funkdoc Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 3 hours ago, Loss said: Literally every take I've seen (probably 3 dozen or so at this point) is, "I don't really care for Danhausen but he has a following" type stuff. I have yet to see anyone actually saying they like Danhausen. Not sure what that's about. Age, i bet. My wrestling circles these days are basically all people in their 20s & 30s who mainly hang out on Discord, and almost every one of them loooooooooooves Danhausen. Virtually his entire audience is ~the demo~, to put it another way. His stuff really lands for the kind of people immersed in Twitch & similar subcultures, which i suspect doesn't describe a lot of the people on this board or their friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 I wasn't even referring to this board. That sentiment ("He's not my type of wrestler, but good for him") was common enough that Veda Scott even tweeted that it's not really necessary for everyone to say that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkdoc Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 1 minute ago, Loss said: I wasn't even referring to this board. That sentiment ("He's not my type of wrestler, but good for him") was common enough that Veda Scott even tweeted that it's not really necessary for everyone to say that. Fair, but i still think that reflects a generation gap or maybe a cultural gap. Another part of this, i think, might be a different kind of divide from what i mentioned above. Something i see nowadays that i haven't to the same extent before is how important it is to be relatable. Honestly that might be the single most important quality in entertaining younger audiences now, and i've seen arguments between people my age and younger fans over this just in wrestling. Danhausen has that going for him due to the "wholesome dork" factor i talked about earlier - he's "one of us" trying to convince himself he's the spawn of the devil, and there's a really strong charm in that for people of a certain mindset. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 Never saw Danhausen, don't have the slightest idea of whom he is. But two important things happened when he showed up : 1/ crowd popped pretty big and chanted his name. 2/ announcers popped and recognized him and made him seem like he was someone. So, going by perception only, I was like : ok, I have no idea who this guy is, but he must be someone, cool. On the other hand, I have no idea why Private Party are the n°1 contender when they haven't been on TV for ever. I know it's probably Dark, but the idea that packing victories against JTTS makes you n°1 contender is pretty ridiculous to me. That's the random WCW charm aspect of AEW I guess. I also have no idea why Britt Baker cuts a (entertaining, although all the sports ref flew high over my head obviously) long-ass promo about nothing and no angle nor new feud comes out of it. No idea why Mox & Danielson weren't around on Beach Break. I did enjoy Cody & Sammy having a ridiculously brutal and spectacular ladder match and Cole & Orange having a slow-burn garbage match. Leila & Velvet was also a cool little match, I enjoy those two. When is Vickie's contract getting to its end ? I mean, really now... MJF vs Punk is certainly a super hot angle. Match should deliver. Pretty intrigued about the finish of that one too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clayton Jones Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 Danhausen was good in a limited role in AIW in the Production before he fully developed this gimmick, for whatever that's worth. I agree with the sentiment that he's at least a decent pro wrestler underneath the media machine he's created. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NintendoLogic Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 I don't understand what's so hard to get about Danhausen's character. The monster with a heart of gold is a centuries-old cultural trope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted January 28, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 But he doesn't look like a monster, he looks like a dressed up clown (this sounds harsher than intended, but you get what I mean) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 Technically, both he and Cassidy are trickster archetypes, no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 29 minutes ago, MoS said: But he doesn't look like a monster, he looks like a dressed up clown Nothing is creepier and scarier than a dressed up clown though. Wardlow looks like a meathead who does a lot of push ups and lifts heavy, not a monster. A clown scares the fuck out of children, adults and any reasonable human being. Dressed up clowns are the most traumatic monsters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KawadaSmile Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 he reminds me of those pazuzu inserts in the exorcist. i guess the idea IS to take something conceptually evil or creepy and then twist it by making it look goofy or pathetic, then. sounds fun. not sure about that "tequila" spot tho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted January 28, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 29 minutes ago, Matt D said: Technically, both he and Cassidy are trickster archetypes, no? Cassidy def is a trickster. Danhausen reminds me of a vetal who, in a twist, is actually good and wise, a popular trope in Indian folklore - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vetala (Also they are not even remotely close to being comparable to vampires, what the fuck wikipedia) Like I can imagine him sitting on the back of a king (Hangman or Britt in this context I guess) and narrating stories which ultimately give a crucial worldly lesson. Not sure how that can be utilised on a national wrestling show exactly, but let's see. I am willing to give it a chance definitely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted January 28, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 23 minutes ago, El-P said: Nothing is creepier and scarier than a dressed up clown though. Wardlow looks like a meathead who does a lot of push ups and lifts heavy, not a monster. A clown scares the fuck out of children, adults and any reasonable human being. Dressed up clowns are the most traumatic monsters. Yeah but that's more of a psycho trope, like Doink. That's not remotely Danhausen though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NintendoLogic Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 I think Danhausen's aesthetic is supposed to be reminiscent of King Diamond or a black metal band, so it definitely has demonic overtones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 Anyway, it's like anything else... John Silver has a ceiling. If he's pushed and protected to a certain degree, he can be used effectively for certain things. Cassidy has a ceiling. Danhausen has one too. I'm interested in seeing him interact with Billy Gunn on webshows and drive Austin and Colton crazy. I'm not particularly interested in seeing him interact with Sammy or Wardlow or Malakai Black. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted January 28, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 7 hours ago, El-P said: I did enjoy Cody & Sammy having a ridiculously brutal and spectacular ladder match and Cole & Orange having a slow-burn garbage match. Agree about the former, disagree about the latter. There was no burn in the match at all. Just a bunch of rather weak spots without much brutality or meat. As far as iconic spots in crazy spotfests go, that Sammy cutter to Cody from one ladder to another will definitely go down as one of the most iconic ones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 2 minutes ago, MoS said: As far as iconic spots in crazy spotfests go, that Sammy cutter to Cody from one ladder to another will definitely go down as one of the most iconic ones Agreed. They should replay that shit endlessly and make it a staple, cult moment of the promotion for the ages. I replayed it quite a few times. In AWE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMJ Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 In interviews, Danhausen has been pretty clear how much he's influenced by comedy (The Simpsons) and horror and I feel like that's very apparent. Intentional or not, I see him as a bit like Gru from the Despicable Me/Minions franchise in the way he's "evil" but its so obvious to everyone but him that he isn't actually really evil. The act is also reminiscent of the "Simon" character that Kevin McDonald did on Kids in the Hall (google "Simon and Hecubus"), which, considering Danhausen's adoration of Simpsons and Conan and all the "evil" talk, I'm guessing he's very much aware of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clayton Jones Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 DMJ absolutely nailed it and I love that KitH reference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 Ditto. I can get behind a Simon and Hecubus rehash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 Not only have I never seen Danhauser, but I have none of those ref either. So, if I ever get that guy (no idea), everyone can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NintendoLogic Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 "Danhausen, have you seen the movie Presumed Innocent?" "Yes I have, and his wife killed her." "But Danhausen, I haven't seen the movie yet! Evil!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 Danhausen spoiling the Wordle each morning would be the hottest heel in the country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alucard Posted January 29, 2022 Report Share Posted January 29, 2022 Meltzer went 5 stars for Cody/Sammy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse Ewiak Posted January 29, 2022 Report Share Posted January 29, 2022 1 hour ago, Alucard said: Meltzer went 5 stars for Cody/Sammy I agree - based on what I've heard, it sounds like a spotty 3 1/2 star match on the old Metlzer scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted January 29, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2022 Oh no, even by old Meltz standards this would have got at least 4.25. He's always loved such matches and there also was enough wrestling in it for 2001 Dave to rate it 4.5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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