Save Us

I hated wrestling the first time I tried watching it.
It's hard to believe that this could be true, but it definitely is. I knew what wrestling was, but I had never actually seen it (hey--I didn't have cable TV). I'm not sure whether it was seeing big brawny men hitting each other (err...performing choreographed moves) or strange looking characters talking about stuff I had no idea about, it just wasn't appealing. With that said, I totally understand how people feel when they attempt to watch wrestling for the first time--especially now.
As a dedicated fan I intend on standing behind what I enjoy, even if the quality can be somewhat lackluster at times. And I'm pretty sure that WWE is quite aware of the quality problem.

This week during Raw, a "cryptic" video appeared featuring a graphic saying "Save_Us.222". If watched in slow motion it's possible to pick out references that would make it seem as though the video pertains to Chris Jericho (a popular wrestler who took a few years off to tour with his band and write a book).

It's a known fact that WWE enjoys parodies and poking fun at situations, so why not make fun of themselves. The Creative Team knows that something needs to be done in order to gain new fans and especially to keep the current ones. Of course it will take more than bringing back a familiar face, but at least there's some effort being made to "save us".

The "F Word"...Fake That Is

The term sports-entertainment was coined in order to give a fresher feel to the evolving product of professional wrestling. By creating this new definition it was hoped that a wider audience would become interested. As a fan, it really doesn't matter what it's called--it's all the same to me.

From what I've seen, those who strictly believe that wrestling is FAKE tend to think that sports-entertainment is a more suitable term for it. However, the argument is still present that it shouldn't even be classified as a sport at all.

If you've ever actually watched a wrestling match you would know that it isn't simply two muscle builders rolling around in skimpy outfits. Strength, balance, and agility are necessary in order to put on the best possible match. Athleticism is required to pull off many of the most entertaining moves, as well as a lot of practice. With that said, I see it fit to compare wrestling to something as basic as gymnastics. It takes time and plenty of practice to perfect the various types of flips that gymnasts perform, so it is no different for wrestlers. They should be considered athletes.

The "fakeness" obviously doesn't come from the wrestlers not being good athletes, but from one of the following points: 1) The predetermined outcomes of the matches or 2) the choreography in many of the moves performed by the wrestlers. Two concepts which I have no problem standing behind.

I'm certainly not the naïve type of fan that proclaims to the world that wrestling is real, nor would I ever flat out say it is fake. The best way to describe it would be that it is staged, with real injuries.

20 Years Later

People often tell me that they were once wrestling fans, a statement I usually question. Wrestling fans are very passionate so I always find it hard to believe that someone could just fall away from something that keeps evolving. It happens to be the fact that it has changed that has caused the majority of those people to turn their backs on wrestling. I think it might just be an excuse! All forms of sports and entertainment need to change as time passes. Without a doubt professional sports such as hockey and football have undergone modifications, so why can't wrestling change too?
I won't deny that certain aspects of professional wrestling have changed, but some things never change.

This year marked the 20th anniversary of Wrestlemania 3, the event which still holds the world record for the largest indoor attendance for a sporting event. 93,173 fans packed the Pontiac Silverdome on March 31, 1987. This was at a time when Vince McMahon's (then) World Wrestling Federation was at it's peak, so there's no reason why such an event wouldn't draw like it did. 20 years ago there were still "babyfaces" (the good guys) and "heels" (the bad guys). Fans erupted with cheers when the babyface made their way down to the ring, and booed their hearts out when the heel did the same. This is simply one of the main components of professional wrestling that will never change.

In order to celebrate the anniversary of Wrestlemania 3, WWE held Wrestlemania 23 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Just as it was expected a record number of fans packed that venue just as they had 20 years earlier at the Silverdome. 80,103 fans were a part of the biggest show of the year. It was astounding to see this many people in one place. Yes, I was there! I have watched Wrestlemania 3 enough times to know that what I witnessed for my own eyes was just as comparable. Many of today's fans wouldn't be interested in the type of show that was put on in 1987. Fans thrive for the most extravagant entrances, death-defying moves, and overall shock value--something we definitely received at Wrestlemania 23.

The important thing to remember is that at a time when "critics" claim that wrestling just isn't the same anymore, vast numbers of fans are still willing to fill the seats at shows. The individuals responsible for putting the shows together need to please the fans, so the product needs to change in order to accomodate their changing preferences. So, for all of those people who claim that wrestling isn't very "good" anymore, it might just be that they haven't been willing enough to update their own tastes.

--Photos borrowed from WWE.com

A Course Dedicated to Professional Wrestling? No Way!

Today I stumbled upon something I never thought I would find: a course dedicated to professional wrestling! MIT offers a program entitled Comparative Media Studies in which last year a course was offered called Topics in Comparative Media Studies: American Professional Wrestling.

I was excited about this discovery because it shows that professional wrestling, a topic that holds such a stigma, can be taken seriously enough for a certified post-secondary institution to grant its students credit for learning about it. Out of all of the potential topics regarding the media, professional wrestling certainly holds enough of an influence to be a prime candidate for discussion.

As a wrestling fan I was very intrigued to find out exactly what would be taught in a course about wrestling to a class of university students. The introductory blog posting mentions that the course examines the evolution of pro wrestling style and promotion and "how shifts in wrestling characters demonstrate changes in the depiction of American masculinity". Wrestling style and the characters wrestlers portray are undoubtedly the main aspects of the industry, or at least that is what the typical bystander tends to see. This leads me to question whether or not someone who has never been a fan of professional wrestling can be successful in a class dedicated to it. There is a lot about the industry that those who aren't fans would not have a clue about, yet actual fans would think that same information is mere common knowledge.

I believe that it would be beneficial for students to take the class, even if they aren't fans. Sure, fans would already be familiar with many of the topics and would probably have an advantage, but for those who were never fans, it would be an exciting learning opportunity. The world of professional wrestling has a lot to offer, it just takes some time to gain an understanding of why it appeals to millions of people around the world.

So, What's Your Guilty Pleasure?

Everyone has that one television show, song, or hobby that they just can’t get enough of. It’s often hard to explain to friends and family members that you can’t leave the house on a certain night for fear that you will miss something important . Or even worse, you need to listen to the same song every single time it comes on the radio much to the dismay of the other passengers in the car who are ready to rip out the stereo—or maybe their eardrums. Life would be inadequate if we didn't have something to be passionate about and rely on to bring at least a little happiness after a long day.

For myself, sports-entertainment seems to be my guiltiest pleasure and it has been for the past 8 years. Whenever I let that little secret out I am generally bombarded with the same kinds of responses over and over again. "Yeah, right" followed by "you're a girl" and "aren't you a little old for that?" are the most frequent comments I receive. However, the funniest and yet most popular reaction I get is the "don't you know that stuff is fake" response. After being such a die-hard fan for nearly a decade I'm pretty sure I know and fully understand what's behind sports-entertainment and how the industry works. What I don't quite understand is how something that so many people around the world love can still garner such a lack of respect.

There is a lot of information regarding my guilty pleasure that the majority of people (those who aren't fans of course) don't know or don't care to know and that is what I believe has lead to most of the negativity. Over the next several weeks I hope to shed a light on the subject of sports-entertainment for all of those people who are in the dark when it comes to the phenomenon of professional wrestling.