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Communication

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University of South Florida

Theses/Dissertations

Convergence

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Daniel Bryan & The Negotiation Of Kayfabe In Professional Wrestling, Brooks Oglesby Mar 2017

Daniel Bryan & The Negotiation Of Kayfabe In Professional Wrestling, Brooks Oglesby

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will examine the negotiation of kayfabe within the context of professional wrestling using a 2014 WWE storyline that arose from fan backlash as a primary text. The perceived marginalization of wrestler Daniel Bryan by the fans led to a disconnect between the narratives that were performed in-ring and the counter-narratives produced by the fans, which in turn led to an overtly co-authored narrative between in-ring performers and fans. In addition to studying the television narratives that characterize the “Yes Movement,” in WWE, I will analyze archived social media responses within fan communities on Twitter and Reddit to make …