So - R-Truth's super shilling bit.

[mrbananagrabber]

I thought for sure there'd be about ten threads about R-Truth's pretty damn embarrassing merchandise bit, especially as it just eliminated the last good memory I have of him trashing the same stuff (he even shilled Cena's merch! Arrrghhhh!)

So yeah, I really cringed at this, especially the "quote TRUTH for 10% off" stuff. Really seemed beneath the WWE to be doing stuff like that.

[Rican]

I thought it was hilarious.

[________ has left the building]

So shilling WWE merchandise is more embarrassing than talking to an imaginary 10 year old child and behaving like a crackhead?

[Chiral]

Kinda reminded me of the Dusty Rhodes shilling promo for Wrestlemania 6, I'm not sure if it was only for the tape, but it was hilarious to hear him freaking out about a "thhuck cuhhp" (I guess cups with straws were called suck cups back then).

[Deleted]

Very tacky.


At a company the size of TNA with the old Don West stuff they used to do it's fair enough, gotta do what you gotta do to get cashflow and all that. But at a publicly traded multimillion dollar company like WWE it just comes across as cheap and tacky.

[BayleyTiffyCodyCenaJudyHopps]

Oct 23, 2013 16:22:17 GMT -5 ________ has left the building said:

So shilling WWE merchandise is more embarrassing than talking to an imaginary 10 year old child and behaving like a crackhead?

If by "embarrasing" you mean "thing of beauty", which Pretty Ricky was, I agree wholeheartedly.

[________ has left the building]

Oct 23, 2013 16:24:29 GMT -5 @graant said:

Very tacky.


At a company the size of TNA with the old Don West stuff they used to do it's fair enough, gotta do what you gotta do to get cashflow and all that. But at a publicly traded multimillion dollar company like WWE it just comes across as cheap and tacky.

Plenty of multi-million corporations do in show shilling. I grew up in the 80's where 85% of cartoons was just one big commercials. When Disney bought ABC, they made every sitcom do a show set in Disney World. Plus WWE is selling cheap and tacky merchandise so it balances itself out.

[CATCH_US IS the Conversation]

The one thing that would've made it better was if Zack Ryder popped on screen, said "Zack Ryder got a t-shirt", winked at the camera or at Truth, then walked away.

[Juice]

Oct 23, 2013 16:24:29 GMT -5 @graant said:

Very tacky.


At a company the size of TNA with the old Don West stuff they used to do it's fair enough, gotta do what you gotta do to get cashflow and all that. But at a publicly traded multimillion dollar company like WWE it just comes across as cheap and tacky.

I feel like that was the point.

[Deleted]

Oct 23, 2013 16:33:34 GMT -5 ________ has left the building said:

Oct 23, 2013 16:24:29 GMT -5 @graant said:

Very tacky.


At a company the size of TNA with the old Don West stuff they used to do it's fair enough, gotta do what you gotta do to get cashflow and all that. But at a publicly traded multimillion dollar company like WWE it just comes across as cheap and tacky.

Plenty of multi-million corporations do in show shilling. I grew up in the 80's where 85% of cartoons was just one big commercials. When Disney bought ABC, they made every sitcom do a show set in Disney World. Plus WWE is selling cheap and tacky merchandise so it balances itself out.

Yeah but there's a difference between maintaining a bit of subtleness (if only a little bit) and markting things in less direct ways than outright saying "BUY OUR STUFF"


I don't mind the announcers playing with the dolls and toys and mentioning the games and stuff, but when someones on screen outright trying to sell you stuff directly it's a bit much



But If Johnny Ace would have come and picked up the skateboard I would have forgiven them

[________ has left the building]

Oct 23, 2013 16:32:09 GMT -5 BayleyTiffyCodyCenaJudyHopps said:

Oct 23, 2013 16:22:17 GMT -5 ________ has left the building said:

So shilling WWE merchandise is more embarrassing than talking to an imaginary 10 year old child and behaving like a crackhead?

If by "embarrasing" you mean "thing of beauty", which Pretty Ricky was, I agree wholeheartedly.

I grew up in the hood where people acted like Pretty Ricky and Crazy R-Truth all the time. It was not a fun experience.

[mrtuesday]

He's no Don West.

[joey joe joe junior shabadoo]

I enjoyed it

[Deleted]

Severe lack of "Zack Ryder got a t-shirt?"

[mrjl]

Oct 23, 2013 16:14:38 GMT -5 mrbananagrabber said:

I thought for sure there'd be about ten threads about R-Truth's pretty damn embarrassing merchandise bit, especially as it just eliminated the last good memory I have of him trashing the same stuff (he even shilled Cena's merch! Arrrghhhh!)

So yeah, I really cringed at this, especially the "quote TRUTH for 10% off" stuff. Really seemed beneath the WWE to be doing stuff like that.

wasn't embarrassing at all. Seemed like good clean fun to me.

[Magic knows Black Lives Matter]

Oct 23, 2013 16:15:45 GMT -5 Rican said:

I thought it was hilarious.

Yeah, just have this be his new thing. It's not like he's doing anything else. WWE needs their own Don West.

[percymania]

He should form a tag team with Virgil. The Panhandlers.

[Deleted]

I don't see what was "embarrassing" about it. Good little shill that was pretty fun. No harm no foul.

[Tha Don]

Oct 23, 2013 16:22:17 GMT -5 ________ has left the building said:

So shilling WWE merchandise is more embarrassing than talking to an imaginary 10 year old child and behaving like a crackhead?

Crackhead Truth aka Tyrone Biggums would be greatness, especially if he won the WWE Title in that gimmick and sold the belt to a smark for crack!

[PKO]

1. I can't believe there hasn't been a thread on it already.
2. I actually thought it was really well done and Truth was very impressive.
3. Really, I'm surprised they don't do more shilling segments like this. It makes sense to make your audience aware of your merchandise on your flagship show.