First off, big up to Steve Corino for hooking up with Tha "O" Show for our first ever interview. The "King of Old School" was on the phone from Philadelphia with Big Daddy Donnie and I this past Wednesday and provided a candid interview that will be up on Tha "O" Show really soon.
Now, speaking of "old school", I like to think of myself as a "back in the day connoisseur" of sorts. For example, I'd still much rather have a classic song on vinyl record than I would have it downloaded on my iPod (I actually don't even own an iPod!). In keeping with my old-schoolness, I also prefer my wrestling to APPEAR as if it isn't fake.
Isn't that supposed to be the appeal of professional wrestling? To have the allusion that what we're watching is "real" and get wrapped up in a "believable" story? This is what is SUPPOSED to set professional wrestling apart from every other genre of entertainment in the world.
Now, since WWE pretty much threw in the towel and admitted everything was a work since Survivor Series 1997 (due to the infamous Bret Hart/Vince McMahon affair), they have simply taken it too far. They seem to jump from kayfabe to shoot depending on the medium used to convey its information. The most recent example of this, that's pissing me off, is the entire DX/McMahons feud.
On television, of course, Triple H (along with Shawn Michaels) is embroiled in a heated battle with the McMahon family. He's gone so far as to drop a ton of shit on both his bosses and the Spirit Squad on a recent episode of "Raw". On the last edition of "Raw", HBK explained that Stephanie McMahon was in labour and that the McMahons were in the hospital with her. Triple H, he explained, was also in the same hospital as he seemed to have some sort of idea as to who the father of Steph's baby was. This, of course, was met with laughter by the crowd.
WWE.com, however, posted the following on July 24th:
Stephanie McMahon and her husband Triple H welcomed their new daughter, Aurora Rose Levesque, into the world. Aurora weighs 8lbs 7oz. Both mother and daughter are doing fine. WWE congratulates the entire McMahon family.
Am I alone in this? Is it just me or this screwed up? Why is it that on WWE TV, Hunter and Vince are enemies but on WWE.com, they're family. The wrestling fan in me wants Vince to come out on "Raw" this coming Monday pissed off all to hell that Stephanie has been bangin' Triple H behind his back for years...assuming that they were still divorced.
As far as I'm concerned, WWE needs to decide how to convey information to its audience in a CONSISTENT manner to uphold the integrity of the wrestling product. That's the old school way of thinking. Never break character. Pro wrestling should maintain the code of the magician, to some degree, and never reveal its tricks...so to speak.
We all know that Hunter, excuse me, Paul Levesque, is married to Stephanie McMahon. But if you haven't made it part of your product...as in storylines on WWE TV, don't reveal the truth on your website!
What's next? The opening of "Raw" having credits similar to that of a sitcom or dramatic series?? How wack would it be if the show opened with "Starring Glen Jacobs as Kane, Michael Hickenbottom as Shawn Michaels and special guest Terry Gene Bollea as Hulk Hogan!". Seriously, everyone knows that would suck ass.
I once saw a documentary that praised professional wrestling as a genre of entertainment that created real life superheroes. Hulk Hogan actually exists while Superman really doesn't, it argued. If you met Christopher Reeve when he was alive and you asked him for an autograph, he'd sign it "Christopher Reeve". I have the Hulkster's autograph...it reads "Hulk Hogan". That's professional wrestling...are heroes are real! Why else do WWE superstars STILL use their monikers when starring in movies?
The Rock is still The Rock in his film credits...not Dwayne Johnson. Triple H was credited as Triple H (not Paul Levesque) when he starred in Blade:Trinity. And so on and so on...
WWE.com revealing that Triple H and Stephanie McMahon are married and proud new parents...but having Hunter and Vince feud on television as if none of this is going on is plain stupid. More importantly, it diminishes the entertainment value of the product.
If it's an on-camera work, keep it that way online too! Old school, all the way baby. To paraphrase a hip-hop cliche, WWE has to "keep it real". Which, of course, means, keep it fake!
7 comments: on "Work or Shoot? Choose One!!"
By all means and purposes, make everything appear as though it were a work. Of course you'll have the smarts like us that can tell the difference on wether or not it's a work or a shoot.
With that said, think back to when Tommy Dreamer was just getting wet behind his ears. He caned Sandman in the eye and then "put" the Sandman's lit cigarette in the other eye. Sandman was out for a month. Didn't go out in public, didn't answer his front door. Oh yeah...feel free to fill in any inconsistentcies Lou E.
Unless they can turn the way it was announced into some sort of angle, wether it be that Triple H was bangin Steph all these years or wether it's the "Aurora Rose on a Pole" Match, they need to keep their mouths shut on it or just not reveal all the fine details.
Like I said...the casual wrestling fan wouldn't know who the father is.
strange how we want to keep wrestling more real, but making it more fake. One of the many unique aspects of the sport/show
Brian Pillman...God bless his soul. I can't wait for the dvd to come out.
Yes...there is a Brian Pillman dvd coming out in the fall.
Are you fucking kidding me? I sure hope you're making a joke to the Jim Cornette shoot that he pulled on CZW or else i'm going to have fun with you come Thursday.
I say briefly: Best! Useful information. Good job guys.
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Hmm I love the idea behind this website, very unique.
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