Andy Warhol’s One Minute of Skilled Wrestling Fame (1985)

Andy Warhol did for artwork what the World Wrestling Fed­er­a­tion (WWF) did for wrestling. He made it a spec­ta­cle. He made it some­factor the “each­man” might take pleasure in. He infused it with celebri­ty. And, some would say, he low-cost­ened it too.

Look­ing again, it makes per­fect sense that Warhol fre­quent­ed wrestling reveals at Madi­son Sq. Gar­den dur­ing the Seventies and 80s. And right here we now have him seem­ing on cam­period at The Warfare to Set­tle the Rating, a WWF occasion that aired on MTV in 1985. Hulk Hogan bat­tled “Row­dy” Rod­dy Piper in the principle occasion. However, the sideshow includ­ed (let’s get within the Sizzling Tub Time Machine) the likes of Cyn­di Lau­per, Mr. T, and Andy too.

If you happen to’re famil­iar with the Nineteen Eighties professional­fes­sion­al wrestling script, you recognize that Imply Gene Oker­lund con­duct­ed again­stage and ring­facet inter­views with the wrestlers, giv­ing them the possibility to pound their chests and gasoline off. When Oker­lund turned to Warhol and requested for his scorching tackle the Hogan/Piper match, Warhol might­n’t muster very a lot. “I’m speech­much less.” “I simply don’t know what to say.” And, earlier than you recognize it, his one minute of professional­fes­sion­al wrestling fame was over. Identical to that.…

Relat­ed Con­tent

Andy Warhol Hosts Frank Zap­pa on His Cable TV Present, and Lat­er Recollects, “I Hat­ed Him Extra Than Ever” After the Present

Andy Warhol’s Artwork Defined: What Makes His Icon­ic Campbell’s Soup Cans & Mar­i­lyn Mon­roe Dip­tych Artwork?

When Andy Warhol Visitor-Starred on The Love Boat (1985)

Andy Warhol Explains Why He Decid­ed to Give Up Paint­ing & Man­age the Vel­vet Beneath­floor As a substitute (1966)

Andy Warhol’s 15 Min­utes: Dis­cov­er the Submit­mod­ern MTV Vari­ety Present That Made Warhol a Star within the Tele­vi­sion Age (1985–87)