WWE quirks, linguistic and otherwise

[Johnny Sorrow]

I wrote this over at DVDVR. The soap opera stuff doesn't bother me at all. Shit, when people look at me funny when I mention I like wrestling I always say "it's like a soap opera" and then they kinda get it. Hell, the running joke here in the house with my roomies is that when wrestling is on it's time for me to "watch my stories".

[Victator]

Whats the premise of this soap opera?

[Log]

The thing is, that no media outlet is going to follow any of that shit. If some news station is running some fluff thing on their morning show with a WWE "Superstar", they're still going to call him/her a wrestler and call what they do wrestling.

 

A couple of years ago, people from Yum Brands (that owns KFC, Taco Bell, and sponsors the Kentucky Derby) called all the media outlets in town and demanded that we refer to the Derby as "The 135th Running of the Kentucky Derby Sponsored By Yum Brands" every time we mention it. As you can imagine, that got a good laugh, and was ignored.

[Sean Liska]

Vince has spent his entire adult life getting lower than expected ad rates and sponsors due to the stigma of pro wrestling. But changing the terminology obviously isn't going to fool anybody.

 

I'm surpirsed wrestling didn't make any sort of positive steps in our culture during the late 90s boom. Wrestlers were crossover stars, you had someone like the Rock presenting a great image to the public, it was cool for teenagers to watch, etc. And yet as soon as the boom ended, wrestling went right back to it's same old place as something no one can admit to liking.

[Johnny Sorrow]

Whats the premise of this soap opera?

The continuing adventures and travails of these men and women competing in the ring for championships and personal grudges. And like most Soaps, it never ends.

[El-P]

Whats the premise of this soap opera?

The continuing adventures and travails of these men and women competing in the ring for championships and personal grudges. And like most Soaps, it never ends.

 

South Park was right then.

 

Seriously, this is completely retarded, and quite frankly, if I were a pro-wrestler taking pride in what I do and the passion I have in life, I would be both pissed and embarrassed that the ony worthwhile company to work for in the US is at this point of denial. It's even more retarded because there's no chance of them being referred as anything but wrestling, ever, so why even bother.

[Victator]

Whats the premise of this soap opera?

The continuing adventures and travails of these men and women competing in the ring for championships and personal grudges. And like most Soaps, it never ends.

 

What do they call this competition?

[Johnny Sorrow]

Whats the premise of this soap opera?

The continuing adventures and travails of these men and women competing in the ring for championships and personal grudges. And like most Soaps, it never ends.

 

What do they call this competition?

 

Oh, wrestling of course. I was never going for the whole "it ain't wrestling" thing. Just that wrestling is very much like soap operas and pretend it isn't is just denial of what the stuff is.

 

And this

 

The continuing adventures and travails of these men and women competing in the ring for championships and personal grudges. And like most Soaps, it never ends.

was written with a grin.

[Victator]

I'm just practicing for when I melt Vince's motherboard.

[Johnny Sorrow]

I'm just practicing for when I melt Vince's motherboard.

[Log]

Vince has spent his entire adult life getting lower than expected ad rates and sponsors due to the stigma of pro wrestling. But changing the terminology obviously isn't going to fool anybody.

 

I'm surpirsed wrestling didn't make any sort of positive steps in our culture during the late 90s boom. Wrestlers were crossover stars, you had someone like the Rock presenting a great image to the public, it was cool for teenagers to watch, etc. And yet as soon as the boom ended, wrestling went right back to it's same old place as something no one can admit to liking.

I always wondered why, when the ratings were as high as they were during the "boom", there weren't advertisers lining up for wrestling programming. The reason I heard somewhere, is that although the shows were getting lots of viewers, they still had too much controversial content for advertisers. Apparently, they don't like the idea that something offensive or distasteful could be happening on a show and then cut to a commercial, and there's their product. They feel it adds a negative connotation to what they're selling.

[flyonthewall2983]

Makes sense. I wasn't a fan of the trashy style during that period. There's no doubt that there were bright spots, but those were sometimes outweighed by the stuff done purely for shock value. I'm not a prude, but I didn't feel it fit in with what I loved about wrestling. Plus it made me a little uncomfortable, even as a teenager, knowing that there were children in the audience being subjected to it.

[flyonthewall2983]

Does anyone else find it ominous the same week this document comes out, ABC announced the cancellation of both All My Children and One Life To Live?

[KrisZ]

ABC cancelled those shows because they want cheaper programming

[flyonthewall2983]

That's beside the point.

[JerryvonKramer]

This is just a fantastic thread.

 

My only question/ thought is this:

 

Was there a moment the WWF/E decided to adopt a policy of meaningless Orwellian Newspeak or was it ALWAYS there only back then the likes of Gorilla and Jesse Ventura or Heenan wouldn't abide by the corporate policy?

 

Why do I ask this? Sean Mooney that's why. Mooney never once referred to a "wrestler", he's always always ALWAYS say "superstar". He had a lot of little quirks. Loved to say "the squared circle". Loved calling the Undertaker "the Phenom" and many many more examples, too numerous to list.

 

I'm wondering, did Mooney have poetic license on these, or was he just such a good corporate employee that he'd stick to the letter to whatever was sent by Head Office? Nothing Mooney ever said is something a normal human being would say. That's one of the reasons I LOVE him, he's like living embodiment of what a man produced entirely by the WWF in the late 80s/ early 90s would be.

 

See Mooney - and Pettingill after him - they were the prototype Michael Cole.

 

So I wonder if this approach was ALWAYS there, but massively mitigated by the personalities of Monsoon, Ventura and Heenan?

[flyonthewall2983]

It makes sense. BTW, a fellow by the name of Craig DeGeorge (real name Minervini) came before Sean, so I guess you could say they got it right the 2nd time. It certainly made Tony Schiavone's employment seem a bit redundant, unless they had some concern Sean couldn't pull off doing TV or PPV's. I'd say Josh Matthews is that guy right now, except for being way more youthful than Sean, Todd, and Michael combined.

[Al]

Does anyone else find it ominous the same week this document comes out, ABC announced the cancellation of both All My Children and One Life To Live?

The soap opera style of storytelling is quite prevailant these days. Watch any WB drama and its the same thing really, just geared toward teens. The daytime soaps are their own animal and dying out, but it doesn't spell doom for the style.

[Bob Morris]

Vince has spent his entire adult life getting lower than expected ad rates and sponsors due to the stigma of pro wrestling. But changing the terminology obviously isn't going to fool anybody.

 

I'm surpirsed wrestling didn't make any sort of positive steps in our culture during the late 90s boom. Wrestlers were crossover stars, you had someone like the Rock presenting a great image to the public, it was cool for teenagers to watch, etc. And yet as soon as the boom ended, wrestling went right back to it's same old place as something no one can admit to liking.

I always wondered why, when the ratings were as high as they were during the "boom", there weren't advertisers lining up for wrestling programming. The reason I heard somewhere, is that although the shows were getting lots of viewers, they still had too much controversial content for advertisers. Apparently, they don't like the idea that something offensive or distasteful could be happening on a show and then cut to a commercial, and there's their product. They feel it adds a negative connotation to what they're selling.

 

Ratings matter to an extent, but not as much as people think. The content of the show can matter, particularly if you think it's too controversial.

 

Consider the Fox News Channel. Glenn Beck has had one of the highest-rated shows on the network, yet a lot of advertisers who want to advertise on Fox want nothing to do with Beck.

 

They'll happily let their ads run on Bill O'Reilly's show, even if O'Reilly's ratings aren't as high as Beck's.

 

I don't know for certain that Beck has always beaten O'Reilly. But the point is this: People may not like what O'Reilly has to say, but he's willing to use facts to back up what he has to say, tell his viewers is something thought of as fact is incorrect (even if it conflicts with his conservative views) and generally finds conspiracy theorists to be full of it.

 

Beck could give a shit about facts, embraces anything that fits his views even if it's proven to be bullshit and loves a good conspiracy theory if it boosts his agenda.

 

That Beck would scare away advertisers should not be surprising... nor should the fact Fox opted not to keep his show. As far as "future relations" with Fox, they'll probably just pop him on from time to time like they do with other nutters that appear on the shows.

 

So... to the point... just because something draws higher ratings doesn't mean advertisers will go there. They don't like program that's too controversial or that has a negative stigma attached to it... and pro wrestling has always had the latter, fairly or not.

 

If Vince believes calling his stuff "entertainment" will draw in the ratings, I have a bridge to sell him... but knowing Vince, he'd probably buy it even with Jerry McDevitt whispering in his ear, "Bad deal, Vince, bad deal."

[khawk20]

It makes sense. BTW, a fellow by the name of Craig DeGeorge (real name Minervini) came before Sean,

Cool, I was trying to remember his real last name in a comment I made in another thread.

[Ditch]

Via. 411:

"WWE has hired Tom Cassielo, winner of several Daytime Emmys for his writing on As The World Turns, for their creative team. He has spent the last 10 years working on soap operas like As the World Turns, One Life to Live, and The Young and the Restless."

[Mr Wrestling X]

I wonder if Vince's penchant for 'Entertainment' terms is going to get worse, I mean, soon things might be like this...

 

Match becomes Contest or Challenge

Referee becomes Official

Ring Announcer becomes Narrator

 

Its a very, very strange concept. The ironic thing is, McMahon is doing these types of things, because he has an obsession with being 'Accepted' by the Entertainment and Business industry, yet he's attracting criticism from his fanbase and its almost certain that others in the entertainment industry will be laughing at the attempt to distance themselves from 'Wrestling' . Its a worrying possibility that eventually they may do away with Title Belts and replace them with Trophies...

[Loss]

It's funny that they think being seen as a wrestling company is what is holding WWE back from going to the next level. No, if anything, it's all the non-wrestling stuff that is holding WWE back from going to the next level. Inside jokes, burials of talent on the air, disturbing portrayal of women and too much talking are the real problems. (I realize the wrestling to talking ratio has improved dramatically in the last five years or so, but perception is reality, and that's the perception.)

 

Then you get into lack of guys on top who are considered "tough", being out of touch with pop culture, being rocked by scandals, running too many repeat matches on PPV involving guys who have been overexposed, lack of angles/storyline twists on PPV shows (Seriously, when results don't matter and you can't sell shows to a mass audience on great matches, what reason is there to buy PPVs?), bad announcing, a look and feel that hasn't changed at all since 1997, too much first-run television and the focus on looks and size over talent.

 

There's also Vince's worldview, which I honestly think is the biggest issue of all, and also the least likely to change. I find it humorous, for example, that this is a company that feels the need to change the name of RAW IS WAR to MONDAY NIGHT RAW after 9/11 for PR/image reasons, yet has no problems exploiting Angle's title win and thinks no one will see it for what it is. That's one example 10 years ago, but I could probably come up with dozens of similar examples if I gave it some thought.

 

Bottom line, if WWE wants to attract ad dollars, you'd think they'd start by trying to appeal to a more affluent audience with more disposable income, which means a smarter overall presentation and less bad comedy.

 

That Vince has been promoting wrestling for 40 years and is still having an identity crisis over what it is that he promotes humors me.

[Mr Wrestling X]

It puzzles me why Vince doesn't just create a Parent Company (similar to how he had Titan Sports Inc, as the parent company for WWF and his other ventures like the WBF).

 

WWE would be run as a Wrestling or Sports Entertainment product and not used as a basis to launch Vince's other creative ventures. I'm sure the WWE Board could easily distribute the budget according to each subsidary.

[Strummer]

lack of angles/storyline twists on PPV shows

to me this is a big one. Not that every PPV needs to end in a Russo type swerve but man they just don't seem to know how to pull off a suprising/jaw dropping ending angle anymore. The Nexus angle last summer was pretty close but other than that it's just pedestrian stuff. To me most of this is just who Vince is and that's not going to change. He's been pushing people on size and looks for the most part since 1984. In all honesty he doesn't like to shake up the top of his card unless it's done out of desperation or necessity

 

The WWE since 2006 has kind of felt like a different company because they are doing less shock/gross out TV stuff and overall it has a more relaxed feel to it (which I prefer). The look and setting are beyond stale but again I don't see that changing