc9m PayPal Subscription 20 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y95uvkao ******Follow me on****** Website: https://www.thedissenter.net/ The Dissenter Goodreads list: https://shorturl.at/7BMoB Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedissenteryt/ Twitter: https://x.com/TheDissenterYT This show is sponsored by Enlites, Learning & Development done differently. Check the website here: http://enlites.com/ Dr. Neal Hebert is an Assistant Professor of Theatre in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts at Grambling State University. Dr. Jon Cogburn is Professor of Philosophy and Department Chair in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Louisiana State University. They are both authors of Kayfabe Nation: Professional Wrestling, Donald Trump, and the New Cynicism. In this episode, we focus on Kayfabe Nation. We talk about the connections between Donald Trump and professional wrestling, the relationship and similarities between Trump and Vince McMahon, and how Trump developed his mannerisms and way of speaking. We discuss kayfabe, the death of kayfabe, and neokayfabe in the Attitude Era. We talk about how wrestlers have put their bodies on the line for WWE. Finally, we explore four authoritarian tropes that characterize both WWE and authoritarian regimes: cynicism, buffoonery, sexism, and the invention of conspiracy theories. -- A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS/SUPPORTERS: PER HELGE LARSEN, BERNARDO SEIXAS, ADAM KESSEL, MATTHEW…