I was a huge professional wrestling fan as a kid. What could be better than heroes taking down villains on my TV every weekend?

I knew a mild-mannered preacher who barely spoke beyond a whisper. But while visiting his house one Saturday, I learned that if you blocked his view of the TV while “rasslin” was on, he used some words you wouldn’t say on Sunday.

As I got older, some friends spilled the surprising beans. After the wrestling matches, Jackie Fargo (hero), Tojo Yamamoto (villain) and the other wrestlers would go out for dinner at the same restaurant. “Don’t be silly,” I said. “They hate each other!” No, my friends assured me, these guys were just doing a job, and they knew how to keep from seriously injuring each other. Their job was to entertain fans, and create outrage to keep fans engaged. That outrage centered around revenge, foul play, and animosity. That recipe sold a lot of tickets, with fans packing the house every Saturday night.

I am reminded of America’s longtime love for “rasslin” while observing the current political scene. During some candidate rallies, supporters show up with painted faces, wearing colorful outfits, and spewing profanities to anyone within earshot.

The wrestling fever has spread to Capitol Hill, where the recent Epstein files Congressional hearing with Attorney General Pam Bondi turned into a wild-eyed shouting match. I halfway expected them to put up a ring, climb through the ropes, and let the combatants flail away with body slams, sleeper holds, and headlocks.

Much like wrestling, the event was largely scripted. The inquisitors read questions from their I-Pads, while Bondi leafed through her “burn book,” firing off insults created especially for each member of the House Judiciary Committee.

This is what we’ve come to. 250 years ago, our founders wanted good government. But in 2026, many of us just want a good wrestling match.

I guess we shouldn't be surprised. In many towns with an auditorium, professional wrestling kept the building open for decades. The “upper crust” would complain, “This is beneath us! We want opera and culture!” The venue managers would respond, “Okay, we'll give you a little of that. But if we're going to keep the lights on, we need a wrestling ring and angry people who will buy tickets.”

So, here we are. The slanted cable “news” networks and social media sites are staging the wrestling matches, and millions of Americans are buying popcorn. Their business plan appears to be, “No controversy, no outrage, no ratings.”

The anger-tainment channels have fine-tuned their programming to rev up the outrage, wrestling-style. One of Fox's top-rated shows is “The Five,” which offers up liberal commentator Jessica Tarlov as the sacrificial lamb on a panel of red-meat conservatives including Greg Gutfeld and Jesse Watters. The channel's hardcore fans constantly berate Tarlov on social media. “We hate her,” they say, “and we turn it off as soon as we see her face!” Well, according to the ratings, no they don't. She's there for a reason. The Outrage Machine is a well-oiled operation. (The same formula works in reverse on Abby Phillip's nightly CNN show, with conservative Scott Jennings engaging in a shout-fest with a mostly liberal panel).

Recently, the hottest comedian in America, Nate Bargatze, posed for a photograph with US Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee. Bargatze plans to build a theme park in his home state of Tennessee, so one might expect he would have conversations with state officials. When Dolly Parton built her theme park 40 years ago, she probably spent some time with the politicians too.

But with Blackburn being a polarizing figure who proudly “owns the libs” and is one of President Trump's most vocal supporters, posing for a photo with her can create controversy. When the picture hit social media, Republicans cheered Bargatze, but Democrats condemned him. Some said they were outraged, and would never again spend a penny to go to one of his shows.

Me? I don't care who he visits, or who he votes for. I love a good comedian, and he's one of the best in the business. These days, I'll take all the laughs I can get.

David Carroll is a Chattanooga news anchor, and his latest book is "I Won't Be Your Escape Goat," available from his website, ChattanoogaRadioTV.com. You may contact him at 900 Whitehall Rd, Chattanooga, TN 37405, or at RadioTV2020@yahoo.com.