Why is there such a fetish for Authority Figures?

[Burst]

Seriously, you've got the Raw and Smackdown GMs, you've got whatever the heck Vickie and Teddy are now, you've got all the various consultant and assistant positions they've had, and now you've got Booker T looking for a GM for Saturday Morning Slam.

What is it with this company and authority figures? Does Vince have some odd need to show that he's not just a dictator by appointing all these underlings to make some odd form of representative democracy? Are the Hollywood writers simply more familiar at writing stuff for people that don't actually have to wrestle? It just makes no sense sometimes.

[CATCH_US IS the Conversation]

During the Summer of Punk, the Board of Directors decreed that Vince can no longer lord over the TV shows the way he did during the Attitude Era.

[Mayonnaise]

They are simple and easy characters to use. Need someone to be evil/good, make a match, or explain something, they are the go to character. Lazy, yeah. Logical, yeah. Overdone, of course.

[Andrew is Good]

Yeah, it's basically lazy writing. Now, in regards to a GM for Saturday Morning Slam, which I read the spoilers on, I'm fine with. It's just like Stevie Richards running Sunday Night Heat, I don't care much about that.

But it does seem with the lack of a brand extension, that having multiple authority figures is really ridiculous.

I'm fine with one authority figure, because sometimes you do need that one person in place to make a match or make an important decision when needed. That's why I liked Teddy Long for awhile as Smackdown GM. He would come out, make tag team matches, but for the most part, he was relatively out of the picture. Plus, he had a long history in pro wrestling, manager, referee, etc, he had a history behind him. I did hate his stuff with Undertaker though, and pretty much anything he did outside his authority figure role, but other then those, he was a great authority figure. Now with Trips as the COO and Vince coming in every now and then, we also got Stephanie in there whenever she feels like, it's just ridiculous.

Sometimes the authority figure is like a main event title in itself. Hell, it's treated with more prestiege then the US and IC Titles.

[Hit Girl]

WWE needs a neutral authority figure. A rarely seen president. The best one they ever had was Jack Tunney because of his blandness. He really did seem like the head of a sports organisation. I'm sick and tired of GM's who favour heels, especially when the faces tend to beat them anyway

[CATCH_US IS the Conversation]

The only thing I hate about the heel authority figure, is that they only interact with the main eventers and are barely seen working with anyone else.

[suave]

I've always wanted to see a Mr. Deeds type gimmick, where a random guy somehow winds up as the GM , and he's pretty much like a fan living the dream.

[CATCH_US IS the Conversation]

Feb 26, 2013 22:46:49 GMT -5 suave said:

I've always wanted to see a Mr. Deeds type gimmick, where a random guy somehow winds up as the GM , and he's pretty much like a fan living the dream.

That would be the best way to call someone up. He could be built up as a wrestler by randomly booking himself in matches against other superstars. Then you do the usual "The Board of Directors is tired of you using the WWE as your personal playground" and he gets fired from the position and becomes another wrestler on the roster.

[H-Virus]

Without an authority figure, who would announce the main event for the night when the show opens with two or more guys arguing in the ring?

[Deleted]

It's what I love most about all avenues of life. Sweet, sweet authority.

[Mayonnaise]

Feb 27, 2013 0:18:27 GMT -5 @kayakamania said:

Having one authority figure for a particular show sorta makes sense, but why do they need an assistant? It seems like whenever a GM is not making matches (which takes no real effort), he or she is just backstage in a room filled with posters making fake phone calls, with the occasional angry wrestler bursting in to complain about something. Doesn't seem like a job that requires a sidekick.

A lot of corporate types and celebrities seem to have the own personal assistants or secretaries so I guess it falls into that.

[PTBartman]

Back in the territory days you would have managers who carried on feuds with a rotating stableof heels coming in and out (whenever any body asks what was Hogan's greatest feud I always said Bobby Heenan. Like 20 yrs across three companies) When Vince got rid of Managers the Authirity figure became the feud driver.

[thegame415]

It's called BDSM.

[Ryback on a Pole!]

Because it's a simple, easy way to create storylines.

I don't mind authority figures, I just hate that usually they end up just being essentially a guy in a suit. WWE is full of crazy characters so why not have crazy authority figures.

Like Wade Barrett who becomes General Barrett who rules with a dictatorship style regime. Complete with placing a Wade Barrett statue at the foot of the titantron that wrestlers have to salute when they pass by or they end up been fed to General Barrett's personal attack squad (Big Show and Mark Henry).

Or Booker T, instead of been a generic schmuck in a suit. Become deluded King Booker again but a face version.

Just give the authority figures entertaining characters rather than been generic guys in suits and I'd be for them.