Post by theinternetinsider on Feb 17, 2011 18:37:37 GMT -4
(Culled From The Pages of "The Wrestler" By The One And Only Internet Insider)
WWE has received plenty of praise over the past year or so for its most ambitious youth movement in more than a decade, and rightfully so.
Several fresh faces have received the kinds of pushes that would've been considered nearly unthinkable just a couple years ago. The Miz, Sheamus, and Jack Swagger have all won world titles. Wade Barrett and his fellow Nexus members became the focal point of the Raw brand. And several others, including Drew McIntyre, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase Jr., and Alberto Del Rio, have been prominently featured on WWE television.
But what do all these names have in common? All are wrestling villains.
The fact is that while WWE may deserve an "A" for rejuvenating its roster over the past year, it gets a "D" when it come to doing one of the most important things a wrestling company can do: create heroes.
Now, you may be thinking I deliberately mentioned only WWE heels to make my point, while excluding babyfaces that have been similarly introduced and/or elevated this year. But that's not the case.
Its true WWE has tried creating a few wrestling good guys over the past year (Ezekiel Jackson, Kaval, and Daniel Bryan come to mind) but clearly none has reached the heights of their rulebreaking counterparts. With his decade-plus experience as the king of the independents, Bryan has, not surprisingly, come the farthest. But even he seems a long way from a sustained main event push, much less a world title run. Coming off his number one contender ladder match victory against Sheamus at TLC, John Morrison seems ready to break out as a near top-level babyface. But Morrison's rise was hardly overnight. He joined WWE nine years ago.
If I didn't know any better, I'd say WWE has forgotten how to push a babyface. The dearth of likable protagonists in WWE's product is nothing short of alarming. After the handful of established, veteran babyfaces: John Cena (who still gets booed by a sizable percentage of the audience), Rey Mysterio Jr., and The Undertaker, the pool of heroes in WWE is quite shallow.
While they remain at the top of the cards, Randy Orton and Edge have failed to truly connect with fans as "good guys," in part because they don't act the part. Imagine if Hulk Hogan or Sting at the peak of their babyface runs threatened to punt kick their own grandmothers, or kidnapped and tortured their arch-rivals' fathers. Indeed, neither Orton nor Edge ever truly "turned"- renouncing their rulebreaking pasts and embracing paths of righteousness. Rather, they just started wrestling other heels.
Ironically, WWE's inability to create heroes comes at the same time that the company embraces a family-friendly approach that would seem ideally suited for honorable, upstanding good guys.
But for all the banning of blood flow and four letter words, in some ways WWE remains stuck in the Attitude Era of 10 years ago. Even today, with so many children filling up the arenas and raiding the concession stands, WWE still shies away from what it considers the "goody two-shoes" leading man. Instead, we continue to get variations of the anti-hero that is designed to appeal to fans not by doing what's right, but by doing what's "cool."
WWE's announce team has only worsened matters. With lead play-by-play man Michael Cole now cheering on the heels, and denigrating the babyfaces, there is no credible voice of the fans calling the action and pointing out the obvious. Obvious things like The Miz is a weasel for challenging Randy Orton for the WWE Heavyweight Title after he was just attacked by seven men and successfully defended his title and that John Cena's choice in refereeing the WWE title match at Survivor Series was obvious all along because you're supposed to "do the right thing, even if it costs you your job."
Might that be the problem? Could it be that WWE has simply lost sight of right from wrong? Not to be too psychoanalytical, but its troubling that WWE could so effortlessly craft one loathsome, morally bankrupt character after another, but has such a hard time writing a virtuous one.
More likely, WWE is simply gun-shy about making a wrestler too wholesome, and in doing so creating a similar backlash to that which Cena has received from the many fans who prefer to cheer an edgier wrestling hero.
WWE should stop trying to be all things to all people. Regardless of whether some fans disapprove, WWE has chosen to go the PG route, and it shouldn't second-guess itself. WWE may have lost the kinds of fans who like their heroes to drink beer, swear, and beat up on women, but it can gain many more fans- and their merchandise buying parents- by having their heroes actually promote good values.
Cena is the perfect example. Since inheriting the position of WWE's lead good guy, we've seen WWE try different things with his character, and the varying results. He's been at his groan-inducing worst when he's quipped about, "deez nuts" and "poopy," and at his best by far when he's been WWE's moral compass, promoting "hustle, loyalty, and respect."
That's not to say that all of WWE protagonists have to be as outwardly noble as Cena. But doing the right thing and being hip should not be mutually exclusive. From Die Hard's John McClane to 24's Jack Bauer, countless pop culture heroes have displayed the kind of badass heroism that everyone can admire. But WWE should not shy away from creating characters that stand up for what's right, and rewarding those characters with sustained, main-event pushes.
At the end of the day pro wrestling is supposed to be a morality play of good vs. evil. Not evil vs. slightly less evil.
WWE has received plenty of praise over the past year or so for its most ambitious youth movement in more than a decade, and rightfully so.
Several fresh faces have received the kinds of pushes that would've been considered nearly unthinkable just a couple years ago. The Miz, Sheamus, and Jack Swagger have all won world titles. Wade Barrett and his fellow Nexus members became the focal point of the Raw brand. And several others, including Drew McIntyre, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase Jr., and Alberto Del Rio, have been prominently featured on WWE television.
But what do all these names have in common? All are wrestling villains.
The fact is that while WWE may deserve an "A" for rejuvenating its roster over the past year, it gets a "D" when it come to doing one of the most important things a wrestling company can do: create heroes.
Now, you may be thinking I deliberately mentioned only WWE heels to make my point, while excluding babyfaces that have been similarly introduced and/or elevated this year. But that's not the case.
Its true WWE has tried creating a few wrestling good guys over the past year (Ezekiel Jackson, Kaval, and Daniel Bryan come to mind) but clearly none has reached the heights of their rulebreaking counterparts. With his decade-plus experience as the king of the independents, Bryan has, not surprisingly, come the farthest. But even he seems a long way from a sustained main event push, much less a world title run. Coming off his number one contender ladder match victory against Sheamus at TLC, John Morrison seems ready to break out as a near top-level babyface. But Morrison's rise was hardly overnight. He joined WWE nine years ago.
If I didn't know any better, I'd say WWE has forgotten how to push a babyface. The dearth of likable protagonists in WWE's product is nothing short of alarming. After the handful of established, veteran babyfaces: John Cena (who still gets booed by a sizable percentage of the audience), Rey Mysterio Jr., and The Undertaker, the pool of heroes in WWE is quite shallow.
While they remain at the top of the cards, Randy Orton and Edge have failed to truly connect with fans as "good guys," in part because they don't act the part. Imagine if Hulk Hogan or Sting at the peak of their babyface runs threatened to punt kick their own grandmothers, or kidnapped and tortured their arch-rivals' fathers. Indeed, neither Orton nor Edge ever truly "turned"- renouncing their rulebreaking pasts and embracing paths of righteousness. Rather, they just started wrestling other heels.
Ironically, WWE's inability to create heroes comes at the same time that the company embraces a family-friendly approach that would seem ideally suited for honorable, upstanding good guys.
But for all the banning of blood flow and four letter words, in some ways WWE remains stuck in the Attitude Era of 10 years ago. Even today, with so many children filling up the arenas and raiding the concession stands, WWE still shies away from what it considers the "goody two-shoes" leading man. Instead, we continue to get variations of the anti-hero that is designed to appeal to fans not by doing what's right, but by doing what's "cool."
WWE's announce team has only worsened matters. With lead play-by-play man Michael Cole now cheering on the heels, and denigrating the babyfaces, there is no credible voice of the fans calling the action and pointing out the obvious. Obvious things like The Miz is a weasel for challenging Randy Orton for the WWE Heavyweight Title after he was just attacked by seven men and successfully defended his title and that John Cena's choice in refereeing the WWE title match at Survivor Series was obvious all along because you're supposed to "do the right thing, even if it costs you your job."
Might that be the problem? Could it be that WWE has simply lost sight of right from wrong? Not to be too psychoanalytical, but its troubling that WWE could so effortlessly craft one loathsome, morally bankrupt character after another, but has such a hard time writing a virtuous one.
More likely, WWE is simply gun-shy about making a wrestler too wholesome, and in doing so creating a similar backlash to that which Cena has received from the many fans who prefer to cheer an edgier wrestling hero.
WWE should stop trying to be all things to all people. Regardless of whether some fans disapprove, WWE has chosen to go the PG route, and it shouldn't second-guess itself. WWE may have lost the kinds of fans who like their heroes to drink beer, swear, and beat up on women, but it can gain many more fans- and their merchandise buying parents- by having their heroes actually promote good values.
Cena is the perfect example. Since inheriting the position of WWE's lead good guy, we've seen WWE try different things with his character, and the varying results. He's been at his groan-inducing worst when he's quipped about, "deez nuts" and "poopy," and at his best by far when he's been WWE's moral compass, promoting "hustle, loyalty, and respect."
That's not to say that all of WWE protagonists have to be as outwardly noble as Cena. But doing the right thing and being hip should not be mutually exclusive. From Die Hard's John McClane to 24's Jack Bauer, countless pop culture heroes have displayed the kind of badass heroism that everyone can admire. But WWE should not shy away from creating characters that stand up for what's right, and rewarding those characters with sustained, main-event pushes.
At the end of the day pro wrestling is supposed to be a morality play of good vs. evil. Not evil vs. slightly less evil.
