A Real American Hero: WWE Wrestling from American Exceptionalism to Commercial Transnationalism

Abstract

Major World Wrestling Entertainment storylines in the video streaming era problematize its historically central Real American hero-figure. This article considers this shift against the concepts of American exceptionalism, the global franchising of sport, and commercial nationalism. It argues that the shift reflects WWE’s new foci on domestic and global markets combined with the intensified cross-border media flows characterizing the streaming video marketplace. A new form of commercial nationalism—a commercialized transnationalism—results.