Post by greeby on Oct 23, 2008 9:09:13 GMT -5
As the article deals with both the E and TNA, I'll just quote the WWE parts.
www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/wrestling/heyman/article1842597.ece
THE pro wrestling industry needs to wake up this morning and realise the audience is not only dwindling, it's being chased away.
I would suggest it doesn't take much to see the current format and themes and presentation are all in dire need of a complete overhaul.
Of course, this applies to the dominant global market share holder, World Wrestling Entertainment - with its previously-discussed "Audience of One," and therefore it applies to the trickle-down creative theory of "we're number two" - TNA Wrestling.
-snip-
I actually think WWE deserves more criticism for the falling overall interest level because if anyone should have the forethought to move into the future, it's World Wrestling Entertainment.
The moneymaking juggernaut is such a strong corporation, yet the directive of and to the creative is weak and antiquated. It's time for Vince's vision of sports entertainment to be updated. Check out the new generation of kids watching the shows. What music do they listen to? What styles resonate with them? With whom can they identify?
D/x vs Miz and Morrison. Is it going to be the changing of the guard to a new D-Generation of punks? Or will it be a short term "HHH and HBK rule the WWE universe" demonstration like D/x did with Team rKo already?
Kenny "Doane" Dykstra is 23 years old. Why isn't he living in the studio, watching how shows are edited, so he learns the mindset of what WWE is looking for in a television product? If you're a race car driver, wouldn't you know how the car runs, not just how to drive it?
Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes are excellent in their roles, but can you name anything about their presentation that screams "young and new and different than anything you've seen before" instead of just "we look, dress, and wrestle like 35 year old men who are veterans."
No new style, not even an attempt at a different approach to their marketing and presentation. Think of it this way: While the announcers can tell us all ad naseum how young DiBiase and Morrison are, how many 13 year olds look at that tag team and think they're younger and more successful than Miz and Morrison?
When I first broke in as "Paul E. Dangerously," I hated when the old timers would just complain about how good wrestling was in their day, and how it all sucks now, and how back in the good ol' days blah blah blah.
Let's be clear on one thing. I'm not talking about the good ol' days. I don't want wrestling to look back on old concepts. I'm begging the industry to realise the present style of writing, producing, and presenting wrestling television has simply run its course.
During my time working with those assigned to WWE Developmental, my cry was "it's not just developmental, it's experimental!"
So, try some new ideas. Throw some young and progressive concepts out there. Take even more chances on young talent, like WWE is doing on the ECW brand with Evan Bourne.
Don't be afraid to attempt a new concept, and alter it along the way according to public tastes and reactions. Get the audience involved in your search for a new manner in which to present the world's second oldest profession. The crowd always loves to have a say in which direction pro wrestling goes.
Next time, we'll take a look at a recent show that was so riveting, I was persuaded to purchase a pay per view I had absolutely no plans of buying ... and what should be learned from that program.”
SAVE_US.HEYMAN
www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/wrestling/heyman/article1842597.ece
THE pro wrestling industry needs to wake up this morning and realise the audience is not only dwindling, it's being chased away.
I would suggest it doesn't take much to see the current format and themes and presentation are all in dire need of a complete overhaul.
Of course, this applies to the dominant global market share holder, World Wrestling Entertainment - with its previously-discussed "Audience of One," and therefore it applies to the trickle-down creative theory of "we're number two" - TNA Wrestling.
-snip-
I actually think WWE deserves more criticism for the falling overall interest level because if anyone should have the forethought to move into the future, it's World Wrestling Entertainment.
The moneymaking juggernaut is such a strong corporation, yet the directive of and to the creative is weak and antiquated. It's time for Vince's vision of sports entertainment to be updated. Check out the new generation of kids watching the shows. What music do they listen to? What styles resonate with them? With whom can they identify?
D/x vs Miz and Morrison. Is it going to be the changing of the guard to a new D-Generation of punks? Or will it be a short term "HHH and HBK rule the WWE universe" demonstration like D/x did with Team rKo already?
Kenny "Doane" Dykstra is 23 years old. Why isn't he living in the studio, watching how shows are edited, so he learns the mindset of what WWE is looking for in a television product? If you're a race car driver, wouldn't you know how the car runs, not just how to drive it?
Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes are excellent in their roles, but can you name anything about their presentation that screams "young and new and different than anything you've seen before" instead of just "we look, dress, and wrestle like 35 year old men who are veterans."
No new style, not even an attempt at a different approach to their marketing and presentation. Think of it this way: While the announcers can tell us all ad naseum how young DiBiase and Morrison are, how many 13 year olds look at that tag team and think they're younger and more successful than Miz and Morrison?
When I first broke in as "Paul E. Dangerously," I hated when the old timers would just complain about how good wrestling was in their day, and how it all sucks now, and how back in the good ol' days blah blah blah.
Let's be clear on one thing. I'm not talking about the good ol' days. I don't want wrestling to look back on old concepts. I'm begging the industry to realise the present style of writing, producing, and presenting wrestling television has simply run its course.
During my time working with those assigned to WWE Developmental, my cry was "it's not just developmental, it's experimental!"
So, try some new ideas. Throw some young and progressive concepts out there. Take even more chances on young talent, like WWE is doing on the ECW brand with Evan Bourne.
Don't be afraid to attempt a new concept, and alter it along the way according to public tastes and reactions. Get the audience involved in your search for a new manner in which to present the world's second oldest profession. The crowd always loves to have a say in which direction pro wrestling goes.
Next time, we'll take a look at a recent show that was so riveting, I was persuaded to purchase a pay per view I had absolutely no plans of buying ... and what should be learned from that program.”
SAVE_US.HEYMAN
