Gorgeous George: The Outrageous Bad-Boy Wrestler Who Created American Pop Culture

by John Capouya

This is the first-ever biography of the legendary wrestler Gorgeous George, filled with incredible never-before-told stories. George directly influenced the likes of Muhammad Ali, who took his bragging and boasting from George; James Brown, who began to wear sequined capes onstage after seeing George on TV; John Waters, whose films featured the outrageous drag queen Divine as an homage to George; and too many wrestlers to count. Amid these pop culture discoveries are firsthand accounts of the pro wrestling game from the 1930s to the 1960s.

The ideal American male used to be stoic, quiet, and dignified. But for a young couple struggling to make ends meet, in the desperation born of the lingering Depression and wartime rationing, an idea was hatched that changed the face of American popular culture, an idea so bold, so over-the-top and absurd, that it was perfect. That idea transformed journeyman wrestler George Wagner from a dark-haired, clean-cut good guy to a peroxide-blond braggart who blatantly cheated every chance he got. Crowds were stunned—they had never seen anything like this before—and they came from miles around to witness it for themselves.

Suddenly George—guided by Betty, his pistol of a wife—was a draw. With his golden tresses grown long and styled in a marcel, George went from handsome to . . . well . . . gorgeous overnight, the small, dank wrestling venues giving way to major arenas. As if the hair wasn't enough, his robes—unmanly things of silk, lace, and chiffon in pale pinks, sunny yellows, and rich mauves—were but a prelude to the act: the regal entrance, the tailcoat-clad valet spraying the mat with perfume, the haughty looks and sneers for the "peasants" who paid to watch this outrageously prissy hulk prance around the ring. How they loved to see his glorious mane mussed up by his manly opponents. And how they loved that alluringly alliterative name . . . Gorgeous George . . . the self-proclaimed Toast of the Coast, the Sensation of the Nation!

All this was timed to the arrival of that new invention everyone was talking about—television. In its early days, professional wrestling and its larger-than-life characters dominated prime-time broadcasts—none more so than Gorgeous George, who sold as many sets as Uncle Miltie.

Fans came in droves—to boo him, to stick him with hatpins, to ogle his gowns, and to rejoice in his comeuppance. He was the man they loved to hate, and his provocative, gender-bending act took him to the top of the entertainment world. America would never be the same again.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports, American History

282 pages, Hardcover

First published September 2, 2008

Reviews

[Maddie Mondeaux · Rating 4 out of 5]

Way more interesting than I thought it was going to be. I admit that professional wrestling isn't something I enjoy watching. Honestly I still don't totally understand the appeal. That being said, Capouya's thorough breakdown of the inner workings of the pro wrestling world, the historical and cultural context that made Gorgeous George an icon, and the echoes that his legacy is still sending through pop culture brought me a much deeper appreciation of the craft and athleticism pro wrestlers bring to their work. Fascinating read, and very accessible for a complete stranger to pro wrestling.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adam Page vs. Bryan Danielson in a 60 minute iron man match?!?!

This book is not the wrestling equivalent of that.

Randy Orton vs. Edge? Yeah, probably about that. Pretty good, but hoping for more.

Nitpick: author states one study showed that wrestling had 8 minutes of actual wrestling in an hour. That's just not true. May it have happened on a few episodes? Sure! But as an average? That's too low.

Also, how the widows smack talked each other about how they acted in the funeral? That didn't need to be in the book. Probably neither did the James Brown chapter.

Wish the author would have not ignored modern day wrestling so much and could have made stronger connections to George and what we see today. Also, he didn't even bring up WHY a WCW wrestler was named Gorgeous George (Randy Savage owned the rights to it and gave the name to his girlfriend).

A thoroughly depressing end to George's life, though!

[Jezebel Jorge · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author gets too caught up in liking their own prose to make this an entertaining read. It seems to be written from an outsiders point of view instead of taking us behind the scenes.

GG lived such a fascinating life that it's a shame this book came off so dry and impersonal.

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty solid biography of the TV pioneer/bad-boy/sissy/he-man/inspiration of Dylan, James Brown, and Muhammad Ali. Downfall is depressing--George ends up broke, fat, alone, and drunk in the early 60s in Hollywood (where else?), but very funny. sweet-natured and interesting and informative on the way up, and filled with (who knew that you actually COULD put someone out with a sleeper hold, applied correctly? certainly not me or my brother) all sorts of wrestling/carny insider info. The notion that there are conventions and meetings and brotherhoods and subcultures of old-time-wrestling (or wrasslin', as I suppose it's, uh, correctly known) aficionados getting together in Vegas or wherever to celebrate the old times. Docked a notch for short-changing Liberace, whose shtick was pretty darn similar, if less masculine. Upped a notch for suggesting that the archives of the promoter Jack Pfefer, apparently at Notre Dame, would make a fantastic book.

[ReadinRasslin · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the few Gorgeous George biographies out there, John Capouya's tribute to the original flamboyant gimmick wrestler is largely a tribute to his lasting success in pop culture and his influence on celebrities like James Brown, Muhammad Ali, and Bob Dylan - because of this, the book hops back and forth between a straight up biography and and an essay on Gorgeous George's cultural significance. The pop culture parts feel very wordy and a little stuck-up - I instantly could tell Capouya's writing style wouldn't be for me, he overdoes it in certain points. This book could easily be trimmed by like 50 pages and we'd still understand how culturally important Gorgeous George was. I found the personal drama and feuds far more interesting than whatever influence he had on movie stars or athletes from a generation beyond. This could be a slog at some points to get through, unfortunately, which bites because Gorgeous George genuinely has a fascinating and tragic career that I don't think Capouya fully sunk his teeth into.

[Oliver Bateman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Capouya worked with a lot of surviving relatives and friends of George Wagner to produce this account, which is about as good/authoritative a narrative as we're ever going to get in re GG. Some of the later sections, which deal with the cultural impact of GG, correctly assess his legacy vis a vis Bob Dylan, Muhammad Ali, James Brown, and others, but given my own extensive reading, the stuff about the gender transgressiveness of GG just seems...well, dated. But that's no fault of Capouya's; it just shows how the wrestling scholarship is evolving. Odd that this book wasn't a bigger hit, but '08 wasn't anywhere near the "wrestling is mainstream" situation we have today (where WWE is on the ESPN homepage and newspapers cover wrestling in sports sections again)

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A biography of one of the most influential professional wrestlers of all time; it may go rather overboard on selling George's influence on American pop culture, but if so, that's very much in keeping with the subject himself. It definitely makes a decent case, pulling in testimony from people as disparate as Muhammad Ali, John Waters, and Bob Dylan's recollections of being inspired by George.

[Roger Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best and most well-written books about a wrestler that I've had the privilege of reading. Gorgeous George was influential not only in wrestling, but in pop culture as a whole. Everyone should know who Gorgeous George is, and should celebrate him in the same light as those he inspired: Bob Dylan, Muhammad Ali, etc. Read this and become enthralled, I know I did.

[Jim Altomare · Rating 4 out of 5]

The gorgeous icon

A fun read. Callous did a great job highlighting how Gorgeous George inspired many icons of the day. Recommended for any old school wrestling fan.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite wrestling book, so far.

Some of its fabulosities (To borrow a Georgie-ism.)
Literate writing, many great insider stories.
Humor ("his 'sui gorgeous' glory")
Many familiar names. (who worked with my wrestler father.)
LA's Olympic Arena was built for the 1932 games.
Strong case made that GG is a forgotten father of popular culture. (Ali, Dylan, James Brown, John Waters, Liberace, Elvis, rappers, Trump, trash-talking, chest-thumping, ...)
DiMaggio & GG both earned $100k per. (Wrestlers have fallen behind. In 2015, Cena made $10m, including side income, versus Clayton Kershaw's $32m salary only.)
The Georges shared a Columbus home with Cyclone Mackey (Corbin Massey) late 1939.
Wife Betty's huge role. ("Let's make it dirty.")
Her memory that the camper trailer times were their happiest. Canvas canopy, wash tub baths.
McShain's gaudy outer wear example. (jackets, not robes)
Portland Labor Temple's looming balcony made fans part of the show. Made them think they were entitled to participate.
Swerving
Gay Talese NY Times report
TV
The racial give and take and appropriations that influenced culture.

[Rick Segers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay...I'll admit it...I'm a fan of old school professional wrestling. Today, its sports entertainment populated by steroid freaks making like bad cartoon characters with no real depth. He was perhaps the first of the great sports anti-hero.

Gorgeous George was a character but with depth that laid a foundation for many to follow including Muhammed Ali, and James Brown. As one blurb writer wrote.."perhaps Gorgeous George was Genius George."

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

"George's shocking success helped move the outrageous and the outre from the fringe of our culture to the center." This famous pro wrestler from the 50s was one of early television's biggest stars, and influenced Muhammad Ali, James Brown, Bob Dylan and John Waters, according to this book. This was a fun read for someone who rarely reads biographies. Should be listed as 3 and a half stars, plus a body slam from the turnbuckles.

[Brandon · Rating 2 out of 5]

What little story there was involving "Gorgeous George" was a good read. The rest of the book felt like the author was giving a history lesson on the times and people surrounding George. Unfortunately the real story gets lost along the way and loses the reader very quickly. I really wanted to like this book but I just couldn't find enough there to like.

[Mattcale3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling story of a now-forgotten media darling; a man who helped create the celebrity culture we inhabit today. In the end, a sad, pathetic tale, but crucial in understanding that all-too-American lust for reinvention.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

An icon from the past. I think the writer overstates GG's importance since I also was there during his reign. Credit where credit is due - GG popularized the Ultimate Fighter rage so his legacy lives on.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting bio, but there was a decided lack of insight to his home life.

[Mike Merrill · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was pretty bad, but I liked the subject enough to give it one more star.