80s WWF was kind of anti-authority

[wildojinx]

(Mods, if this gets too political or goes too far, please lock)

I mean, we all consider it to be cartoonish stuff, but look at some of the heels: Big Bossman (essentially a cop), Iron Sheik (Arabic ruler), the various "Kings", the heel managers (businessmen), Brother Love (preacher), and going into the early 90s you also had IRS (accountant), Repo Man, Dean Douglas (teacher), and Bob Backlund during his run for president. Meanwhile the babyfaces were portrayed as superheroes taking down these evil authority figures. Anyone else see this, or am I looking too deep into this?

[Bub (BLM)]

Not too deep at all. In fact it's been confirmed that IRS and Repo Man were based on Vince's disdain for each profession.

[SAJ Forth]

Well Hogan was on The A-Team.

[theironyuppie]

They were also the days of kindly patriarch President Jack Tunney.

[BorneAgain]

Oct 6, 2019 8:17:19 GMT -5 theironyuppie said:

They were also the days of kindly patriarch President Jack Tunney.

"I agree. You can always expect a favor from Jack "On the Take" Tunney."

[theironyuppie]

Oct 6, 2019 8:23:18 GMT -5 BorneAgain said:

Oct 6, 2019 8:17:19 GMT -5 theironyuppie said:

They were also the days of kindly patriarch President Jack Tunney.

"I agree. You can always expect a favor from Jack "On the Take" Tunney."

Bobby’s rants about the lawless anarchy of WWF under Jack Tunney are one of the highlights of old PrimeTime Wrestling episodes.

[WoodStoner1]

Now I am thinking of Hogan legdropping Jack Tunney every other week, and Tunny displacing Bobby Heenan as the man who sent wrestler after wrestler to get him.

[CeilingFan]

Oct 6, 2019 8:17:19 GMT -5 theironyuppie said:

They were also the days of kindly patriarch President Jack Tunney.

One of the best Presidents since Noriega!

[ThankGodForSidJustice]

Oct 6, 2019 9:27:49 GMT -5 WoodStoner1 said:

Now I am thinking of Hogan legdropping Jack Tunney every other week, and Tunny displacing Bobby Heenan as the man who sent wrestler after wrestler to get him.

It's kind of interesting to think of how the Hulkamania era would've been with modern WWE booking. Evil Jack Tunney putting Hogan in handicap matches against Demolition or the Twin Towers with Hogan overcoming the odds and going over, Hogan and Warrior as tag team champions who don't get along, IC Champions like Perfect and Honky Tonk Man constantly losing non title matches on TV. Somehow I don't think it would be looked back on as fondly.

[Final Countdown Jones]

They may have been anti-certain authorities, but it was still an era predominantly built around the personification of patriotism and American exceptionalism. '80s WWF was anti-authority the same way that Rocky 4 was anti-authority. The era had no interest in examining anything of any serious weight and WWE was part of that too, playing more into perceived misuses of authority while upholding the system itself as good and just, which is as pro-authority as you can get in a lot of ways.

[Deleted]

if Jack was around now his wife would be getting smashed by Lashley

[Bob Schlapowitz]

Oct 6, 2019 9:35:22 GMT -5 CeilingFan said:

Oct 6, 2019 8:17:19 GMT -5 theironyuppie said:

They were also the days of kindly patriarch President Jack Tunney.

One of the best Presidents since Noriega!

Will you stop!

[Deleted]

It's pretty easy to pinpoint when WWE jumped the shark, with the transition from escapist "sticking to the man" fantasy to a dystopia where authority can't receive comeuppance and always wins in the end.

[segaz]

Oct 6, 2019 15:40:13 GMT -5 ThankGodForSidJustice said:

Oct 6, 2019 9:27:49 GMT -5 WoodStoner1 said:

Now I am thinking of Hogan legdropping Jack Tunney every other week, and Tunny displacing Bobby Heenan as the man who sent wrestler after wrestler to get him.

It's kind of interesting to think of how the Hulkamania era would've been with modern WWE booking. Evil Jack Tunney putting Hogan in handicap matches against Demolition or the Twin Towers with Hogan overcoming the odds and going over, Hogan and Warrior as tag team champions who don't get along, IC Champions like Perfect and Honky Tonk Man constantly losing non title matches on TV. Somehow I don't think it would be looked back on as fondly.

Y'know, you've hit the nail on the head. People won't admit it, but fans themselves were a lot more lenient when it came to wrestlecrap in the 80s early 90s.
A LOT more.

[hassanchop]

They had an Elvis impersonator as a heel

[efarns]

Oct 7, 2019 8:37:59 GMT -5 segaz said:

Oct 6, 2019 15:40:13 GMT -5 ThankGodForSidJustice said:

It's kind of interesting to think of how the Hulkamania era would've been with modern WWE booking. Evil Jack Tunney putting Hogan in handicap matches against Demolition or the Twin Towers with Hogan overcoming the odds and going over, Hogan and Warrior as tag team champions who don't get along, IC Champions like Perfect and Honky Tonk Man constantly losing non title matches on TV. Somehow I don't think it would be looked back on as fondly.

Y'know, you've hit the nail on the head. People won't admit it, but fans themselves were a lot more lenient when it came to wrestlecrap in the 80s early 90s.
A LOT more.

Significant numbers of fans hated 80's Wrestlecrap in its time. They had alternatives to watch until Vince cherry picked the talent and put them out of business.

[petef3]

I know there's a natural reaction to say that evolution = "better," but I can't fathom how anyone could think that '80s WWF booking was far, far more logical than the booking of today. That can go a long way even with silly gimmicks.

["Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay]

It makes absolute sense for a guy who came from a trailer park and became a millionaire to hate tax guys. It makes sense for any millionaire to hate tax guys. It's gross, but it definitely makes sense.