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Post by Hit Girl on Dec 6, 2013 4:01:18 GMT -5
They could get the teen girl audience, with a tomboy geek like AJ, but they won't do it, because Stephanie thinks that women and girls should admire people like herself, a mean girl/business suit wearing/bullying bitch. They will NEVER support people like that.
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TGM
Hank Scorpio
Posts: 6,073
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Post by TGM on Dec 6, 2013 4:18:26 GMT -5
Jeff Hardy really looked like he had the potential to do this. Even now, I think WWE's best shot would be repackaging some good-looking high-flyer with a flagrant Jeff Hardy ripoff gimmick. Go one further and make it a tag team with a female high flying manager. Teenage girls would just buy into it.
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Post by cool guy on Dec 6, 2013 4:20:40 GMT -5
Just so we're clear, a female audience doesn't equal "reality show bullshit". Shows like Game of Thrones and Supernatural have diverse fanbases because they appeal to men and women alike. Grafting a female-heavy format like E! reality shows onto the primarily male viewership of wrestling isn't the way to solve that problem.
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SEAN CARLESS
Hank Scorpio
More of a B+ player, actually
I'm Necessary Evil.
Posts: 5,770
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Post by SEAN CARLESS on Dec 6, 2013 4:56:08 GMT -5
They could get the teen girl audience, with a tomboy geek like AJ, but they won't do it, because Stephanie thinks that women and girls should admire people like herself, a mean girl/business suit wearing/bullying bitch. They will NEVER support people like that. Actually, that is true. AJ in that role would be money, and it wouldn't be intelligence insulting or alienating to the male audience. Imagine that, WWE creating a character that both sexes could enjoy and relate to for the same reasons. I also agree with your assessment of Stephanie's view. No normal human being on earth could relate to her.
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mattyy
Unicron
holy moly its the big homie
Posts: 3,150
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Post by mattyy on Dec 6, 2013 5:03:59 GMT -5
I took my friend who hasn't watched a WWE show since 1999 to the Nashville show a couple weeks back. The four guys he came out of the show still talking about were Fandango, Big E Langston, CM Punk, and Daniel Bryan.
so those are my picks.
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Rave
El Dandy
Perpetually Bored
Posts: 8,373
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Post by Rave on Dec 6, 2013 5:12:38 GMT -5
Cesaro.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2013 5:50:57 GMT -5
The cast of Total Divas.
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Post by RowdyRobbyPiper on Dec 6, 2013 15:47:08 GMT -5
It's near impossible to tell, you really need somebody who has a character that reflects the zeitgeist of their era at the same time they reach their peak as a performer, that's not some something you can predict. That's why people mention Punk and Bryan, in theory they could have been the guy that fitted into the current backlash against big corporations, Punk in particular as he could have used the internet to lead the revolution. Not just the anti-corp ting, but nerd is the new chic with Big Bang theory, the career of Michael Cera. Bryan fits into that perfectly. WWE had its finger on the pulse during the rock and wrestling and Attitude Eras, but is so far behind the current zeitgeist in ways that are unthinkable.
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Post by CATCH_US IS the Conversation on Dec 6, 2013 15:52:07 GMT -5
It's near impossible to tell, you really need somebody who has a character that reflects the zeitgeist of their era at the same time they reach their peak as a performer, that's not some something you can predict. That's why people mention Punk and Bryan, in theory they could have been the guy that fitted into the current backlash against big corporations, Punk in particular as he could have used the internet to lead the revolution. Not just the anti-corp ting, but nerd is the new chic with Big Bang theory, the career of Michael Cera. Bryan fits into that perfectly. WWE had its finger on the pulse during the rock and wrestling and Attitude Eras, but is so far behind the current zeitgeist in ways that are unthinkable. Most of the roster in general seem like nerds at heart. Even the pretty boys like Cody, Ryder, Riley, etc. and female performers like the Chickbusters come off as huge geeks. Bryan does fit that, but WWE tends to go overboard in trying to paint him as the "anti Superstar".
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Boo!
Dennis Stamp
Posts: 4,417
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Post by Boo! on Dec 6, 2013 15:54:42 GMT -5
Sheamus. Make him a working class, street-clothed, brawler. No-nonsense. The irish contingency, particularly in the north-east would really get behind someone like that and live vicariously through him.
Not some luminous wise-cracking cretin with antlers on his head and hair like a Troll.
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Post by CATCH_US IS the Conversation on Dec 6, 2013 15:58:09 GMT -5
Sheamus. Make him a working class, street-clothed, brawler. No-nonsense. The irish contingency, particularly in the north-east would really get behind someone like that and live vicariously through him. Not some luminous wise-cracking cretin with antlers on his head and hair like a Troll. Sheamus is a snazzy dresser, and while I do want the no nonsense brawler back, a small part of me also wants the Irish themed cloaks of his developmental persona and the King of the Ring gimmick back as well. King Sheamus, as much as people hated it, just looked like a pro wrestler. And compared to other "King" gimmicks, it was actually very subtle and toned down.
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Post by federation770 on Dec 6, 2013 16:02:08 GMT -5
Sheamus. Make him a working class, street-clothed, brawler. No-nonsense. The irish contingency, particularly in the north-east would really get behind someone like that and live vicariously through him. Not some luminous wise-cracking cretin with antlers on his head and hair like a Troll. Nailed it. As far as AJ, I actually think she is doing a fantastic job in her current character and always entertains.
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Boo!
Dennis Stamp
Posts: 4,417
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Post by Boo! on Dec 6, 2013 16:02:58 GMT -5
Sheamus. Make him a working class, street-clothed, brawler. No-nonsense. The irish contingency, particularly in the north-east would really get behind someone like that and live vicariously through him. Not some luminous wise-cracking cretin with antlers on his head and hair like a Troll. Sheamus is a snazzy dresser, and while I do want the no nonsense brawler back, a small part of me also wants the Irish themed cloaks of his developmental persona and the King of the Ring gimmick back as well. King Sheamus, as much as people hated it, just looked like a pro wrestler. And compared to other "King" gimmicks, it was actually very subtle and toned down. But it's still a bit gimmicky. I think in the age of UFC you really have to be 'real' to get traction. The key is to get people to either invest emotionally or live vicariously through you. Everyone in the country invested emotionally in Hogan and everyone in the country lived vicariously through Austin. Now on the basis it's unlikely you'll ever get people in tears if Sheamus gets injured - I'd go the vicarious route. Have him a 'real' tough SOB. Non-thrills, no-nonsense just some hard Irish nut-job who sits at the bar and fights to put food on the table. I think a lot of guys will see in that someone that a small part of them wants to be.
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Push R Truth
Patti Mayonnaise
Unique and Special Snowflake, and a pants-less heathen.
Perpetually Constipated
Posts: 39,372
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Post by Push R Truth on Dec 6, 2013 16:10:47 GMT -5
Ginger "The Fun One" Mahal
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Reflecto
Hank Scorpio
The Sorceress' Knight
Posts: 6,847
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Post by Reflecto on Dec 6, 2013 16:11:42 GMT -5
Thank god. Teenage girls have enough things catered to their silly, fickle preferences already. There has to be something left for men and normal women in today's sea of soulless, manufactured shallowness. That said, every wrestling boom period was built off the back of a complete change in the m.o. of how wrestling was previously presented. There will never be a breakthrough player or boom under today's current, stagnant, out-dated direction. As someone said, Vince will have to get his finger on the pulse of whatever the current cultural zeitgeist is, and forge his product around that attitude and that individual who embodies it. Today's muppet show format, white-washed for annoying white-bread parents who can feel good and safe about what Branston and Bryton are watching needs to die. It's great for advertisers, but horrible for organic growth and progression. Wrestling needs to be catered towards the needs of the fans, not the owners to thrive. (and therein, said owners will make their money). You mention the cultural zeitgeist... I'm not really that in touch with it, so I must ask the people what exactly that is right now? And whatever it is, is it something that we really want wrestling to adapt to just for the sake of being "cool"? Well, for probably the biggest missed opportunity, Zack Ryder COULD have been that person who was on the pulse of the zeitgeist in every possible way- had to fight the system to get just a chance to succeed, had the good mix between "geek" and "alpha" that would have appealed well to everyone, used social media correctly, had a timely Jersey Shore gimmick- but then, WWE blew it. As far as tapping into the cultural zeitgeist, it's also the big problem: The Internet has put every fanbase into its own bubble. If you're a fan of anything- you can find a group of likeminded people who are also a fan of it- and eventually you all get together and are convinced the thing you like is the ONLY part of popular culture that matters in the world. Even the massive hit shows can only draw about 1% of the population to enjoy them- be it wrestling or regular TV (a benefit, because you can argue the ultra-hardcore, will watch anything with two people in a ring people are about that level. It's also a bigger issue because, with how fragmented the audience is, you have to do a modified version of the Sheamus "make him no-nonsense and hope Irish people take to him" (which itself was the Bruno Sammartino era of WWWF in a nutshell)- you need a big roster (which WWE has), and you have to hit as many bubbles as humanly possible as hard as possible, then make all of them seem special (so that people in those bubbles will rally behind that superstar as "Their representative in the WWE."
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Captain2
Don Corleone
Big Daddy Cool
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Post by Captain2 on Dec 6, 2013 16:51:09 GMT -5
Justin Gabriel properly pushed could do really well I'd imagine. He's got looks and he's got the ability. My only question is why they're doing so little with him.
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Post by CATCH_US IS the Conversation on Dec 6, 2013 16:57:48 GMT -5
You mention the cultural zeitgeist... I'm not really that in touch with it, so I must ask the people what exactly that is right now? And whatever it is, is it something that we really want wrestling to adapt to just for the sake of being "cool"? Well, for probably the biggest missed opportunity, Zack Ryder COULD have been that person who was on the pulse of the zeitgeist in every possible way- had to fight the system to get just a chance to succeed, had the good mix between "geek" and "alpha" that would have appealed well to everyone, used social media correctly, had a timely Jersey Shore gimmick- but then, WWE blew it." Not to mention Ryder also has that big, but not too big, fitness model look that WWE likes and he's young and attractive enough that they could've made him that "heartthrob" guy that teen girls and gays could gush over.
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Post by Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!! on Dec 6, 2013 17:06:03 GMT -5
It's near impossible to tell, you really need somebody who has a character that reflects the zeitgeist of their era at the same time they reach their peak as a performer, that's not some something you can predict. That's why people mention Punk and Bryan, in theory they could have been the guy that fitted into the current backlash against big corporations, Punk in particular as he could have used the internet to lead the revolution. Not just the anti-corp ting, but nerd is the new chic with Big Bang theory, the career of Michael Cera. Bryan fits into that perfectly. WWE had its finger on the pulse during the rock and wrestling and Attitude Eras, but is so far behind the current zeitgeist in ways that are unthinkable. the sad thing is, I think they KNOW that but they really resent that the "nerds" are the cool ones now and hate that most of their adult fanbase are geeks.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2013 17:12:22 GMT -5
So, the cultural zeitgeist seems to be "variety."
Not so much in the wresting but who they give time and space to within the company.
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Lila
El Dandy
Slip N Slide World Champion 1997
Posts: 8,905
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Post by Lila on Dec 6, 2013 19:02:19 GMT -5
In any case, the real lost audience is women, especially teenagers and girls. The whole show would need a makeover to bring them in, and they're not willing to do that, so nothing's going to change. Thank god. Teenage girls have enough things catered to their silly, fickle preferences already. There has to be something left for men and normal women in today's sea of soulless, manufactured shallowness. You'd be surprise how many girls prefer in-depth storylines over random hot guys wrestling these days. I wouldn't assume so easily what teenage female fans prefers.
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