Something Positive

Although this may register as a Sunday article, it's still Saturday night here, and so, today's segment will be called "Stolen Saturdays" in which I will steal (and credit) what I feel is a noteworthy article from another source.

Today's stolen article comes from the nationally-known MIT Comparative Media Studies program (pro wrestling as a class; I'm jealous, too). It's written in a more positive light than our usual stuff, and basically says that the WWE is doing its job the right way, despite what could be said regarding their handling of characters and story lines.

I tend to agree with this article to some extent, and I believe that my opinion is grounded in my status as a mark-leaning smark. That is, I enjoy pro wrestling despite knowing that it is staged, but attempt to suspend my disbelief during any show, temporarily assuming mark status. Even though I don't always agree with individual upper-level decisions, I continue to watch each week because the WWE has established and extended a connection with the audience (me). It's doesn't matter whether I like or agree with what they're doing with the cards they have; if I'm watching, they've already done their job. That's what the following article is saying:

I've been a wrestling fan for many years and have followed different organizations for quite a while, still keeping up with it to this day. One of the things that I've realized over time is that so many people view professional wrestling as an art form. To an outsider, that might be difficult to fully understand - especially if said outsider was flipping channels and wound up watching a fast-paced, lights out tables, ladders, and chairs match. There are many different styles and types of wrestling, and it's hard to say that Hulk Hogan, Lou Thesz, and Jeff Hardy are even doing the same thing. It's sometimes difficult to make a case for this profession being an art form when you're watching guys doing a million different things and landing into ladders (while wondering why, of course), but I don't think it takes away from what "the business" is.

I truly believe that the single most important thing when it comes to a pro wrestling company being a success is a connection to the audience. If you can't draw in a fan emotionally, you won't be nearly as successful as someone who does. Some will put athleticism before storytelling and charisma, but that's a personal preference. From what I've seen over the years, the stories drive the actions, not the other way around. That's why wrestlers like The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, and others become so popular; it isn't through their wrestling entirely, it's through their in-ring promos and the way they trash talk their opponents and draw the fans into what they want to see when they tune in each week.

Is it really that much different from watching Rocky movies, where you know that Rocky wins every single time? Not to me it isn't, and I've seen those movies so many times I've lost count. You don't walk into a movie theater expecting to see "real" sports movies - you go for a break from your everyday world by watching actors draw you in emotionally to what they're doing. It's the exact same thing for pro wrestlers, who also try to use emotion to draw in their audience. Pro wrestlers are athletes, performers, entertainers, and actors wrapped up in one. It hasn't always been that way, especially in the beginning when the major promotions were just getting started. But by and large, this is what it is today - and considering the huge international market and demand for the product, I'd say they're doing a pretty good job.

Just to recap the segments so you all know what to expect:
Friday-WWE Legend, SMACKDOWN results
Saturday-Stolen article, Top 5 of something
Sunday-RAW preview, UFC spotlight
Monday-RAW results
Tuesday-UFC card updates, question from the readers
Wednesday-ECW recap
Thursday-SMACKDOWN preview

Of course, this routine will be supplemented with PPV previews and results as the shows arrive. I can promise you that on Sunday, I'll be way too busy breaking down UFC 71 results to predict anything about RAW.