Gimmicks: horror vs. military

[Dolph Zalgo]

I cannot find a good headline to describe this thought.

Another thread inspired me to think that there are certain gimmick categories that are either sure hits and others that are sure crap.

I cannot recall any military gimmick that was NOT wrestlecrap or just bound to fade into obscurity, while there are A LOT of dark/psycho/gothic gimmicks that get a lot of praise from the IWC (including myself).

It seems to me that to get over a dark/gothic gimmick is always a good basis, while a military gimmick seems like a predestined failure.

Any thoughts on this?

[Ash Whenzday]

I thought this thread was going to be some sort of Sgt. Slaughter vs. Undertaker idea. I agree for the most part military gimmicks don't get over, and the darker side seems to connect.

[The Line]

well, Military gimmicks are usually really 2-D, while horror gimmicks allow for a lot of variation and fleshing out of character(doens't mean they always get it though).

[T Vang is a HO-DADDY~!]

Apr 21, 2008 17:46:24 GMT -5 The Line said:

well, Military gimmicks are usually really 2-D, while horror gimmicks allow for a lot of variation and fleshing out of character(doens't mean they always get it though).

This is a great point, probably the most correct. If a company was daring enough to make a military gimmick 3d I think they could hit it really big (think a military man who is emotionally scarred from battle, or more easily a guy who has just grown disillusioned with the US effort because of his experiences.)

[The Line]

Apr 21, 2008 21:50:58 GMT -5 T Vang is a HO-DADDY~! said:

Apr 21, 2008 17:46:24 GMT -5 The Line said:

well, Military gimmicks are usually really 2-D, while horror gimmicks allow for a lot of variation and fleshing out of character(doens't mean they always get it though).

This is a great point, probably the most correct. If a company was daring enough to make a military gimmick 3d I think they could hit it really big (think a military man who is emotionally scarred from battle, or more easily a guy who has just grown disillusioned with the US effort because of his experiences.)

exactly. There are 3 military type characters that are re-used with little to no change at all.

1)American GI. Super Patriotic.
2)Foreign Military. Anti-American
3)American Turncoat

[Real Folk Bruce]

When it comes to the list of great military gimmicks. It begins and ends
with SGT. Slaughter. Sarge had charisma,the voice, and the look to make his character totally authentic and believable. You can't just dress up some loser in camouflage and hand him a flag and call him a soldier(*COUGH COUGH* Corporal Kirschner*COUGH COUGH*)

With the right person, Horror gimmicks have for more potential and lasting effect then military gimmicks.

[The Line]

Apr 21, 2008 22:31:45 GMT -5 Real Folk Bruce said:

When it comes to the list of great military gimmicks. It begins and ends
with SGT. Slaughter. Sarge had charisma,the voice, and the look to make his character totally authentic and believable. You can't just dress up some loser in camouflage and hand him a flag and call him a soldier(*COUGH COUGH* Corporal Kirschner*COUGH COUGH*)

With the right person, Horror gimmicks have for more potential and lasting effect then military gimmicks.

that,too. Pretty much everyone who has tried the Patriotic Soldier gimmick has looked like a Sarge-ripoff.

[YouStayClassy]

Also, wrestling is a lot more conducive to supernatural/dark characters having powers (Taker, Kane, Papa Shango, Dungeon Of Doom), whereas it's really hard to have a military guy with a uzi shooting up that place.

Props to the first company that can pull THAt off though! I would mark like it was Armageddon '99 again!