Pretty good rant called "WWE's Kayfabe Problem"

[TheDarceKnight]

Solid points throughout.It's video, not just audio, in case you're just looking at the screen shot. It's recent too. It has footage of the recent Austin/McMahon podcast.

 

[The Burger King]

Seen it. I agree with most of it, except the part where he basically suggested including segments where wrestlers are out of character, discussing their matches and such, at the end of/after the show (if I interpreted that correctly). I think it would be counterproductive to see wrestlers in character, then right at the end/after of the show, see them out of character discussing the show.

 

[Kill Dat Noize]

cool video. i'm sure most of us here would agree with everything said in it.

i am still of the belief that wrestling would return to it's former glory if they actually tried and worked the marks.

and i don't care how much of a smart fan you think you are, you can still be worked. you are still a mark.

 

[Kill Dat Noize]

Seen it. I agree with most of it, except the part where he basically suggested including segments where wrestlers are out of character, discussing their matches and such, at the end of/after the show (if I interpreted that correctly). I think it would be counterproductive to see wrestlers in character, then right at the end/after of the show, see them out of character discussing the show.

it would have to be conducted by a 3rd party, not the company itself. like how ESPN covers the NFL and the NBA.

 

[WOAHMYGOODNESS]

there is no reason the writing on wwe couldnt be half as good as an episode of breaking bad...only excuses are the fact they are on every week and because writers suck

 

[Abstract83]

I dont think current story lines or wrestlers should be covered at all. The podcasts, interviews, and fan reviews are fine. Keep story lines and current wrestlers in those story lines out of the media. I dont think they should be discussing the show and what goes on. I agree that they need to focus on being creative and stop tryna out smart the fans. WWE are fukkin up by battling fans "outsmarting" us like we're still 13. Instead of focusing on their product. Vince is too damn arrogant and out of touch with reality. Ever since they "won" the war with wcw they just slowly stopped giving a fukk and focused more on keeping up with the times with social media instead of creating story lines and developing good wrestlers. Instead we get the weekly switcharoo of wrestlers having the same matches. The same long drawn out opening 20-30min promo segments. With The Authority theme music hittin like they're 98 Vince Mcmahon or something. And Keep Roman Reigns off the mic. I could go on but i'll stop here for now.

 

[AKM-95]

Seen it. I agree with most of it, except the part where he basically suggested including segments where wrestlers are out of character, discussing their matches and such, at the end of/after the show (if I interpreted that correctly). I think it would be counterproductive to see wrestlers in character, then right at the end/after of the show, see them out of character discussing the show.

I agree with you but it seems like this is the direction that the industry is moving in. WWE is producing shows (Totally Divas, Tough enough, and network content) that's pretty much doing this already. Plus TNA is rumored to be moving in this direction as well by featuring out of character content in bumper segments. I think The E and TNA would be better served letting their talent be themselves instead of trying to create a low-level soap-opera with mostly terrible actors and actress.

 

[Alexander The Great]

well this was excellent

 

[Love Sosa]

I personally think WWE just got too big as a company to be focused on producing good TV. Wrestling was more popular in the 80s and 90s but the company itself wasn't as "big". Having a good TV show right now probably isn't even their priority. You've got so many damn employees and whatnot now. This isn't the boys driving cross country together like it used to be.

As far as the video, it has some good points but I think it gives internet fans a bit too much credit.

 

[thenatural]

I was cool with it until the last five minutes.

I never really got into the discussion shows on AMC because it seems like OD. Similarly I never liked TE and haven't laid my eyes on Total Divas. Allowing writers to go on podcasts is a good idea, but doing post shows in a non-kayfabe manner isn't something I would tune in for. I didn't listen to the McMahon podcast because nothing he could've said would've piqued my interest about wrestling. TBH, sometimes I'm more drawn to wrestling discussions on this site than I am to the actual wrestling. Explaining shytty storylines on a couch won't help. Maybe if they talked about the actual wrestling I'd tune in. Explain how this guy was able to win or lose the match. What could've been a better strategy on behalf of the loser. I'm lying, I wouldn't watch that either.


Also, the armchair psychology at the end was silly. Wrestlers hate themselves so they mock their fans for enjoying their work. Didn't get that one at all.

I couldn't imagine being a wwe writer. Crank out damn near 4 hours of TV every week while having to deal with the rewrites from a megalomaniac the day of a live show. Asking this to be as compelling as Breaking Bad or GoT seems ridiculous. The focal point needs to be wrestling, not creating an emmy nominated show.

 

[Kidd Dibiase]

a self loathing wrestling fan...perfect description for Russo

 

[The Amerikkkan Idol]

It was okay.

But I disagree with the guy on somethings. I love wrestling because it IS different from movies and sports.

It's a scripted quasi-sport that allows us fans to live in an alternative universe where you can assault your boss, kidnap his daughter, break every rule at the workplace and not get fired & and/or arrested.

I hate how overexposed Hollywood is.

I hate Entertainment Tonight & Access Hollywood.

I hate our tabloid culture where I have to constantly hear about J-Lo and Jennifer Lawrence and Beyonce.

Hell, I hate how overexposed sports are with ESPN and Fantasy Football and 100,000 sites on the internet covering every angle of Peyton Mannings ass hairs.

Wrestling is great when it's a parallel universe.

I like that I RARELY see wrestlers outside of wrestling. It preserves the character. It's one of the things that makes The Undertaker so great. You can probably count on 1 hand how many non-kayfabe interviews he's done in 25 years. He's "The Undertaker". Yes, I know Mark Callahan is a real guy, but I don't have to see Mark Callahan on Entertainment Tonight talking about his "role" all the time, so to me he's "The Undertaker". Bray Wyatt is the best at this today, where his interviews are kind of kayfabe, but work on a non-kayfabe manner as well.

Wrestling's best, when it's kinda real and kinda fake, where you have to ask yourself, "Is that a botch?" or "Did that guy just go into business for himself"? or "How much do Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels REALLY hate each other? "Is it enough for them to go off-script?" You should constantly be asking yourself, "Am I being worked"? Yes, the answer will be yes 99% percent of the time, but every once in a while you'll get a real moment like the "Montreal Screwjob" that makes it all worth it.

But I do think that a lot of wrestlers and wrestling fans are self-loathing. Years of friends and family yelling, "Why do you watch that fake crap or you're not real athletes" has created such an inferiority complex in Vince McMahon and wrestlers who like to try to prove how smart/tough they are and in fans who try to prove how smart they are because "I'm not one of the dummies who thinks this is real".

It's why a lot of us hide the fact that we watch wrestling from family and friends.

 

[mortuus est]

pro rassling is what my dad did

 

[Scotch Hall]

It was okay.

But I disagree with the guy on somethings. I love wrestling because it IS different from movies and sports.

It's a scripted quasi-sport that allows us fans to live in an alternative universe where you can assault your boss, kidnap his daughter, break every rule at the workplace and not get fired & and/or arrested.

I hate how overexposed Hollywood is.

I hate Entertainment Tonight & Access Hollywood.

I hate our tabloid culture where I have to constantly hear about J-Lo and Jennifer Lawrence and Beyonce.

Hell, I hate how overexposed sports are with ESPN and Fantasy Football and 100,000 sites on the internet covering every angle of Peyton Mannings ass hairs.

Wrestling is great when it's a parallel universe.

I like that I RARELY see wrestlers outside of wrestling. It preserves the character. It's one of the things that makes The Undertaker so great. You can probably count on 1 hand how many non-kayfabe interviews he's done in 25 years. He's "The Undertaker". Yes, I know Mark Callahan is a real guy, but I don't have to see Mark Callahan on Entertainment Tonight talking about his "role" all the time, so to me he's "The Undertaker". Bray Wyatt is the best at this today, where his interviews are kind of kayfabe, but work on a non-kayfabe manner as well.

Wrestling's best, when it's kinda real and kinda fake, where you have to ask yourself, "Is that a botch?" or "Did that guy just go into business for himself"? or "How much do Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels REALLY hate each other? "Is it enough for them to go off-script?" You should constantly be asking yourself, "Am I being worked"? Yes, the answer will be yes 99% percent of the time, but every once in a while you'll get a real moment like the "Montreal Screwjob" that makes it all worth it.

But I do think that a lot of wrestlers and wrestling fans are self-loathing. Years of friends and family yelling, "Why do you watch that fake crap or you're not real athletes" has created such an inferiority complex in Vince McMahon and wrestlers who like to try to prove how smart/tough they are and in fans who try to prove how smart they are because "I'm not one of the dummies who thinks this is real".

It's why a lot of us hide the fact that we watch wrestling from family and friends.

 

[Kill Dat Noize]

It's a scripted quasi-sport that allows us fans to live in an alternative universe where you can assault your boss, kidnap his daughter, break every rule at the workplace and not get fired & and/or arrested.

actually i believe that it when it began to jump the shark.

i enjoyed the attitude era like everyone else but the level of immersion wasn't there like it was prior in the 80's. it became way too much of a soap opera. an OVER THE TOP, CRAZY, BATshyt INSANE soap opera. the wrestling became secondary.