Why shouldn't wrestling be aimed at kids?

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

Okay, I'd like to start off by saying that I don't think the idea of a WWE "kids magazine" is a good move- but not because I find the idea of a wrestling-related kids magazine to be a bad one. My problem with it is that coming from the WWE, it's a pointless exercise.

If the company wants to make themselves totally family-friendly, they're going to have to tell the wrestlers to stop doing blade jobs, dump the tables, not have JBL try to smash Cena's face in with a car, release Cryme Tyme, ban thumbtacks (believe me, they'll be back), and never have another diva pose for Playboy again. Honestly, if I had a seven-year-old child, there are quite a few things on WWE programming I wouldn't let them see, even in their current "neutered" state.

Still, for better or for worse, kids naturally gravitate to wrestling. They always have. Pre-teens couldn't get enough Austin. Hell, back in middle school, I saw quite a few ECW shirts (amongst all of the nWo Wolfpac and 3:16 shirts, but they were there).

So, in theory, why is the idea of a wrestling product for children such a disgraceful concept? I'm not totally familiar with CHIKARA, but from what I hear/read, they seem to be doing a good enough job with it. Why shouldn't a major company go down that road if they can translate it into something entertaining? Who knows, it might even improve wrestling's image in North America, considering the lowbrow image it has in the mainstream here.

[The Tank]

There's no way that WWE can become a kid-friendly company now. They have too much of a bad history in the media for it to work.

The only way for them to be able to do anything close to it would be to buy CHIKARA, and just let them keep doing exactly what they're doing, and give them TV time. But, give them an earlier timeslot, like a 1 hour show Mondays at 7pm, for example.

[Deleted]

Jul 16, 2008 10:58:40 GMT -5 Clash, Never a Meter Maid said:

Okay, I'd like to start off by saying that I don't think the idea of a WWE "kids magazine" is a good move- but not because I find the idea of a wrestling-related kids magazine to be a bad one. My problem with it is that coming from the WWE, it's a pointless exercise.

If the company wants to make themselves totally family-friendly, they're going to have to tell the wrestlers to stop doing blade jobs, dump the tables, not have JBL try to smash Cena's face in with a car, release Cryme Tyme, ban thumbtacks (believe me, they'll be back), and never have another diva pose for Playboy again. Honestly, if I had a seven-year-old child, there are quite a few things on WWE programming I wouldn't let them see, even in their current "neutered" state.

Still, for better or for worse, kids naturally gravitate to wrestling. They always have. Pre-teens couldn't get enough Austin. Hell, back in middle school, I saw quite a few ECW shirts (amongst all of the nWo Wolfpac and 3:16 shirts, but they were there).

So, in theory, why is the idea of a wrestling product for children such a disgraceful concept? I'm not totally familiar with CHIKARA, but from what I hear/read, they seem to be doing a good enough job with it. Why shouldn't a major company go down that road if they can translate it into something entertaining? Who knows, it might even improve wrestling's image in North America, considering the lowbrow image it has in the mainstream here.

It's not a disgraceful concept.

...It'll just make less money overall.

[Avalanche Alvarez]

I think it's because the idea that "wrestling" means "violence" in so many people's minds and first and foremost: in kids minds.

Most of your average kids are more than happy to clamp a Figure Four Leg Lock on one another, not understanding that if it's done wrong, it can hurt you.

Not enough parents are around to tell their kids not to do what they see the wrestlers do and those "warnings" the WWE post are no more important to them than those "DID YOU KNOW" messages they post up there every week.

When I was a kid, I thought the wrestlers really were being cut open and bleeding by hit with a chair or foreign object. I didn't know about blading until I got older and GOD FORBID these kids try something like that on one another.

It promotes violence that gets transferred to the children watching it and without proper guidance equals injury.
I don't blame the promotions though. I put the blame on the parents. Responsibility should begin at home.
Sadly, it doesn't enough.

[Handsome Halfbreed]

RAW for the adult audience ECW for teens and SD! for the kiddies.
Why the WWe do not do this I'll never know.

[Bo Rida]

The strange thing is kids are more interested int he car crash shock TV than the adults who often see those segments as being embarrassing.
The toned down straight up wrestling product is more likely to appeal to adults.

Anyway there's nothing wrong with being aimed at kids but it shouldn't insult adults intelligence either.
The best example I can think of is Pixar movies, they're heavily marketed towards kids but have a large appreciative adult audience, there's something for everybody and no family member feels left out watching it, as hard as it may be this is what I believe this is the model WWE should try and emulate.

[wrestlecrapcrap]

It's fine to target children. As long as you keep targetting them you'll always get them. People say they should target towards adults because the kids will watch anyway, but I don't think that's true. Kids would only watch adult-orientated programming if the adults actually watched it too. If it wasn't what the adults wanted, the WWE could target them all they wanted but if it was too silly for them, they aren't going to watch. Therefore the kids aren't going to watch either because then it's not even for them, and their parents and older siblings aren't watching it either - so how are they going to know about it?

You can still have violence and have it targetted towards kids. Being family friendly doesn't mean it's based totally around puppies, fluffy clouds and respect for your elders. It just means you don't destory the innocence of the children with overly sexual viewing that they wouldn't even understand, or misunderstand, or needless swearing, or maybe violence that is too graphic.

They don't make sex a big part of their programming anymore. They don't swear. Bleeding is fine - people bleed in action films all the time, and probably other programs that a 12 and under kid would watch. Even what JBL did was only intended to shock. It's quite risque for their market, but the kid should be smart enough to know that Cena wouldn't really be dead, and the parents should remind them of that.

Any good vs evil type of program has the evil side try to 'kill' the good side, so what JBL did was not really anything that hasn't been seen before. Power Rangers used to have them get put in situations were they could quite easily 'die'. Anyway point is, something like that, a big stunt, isn't really going to make parents tell their kids they can't watch wrestling anymore, because it's everywhere. It's when the programming starts destroying their innocence when the parents will start questionning it IMO.

I do think they try and appreciate the adult audience, but only subtly like the Simpsons or Malcolm in the Middle did. They still tease adult relationships, the the divas still being around is to target the adult men, but it's just that they aren't going to do something that adults can watch but kids can't. They'll do something that an entire family can.

[ChitownKnight]

I think all the shows should be aimed for adults/teens because if a show is aimed at the older audience, then kids would want to watch it too. When i was 10 years old, i really liked Family Guy (but it was rated TV14), my parents wouldnt let me watch it, but i still watched it anyways since it made me feel cool.

[Ridley]

[Deleted]

Jul 16, 2008 11:10:44 GMT -5 Handsome Halfbreed said:

RAW for the adult audience ECW for teens and SD! for the kiddies.
Why the WWe do not do this I'll never know.

Because Raw for the adult audience, SD for the adult audience, and ECW for the adult audience will draw more money.

Kids are watching anyway.

[Mister Yummy]

What they should do, is not market toward any particular age group, and instead market toward EVERYONE. To do anything else is ageist.

[Non Banjoble Tokens]

Because I want my damn bikini wet n' wild pillow fights!!

[Peeetah]

Jul 16, 2008 11:03:44 GMT -5 The Tank said:

There's no way that WWE can become a kid-friendly company now. They have too much of a bad history in the media for it to work.

The only way for them to be able to do anything close to it would be to buy CHIKARA, and just let them keep doing exactly what they're doing, and give them TV time. But, give them an earlier timeslot, like a 1 hour show Mondays at 7pm, for example.

As glorious as televised CHKIARA sounds can you imagine Vince owning it?

"Lightning Mike Who? Ultramantis what now? The kids don't want this!"

And from then on CHIKARA would bee headlined by a rehired Eugene and Larry Sweeney repackaged as Doink the Clown 2000 in a pie throwing musical chairs bonanza.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Jul 16, 2008 11:32:14 GMT -5 ChitownKnight said:

I think all the shows should be aimed for adults/teens because if a show is aimed at the older audience, then kids would want to watch it too. When i was 10 years old, i really liked Family Guy (but it was rated TV14), my parents wouldnt let me watch it, but i still watched it anyways since it made me feel cool.

I somewhat concur. You gotta speak to the most intelligent person out there sometimes, not the dumbest motherf***er.

Wrestling doesn't have to be Shakespear, but it doesn't have to be Joe Dirt either.

[Cap'n Crud]

Jul 16, 2008 18:45:12 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

Jul 16, 2008 11:32:14 GMT -5 ChitownKnight said:

I think all the shows should be aimed for adults/teens because if a show is aimed at the older audience, then kids would want to watch it too. When i was 10 years old, i really liked Family Guy (but it was rated TV14), my parents wouldnt let me watch it, but i still watched it anyways since it made me feel cool.

I somewhat concur. You gotta speak to the most intelligent person out there sometimes, not the dumbest mothersmurfer.

Wrestling doesn't have to be Shakespear, but it doesn't have to be Joe Dirt either.

Exactly while sometimes I like to turn my brain off for a while it doesn't mean I want to revert into a subliterate neanderthal who laughs just because John Cena said "Poop".

[Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!!]

Jul 16, 2008 11:32:14 GMT -5 ChitownKnight said:

I think all the shows should be aimed for adults/teens because if a show is aimed at the older audience, then kids would want to watch it too. When i was 10 years old, i really liked Family Guy (but it was rated TV14), my parents wouldnt let me watch it, but i still watched it anyways since it made me feel cool.

the problem with that view point is, if WWE wants to be able to survive long term, then they need to get kids into their product. because eventually, their adult fans will die, and if they don't build for tomorrow, there won't be any new fans. most of their current fans are adults who grew up watching WWF and the kids of those same fans. you need to give something for the kids to grab on to, which WWE has been good at with John Cena, Rey Mysterio and maybe even CM Punk.

that said, it's a catch 22. to keep your fans past childhood, you need to give them something new. failure to do so is why WWF was hemorrhaging money in the early 90's and fans gravitated towards ECW. now obviously, as awesome as ECW was, it's NOT for children. so the real trick comes from balancing out everything. and that said, it's easier to de-emphasize the adult content to keep kids than it would be to de-emphasize the kiddy stuff to keep adults. Pixar is a good example of a company that's able to appeal to all ages without insulting people. however, Pixar also isn't so inextricably tied to brutal violence. so it's not so easy for WWE to change towards this kind of thing. it would require too much rug-sweeping and canon discontinuity to work in the present state. the trouble comes from the question of "how do you make the violence work in an all ages context?". I think the answer is to make the shift gradual to prevent the jarring changes.

also, if wrestling is going to survive it needs deeper characterization. part of the problem that John Cena had early on was, as entertaining as him making gay jokes was, he had no depth. and he still doens't have much. if you want to keep people you have to get them into the characters. to do that you need more than 1 dimension of character and to stop relying on stereotypes. what made Raven, for example, such a great character for so many years was his moral complexity. WWE (and indeed, TNA) need to start adopting this.

[big nasty]

on a side note, how long until the "iwc" turns on punk, because he starts getting marketed towards kids?

[bubbles]

They shouldn't aim it at kids because if it is aimed more at adults like in the Attitude Era then kids will think it is really cool and badass to watch but if it is aimed at kids, the kids will still like it but the adults not so much.

[Deleted]

Jul 16, 2008 15:42:36 GMT -5 Mister Yummy said:

What they should do, is not market toward any particular age group, and instead market toward EVERYONE. To do anything else is ageist.

This is basically what they do already. Individual characters may appeal more to certain ages or types of people, but overall the show is marketable to everyone.

As for the diva lingerie stuff, well some kids can get into that and some can't. For every one of those though, there's 10 storylines that are pretty accessible to just about anyone. Even with this, we give the kids less credit than we should. When I was a kid I liked checking out the pretty girls in bikinis, it's the same case with them. I might not have cared when I was 6, but when I was 9? Sure.

Even the "violence" in 95% of the matches is pretty kid accessible, being mostly limited to people getting hit with random objects that in the context of the match don't do much but slow the opponent down. When I was 7 or 8 and people were getting hit with chairs and title belts, well that was just part of wrestling to me...I'm sure it's the same for them. There isn't even much blood drawn outside of the big PPV blowoff nodq match and it is on a much lesser scale than what they see in any of the action movies they like.

Even more "adult" storylines like Edge/Vickie. The young kid may not understand every nuance of what's going on, but he can understand more than enough to boo Edge and cheer the face of the day...and that's good enough.

[Cap'n Crud]

Jul 16, 2008 19:39:59 GMT -5 @bubbles said:

They shouldn't aim it at kids because if it is aimed more at adults like in the Attitude Era then kids will think it is really cool and badass to watch but if it is aimed at kids, the kids will still like it but the adults not so much.

Yeah kids don't want to be identified with something that beats you over the head with how it's for kids.