A basic definition of CMNM is: “an erotic encounter – either privately or in social situations — where one or more males remains clothed and one or more males is nude.”   Applied to pro wrestling, the “nude” male isn’t totally exposed — he’ll just be more nekkid than his opponent.

CMNM is a common fetish, even among straight men — just search for “CMNM” and you’ll see how many guys out there are into this scene.

The appeal and excitement of CMNM, like any other Bondage play, lies in the loss of power by the (nude) victim, and the assumption of power by the dominant (clothed) male. The sexual appetites of many  men are tied to power imbalances — gaining or losing the upper hand is a turn-on for most dudes.  That’s just how we’re wired.

CMNM makes the power imbalance visually explicit (and therefore very exciting).  The Clothed Male gets to cover his body with fabric, so he has all the power.  His clothing is a shield, protecting his naked flesh from the elements and from our judgmental eyes.  He “wears the pants” in the CMNM relationship.  In CMNM pornography, a Clothed Male can do whatever he wants to a Nude Male, groping, pinching, fondling, etc.  He is the Master.

The Naked Male is helpless and exposed.  His flesh appears unprotected.  His bare skin is susceptible to cold and rain, potential damage from sharp objects, and our visual inspection.  The Naked Male has no power, and in CMNM pornography, he is often objectified and humiliated.

In pro wrestling, the Clothed Wrestler will frequently place a boot on the Naked Wrestler to make the image of domination even more explicit — as if the contrast between the clothed body and naked body wasn’t explicit enough already.

The Naked Wrestler willingly submits, not even trying to push that boot off his body.  This demonstrates the complicity of the “victim” in a bondage situation.  He actually enjoys the loss of power and will do nothing to stop it.

Many young men play around with nudity as a way to bond homosocially with one another.  They may go skinny dipping or hot tubbing (just with the boys), or “de-pants” each other, or walk around naked in the locker room or hotel room, or play Strip Poker, or go streaking or mooning.

Part of the appeal of CMNM pornography (and of pro wrestling) is the desire to return to those playful days of youthful male bonding, when a party wasn’t a party until one of the guys was partially or totally nude.  Grown men are now holding “CMNM parties”, where a few of the guests just walk around naked, without sex taking place.

Another aspect of CMNM pornography is that, in most cases, there is a relationship between the participants.  There is a back story, a plausible reason why one is naked and the other fully clothed.  CMNM is not meant to be a chance encounter — a streaker appearing and running away.  Likewise in pro wrestling, when CMNM scenes occur, the wrestlers have a history, maybe they were former partners or are engaged in a bitter feud.

But the ref fulfills another role as well:  he is the ultimate spectator, watching the action just as we are watching the action.  He therefore is there to represent us, the viewer, because he is the on-looker, the Male Gazer, the eyes on the action.

After all, if two studs wrestled in a forest and nobody was there to watch it, does pro wrestling occur?

Most referees look and dress like regular guys.  Instead of spectacular, super-human athletes — they are one of us.  This makes it easier for us to see the match through the ref’s eyes, to accept him as our agent.  The ref watches  the wrestlers — the objects of his gaze — just as we watch the wrestling passively as well.

The ref also shows concern for the Baby-Face, asking if he’s OK or wants to submit.  His compassion inspires our compassion.

The ref fulfills our own desires to protect and rescue the helpless victim.  He is the savior that we wish we could be.  He is our representative, stopping that awful, despicable punishment by the bully as best he can, protecting our beloved Baby-Face.

The ref will often press the flesh, resting a hand on a muscle, feeling the strength and warmth of the wrestler’s body.  As the representative of the audience, he is fulfilling the viewers’ own desires to feel the wrestler’s flesh themselves, to reach out and touch that ideal male body.

Seeing the ref pat down a wrestler before the bout, checking him up and down for foreign objects, causes us to take notice of the wrestler’s body and to want to touch it ourselves.  After all, an official could search the wrestlers backstage just before they walk into the arena, but instead, this time-consuming ritual is deliberately and blatantly performed in the ring, in front of our eyes as we sit and watch jealously as the ref cops a feel, waiting for the wrestling to begin.

The ref is often ignored and disrespected by the wrestlers (particularly the Heels.)  The wrestlers are often larger and more physically imposing than the ref, and will not obey his orders.

Most of the fans can relate to the ref’s apparent powerlessness and impotence, feeling down-trodden and over-whelmed in their own lives.  The brutality and danger of the Heel is magnified by the fact that he disregards the ref’s orders and continues his illegal tactics without restraint.  His disdain for law and order adds to the audience’s hatred for (and fear of) the brutal Heel.

It takes a real man to know his place — flat on his back, submissive and helpless.

These seem like critical questions to sort out when you’re a young man.  Maybe the reason we are so curious to know who is the toughest — the reason this question seems so important to resolve — goes back to our ancient origins as tribal hunter-gatherers under the leadership of an Alpha Male.  Back then, who would win in a fight could be a life or death decision. You definitely wanted to hitch your wagon to the stronger warrior, the leader most likely to survive.

The Romans used their Gladiators to determine who could beat up whom.

Could a guy with a net and trident beat a guy with a shield and sword?  Could a Christian kill a tiger?  Could an archer on a chariot defeat two guys with spears? Come to the Coliseum this Saturday night and find out…

Pro wrestling is entertaining because it constantly poses the question: Who would win in a fight? and then it answers the question before our eyes.  Similar to the staged battles enacted by the Gladiators, different scenarios are created to test the conditions under which A could kick B’s ass, or B could put a whupping on A.

Could a cheating Arab out-wrestle an honest American lad?  Could two small men defeat a Giant?  Could a civilized man beat a savage animal?  Could a young high-flyer defeat an old mat wrestler?  What if they fight with No Holds Barred?   What if they’re chained together at the neck?  All of these questions have been posed, and answered, in the wrestling ring, to the delight and edification of the viewers.

So here are some images that show two Gladiators answering the age old question: “Who would win in a fight?”

Here we see Brad Armstrong riding on the back of a big masked mauler, proving to the fans that a handsome kid can over-power a huge, inhuman beast if he has heart and solid wrestling skills (and he’s a fan favorite getting a “push” from the promoters.)

Just as the Gladiators demonstrated which weapons were most effective in battle — the spear, the trident, two swords, arrows — so too do the pro wrestlers demonstrate which holds are most effective.  We learned that a young von Erich, for example, could bring any opponent to his knees using the devastating Iron Claw to the temple.

Miz continues to torture his whipping boy, bending Riley’s arm and wrist around like he’s playing with a toy and trying to break it.  There seems to be a measure of punishment in the actions of the Miz– retribution for something Riley did wrong.  But why is Riley being punished?  Obviously, the Miz is not happy that Riley has disobeyed him in the past.  But why does this level of intense punishment seem appropriate and well-deserved in our minds?   Why do we, the viewers, believe that Riley ought to get his ass kicked?  “Yeah Miz, break his arm off!  Make him suffer!”

Pro wrestling teaches the viewers that the ideal relationship for a man is a homosocial relationship with another man.  To be successful in wrestling (and in life, apparently), a man needs other men to assist, mentor and protect him — as Riley needed from the Miz.  The lesson we learn from watching Alex Riley take his beating is that it’s painful to stand on your own — it’s a mistake to sever your homosocial relationships with other men.  Riley deserves the abuse he is suffering, in our minds, because his uppity disobedience has ended his homosocial relationship with the Miz.  He dared to walk alone.

Pro wrestling is, therefore, in tune with the philosophy of our patriarchal society.  The first rule of our male dominated power structure is that it’s Bro’s over Ho’s.  If you want to be “awesome” and rule the world, well, first of all, you need a penis.  Second of all, you need other dudes to help you.  You need to be a “team player” to get ahead, to form productive, successful homosocial bonds (even if you need to sacrifice some self-esteem in the process.)

The second rule of our culture is that you must conform to the pecking order.  Anybody who dares to step outside the male dominated social hierarchy is going to take a stiff beating for his disruptive disobedience.  All animals, including humans, get nervous when the social order is disrupted. Any nerd who tries to humiliate the Alpha-Jock will be swiftly and painfully reprimanded by the group.

All the men in the audience watching this torture scene make a note to self — it’s better to obey the stronger dudes rather than try to buck the system.  So pro wrestling doth make obedient whipping boys of us all — willing to conform to the social pecking order rather than stand up for ourselves (as Alex Riley has done), which could cause one to suffer a stiff kick to the mush (as Alex Riley has received.)

As the battle wears on, the body positioning becomes more and more explicit. These scenes and images are meant to add sexual implications to the punishment of Alex Riley.

The first Man Rule, mentioned above, is that men need to form homosocial bonds.  The second Man Rule is that we all must accept and obey the pecking order.  Well, the third rule is to avoid sexual contact and attraction to other dudes at all costs.  Any dude who wants to sleep with other men could upset the entire patriarchal power structure by blurring the lines between Bro’s and Ho’s, between Us and Them.  Alex Riley is being punished, and deserves to be punished in our minds, because he is attractive (to the Miz and to us) and therefore he is dangerous and threatening.

If the Miz is falling for Alex Riley (as his longing gaze seems to indicate), then he of course must take swift and painful action to end their intense relationship.  If we, the viewers, are feeling attracted to Riley (the transfer of the Miz’s feelings onto the audience at large), then we too want to see Riley punished.  He deserves to take a beating for making us break the third Man Rule, for making us desire him.

When a Bromance becomes too intense, when friendship turns to potential sexual contact and “Gay Panic” sets in, when the public begins to question your masculinity, we see that it is time to end the relationship.  Every pro wrestling Tag Team eventually breaks up, which teaches the viewers that we should form successful homosocial bonds, but these male-male relationships must never be allowed to become too intense or intimate.

So the Miz must hurt his friend — even though his body language indicates a desire for more physical contact — because he needs to terminate their relationship.  The entire match shows the Miz alternating between close physical contact with Riley followed by the creation of physical distance between himself and Riley.  His dilemma is summed up in the final moments of the match, where the Miz kneels over his beaten opponent, staring down at him as if deciding what to do.  Should I violate the Third Man Rule and give this dude a big hug and kiss, or should I break off this relationship and abandon him?

The Miz makes his decision — choosing to walk out of the ring alone, separating himself from Riley once and for all.  The take-away for the audience is that we, too, must make tough decisions.  If we want to succeed, we will need to obey the Man Rules, conform to the pecking order, and reject any Bromance that becomes too intimate.

The scene closes with the Miz turning around to face his former Bro.  Their eyes meet as the Miz smiles and raises his arms in victory to put his body on display for Alex Riley (and the rest of us) to admire one last time.  Clearly there are some lingering feelings between Riley and the Miz, but their physical distance between them (one half way down the aisle and the other in the ring) illustrates that they are no longer Bro’s.

This match can be seen on YouTube.

He’s presented here as the epitome of manliness — a slab of pure beefcake, powerful and confident with Aksana hanging on him, craving him, and petting his ripped body.  A photographer documents that inspiring torso to be posted on the website or in a magazine.

Eve is the General Manager (Head Bitch in Charge) watching the photo shoot.  She decides that Antonio’s body would look better wet, so she orders Teddy Long to rub oil on him.  For just a moment, Teddy refuses to touch another man, but he soon surrenders to the dominant female and begins slathering oil on Antonio’s back and chest.  Totally degrading, right?  Why in the hell would Teddy agree to this degradation??

The scenario presents “Forced Feminization” of Teddy Long.  Forced Feminization is a common fetish involving a bondage relationship where the male subject is “forced” to act or dress like a woman.  Usually, he pretends that what’s happening to him is against his will, but his protest is superficial and he’s really a very willing (and excited) participant.  Note that Teddy Long surrendered to Eve’s demands rather quickly…

A good percentage of men seem to enjoy and crave the role reversal, loss of power, and humiliation that comes from being forced to act like a woman.  In many cases, “forced” feminization helps a male deal with bisexual urges without “coming out.”  He can avoid feelings of Gay Panic by rationalizing that he was made to act like a sissy against his will.

Being forced to service Antonio places Teddy Long in a relatively feminine role.  He is seen as identical to Aksana  — both are shown with their hands rubbing Antonio’s superior body.  You can see this provocative scene on YouTube if you missed Smackdown.  Just as the original Eve tempted Adam to bite the apple, so too has this Eve tempted Teddy Long to feel up a real man’s body and risk opening his eyes to new pleasures.  Antonio’s last name of Cesaro, or “Caesar”, makes us think of him as a “king” in the power position, waiting for his servant to oil up his body.

Many wrestling fans, Bloggers, and commentators have mentioned how uncomfortable and disgusted they felt by watching this scene.  What is the source of this intense disgust?  Male massage therapists, coaches, doctors, and sports trainers routinely touch their male clients as part of their job duties and nobody is grossed out or disgusted.  You can’t catch “the gay” by touching another guy.

I believe the outraged Bloggers are protesting too strongly.  Perhaps their over-stated disgust over Teddy’s lube job stems from their own internal fascination with Feminization which they outwardly reject but internally crave.  After all, aren’t most homophobes actually closeted homosexuals?

Many scenes in pro wrestling involve the Forced Feminization of the victim.  Defeat at the hands of a sissy, a kick to the balls, a humiliating pinning position all serve to sissify the jobber.

The fact that so many men tune in to watch big, strong wrestlers reduced to bitch status just proves that Forced Feminization is a very common source of excitement.

In the end, pro wrestling still celebrates the strength of males and masculinity, even when Forced Feminization is depicted.  When a man participates in Forced Feminization, his feminine role is meant to feel humiliating to him, a loss of status as if he’s fallen from grace by become a — god forbid — a female.

If the ultimate insult and disgrace is to be feminized, to be treated as a woman, then aren’t we claiming that it’s far better to be a man?  Pro wrestling continues to celebrate manhood by depicting the losers in female positions.

To some degree, Forced Feminization trivializes the plight and degradation experienced by women, and actually serves to empower the Feminized Male because he is allowed to play around in the female role for fun and excitement while still maintaining his preferable male status when play-time is over.

When watching pro wrestling and seeing so many jobbers placed in the subservient, feminine role, you’ve gotta wonder how “Forced” really is their Feminization.  We can rationalize that the jobber was out-wrestled by a stronger man, or that he is paid by the promoters to act weak and helpless.  But another way to read the beaten man’s submissive antics is that he, too, is into Forced Feminization like so many other men.  He is a willing participant whose protests are only superficial.  After all, nobody forced him to wear pink panties into the ring…

1. British Pro — 37 visitors

2. Caption Contest — 18 visitors

3. Lucha Libre — 7 visitors

4. Project Doughboy — 9 visitors

5. Ring of Honor — 9 visitors

6. Suffering Sunday — 12 visitors

7. The Psychology of Wrestling — 20 visitors

8. Tiger Mask — 2 visitors

9. Uncategorized — 5 visitors

10. What You’re Searching For — 27 visitors

11. Wrestling Magazines — 20 visitors

This list surprises me for several reasons.  “Suffering Sunday” wasn’t visited the most?  Really??  I thought you guys love that shit.  The series on “What You’re Searching For” was more popular than I expected — I guess we’ll be creating more of those.  There were fewer fans than I expected for “Ring of Honor” and more than I expected for “Wrestling Magazines.”

The most surprising thing is that “British Pro” is the number one most popular category.  Wow.  Are there a lot of Brits out there reliving their childhoods?   Is it just because it’s the first category on the list, so most people start at the top?

Whatever the reason, the numbers show that Brit Pro is your favorite kink, and I give my followers what they want to see.  So here is another Brit Pro match using that same old formula that is always so effective at stirring up the viewers — the pretty-boy local Blue-Eye taking a whipping from a big, tough, veteran meanie…

You can catch this championship bout on YouTube:

• Part 1

• Part 2

“Feelings of Inferiority… Sudden Decrease in Confidence… High Risk of Humiliation…  Dignity Dysfunction… Trouble Performing.”

These phrases have sexual performance implications, as if the Miz is so awesome that other men are converted into limp-dicked, impotent sissies in his presence.  Is the Miz implying he will sexually dominate other men with his “Awesomeness”?

When Alex Riley was a hopeful young rookie, the Miz took him under his wing and acted as a mentor.  At the time, it seemed like he corrupted Riley’s innocence, turning the rookie into an arrogant, hateful Heel.  Riley quickly began acting and dressing like his role model — bullying other wrestlers, helping the Miz cheat, wearing fancy dress clothes.  At the time, I featured the two preppies in their expensive threads beating up a shirtless Randy Orton.

An intense Bromance between the Miz and “A-Ry” was forged, with the Miz as the dominant daddy, bossing around and bullying his submissive young admirer.  Fans began speculating if these two look-alike studs were perhaps more than just buddies, if they were perhaps in a “Twinbromance.“   Then, as usual in pro wrestling, jealousy and rivalry spoiled their relationship and they broke up.  They decided to settle the score and find out who is the true Alpha Male in this match on the 4/26/12 episode of Smackdown.  You can watch this match, which is full of sexual tension and brutal competitiveness, on YouTube.

From the beginning of the match, the Miz establishes himself as the dominant stud in their relationship — staring in contemplation at Alex Riley’s spectacular body (using the Male Gaze on Riley), beckoning or ordering Riley to come closer and take his beating, scooping up Riley and slamming him onto his back.  Apparently, the authority that the Miz imposed on his trainee early in their relationship is still in play.  Despite Riley’s efforts to break free of his subservient dependence on the Miz, I guess he is still in awe of the “Awesomeness.”

The Miz (as the “teacher”) just dominates Riley (the “student”).  Their match is as one-sided as their relationship.  The action becomes violent and rough when the Miz repeatedly kicks Riley square in the face with stiff, bone-shattering boots.  Damn.

It seems that Riley is being punished by the Miz for some transgression.  Instead of a wrestling competition, this is obedience training — a whipping that the Miz apparently believes that Riley deserves.  It is a total squash job!  But what has poor young Alex Riley done wrong?  Why crime did he commit to deserve this brutal comeuppance?

The more obvious reason that Riley must be punished by the Miz is that he hasn’t lived up to his mentor’s expectations.  The Miz puts Riley in an armlock and screams: “I taught you everything! Everything!  You’re a disgrace!”

But does Riley really deserve this level of torture just because he isn’t as talented as the Miz?  Really?  Really??  There must be more to the story — another reason why Riley deserves to be punished.

To be continued…

Answer: I don’t know, but if they’re hot looking pro wrestlers, I’m fine with it!