So why the hate for the traditional babyface?

[BayleyTiffyCodyCenaJudyHopps]

Never got it.

Speaking as a long time Bret Hart mark, I figured that I'd ask why every freshly-pushed face has to have some sort of "edge" in order to please a certain segment of fans, despite it being a different era than Attitude now.

Am I asking for a bunch of Ricky Steamboat clones? Certainly not. However, I don't see what's so wrong with an occasional white knight.

[icansleep]

It's a smark thang, mang.

[SBYM (Heel Turn)]

Mainly because the full-on faces tend to have exceptionally boring characters. I don't hate any faces for being the good guy, but a lot of them just aren't portrayed in any sort of compelling way.

[samachine]

I love John Cena, sir

[strykerdarksilence]

Nothing at all. I think Cena is fantastic in the role, and he push is great.

[MGH]

May 7, 2008 13:00:19 GMT -5 SBYM (Heel Turn) said:

Mainly because the full-on faces tend to have exceptionally boring characters. I don't hate any faces for being the good guy, but a lot of them just aren't portrayed in any sort of compelling way.

Pretty much.

I'm sorry, but if you put John Cena up against an Edge or Randy Orton (yes, I'm an Orton mark, sue me) I'm cheering the heel. They're just more interesting to me.

The days of the white meat babyface coming to save the day are dying quickly. The crowds turning on Cena over the past 2 years are proof enough of that. Wrestling has to creatively evolve just like every other form of entertainment,.

[lildude8218]

Santino Marella: Ima Santino Marella and I lovea alla you people so mach!

IWC: Boooooo

Santino Marella: Ima Santino Marella and Jerry Lawler isa stupid!

IWC: BEST THING EVAR!

[mrjl]

May 7, 2008 13:02:20 GMT -5 MGH said:

May 7, 2008 13:00:19 GMT -5 SBYM (Heel Turn) said:

Mainly because the full-on faces tend to have exceptionally boring characters. I don't hate any faces for being the good guy, but a lot of them just aren't portrayed in any sort of compelling way.

Pretty much.

I'm sorry, but if you put John Cena up against an Edge or Randy Orton (yes, I'm an Orton mark, sue me) I'm cheering the heel. They're just more interesting to me.

The days of the white meat babyface coming to save the day are dying quickly. The crowds turning on Cena over the past 2 years are proof enough of that. Wrestling has to creatively evolve just like every other form of entertainment,.

And why, because you're a miserable cynical person who can't believe someone would help someone for no reason?

The traditional babyface is the best thing in wrestling as far as I'm concerned. I hate that there's so few and I hate that everywhere I look seems to be people rooting for guys who wouldn't spit on you if you were on fire.

[FCVDave]

I think the time has passed from fans wanting to cheer a guy because he beats up the bad guys. More people want to like someone because of their personality and a lot of the time, these traditional babyfaces really have nothing to grab onto.

[The Ichi]

I like a good babyface but I'm more picky about them as I have to find them completely likeable and be able to connect well with them. For a heel, they just have to be entertaining enough.

I think it's an adult thing too.

[Lance Uppercut]

Apparently people like Jackasses who ruin things for everyone, kick people when their down, and talk down to everyone and talk about how great they are.

I'd comment on what a horrible reflection that is on society, but I've learned that people only like that when they know it's not real. It's just an emotional outlet. Otherwise Batista and JBL wouldn't immortalized in Gold by now for their supposed real life antics. Well except for Edge. I for the life of me can't understand the people who say they gained respect for him after the antics of him and Lita.

[Jiren]

Alot of People just love the bad guy (Not Razor Ramon) because as said before they have better characters.

I just hate faces because they bore me. To me Austin was great because he didn't care.

[BayleyTiffyCodyCenaJudyHopps]

May 7, 2008 13:16:08 GMT -5 The Ichi said:

I like a good babyface but I'm more picky about them as I have to find them completely likeable and be able to connect well with them. For a heel, they just have to be entertaining enough.

I think it's an adult thing too.

Well, I'm 23 now.

It isn't as if I dislike the complex hero (I was a huge Steve Austin mark, and I thought the original Kurt Angle character was hilarious). I've been told by some people that I have "old-fashioned" views on occasion, maybe that's it.

[Deleted]

I don't think there's hate for traditional baby faces, but hate in general when a company tries to force people to like someone even if the fans don't want to like him. Shoving babyfaces down people's throats = HEATZ. Cena, for example would be a lot better if the WWE didn't try and force his popularity so much.

But there are plenty of wrestlers who portray traditional faces and are loved by Smarky marks and marks a like, these are just a few off the top of my head:

In the WWE -
Chris Jericho: When he plays a face - its pretty traditionally done by Y2J. Make fun of the heels and beat them up. Big time over with fans.
LonDrick: Beloved faces.
Cody Rhodes: Getting over as a face.
Matt Hardy: Best example of a face that's over huge right now.
CM Punk: A face who's miraculously over despite recieving no real mic time.

TNA:
Curry Man: Not taken seroiously per se, but is still a baby face that fans of all kinds like.
Jay Lethal: Yes he's ripping off an old gimmick, but he's playing a straight face right now and the fans dig it. Oooooooh yeah!
MCMGs: Pre-ZOMG-they-didn't-blade! they were big time faces that really stuck to the traditional style of face-er-y (not a word I know) and they're over huge.
Sting: God Warrior!

[DrBackflipsHoffman]

Kids and teenagers like to rebel, Atitude era gave everyone a chance to cheer an anti hero pushed as the company's top guy for the first time ever, and some people haven't gotten over it. Nobody really likes to be told to eat their vicodins and say their milk. It's more fun to tell your boss or teacher to stick it.

[The Ichi]

I wouldn't consider Cena to be a traditional babyface though really. He can have an edge to him at times.

[mrjl]

May 7, 2008 13:26:58 GMT -5 @personman01 said:

I don't think there's hate for traditional baby faces, but hate in general when a company tries to force people to like someone even if the fans don't want to like him. Shoving babyfaces down people's throats = HEATZ. Cena, for example would be a lot better if the WWE didn't try and force his popularity so much.

But there are plenty of wrestlers who portray traditional faces and are loved by Smarky marks and marks a like, these are just a few off the top of my head:

In the WWE -
Chris Jericho: When he plays a face - its pretty traditionally done by Y2J. Make fun of the heels and beat them up. Big time over with fans.
LonDrick: Beloved faces.
Cody Rhodes: Getting over as a face.
Matt Hardy: Best example of a face that's over huge right now.
CM Punk: A face who's miraculously over despite recieving no real mic time.

TNA:
Curry Man: Not taken seroiously per se, but is still a baby face that fans of all kinds like.
Jay Lethal: Yes he's ripping off an old gimmick, but he's playing a straight face right now and the fans dig it. Oooooooh yeah!
MCMGs: Pre-ZOMG-they-didn't-blade! they were big time faces that really stuck to the traditional style of face-er-y (not a word I know) and they're over huge.
Sting: God Warrior!

I think he's talking about on the internet. While people in the IWC claim there isn't a real IWC there's a large segment of fans who will see a face and either declare him bland and boring or decide the way to make him better is to turn him heel.

[the-gaffer]

There is nothing in this, its an adult thing thats all nothing more nothing less

When we are younger we like to believe that the good will prevail over bad yet we all know that is not always the case, as we grow up we realise that wrestling is not 'real' and our heroes and villians are only portraying a character, we as adults can then look at that character, see who is playing it well and see what direction it is going in before we make judgements on who we like and who we dont like!

Also I think the emergence of the Attitude era also put to bed the last of the babyfaces for most of us, yes there is the odd one from time to time and Cena is that current guy at the moment along with CM Punk but I think once we saw how face characters can develop then the end of the babyface white knight was always on the horizon

[BayleyTiffyCodyCenaJudyHopps]

May 7, 2008 13:30:53 GMT -5 mrjl said:

May 7, 2008 13:26:58 GMT -5 @personman01 said:

I don't think there's hate for traditional baby faces, but hate in general when a company tries to force people to like someone even if the fans don't want to like him. Shoving babyfaces down people's throats = HEATZ. Cena, for example would be a lot better if the WWE didn't try and force his popularity so much.

But there are plenty of wrestlers who portray traditional faces and are loved by Smarky marks and marks a like, these are just a few off the top of my head:

In the WWE -
Chris Jericho: When he plays a face - its pretty traditionally done by Y2J. Make fun of the heels and beat them up. Big time over with fans.
LonDrick: Beloved faces.
Cody Rhodes: Getting over as a face.
Matt Hardy: Best example of a face that's over huge right now.
CM Punk: A face who's miraculously over despite recieving no real mic time.

TNA:
Curry Man: Not taken seroiously per se, but is still a baby face that fans of all kinds like.
Jay Lethal: Yes he's ripping off an old gimmick, but he's playing a straight face right now and the fans dig it. Oooooooh yeah!
MCMGs: Pre-ZOMG-they-didn't-blade! they were big time faces that really stuck to the traditional style of face-er-y (not a word I know) and they're over huge.
Sting: God Warrior!

I think he's talking about on the internet. While people in the IWC claim there isn't a real IWC there's a large segment of fans who will see a face and either declare him bland and boring or decide the way to make him better is to turn him heel.

Doesn't have to be internet. I mean anyone who isn't a "newbie" to wrestling.

[samachine]

Because the face is who they want to be mirite?