Question about the Wrestling business before and after the internet

[El_Mero_Mero]

Asking from the viewpoint of 1.) business (a.k.a money) and 2.) enjoyability

Is the wrestling business better now because there may be more people interested in all of the backstage politics and the "story behind the story" of someone going from indy level all the way to WrestleMania, or Would the "business" be better off if it was still a place where no one acknowledged that it was scripted/choreographed and you still were able to treat is as if everything was legit?

I think that the answer is obvious, but I'm not 100% sure. What do you guys think?

 

[Golayitdown]

It’s a cop out answer but the correct answer for me is a healthy mix of both. The Attitude Era (really starting when NWO started) was possibly the absolute peak for both interest and money. Everybody knew it was fake and there was a strong internet presence (though nowhere near as big as it is now), but it was just so damn good storyline and fukkery wise that everybody still watched.

 

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

I don't care what they do on social media, but I do believe that the TV shows themselves should be treated it as if it's real competition.

I hate when all of a sudden The Undertaker is "Mark" or Triple H is now "Paul" because they need to sell the seriousness of the angle... I'm left like ain't all this shyt on TV supposed to be real?

You don't see on Breaking Bad all of a sudden Walt turns to the camera and is like "by the way I don't actually sell meth"

 

[Cartier Murphy]

The backstage aspect and elements, for the most part these days atleast depending on your preferred promotion, is more interesting than the onscreen product. So much so to where WWE TV is so dry and lame that a subculture has been able to thrive and prosper, especially in the last 5-6 years of personalities like the Observer (even though they’ve been around forever) or Youtube personalities like Whatculture or Cultaholic or whatever have been able to come up discussing the backstage, behind the curtain kinda shyt. It’s something that’s used to heighten the onscreen product even from time to time. Whether that’s better or more profitable? I dunno that depends on what you’re trying to do. A show like Lucha Underground has to be treated as legit because it’s supposed to be on some Mortal Kombat kinda shyt. It would all vary

 

[El_Mero_Mero]

The backstage aspect and elements, for the most part these days atleast depending on your preferred promotion, is more interesting than the onscreen product.

I was having similar thoughts when I decided to make this thread. Part of me wishes that it was all like Lucha Underground, but then some of these other subcultures that have risen would have no purpose anymore. I actually enjoy watching shoot interviews and listening to the podcast a lot. If things were like they were back in the old days those elements of the culture would not exist . As a little kid, I may have preferred the Lucha-Underground-style thing where every event that happens is supposed to be real, but as an adult I may be more interested in trying to notice who has the best mic work and who's the best at selling punches. It still irks me though if someone that is supposed to be a villain on-screen is seen on social media donating their time to a local charity, or doing super babyface things. It almost makes me not want to even follow that person on social media so that the only version of them that I know is their on- screen version.

Btw, if it were accepted by the masses that it is just "a show" and not reality, then I think it's perfectly fine to have racist characters, drug addict characters, preachers, pimps, etc and not be bothered by the likes of GLAAD, PETA, etc. (since it's just "a show".