Do people still put the Attitude Era on a pedestal?

[agent817]

It's been two decades since that era ended. Even I remember having discussions about this in the early-to-mid-2010s about how some stuff from the Attitude Era hasn't aged well. I mean, hell, I remember a thread about things that people are tired of in the world of wrestling, and one person mentioned that Attitude nostalgia is something that needs to go away. I lived through it and I won't argue that there were a lot of great moments, especially some that were mentioned in the thread about 1999 WWF. Austin and Rock were at the heights of their career. Even the stuff from 2000 was good. But as someone who is a part of some Facebook groups related to wrestling, some people still act like it was the "be-all, end-all" of eras.

Now I have touched on some negative stuff surrounding the booking and questionable angles from that era. Even I feel that some bits in the 2000s, like the mid-2000s with trying to be a bit adult just didn't work. I mean some fans still praise the hell out of the original ECW, and that promotion didn't even last a full decade, but after two decades since it died, some people still praise it.

So do people still put that era high on a pedestal? Like I said, I lived through it and even I can say that there are things that hold up now, but other things, not so much.

[warden]

Yes. People who use to watch wrestling will usually be all "wrestling use to be cool when Austin and the rock were around."

[Cyno]

Yes and no. I think the Crash TV aspects of the product aren't remembered that fondly. That shock value and the grittier feel of Raw especially once they adopted the scratch logo was a big part of what made the Attitude Era so famous (and infamous) at the time; not only setting it apart from WCW, but the more family friendly WWF of the past.

But underneath all that Late 90's brand of controversy, you had a company that tried to make everyone from its curtain jerkers to the main eventers feel like stars. You had two genuine megastars come out of that era in Stone Cold Steve Austin and the Rock and the emergence of the Mr. McMahon character as the boss heel you despise. And while the wrestling wasn't the greatest at first, by 1999 and especially 2000 you had outright great matches being put on in addition to the enthralling feuds and storylines. It was further helped out by folks coming over from WCW and ECW and integrating seamlessly into the product.

[Limity (BLM)]

As has been beaten into the ground, so much of the Attitude Era doesn't hold up. But what does is the penetration of pro wrestling into popular culture at that time.

If we fold the nWo-fueled popularity of WCW into the Attitude Era, I think it far eclipsed any previous boom period, including the Hulkamania / Rock'n'Wrestling era.

I think the Attitude Era is rightly held up as the gold standard for popularity of pro wrestling.

[jimmyjames]

Nostalgia clouds everything and wrestling is no different. A lot of the thins that are controversial about the attitude Era now were controversial at the time. The raunchiness, the sex, the crudity, things like McMahonism, etc, people criticized at the time. There were things I cringed at then and do know thinking about it. However, and I agree with Darth Onyx said, what that era did better than any other in my opinion was make everyone feel like a star and that they mattered. Also, Raw and later Smackdown was must watch tv, because you never knew what was going to happen. Things like "Rock: This is Your Life" or "Beer Bash." Chances are there was not going to be a title change, but you never knew and WWF/E made it so that you not only had to tune in but wanted too. You had The enthusiasm the crowds had, how much they were into it couldn't be manufactured. It was real and that's something that made watching and Raw and Smackdown special.

The Attitude Era was a product of it's time. The 90s gave us Trash tv, the Rise of Jerry Springer, the Richard Bey Show, things like Marilyn Manson and the Attitude Era fit right in and much like those aforementioned tings, I will look back on s lot of it with fondness and remembrance but shake my head at parts of it. I'm older and more mature and see things differently now.

[06vwgti]

I still see it put on a pedestal, the combination of the attitude era with a huge generation being part of the early internet growth contributes to it too. Yeah you could find old Google Group discussions of pre attitude era stuff, but with many coming of age during the that time you'll see many dominating internet discussions about it still.

["Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik]

I think people have started to see it for what it was but it's also an odd era where there was a ton of terrible TV but the stuff involving guys like Austin and the Rock were incredible. Having a period with two gigantic stars like that is incredibly rare and unlikely to be seen again.

[Instant Classic]

We Stan Ruthless Aggression in this house.

[horsemen4ever]

I think the Attitude Era main event angle still age well. It is the undercard booking that sucked. It is the opposite with WCW at the time.

[OGBoardPoster2005]

Pedastal? Nah, give credit where credit is due.

Without the Attitude Era, its hard to say where the business is today. Controversial, politically incorrect? Yeah but it was the era and when watched you must take it in context.

That said it has its flaws but no era in the business is perfect.

[Feyrhausen]

I think what makes the attitude era so fondly remembered comes down to WWF being under the gun. They were dealing with what the territories had to deal with in the 80s. Better funded and more trendy competition. They were so close to going under they had to do everything they could. Have this guy under contract? Give him a storyline. Audience wants something? Give it to them.

As opposed to the post competition era where they can hire people just to bury or waste them. And give the audience what Vince wants.

[jason1980s]

As a 14 year old kid I loved the sexual nature and hardcore style that was taking place but looking back now it doesn't hold up for me. A lot of amazing athletes made it big in the era due that wouldn't have gotten over in a previous era so I'm glad it gave those guys a huge push. But when I think of someone being bashed in the head with a chair or a diva being exploited for her body or a crotch chop it's not something I care to remember.

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

Honestly? There are periods and aspects of time periods in wrestling companies that I personally *do*put on a pedestal even when others might dislike it. Cena’s rise and transition into the kids hero from 05-07, Vince’s limo angle, the early 90s into New Generation WWF, all those eras had stuff I could enjoy. So I’m one to talk.

So far as Attitude specifically, I feel the energy and drama of Mr McMahon’s main event scene holds up because of the performances and how unique all that stuff was back in 1998. And some of DX being idiots made me laugh. But the hyper sexual stuff and blatant chair shots to heads by now are widely regarded as best left in the past. That’s the material that doesn’t hold up anymore.

[Milkman Norm]

IMO:

Fall 97 through Summer of 98 with the rise of Austin,Mr.McMahon, DX,Rock,Mankind,Kane/Taker
.. holds up

Fall 98 through Fall 99 with the increasingly absurd Russo booking, The Higher Power stuff, etc. does not.

Late Fall 99 to Spring 2001 with TMH Era, the Radicalz, babyface Rock, Angle, Jericho holds up.


Obviously their is crap in the watchable times and gems in the unwatchable times but as for my taste those general periods hold up.

[bob]

yes

it was the last time in WWF/E that everyone on the card had something to do - everyone from Crash Holly to The Rock had something to do

everyone on the roster felt important

it was the last time Vince really listened to what the fans wanted on a continual basis

[Deleted]

It was great but it pretty much exhausted pro wrestling in a way it has never recovered from.

[thegatewaydrug]

Pedestal?! Russo prefers to put it on a pole (or, maybe a forklift).

[Deleted]

It is a little of both IMO

You have some who put it on a pedistal.

You have others who see it as this complete retched time in wrestling that has no redeemable qualities about it.

[Dr. Bolty, Disaster Enby]

I think the people who have stopped watching wrestling since then still remember it as the time when wrestling was good - whereas most who have kept watching wrestling have gotten really, really tired of the parts of it that won't go away.

[koreycaskets]

It's a to each their own thing. You enjoy it, you enjoy it. You don't you don't. I still LOVE the Attitude Era. It was actually fun to watch and in the end that's what I care about with any form of entertainment.