Random Rants of Excellence - Part 1

[EoE: Well There's Your Problem]

Hey, guys. I'm back from my school holidays and now I can get back to uh... whatever it is that I do here.

But, I want to get something off my chest first. Now I may just keeping adding stuff as I think of it.

For the last few weeks (I drop in and out whenever I can get to a computer), I've been following the many suicide attempts of former WWE referee Tim White. To my knowledge, he has been really depressed since his forced retirement (I believe a sledgehammer to the head) and he just wants to end it all.

Now, where I come from, Sydney, depression is a very serious thing, and should not be made fun of. We recently lost one of our former top sportsmen in rugby league player Steve Rogers, who was battling depression. The Western Australian Premier (equivalent of Governor), Geoff Gallop, resigned because he came public with his depression.

Tim White was a respected referee, but now, the E is turning him into a joke. What were they thinking? Actually, what was Tim White thinking? Allowing them to use him like this.

Anyway, I think that the E should stop this storyline. It's just plain wrong to make fun of a guy with depression, whether he actually has it or not. And in all honesty, if this doesn't win the Gooker, I don't know what will.

This was a rant by Excellence Of Execution.

[SHAKEMASTER TV9 is Don Knotts]

We should be thankful its only online. If it werent for the police being upset that they got phone calls from Armageddon, this might actually be on Smackdown.

[revelations]

Like I said to another guy, you can't single out the "depression" storyline and throw morality at it. Saying things like "it shouldn't be laughed at" and how it's wrong to make light of a serious situation is a bit ridiculous when talking about WWE.

WWE makes fun of everything - race, sex, rape, murder, incest, necrophilia, abusing old ladies, weddings, funerals, pregnancy, death, rebirth, religion, gang wars, parenthood, alcoholism, drug addiction, lying, stealing, humiliation, pain, loss, suffering, everything from Turrets Syndrome to Destrucity.

Is it wrong to make fun of suicide? Sure....but try to remember which show you're watching. If you're easily offended by stuff like that, you sure as hell shouldn't be watching WWE. Hell, that's like being offended by nudity, yet settling down to watch "Debbie Does Dallas" for your evening's entertainment.

[tamuthetongantiger]

I guess I don't think any topic should be off limits and, hey, White agreed to this. My objection is that it's dumb.

[Tom]

Sorry, R. Stamp, but 'Debbie Does Dallas' is a way off example. Why? It's to the extreme. A bad, erotic, yet non-Adult Entertainment movie would've made more sense. Typical late night fodder which has a few 20 second, above-the-bed-sheets scenes.

It wasn't too long ago - well, at least in time relative to the history of the business - that WWE was a family show. The 90's seem way off now, but they aren't, really. WWE, whilst it does have, and has had, storylines about rape, illegal assault, murder, sex, crime and whatever else... is nowhere near the extreme.

I think in general, most casual viewers still consider it to be a family show. A lot of people are parents taking their kids. Also, I at least know that whenever I talk to someone who doesn't watch it, they always retort with mention to the 'stomping the mat whilst punching', Pantomime antics and chicanery. They still think of Hulk Hogan and daft storylines. They still think of it as being a family show.

Then you have people who watch wrestling somewhat often, and those that watch religiously. In both of those groups there are vasts amounts of people who don't particularly care for suicide angles or whatever. Many are bemused, or amused. Ultimately though, with any controversies, I think what WWE are missing out on is that most people who 'just come for the show', have probably come for what that show is in fact supposed to be. Wrestling, brawling, ass whuppin' or whatever other variant. 'Live Sex' - especially with two relatively unattractive people - in place of a Main Event, feels like we're having our time wasted.

Once you consider that the pocket groups of people who actually enjoy this stuff are much smaller than the other groups who watch, then, all you have left to think about is Vince's vision of the product as a whole. To be honest, Vince just wants the biggest audience he can get, branching off into as many different forms of media as he possibly can, along the way. In order to the do that, he has to continually play it safe.

It's obvious from his comments on The Rise And Fall Of ECW alone, that he does not agree to marketing to a single target audience. That's just not good to his business brains.

Take the PPVs and shows this year and last for example. WWE upped the ante by simply having a few unusual weapons involved, and a dash of controversial situations - barbed wire chairs and screwdrivers, horrid sex/in general, making light of adultery for the sake of the product, off screen suicide...

They'll still not be having any Taipei Death matches any time soon.

WWE understand that they have to maintain a mass audience, and that they can't be too shocking. Take the 'Live Sex' thing for example. In ECW, that probably would've been more of a romp. In WWE, they actually took measures to make sure that any nudity was edited out.

WWE simply put in mild controversies in order to spark interest and hopefully extend the viewing audience. Though, that doesn't necessarily work, because to be honest, people are only going to watch wrestling if they have a vague or greater interest, in watching wrestling. Of course, we need storylines to keep everything fresh... but a lot of the time, it just seems too peripheral and/or nonsensical as to why it's on a wrestling show. Other times, like with Tim White here, it's often offensive. In which case... gee, thanks WWE. Most of the time however, you can't help but get the feeling that it's a cheap ploy to spike ratings, and for a Co. that has quite a bit of money - maybe not as much as they once had - they sure do involve themselves in some rather low, murky crap at times. So in that regard, it just feels like an attempt to grab at your money.

If anything, this is the forum of the very website which chides such crass nonsense in wrestling. Essentially, whilst I think it's good to laugh at Wrestlecrap - mostly 'cause you can't help it - the general purpose of Wrestlecrap, is that we're all sitting here saying 'OK, we watch the product and give you a great deal of loyalty. Why are you subjecting us to this?!'.

In closing, I think with the very nature of WWF during it's first major boom period in the early 90's (which, is how most people who don't watch, first caught a glimpse)

...and with those conscientious observers...

...and again with those parents...

...and again with those who simply want proper wrestling...

...you've an awful lot of people who don't particularly enjoy the daft controversies.

So, whilst I can understand you wondering why people complain about this stuff, given the points to the contrary, is it really so suprising that we do? Most people, they simply want a wrestling show. For whatever reason.