Do you find it hard to watch Chris Benoit matches?

[BuriedByCena]

I watch his matches all the time. Best wrestler ever. He didn't murder his family either. We all know Kevin Sullivan did it and we can only hope he admits to his crimes before he dies so we can clear Benoit's name.

It is such a shame the police did such a horrible job on the case and never even followed the leads clearly pointing to Sullivan. Lazy police let a murderer run free.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Surprisingly, I haven't found it that difficult to watch Benoit's matches which is strange as I've not listened to Lostprophets music since Ian Watkins' crimes came out, and similarly for other celebrities who have commited shocking actions.

My main issue with watching Benoit in the ring (which hasn't stopped me) is when you see him hit the headbutt, or take brutal chair shots, knowing how it crippled his brain. There is a particularly shocking one (I think maybe against Jericho), when he dives out of the ring through the ropes and takes an unprotected chairshot to the face mid-dive. It's sickening. No wonder his head was permanently damaged. Knowing that it was incidents like that which caused his brain damage make it a bit difficult to watch Chris Benoit in the ring, but I still appreciate the quality of his matches.

 

[Vanilla Midget]

Do you find it hard to listen to Michael Jackson music despite the fact that he more than likely engaged in inappropriate behaviour with young boys? What about watching Superfly Snuka matches now that the fact he more than apparently got away with murder?

Do you appreciate the art, or do you condemn it based on the fall from grace of the artist? That's a big question that has been tossed around by many a thinker through history, long before dudes put on tights and beat the crap out of each other in scripted matches.

I think when it comes to art that takes a form that is not the artist (you don't see MJ when you listen to thriller) and art that does (you see the face of Benoit you watch a match) there's a reminder of the artist themselves, what they did and what they stood for.

There's definitely a huge cognitive disconnect between Benoit the wrestler and Chris Benoit, the murder suicide perpetrator. It usually establishes itself in the form of people maintaining his innocence because they're unable to reconcile the individualism of what they see as a duality. Benoit was a kick ass wrestler, he had a good career, but it ended when he took the life of his young son and wife.

In the end, it's subjective. It's up to your experience and our each individual experiences to determine if we think watching him is acceptable, or even right. For myself, professional wrestling is art, it is entertainment meant to be consumed. Benoit the wrestler in that old footage isn't necessarily the Benoit that destroyed his world one lonely weekend in Georgia, though they are the same human being.

We can't prove when he became a murderer, and we can't completely expunge him from history. That being said, he should not be honoured, awarded for his career or receive any other accolade. When he's on my screen, I appreciate the work he did in that time. I think it would be a different story if he were alive, especially if he were free.

I think Benoit, in years to come, may develop an allure in the wrestling world other killers with cult followings like Gacy, Bundy, and Dahmer have developed. People have an interest in abnormal psychology which adds an aspect of taboo when watching his matches.

So ask yourself, can you appreciate the art on its own, or does that mean you are appreciating the artist? I don't think there's a truly right answer, but I do know that if you watch a Benoit match, it doesn't mean your a bad person or don't condemn his actions.