Introduction:
On January 28, 2023, Sami Zayn freed himself from the controls of Roman Reigns’ Bloodline through a chair shot heard around the world. On this night at the Royal Rumble, a yearly event hosted by the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), Sami Zayn debated whether he should stand by his friend of 15 years, Kevin Owens, or continue being oppressed by the tyrannical regime, known as The Bloodline (“Royal,” n.d.). Throughout his time in The Bloodline, Sami’s loyalty was constantly put into question. Whether it be through abusing those in the WWE’s roster, or fighting those Sami was once close to in the independent wrestling scene, Sami did whatever was necessary to follow the orders of his Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns. As Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns is in charge of The Bloodline. Through Roman’s Samoan ancestry, it is his birthright to be positioned as Tribal Chief. This can be demonstrated through both his incredibly detailed Samoan tattoos and the Ula Fala he wears (“Polynesian,” n.d.). Additionally, for nine incredibly lengthy months, with some being better than others, Sami continued fighting alongside Roman Reigns and his faction, The Bloodline, even if it went against his inner-being, highlighting the power of psychological conformity. The Bloodline was made up of members of Roman’s immediate family, who like Sami, also devoted their entire livelihoods to following Roman Reigns and his controlling orders. Unlike Sami Zayn, The Bloodline consists of members of the Samoan Dynasty, and in the ring, it is evident that they follow the cultural traditions of Samoa and the traditional hierarchy. Moreover, as the winter months came along, and Roman became stricter than ever before, Sami realized that he had to leave the Bloodline before they were to betray him first. So, before the Royal Rumble could come to a close, Sami decided to do what was best and go against all odds by hitting Roman Reigns in the back with a steel chair. Therefore, this photo demonstrates through a visual medium that liberation from oppression is possible through acts of bravery and fighting for what you believe in. Whether it be through cultural rituals or the hierarchical structures within the Samoan Dynasty, the act of defiance highlights the universal struggle for freedom amidst cultural practices.
Anthropology:
In the study of social sciences, anthropology focuses on the origin, development, and evolution of humans (“History,” n.d., para. 1). Anthropologists study different cultures, languages, fossils, and characteristics of humans around the world (“Anthropologists,” n.d., para 1). On WWE programming, as represented through the likes of Roman Reigns and The Bloodline, Samoan culture is continuously displayed, without bias or misconceptions ever occurring by fans and executives due its accurate portrayal. Primarily, one such course is how the individuals in the photo are wearing “We The Ones” t-shirts. Those individuals are Roman Reigns’ cousins and are members of The Bloodline. Both the wording on their shirt as well as the color scheme is incredibly significant to Samoan rituals and practices. To elaborate, the “We The Ones” statement demonstrates that they continuously put in the work to become the best wrestlers that they could possibly be. This means that they work house shows (shows with minimal attendance and are not broadcasted on television), go to the gym frequently, and fight against adversity and challenge. It also demonstrates their commitment to the craft of professional wrestling by traveling to numerous arenas to fulfill the desires of fans and trying to develop/learn new skills that can improve their move set (WWE, 2022). However, in terms of anthropology, the “We The Ones” statement is significant as it demonstrates the hard-working and resilient culture that Samoans have. This statement also highlights the importance of language and symbols in cultural expression, as it demonstrates how a single phrase can highlight the social dynamics and narratives within a community. Similarly, the colors used in the statement, “We The Ones” also have profound meaning to the way Samoans conduct their cultural practices. To put this into perspective, the red and white color scheme is significant because the Samoan flag has these colors. These colors provide Samoans with a mission statement on how to conduct themselves in their daily lives due to their symbolic meanings (“Flags,” n.d.). For example, the Samoan flag has the colors white, red, and blue. On the flag, the white is meant to represent purity and virtue, the red is meant to represent courage and bravery, whereas, the blue represents freedom (Smith, 2022). Additionally, you can see that there are traditional tattoos being adorned by the individuals in the ring. These tattoos are incredibly important in Samoan culture and customs due to the highly respected rituals that are followed when someone gets a tattoo. To put this into perspective, tattoos in Samoan culture are meant to represent a sense of community, power/status, respect, and honor (“Samoan,” 2021). This is the case as the tattoos that an individual receives can represent family history, such as ancestry and which tribe/family they are a part of on the island of Samoa (Benedict, 2021). Each tattoo is unique to a person as each tattoo design is custom. The shapes and patterns are made to portray the unique circumstances that the recipient went through in their life (Tjosvold, 2023). Furthermore, the Ula Fala that is positioned in the ring plays an influential role in understanding cultural materialism in Samoan practices/values. To demonstrate, cultural materialism is the materials within an environment that can significantly influence how a culture develops. Thus, creating the ideas and fundamentals of a culture (Keefe, 2024a, Slide 22). The Ula Fala is important in Samoan practices as it highlights the connection that individuals have with the Earth around them. This is because the Ula Fala necklace is made of items that could be found in nature. This includes fresh leaves, scented flowers, fruit, seeds, shells, and whales’ teeth. They are then threaded together in various combinations to create the necklace. Plus, in Samoan culture, the Ula Fala is meant to represent the status that one has in a tribe. If the Ula Fala is red, that would indicate that the wearer has a high status in the tribe. It is also easy to spot and recognize at the traditional and cultural ceremony, so you would know who to give the most respect to (“’ulafala,” n.d.). Therefore, the message presented through the “We The Ones” statement, along with the significance of traditional Samoan tattoos and the Ula Fala, highlights the deep-rooted traditions and values that Samoan culture has in the sport of professional wrestling. This connection of cultural elements not only enhances the representation of Samoan identity, but also highlights the strength and passion of a community whose cultural heritage shapes their daily lives and who they are on the inside.
Psychology:
In the study of social sciences, the art of psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and brain as well as its functions. Through psychology, psychologists look at the mind and how it influences the way people behave in their day-to-day lives (Legg, 2018, para. 1). To begin with, before the events of this photo occurred, Sami Zayn went to great lengths to try to fit in with The Bloodline. In doing so, he changed his personality, mannerisms, and friendships. This highlights the issue of conformity. Conformity is when people change their beliefs, attitudes, actions, and perceptions to closely match those held by groups they want to belong in and want their approval (Levine, 2020). To determine the origins of such behavior, a psychologist named Solomon Asch conducted a study to observe conformity in groups of people. In this test, Solomon Asch gathered groups of seven to nine individuals to study visual perception. This task was straightforward, as it involved matching the length of a standard line with other lines. Each group had one naive participant, while the rest were confederates who consistently provided incorrect answers. Despite the obvious correct choice, around one-third of participants conformed to the group’s wrong responses, with 27% conforming on at least eight trials (Levine, 2020). This study highlighted how always being the odd one out can influence the decisions that you make in times of stress due to connections between social conformity and group pressure. During times of pressure, we may feel inclined to conform and follow a group’s decision. In such situations, individuals might be more motivated to align their choices with the group, even if it goes against their own beliefs. This is because most individuals would rather do something that goes against their instincts than undergo social rejection and conflict. To prevent feelings of isolation and loneliness, we tend to spend time with people we should not. As a result, our inner-being reminds us to seek out genuine relationships with others that connect to our thoughts and who we truly are as a person. Thus, our brain can help guide us towards environments where we can thrive authentically and feel accepted with others (Kennedy, 2023). To add, in the picture, you can observe that there are fans celebrating Sami Zayn hitting Roman Reigns in the back with the chair. The reason for this occurrence is because of how fans connect to storytelling and the way wrestlers are personified in the WWE when done correctly. Storytelling is an incredibly important factor when it comes to drawing fans’ attention to wrestling because of the way it helps bring people together as well as create awareness about themselves and their thoughts and motivations in life. Storytelling is a tool used to develop emotional connections, mutual understanding, and increased empathy between wrestlers and the fans themselves. So, the psychology behind storytelling in professional wrestling is that it taps into universal themes and emotions, allowing fans to see parts of themselves in the wrestlers. This deepens the fans’ emotional investment and makes the results of the matches and storylines more meaningful (Gupta & Jha, 2022). Wrestling also helps fans find things that bring them joy/happiness. Through the characters developed in wrestling, Carl Jung’s archetypes can also play a key role in determining why fans are connected to the wrestlers and their stories. This is because in professional wrestling, a wrestler is either a heel (villain) or a face (hero). These characteristics can connect to the twelve archetypes of Carl Jung. For instance, these can include Seth Rollins as ‘The Joker’, Sami Zayn as ‘The Lover’, Roman Reigns as ‘The Ruler’, and Cody Rhodes as ‘The Hero’, just to name a few (Dwyer, 2022). In psychology, archetypes are images and symbols that continuously appear and are expressed in human behavior and experiences. Archetypes can include models of people, behaviors, and personalities (Keefe, 2024b). To be more specific, through Roman’s behavior, it is clear that he exhibits psychopathic tendencies. To begin with, Roman is a known pathological liar and master manipulator. To elaborate, as the Tribal Chief and leader of The Bloodline, Roman emotionally manipulates his family in order for them to submit to him and follow his orders. This includes breaking the bonds between twin brothers and siblings in order to win matches for himself and continue being a reigning champion. Roman Reigns constantly makes broken promises to his family to create this false facade that everything is alright and going to plan, even though it really is not. In addition, Roman is also known for gaslighting his family. If things do not go Roman’s way, he continuously yells and blames those around him, without ever realizing that he himself is to blame. But, due to the oppressive control that Roman has maintained over his family through the constant bullying and manipulation, they never say anything to stand up for themselves. Roman manages to often put down and minimize the feelings of those around him, fostering a superiority complex in the midst of a family crisis. This can be evidenced as he always tells his family and those around him to ‘acknowledge him’. Furthermore, Roman’s psychopathic behavior can also be exhibited through his lack of morality and frequent rule breaking. During Roman Reigns’ lengthy championship reign, in order to maintain his status as Tribal Chief and provide for his family, he frequently resorted to cheating and underhanded tactics to secure victories. Due to the psychological control he had over his family, he often coerced them into helping him cheat during matches. This is because he would make his cousins do his dirty work in order for him to retain his championship and win. During this time, Roman continued to show no remorse for the damage inflicted on his opponent, as he focused on advancing his own agenda and maintaining a reign of terror over the WWE. His utter lack of conscience and belief in his own superiority demonstrates his psychopathic tendencies, as he operates beyond the bounds of morality and fair play, believing that he is exempt from the rules of professional wrestling (Ni & Highsmith, 2018). As such, Roman’s relentless psychological abuse often leaves his family members feeling isolated and powerless, which diminishes their self-esteem and autonomy. Roman’s manipulative tactics over his family create a toxic environment where fear and submission prevail over love and respect even though it should not. Moreover, in psychology, Skinner’s experiment can help us see and understand how we react to certain events. This can be proven because just as pigeons perform behaviors in anticipation of rewards, wrestling fans often attribute their actions, like watching a match, to influencing the outcome of who is going to win. This phenomenon reflects the fans’ need for a sense of control and connection to their favorite wrestlers and faction. As a result, the belief that their engagement directly impacts the performance of wrestlers connects to the concept of operant conditioning, where actions are reinforced by perceived outcomes. As such, this illustrates the powerful influence of psychological factors in shaping fan behavior and engagement with the sport of professional wrestling (Whitbourne & Hagan, 2011). In summary, the psychology behind conformity and storytelling in professional wrestling highlights the profound impact that group dynamics have on individual behavior and mindset. Through observing the likes of Sami Zayn in The Bloodline and how he submitted to their rules for acceptance, individuals can shed light on their own lives, and begin to understand how not staying true to yourself is incredibly detrimental to your mental well-being.
Conclusion:
As demonstrated through the picture, it is clear that trying to fit in with those around you by changing who you truly are on the inside will end up causing you more pain than what you ever anticipated. To begin with, after withstanding months of Roman Reigns’ strict control and anger with members of The Bloodline, Sami knew that he had a choice to make. He could either keep up with the fake facade of ‘fitting in’ with The Bloodline, or he could leave the faction before they would attack him, both physically and mentally. So, when the Royal Rumble was about to come to a close on the night of Saturday, January 28, 2023, Sami Zayn made the choice that he will live with forever. Sami used the steel chair provided by Roman meant for brutally assaulting Sami’s friend of 15 years, Kevin Owens, and instead, used it on Roman when his back was turned. In doing so, he freed himself from the reigns of Samoan terror, and did what was best for him and his conscience. Whether it be in the sport of professional wrestling or in our own lives, many people can connect to Sami and his decision on that very night. It reflects saying goodbye to something we once found temporary love in, but realizing that it will not last and was never truly meaningful in the first place. Through his actions, Sami Zayn personifies the courage needed to break free from false relationships and embrace the truth, inspiring others to do the same in the process. In conclusion, if you are in a dark place filled with control and oppression, what lengths is it going to take for you to escape it and go against all odds?
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