Everybody's a critic...

[Professor Chaos]

Ya'll need to sit down, shut up, and watch da rasslin.

[willywonka666]

But, noone wants to enjoy anything nowadays

[BigWill]

If I couldn't discuss the product on these forums like I do, and shut up and just watched, I'd have quit the WWE altogether years ago.

[Deleted]

It has been a tad more negative than usual the last few weeks, but it will pass. Seems like every year there's a period where people just seem more annoyed than usual haha

[Sam Punk]

You know, now that punk dropped the belt, I'd say the show is pretty good overall.

[BiloxiParish]

Feb 2, 2013 17:41:29 GMT -5 BigWill said:

If I couldn't discuss the product on these forums like I do, and shut up and just watched, I'd have quit the WWE altogether years ago.

p

I don't agree with you a lot but on this we are eye to eye brother

[Kevin Hamilton]

Feb 2, 2013 17:41:29 GMT -5 BigWill said:

If I couldn't discuss the product on these forums like I do, and shut up and just watched, I'd have quit the WWE altogether years ago.

yup. No way I'd still watch without the 'Net and discussing it with others.

[Johnny B. Decent]

Feb 2, 2013 17:34:19 GMT -5 Professor Chaos said:

Ya'll need to sit down, shut up, and watch da rasslin.

[Djm Doesn't Find You Funny]

This thread is lacking in charisma.

[Kidneys4Free]

[Free Hat]

Feb 2, 2013 20:13:43 GMT -5 Kevin Hamilton said:

Feb 2, 2013 17:41:29 GMT -5 BigWill said:

If I couldn't discuss the product on these forums like I do, and shut up and just watched, I'd have quit the WWE altogether years ago.

yup. No way I'd still watch without the 'Net and discussing it with others.

You guys should totally just go ahead and quit watching like I did. Thanks to this place I still have a vague idea of what's going on, so I still get the enjoyment of discussing WWE without the utter tedium of actually watching it. It's the best of both worlds.

[thirteen3]

Feb 2, 2013 20:50:40 GMT -5 Free Hat said:

Feb 2, 2013 20:13:43 GMT -5 Kevin Hamilton said:

yup. No way I'd still watch without the 'Net and discussing it with others.

You guys should totally just go ahead and quit watching like I did. Thanks to this place I still have a vague idea of what's going on, so I still get the enjoyment of discussing WWE without the utter tedium of actually watching it. It's the best of both worlds.

[Straight Edge Scrotum]

Feb 2, 2013 17:34:19 GMT -5 Professor Chaos said:

Ya'll need to sit down, shut up, and watch da rasslin.

AMEN.

[The Doctor]

The people saying they only watch wrestling to discuss and critique it have confirmed my suspicions. Quite depressing really.

Very strange idea to me. Watching something you don't like just so you can continue to confirm to strangers that, indeed, you don't like it.

[Dean-o]

I LOVE wrestling. Really, I do. But every time I watch a champion get pinned in a pointless non-title match, or a good talent goes to waste, you damn sure i'm going to rant about it.

[SEAN CARLESS]

Feb 3, 2013 11:02:36 GMT -5 The Doctor said:

The people saying they only watch wrestling to discuss and critique it have confirmed my suspicions. Quite depressing really.

Very strange idea to me. Watching something you don't like just so you can continue to confirm to strangers that, indeed, you don't like it.

I prefer to look at it as caring too much. You love wrestling so much that you hold out hope that one day they'll return to prior glories. You watch because there is still glimmers of promise within the bullshit. You watch because there is potential. The true opposite of love is indifference, after all. Complaining is a passionate response. You're only ready to let go when you don't care anymore.

That said, just shutting up and accepting something is never a good idea, in any shape, form or medium. It's tantamount to accepting that you're being brainwashed, and are ok with that. We're put on this earth to question things. Not be conformists. There's nothing wrong with critiquing.

[Djm Doesn't Find You Funny]

Feb 3, 2013 12:25:16 GMT -5 SEAN CARLESS said:

Feb 3, 2013 11:02:36 GMT -5 The Doctor said:

The people saying they only watch wrestling to discuss and critique it have confirmed my suspicions. Quite depressing really.

Very strange idea to me. Watching something you don't like just so you can continue to confirm to strangers that, indeed, you don't like it.

I prefer to look at it as caring too much. You love wrestling so much that you hold out hope that one day they'll return to prior glories. You watch because there is still glimmers of promise within the bulls***. You watch because there is potential. The true opposite of love is indifference, after all. Complaining is a passionate response. You're only ready to let go when you don't care anymore.

That said, just shutting up and accepting something is never a good idea, in any shape, form or medium. It's tantamount to accepting that you're being brainwashed, and are ok with that. We're put on this earth to question things. Not be conformists. There's nothing wrong with critiquing.

Everything about critiquing is wrong. Being brainwashed is the best part about being a wrestling fan. Everything is amazing and any opinion or question about what's on TV should be kept quiet because Booker Knows Best.

Right, guys?

[Society of the Spectacle]

To me, all I think there needs to be is a balance. Not in terms of the board, but in terms of the persons.

I think it's okay to critique the product if you have legitimate feelings as to how it could be better. It's the encompassing sense of negativity that sucks. And I think the negativity that is most bothersome is when there is a post that is in so many words, "I hate ____________ because they/it sucks, or _______________ sucks because I hate them/it." If you're going to critique, how about doing so with an open mind and positive outlook. For example, Mason Ryan is never going to top out my list of favorite wrestlers, but I can acknowledge that there are ways that he could be used that would benefit the audience and himself.

On the other hand, there are times when we should just shut up and watch. There has never been a RAW or Smackdown, PPV, etc. that was 100% perfect. However, I have had so many good experiences watching WWE broadcasts, well written or performed moments. I watch those, watch them again on youtube, and remember how amazing wrestling can be sometimes. Am I going to always have that response? Of course not, but I can always give a segment or match a chance. And if I really can't hang, I turn the channel for a minute or two, go doing something else for a bit, and then come back to see what's going on. I'm still watching WWE, but I have allowed myself to not get too worked up about something I don't like. I leave the watching experience a happier person, and am able to contribute to a more fruitful discussion here, or elsewhere.

There's never going to be a segment/match/show that 100% of the audience enjoys. That is where the discussion comes in. However, if the discussion is rooted in negativity, or is based on "hearing about" something rather than seeing it yourself, then by all means, please shut up.

[Nikki Heyman]

Feb 3, 2013 11:02:36 GMT -5 The Doctor said:

The people saying they only watch wrestling to discuss and critique it have confirmed my suspicions. Quite depressing really.

Very strange idea to me. Watching something you don't like just so you can continue to confirm to strangers that, indeed, you don't like it.

And it depresses me more when I hear people say "I don't watch and just read what other people say" is you forming an opinion on second- and third- hand information, colored by the bias of the person you're talking to.

This is why you'll never see me in the Raw, SD or PPV threads - there's only so much of "This sucks" I can take from people and that they want to disparage a product that they obviously hare but continue to watch on the hope that "something good happens."

I watch the shows. I like most of what I see. There's good and bad, but it's not SO bad that it's chasing me away. And by some chance I do stop watching, I'm not going to come here and grouse about it.

[The Doctor]

Feb 3, 2013 12:25:16 GMT -5 SEAN CARLESS said:

Feb 3, 2013 11:02:36 GMT -5 The Doctor said:

The people saying they only watch wrestling to discuss and critique it have confirmed my suspicions. Quite depressing really.

Very strange idea to me. Watching something you don't like just so you can continue to confirm to strangers that, indeed, you don't like it.

I prefer to look at it as caring too much. You love wrestling so much that you hold out hope that one day they'll return to prior glories. You watch because there is still glimmers of promise within the bulls***. You watch because there is potential. The true opposite of love is indifference, after all. Complaining is a passionate response. You're only ready to let go when you don't care anymore.

That said, just shutting up and accepting something is never a good idea, in any shape, form or medium. It's tantamount to accepting that you're being brainwashed, and are ok with that. We're put on this earth to question things. Not be conformists. There's nothing wrong with critiquing.

I have absolutely no problem with criticising a product. I do have a problem with consuming it purely with the goal of critiquing it.

First and foremost something should be watched with an open mind. It should be watched in the hope or belief that you might actually like it. When it fails or does something that doesn't resonate with you then critique away. That's how critiquing should work.

But the concept of knowing you don't and won't like something purely so you can reassert this idea to others is ridiculous to me. It would be like me going to watch a Tyler Perry film just so I can confirm to everyone that it is still not my cup of tea. I knew it wasn't going to be. I don't need to make that point. I can't see how any joy is gained from doing such a thing.

Of course if you still love it and see glimpses of what you want more of then that's different. But people who watch purely to arm themselves with more ammunition about why they hate it makes no sense. It can't be good for their health for a start and certainly isn't fun for the people who actually still enjoy the product. Perhaps at that point the time has come to admit that WWE is for a different audience now.