I've never watched wrestling seriously or as a hoot but I'm told that
there are people who >do< take it seriously.  Acting as though it were
a joke in some of these bars is asking for a serious demonstration of
tv-evoked violence.  Just because some of us don't take to beating our
significant others doesn't mean that there are not folks out there who
take out their frustrations in drunken rages against the nearest -- and
weakest, most submissive, most degraded -- targets.  That's what domestic
violence is about.  The notion that SuperBowl provokes more of this kind
of frustration is not an idea that comes out of the blue.  It doesn't have
to be a ballgame to evoke this kind of response.  Sometimes not having
dinner on-time will do it.  SuperBowl simply concentrates these responses.
Just as it is a reasonable bet that there is more drunk-driving on
New Year's Eve.  And, likely, more DUI-evoked accidents.
 
Cal Pryluck, Radio-Television-Film, Temple University, Philadelphia
<[log in to unmask]>  <PRYLUCK@TEMPLEVM>