Post by Lance Uppercut on Nov 6, 2005 2:38:32 GMT -5
I found this article to be very interesting read, and thought you guys might like to read it. Some interesting things covered that might make for an interesting debate. Yes I know I posted this in Wrest of wrestling too, but this part seems more fitting here:
oratory.rajahwwf.com/index.php?archive=2701
And here's a similar but slightly different take on the situation. Interesting they weren't on any kind of theme, but happened to has surpringly polar views.
Leon Thomas
Beauty In Wrestling
trophar@lycos.com
Now I don't want to get off on a rant here...
...oh, I do? Oh, yeah. This is the Pet Peeves column. I'm supposed to be upset or angry. Keep in mind that you should not take me too seriously and I am going to go overboard here because I am in a terribly anti-WWE mood right now after what I call the Rectal Debacle. I figure that since I have been asked to write about what bothers me in wrestling, I may as well pick on my second or third favorite wrestling promotion and spit a big wet one in the face of sports entertainment. No, I do not mean that I am spitting on WWE, per se. I generally like WWE. I mean that I am spitting on the terms "sports entertainment" and "sports entertainer" as well as the effects of using this terminology. I think I may touch on what sports entertainment is (not just as the phrase) on the whole too.
How I loathe it. Let me count the ways.
First, in a perfunctory manner, the mere term "sports entertainment" has replaced the word "wrestling" and the term "sports entertainer" (or "superstar") has replaced "wrestler." When Michael Cole says that Rey Mysterio is the greatest high-flyer in wrestling, he DOESN'T say that Rey Mysterio the greatest high-flyer in wrestling. So Mysterio has wrestled for AAA, WWA, ECW, WCW and WWE, was given countless championships in both tag team and singles competition, became a major star in most organizations that employed him, sufferred through injuries, triumphed over being considered too small by so many....and now he's called a sports entertainer, a term that conjures up an image of the Boogeyman. One might say this doesn't bother Mysterio much if at all. That's fine. Mysterio may be above all that. Yet, it still bothers me, and I know I'm not alone. Why is this such a big deal? Is it only semantics? No. Not really. Read on.
Next, I dislike the fact that in WWE's use of this term that it gives the audience watching a feeling that this isn't wrestling. It's sports entertainment, and since it is its own completely unique entity, it need not adhere to a strong, consistent wrestling product as it is at least attempted in independents, TNA, puro and basically everywhere else in the world. Sometimes it feels as if the filler segments like backstage interviews are the main attraction and that the matches are the real filler. I recall a documentary about wrestling in which the narrator told a story about a phone conversation between Vince McMahon and Ted Turner. It was later retold during the Monday Night War documentary. McMahon picked up the phone and Turner said "I'm in the wrestling business now." McMahon responded "I'm in the entertainment business. Big difference." He's right. There is a big difference. In fact, the only time in recent history that I can remember in which McMahon said on television that WWE was a wrestling company was during an NFL spoof in which he said "Are you ready for some wrestling?" Yeah, Vince. I am.
So does WWE really think it is a wrestling company? "No, sir," says an anthropomorphized WWE, "we're sports entertainment. That means we don't have to be wrestling at all, now do we? By using this little phrase, it's almost like we can get away with anything we want. I think I'll go "play" to a continuous loop of the Mae Young hand birth."
I hate that it guides the WWE product. Let's do a test, shall we? Just say "sports entertainment" a dozen times in your head and it produces an image of what WWE does as its "entertainment." Say it a hundred times or just hear it a hundred times like WWE management does every day. Do it enough and over the course of a couple decades and sooner or later, it has replaced the word "wrestling." It has proliferated itself so much (as previously mentioned) that it isn't just a phrase. It's like a mantra or philosophy that has brainwashed Vince McMahon into putting on a surgeon's suit and going toy-finding-behinding.
"But wait," says a fan of stupid segments, "these crazy sports entertainment moments help ratings!" My feelings on sports entertainment are from a fan's perspective, but I'll play along for those who watch Raw and like it based on economics. Sometimes that's true. The Kane/Lita wedding helped boost that Raw up a bit if I remember correctly. There's a line, though. You can be silly without crossing it. What of the segment that inspired my recent hate? Raw received a 3.9 rating for the October 24 episode. Up from last week but still painfully average on the whole. The average rating (I did the math) for a 2005 Raw is 3.83, which means Raw last week was a fraction of a fraction away from the exact average. This means -- say it with me now -- it was an average Raw.
Also, the phrases as well as the unfortunate effects of them have become part of our culture. WWE is the biggest wrestling (yeah, I said it!) company in the world. So the effects of sports entertainment are known but the effects of wrestling in general are not. I think I need to give an example because this is hard to explain. Take this quote from Homicide: Life on the Streets...
* * * * *
Bollander: World Wrestling Federation is on TV Friday night. I'm staying home.
Munch: We got a TV in the bar. 32 inch. Color. Sony. It'll be like you're right there in the ring with Doink the Clown. Hey, and you can watch whatever you want when Doink's over.
Bollander: Doink is a very serious wrestler.
* * * * *
People, at least in my country, don't know wrestling. They know sports entertainment. It bothers me. It's a grievance I have not only with the general population but with the company that perpetuates this. Generally, I'm happy with WWE. I'll probably feel less vengeful in a week or so, but it will only take another fist up an arse to start it all over again.
Our first submission from across the pond, it' s good old Ian Weinstein, but don't tell him that, he's trying to be anonymous.
oratory.rajahwwf.com/index.php?archive=2701
And here's a similar but slightly different take on the situation. Interesting they weren't on any kind of theme, but happened to has surpringly polar views.
Leon Thomas
Beauty In Wrestling
trophar@lycos.com
Now I don't want to get off on a rant here...
...oh, I do? Oh, yeah. This is the Pet Peeves column. I'm supposed to be upset or angry. Keep in mind that you should not take me too seriously and I am going to go overboard here because I am in a terribly anti-WWE mood right now after what I call the Rectal Debacle. I figure that since I have been asked to write about what bothers me in wrestling, I may as well pick on my second or third favorite wrestling promotion and spit a big wet one in the face of sports entertainment. No, I do not mean that I am spitting on WWE, per se. I generally like WWE. I mean that I am spitting on the terms "sports entertainment" and "sports entertainer" as well as the effects of using this terminology. I think I may touch on what sports entertainment is (not just as the phrase) on the whole too.
How I loathe it. Let me count the ways.
First, in a perfunctory manner, the mere term "sports entertainment" has replaced the word "wrestling" and the term "sports entertainer" (or "superstar") has replaced "wrestler." When Michael Cole says that Rey Mysterio is the greatest high-flyer in wrestling, he DOESN'T say that Rey Mysterio the greatest high-flyer in wrestling. So Mysterio has wrestled for AAA, WWA, ECW, WCW and WWE, was given countless championships in both tag team and singles competition, became a major star in most organizations that employed him, sufferred through injuries, triumphed over being considered too small by so many....and now he's called a sports entertainer, a term that conjures up an image of the Boogeyman. One might say this doesn't bother Mysterio much if at all. That's fine. Mysterio may be above all that. Yet, it still bothers me, and I know I'm not alone. Why is this such a big deal? Is it only semantics? No. Not really. Read on.
Next, I dislike the fact that in WWE's use of this term that it gives the audience watching a feeling that this isn't wrestling. It's sports entertainment, and since it is its own completely unique entity, it need not adhere to a strong, consistent wrestling product as it is at least attempted in independents, TNA, puro and basically everywhere else in the world. Sometimes it feels as if the filler segments like backstage interviews are the main attraction and that the matches are the real filler. I recall a documentary about wrestling in which the narrator told a story about a phone conversation between Vince McMahon and Ted Turner. It was later retold during the Monday Night War documentary. McMahon picked up the phone and Turner said "I'm in the wrestling business now." McMahon responded "I'm in the entertainment business. Big difference." He's right. There is a big difference. In fact, the only time in recent history that I can remember in which McMahon said on television that WWE was a wrestling company was during an NFL spoof in which he said "Are you ready for some wrestling?" Yeah, Vince. I am.
So does WWE really think it is a wrestling company? "No, sir," says an anthropomorphized WWE, "we're sports entertainment. That means we don't have to be wrestling at all, now do we? By using this little phrase, it's almost like we can get away with anything we want. I think I'll go "play" to a continuous loop of the Mae Young hand birth."
I hate that it guides the WWE product. Let's do a test, shall we? Just say "sports entertainment" a dozen times in your head and it produces an image of what WWE does as its "entertainment." Say it a hundred times or just hear it a hundred times like WWE management does every day. Do it enough and over the course of a couple decades and sooner or later, it has replaced the word "wrestling." It has proliferated itself so much (as previously mentioned) that it isn't just a phrase. It's like a mantra or philosophy that has brainwashed Vince McMahon into putting on a surgeon's suit and going toy-finding-behinding.
"But wait," says a fan of stupid segments, "these crazy sports entertainment moments help ratings!" My feelings on sports entertainment are from a fan's perspective, but I'll play along for those who watch Raw and like it based on economics. Sometimes that's true. The Kane/Lita wedding helped boost that Raw up a bit if I remember correctly. There's a line, though. You can be silly without crossing it. What of the segment that inspired my recent hate? Raw received a 3.9 rating for the October 24 episode. Up from last week but still painfully average on the whole. The average rating (I did the math) for a 2005 Raw is 3.83, which means Raw last week was a fraction of a fraction away from the exact average. This means -- say it with me now -- it was an average Raw.
Also, the phrases as well as the unfortunate effects of them have become part of our culture. WWE is the biggest wrestling (yeah, I said it!) company in the world. So the effects of sports entertainment are known but the effects of wrestling in general are not. I think I need to give an example because this is hard to explain. Take this quote from Homicide: Life on the Streets...
* * * * *
Bollander: World Wrestling Federation is on TV Friday night. I'm staying home.
Munch: We got a TV in the bar. 32 inch. Color. Sony. It'll be like you're right there in the ring with Doink the Clown. Hey, and you can watch whatever you want when Doink's over.
Bollander: Doink is a very serious wrestler.
* * * * *
People, at least in my country, don't know wrestling. They know sports entertainment. It bothers me. It's a grievance I have not only with the general population but with the company that perpetuates this. Generally, I'm happy with WWE. I'll probably feel less vengeful in a week or so, but it will only take another fist up an arse to start it all over again.
Our first submission from across the pond, it' s good old Ian Weinstein, but don't tell him that, he's trying to be anonymous.
