Kyle Maynard: Definition of “Freak Show”
Posted by Alan Conceicao on April 23rd, 2009
Of all the things you’d think would be able to unite the MMA blawging world, its a armless and legless man fighting. You would be wrong. Understand as I write this short piece that I am not knocking Maynard personally. Hey, he’s accomplished something amazing, certainly. An inspiration even! That doesn’t change what him fighting in MMA is: Its a freakshow. It is the most exploitative of acts in a sport that is defined by exploitation. And please, don’t sit here and say that because he’s a willing participant that it is not exploitative. Prostitutes (adult and child) can be willing participants; That doesn’t mean the act of them having sex with 50 year old men so that they can get a hit isn’t exploitative either. Porn stars are exploited. Strippers are exploited. Boxers are exploited. Race car drivers are exploited. The people on Maury Povich, COPS, America’s Wildest Police Chases…all being used to make a buck for a production company, promoter, both, other, etc.
What makes this so much more than just your garden level exploitation that almost any amateur MMA show often becomes is that the participant is missing the majority of all four limbs. The term “freak show” is adopted from, well, “freak shows”: Vaudeville type acts that depended on the gross deformities or wild actions of the participants, whether human or non-human, to sell tickets. Kyle Maynard is not being trotted out towards the typical southerner mouth breathing MMA fan as an inspiration, it is for the novelty value of a man without arms and legs being put in a position where he will be punched, kneed, and kicked. There can be no good from this, and if you pretend that you’re interested in the well being of the sport, you too should be mortified. He is not a long term prospect. He is not a guy you can build a promotion around. He is not someone who in 3 years we could discuss fighting for a title. This is promoter looking to make money by putting together the most abhorrent of events; a fight in a sport once called “no holds barred” in which one of the participants has severe physical deformities.
April 23rd, 2009 at 1:16 pm
[...] of Total MMA rips into why no-limbed Kyle Maynard competing in an MMA fight this weekend is a freakshow of the worst kind: It is the most exploitative of acts in a sport that is defined by exploitation. And please, don’t [...]
April 23rd, 2009 at 3:48 pm
It seems that by your definition, anyone who is employed is exploited because they “are being used to make a buck.” While Marx might agree with you, I don’t think many others will.
April 23rd, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Again: A 18 year old girl who chooses to be a prostitute rather than go to school is indeed making the active choice to do so. Forget the moral arguments for or against prostitution for a second: If someone picks her up and beats the crap out of her for his pleasure, would you argue that isn’t exploitation? The paying customers here are the fans. What are they there for?
Getting someone to fight in a cage or ring for money (or no money!) does nothing but satiate the bloodlust of others. There are those who would defend it because they’re not willing to personally accept that, but its the truth. Put a person with no limbs in a ring to fight, regardless of their background, and we’re well past the slippery slope. This is the kind of thing that South Park uses as a joke because they assume it is so ridiculous it would never happen.
April 23rd, 2009 at 5:25 pm
I think we’re missing an important point here: what if he can win matches?
I mean, I dont think it’s terribly likely that he can, but how do we know? How can we be certain that allowing him into the ring is tantamount to certain death?
People might have thought it was ridiculous to let him wrestle. But they did let him wrestle, and he did really well. How can you be sure he will fail at MMA?
April 23rd, 2009 at 9:05 pm
It is the most disgraceful retarded thing i have ever seen.
I cant believe this fight is being sanctioned!!
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:04 pm
I think we’re missing an important point here: what if he can win matches?
Lots of people might be able to win a fight. Hey, what if Douglas Dedge had won? Then the presumed pre-existing neurological condition that led to his death wouldn’t have mattered, right? Tommy Morrison can definitely win fights and his opponents may be alright with being paid to fight him in spite of having AIDS. Does that mean its okay? Same goes for Aleks and his apparent “medical condition”.
April 24th, 2009 at 9:04 am
As much as i think this guy is a hero, i dont like this fight. Its just not good for MMA. Imagine if he looses. What will the critics say about the sport?
April 24th, 2009 at 9:04 am
[...] collected all the facts. Alan Conceicao over at Total MMA has published one such piece calling it a freakshow: What makes this so much more than just your garden level exploitation that almost any amateur MMA [...]
April 24th, 2009 at 9:21 am
http://didntyoubringanybeer.wordpress.com/2009/04/24/kyle-maynard-to-fight-mma-good-or-bad/
April 24th, 2009 at 11:21 am
But Alan, you’re just assuming that allowing him into an MMA fight is putting him at undue risk to his health. I have not seen that proven.
Dont misunderstand me: I think it’s a valid question. I think it’s entirely possible - perhaps even probable - that he should be refused by athletic commissions due to the likelihood that he could sustain serious injury.
But I dont think any of us folks on the internet are qualified to make that determination.
April 24th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
The Georgia Athletic Commission has already decided he isn’t fit to fight. That’s hy the fight is taking place just over the border in Auburn, Alabama.
April 24th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Thanks for clarifying.
I’m curious: What is the basis they had for deciding that he was not fit to fight?
April 25th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
His inability to protect himself from punches and the fact he isn’t capable of tapping out in the face of a choke.
April 26th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
I dunno, I kind of want to see him in an TUF house. Can’t be any worse than Junie Browning.
April 28th, 2009 at 8:35 am
I have seen some of his videos where he is wrestling/submission fighting and he actually looks like he is able to hold his own pretty well and actually wins fights. If he concentrated on sub wrestling I dont see why he should not be able to do it. However, with strikes in MMA he obviously cant cover up/defend well enough and maybe should not be doing it. As for his heart, he should be applauded by all.