Abraham Riesman

“There is no art form more intrinsically and blatantly American—in its casual violence, its bombastic braggadocio, its virulent jingoism, its populist defiance of respectability, and its intermittently awe-inspiring beauty—than professional wrestling. This lucrative enterprise is not a legitimate competition, but it is indisputably an expression of creativity. Its practitioners have a time-worn saying: “This ain’t ballet.” But it’s not that far from ballet: a kinetic method of storytelling, one that requires tremendous skill (and physical pain) to perform.”
― Abraham Riesman, Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America

“ENDING UP IN the care of one’s child is generally seen as a natural outcome of a life well lived, but it is unlikely that Stan knew peace once his daughter was calling the shots in his life. Stan’s existence grew quieter for the remainder of his days, insofar as there were no more visits from the cops or notarized statements attesting to Grand Guignol circumstances. But based on all we know about Stan’s relationship with JC, from testimony and his own recorded words, we can only assume that his hours were still privately hellish. As a source close to the Lees says, JC is “very fear-based” and prone to verbal violence. “It’ll be something simple,” the person says, “like ‘Oh, I forgot to pick up the milk,’ and suddenly this whole avalanche of ‘You’re a terrible person and you’re just trying to use me!’ That kind of thing will happen. It’s incredibly hard to be around. It’s incredibly toxic.”
― Abraham Riesman, True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee