The Heels’ Corner in a Tag Team match is a fascinating space in our society because it symbolizes and represents a Torture Chamber — but one that operates openly in plain sight.
A torture chamber is a place where the sadistic get to have their way, inflicting intense physical pain on a restrained victim to compel his submission. But what is most shocking about the Heels’ Corner is that nobody seriously tries to stop the cruel torture.
There are many similarities between a traditional Torture Chamber and the Heels’ Corner — both involve being trapped and having no easy escape. Both are used to inflict intense pain, often using creative or unusual tactics. The victim is physically over-whelmed and restrained, either by ropes or an attacker’s grip. In both a Torture Chamber and the Heels’ Corner, there is no one to help — all potential rescuers are restrained or blocked — or don’t know about the torture.
Torture Chambers exist to force compliance from the victim — to break his spirit using physical pain and psychological degradation to compel him to confess or reveal secrets. In pro wrestling, the Heels’ Corner is used to force a submission as well — to break the spirit of one of the wrestlers and compel him to say “Uncle!”
Torture Chambers continue to exist in modern society for two primary reasons: either they’re unseen and hidden (so the government can’t shut them down) or they’re endorsed by the leaders (like Abu Ghraib) so the sheepish masses accept and allow the torture as if it’s a normal activity. Psychological studies have shown most people will accept (and even participate in) torture if told to do it by an authority figure.
In pro wrestling, the Heels’ Corner combines both situations: first, the torture is concealed from the distracted ref — the “law” and morality in the ring — even though everyone else can plainly see it.
Second, the promoters who run the pro wrestling federations apparently permit and condone these tactics — no serious efforts are undertaken to stop the torture — so the fans in the audience sheepishly allow (and perhaps even enjoy) the portrayal of torture. In fact, torture in the Heels’ Corner is so common in pro wrestling, it’s become accepted and even expected by polite people who would otherwise be outraged to see such brutality happening in public.
