Double Pitchforks

Mentioned it before, but book reviews are almost as much fun to read as obituaries. The good book reviews of course tell you more than something about the book. You learn about the author, you learn about the context of the times the book is set in, even if it is fiction. You learn enough to figure out if you'd like the book. You might even come across an out-quote, or out-take, that you can use at your dinner parties. I read way more book reviews than I read books.

Take today's book review in the Times. The reviewer, Barry Gewen, takes us through the life and times of female wrestling via Jeff Leen's book, The Queen of the Ring: Sex, Muscles, Diamonds, and the Making of an American Legend. With a title like that, you might start to think Mildred Burke will make her way onto the next commemorative stamp. Hey, it can happen.

To no one's surprise, Mr. Gewen reveals that Jeff's book describes Mildred's manager, and second husband, Billy Wolfe, as "one of the most repulsive people you are likely to meet outside of prison." You can almost hear yourself working that one into a conversation as you're passing something to someone. Details follow.

"[Wolfe] He beat Burke, he beat her young son by her first marriage, he beat the other women he managed. He seems to have slept with most of the wrestlers in his stable except the lesbians, and is said to have pimped them out when the occasion required. Near the end of his life he married for the fifth and final time; he was 60, his bride 17." Certainly all things that are hard to overlook.

There's a mold somewhere for wrestling managers, especially managers of women. In the movie California Dolls, one of the blond wrestlers is screaming at Harry, her manager, played by Peter Falk. She's really going off on him. He's had her sleep with Burt Young so she and her tag-team partner can get a choice match. It's completely understandable why she's mad. Burt Young? A girl has standards.

Anyway, she's yelling at Harry, telling him, "you're a lousy manager and a lousy human being." This stops Peter Falk from further blinking, as he thinks for just a second, raises his hand to his forehead, and tells her, "I'm not a lousy manager." Guys have standards too.

I've always loved that line. In fact, I've used it to describe a former CEO at the company I worked for prior to my current job.

In his case, he was both. Probably still is.

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