Why do babyfaces care about the fans so much?

[ratetankmark]

I'm writing this as if I was in the mindset of a professional wrestler who needs to provide for his family, it's a technique used by Constantine Stanislavski.

I know it's probably the single oldest tradition in wrestling but if we look at wrestling from the point of view of what we actually would do, I sure as hell wouldn't give a shit if the fans booed me or cheered me because they don't put food on my families table, they just sit a seat and judge me based on what I do to win, a win is a win, so the last thing I would give a crap about is those fickle and ungrateful bastards known as fans.

[Deleted]

They buy tickets.

If they like you more, they might buy more tickets! Plus, they might buy shirts. And you get that sweet sweet shirt money.

Plus, having that extra motivation to push a wrestler through the really hard times is important.

[carp (SPC, Itoh Respect Army)]

You don't necessarily care about the fans. It's just that, by an amazing coincidence, your personal values happen to exactly match up to what a majority of them thinks is good and right.

[Deleted]

I think babyfaces are psychotic, and I'd be amazed to rewatch wrestling history from that perspective.

I mean, if normal people cared so much about what other people thought of them, they'd be labelled with very alienating and mentally unstable terms. But in wrestling, it's something heroic...

Maybe wrestling is psychotic.....










.....nah.

[The Masked Heel WAS WRONG]

Ego

[celticjobber]

Because you want them to buy tickets to watch you wrestle. And you want them to buy stuff with your name on it, so you can get that merch money.

[saintpat]

Dec 16, 2013 17:07:41 GMT -5 ratetankmark said:

I'm writing this as if I was in the mindset of a professional wrestler who needs to provide for his family, it's a technique used by Constantine Stanislavski.

His tag team with Ivan Koloff was one of my favorites.

I disagree with your premise. If you assume in kayfabe that wrestling is like boxing or MMA -- the two most similar real sports -- then wrestlers don't get paid more for a win than for a loss. They do, presumably, improve their stock and increase their chances to become champion by winning, but it has nothing to do with their pay.

If there are no fans, there are no purses, there is no employment. So every wrestler should want to draw fans -- an da babyface would take the tactic that he believes people will pay to watch him if he attracts more fans; a heel might think (a) that people will pay in hopes of seeing him lose, (b) figure he'll make more money in the long run by winning and thus getting in more important matches so if he has to cheat to do that who cares, or (c) may be a sick, sadistic son of a gun who doesn't care about any of that but has found a job where he can do mean and nasty things to people and not to go jail for it.

[SOR]

With all due respect this is a silly question.

Lets look at it from other notable people. Why do sportsman like their fans? Because they cheer them on and would do anything to support them and please them. Why do Actors like their fans? Because those fans are supporting them, buying their merchandise, coming to premiers etc.

So why would a wrestler like the fans? Because they buy their merchandise, they wait at the arenas, ask for autographs, photos etc. The kayfabe reason is the same for almost every single other famous person in the world.

[mrjl]

Dec 16, 2013 17:07:41 GMT -5 ratetankmark said:

I'm writing this as if I was in the mindset of a professional wrestler who needs to provide for his family, it's a technique used by Constantine Stanislavski.

I know it's probably the single oldest tradition in wrestling but if we look at wrestling from the point of view of what we actually would do, I sure as hell wouldn't give a shit if the fans booed me or cheered me because they don't put food on my families table, they just sit a seat and judge me based on what I do to win, a win is a win, so the last thing I would give a crap about is those fickle and ungrateful bastards known as fans.

if they like me they're more likely to come out and see me, more people will want to book me, I can make more money. Sure some people enjoy being pissed off, but if you're hated isn't there the risk fans will eventually stay away? "Who wants to see that asshole wrestle?"