Best and Worst Special Guest?

[MartialHorror]

So when Larry the Cable Guy showed up as the special guest on Raw, it seemed like the reactions varied from indifferent to hostile. It made what was already a bit bad segment into something truly awkward and it was a mercy killing when the Rhodes showed up.

The Grumpy Cat wasn't loved either, although the boos could be attributed to the Miz...or how stupid that was...

So who was the worst special guest, either in your opinion or audience reception? Larry the Cable Guy was pretty bad and it was sad that he dragged down Santino with him- whom we know now can't be the bunny. The Grumpy Cat skit actually kind of made me laugh.

For me, the worst involved those two...talk show ladies? I don't remember their names, but they had a stupid skit with Adam Rose. I don't remember if the crowd reacted or not, as any boos would've been drowned out by the sound of me clicking the fast forward button.

You can count guest hosts or whatever, but I can't comment as I wasnt watching wrestling during that time period. As for best...I dunno, Bette White didn't annoy me. Honestly, no one else really stands out. It's awkward being able to tell that most of these guys aren't real wrestling fans.

 

[Charismatic Enigma]

I honestly think they've all been bad in their own unique way. Hoda and Kathie Lee (the two talk show ladies) were absolutely atrocious, but it's hard to say if that was really the worst or not, just because it was so fresh.

The thing is, it doesn't take a scientist to know what wrestling fans want, and/or what appeals to wrestlings fans. So if they want there to even be the slightest chance that the fans aren't going to berate it, than it needs to at least have some cross-over appeal. Fans of wrestling couldn't give two shits about things like The Muppets, Grumpy Cat, Kathie Lee and Hoda, etc.

There have been others that while I could personally care less, guys like Seth Green or Hugh Jackman, at least they were involved enough that there enthusiasm came across as genuine.

The problem is most of them, just come across as painfully shallow product shills, with the celebrity often times not knowing anything at all about WWE.

For the record though, regardless of who the guest host is, I absolutely abhor the whole concept. To me this is just another example of how desperately Vince wants WWE to be considered a mainstream media and entertainment brand, and distance himself from wrestling. I feel like these segments almost always do more damage then good for the brand, even under the best circumstances if the segment gets them media coverage, its not like that converts to viewers, but it does alienate the viewers they have who just want to watch wrestling and not have to sit through insufferable crap that has nothing to do with the show, it's especially bad on a show like last night where things are actually rolling pretty well, and then this buzzkill has to occur in the middle of the show.

Also, for anyone that wants to see a list of all the guest hosts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_WWE_Raw_guest_stars

 

[WarroBODFan]

Speaking as a fan from the UK, and as someone who usually watches back Raw in the morning while it's recording, I rarely even know who the special guest is, so I almost always just fast-forward through the segment.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

There've been a lotta lousy guest hosts on Raw. In the grand scheme of things, Grumpy Cat sounded like it'd be beyond disastrous, but it wasn't that bad. It wasn't great, but at least the kitty was cute.

Believe it or not, a lotta people loved Pee Wee Herman when he was guest host, he actually got a pretty good reaction from the fans, though I coulda done without Big Show dressing up like him.

If I had to pick the worst, I'd might have to go with Al Sharpton. I admit that I'm not a big fan of Al Sharpton, I think he's an opportunistic, self promoting jackal who does what he can to fan the flames of racial unrest. However, he didn't appear out in the arena, I'm not even sure if he was live. I think I remember reading something about his spots backstage being taped, but I can't swear to it.

As far as the best, I'd probably have to go with Hugh Jackman. His appearance was memorable and he genuinely seemed to be having fun out there. He's a good actor, so maybe he was faking it, but I'm doubting it. Jackman's first love as an actor has always been performing in front of live crowds and he seemed genuinely energetic and excited to be out there.

 

[TheICChampion]

Bob Barker was pretty cool as guest host. I'm still wondering if WWE can sink lower than having Kathie Lee and Hoda, though.

 

[The Man of Steel]

Best I'd say, Hugh Jackman. He genuinely loved being there and the fans loved it.

The worst? Everyone else.

 

[Reflection]

Hugh Jackman was great in his promotional for The Wolverine. He punched Dolph Ziggler (if I remember correctly) and that segment worked smoothly, unlike most guest host segments. Then there was this black guy that was more busy doing the play-by-play than worry about the face getting his ass kicked or doing the promotional that he came for. Bret Hart as guest host was also great, that episode came in response against the Monday night wars instigated by TNA. Bret, having a long history with the business, played his part fantastically despite being out of practice.

 

[BigDaddyKewl]

I thought Will Forte and Kristen Wig as Magruber and Vicky were pretty funny. They had some funny vignettes backstage and a hilarious in ring segment with Kozlov. I think it helped that they are professional sketch comics and are used to doing live television on SNL.

 

[Navi]

Hugh Jackman was wonderful and he's a great actor as well. He seemed really into being there, and had a blast. So did the audience.

The worst for me was Snooki.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Hugh Jackman both times was really good. Unlike most of the other guests who were incredibly annoying you could tell he wanted to be there to be a part of a wrestling show, even if his appearances still did also promote his movie roles. Shaq was good. Same reason, he WANTED to be there to participate in the promos pertaining to Raw itself. The best guest hosts are the celebrities who happen to be legitimate fans. Some of the other ones have been entertaining, but it depends in some cases on your fandom of said character/person. The Muppets were one of my favorites, although that cannot be said for everyone else here. It gave us the classic moment of Sheamus telling Beaker he cannot make it to the reunion though.

When you bring on a guest host who is NOT a legitimate fan of WWE.... This is what you end up with:


Jeremy Piven: When you guys go back to LA, your home turf.... and, um, if you LOSE.... We will BAN you.... From the Summerfest.

John Cena: He'll be banned from SUMMERSLAM is what you're saying....?

Jeremy Piven: And Summerfest too, whatever that is!


Then we have Ozzy (who I am a fan of, but still found it hilarious) calling Evan Bourne "Evan Brawn" and that racecar driver booking a match for someone named "Kofi Johnston". Sometimes these mishaps are funny, but some like Piven's reveal the issue at hand, they aren't even wrestling fans. They are just there for WWE to attempt to get the ratings up in return for the celebrity to promote their next project/film/book/whatever.

The worst for me was Al Sharpton. What in the hell was WWE thinking when they decided to invite him to guest host? The fans legit boo'ed loudly when Jericho announced Sharpton as that week's guest. Luckilly all we had to endure was some segment, but it was still horrible. Bob Barker also ranks very low for me, mainly due to my dislike of him in general. I highly doubt he was there for the same reasons as guys like Shaq or Jackman. Betty White was bad too. Ugh.... So many awful guest hosts. At least they no longer get to book all the matches for that week. I loathed the Guest Hosts as GM concept. Random appearances to help with ratings and/or promote their movies/books/projects is so much more tolerable.

 

[ColeMc]

Kathy Lee and Hoda was the worst, the absolute worst thing I've ever seen in a segment. The best, I liked David Arquette and he is a true wrestling fan.

 

[DCLXVI]

Agreed about Hugh Jackman being the best in recent memory and not painful to watch. He was into it and it didn't come off bad. Never saw the Kathee Lee/Hoda deal but my roommate told me it was bad and I didn't care to watch.

 

[rbv13]

I remember watching in a crowded bar when the Muppets appeared on RAW. The a majority of the crowd knew I was responsible for the show being turned on and I felt all of these eyes on me as if questioning why I would have this shit on. It was one of the lowest moments I've felt as a fan. I personally got why they were there but to these others watching it made wrestling look all that more pathetic. Then something strange happened. People started laughing, in a positive way. The Muppets became a major hit with these non fans. I was very surprised by the moment.

 

[MizMark11]

As for best, or at least the ones I enjoyed the most, I have a few:

- As others said, I think Hugh Jackman did a great job because it looked like he enjoyed himself and actually got involved in it.

- I know he wasn't a host, but I did enjoy when Clay Matthews' appeared on Smackdown as a referee to make the count for Edge vs Dolph. It was just kind of a cool moment for sure.

- Arnold Schwarzenegger and Joe Manganiello didn't do much, but I thought there segment was kind of decent

As for the terrible ones:

- The Three Stooges were awful

- The A-Team was awful

- The cast of Hot Tub Time Machine was awful

- The cast of MacGruber was awful

- Kathie Lee and Hoda were awful

 

[Christian Faith]

As a UK viewer i rarely know who the guests are so I usually fast forward.

Hugh Jackman however came across as a genuine fan and looked as though he was truly enjoying himself.

 

[LuckyLouie]

I think if anyone comes in that is not a fan of wrestling or the WWE always turns out completely horrible. All the last guests on RAW made me want to shoot my TV. It was a waste of time and money.
If they are going to make a guest host, make them do something for wrestling.
How is a cat a host, if you cant even talk.
My main issue with the whole guest host is that they dont do ANYTHING. The cat just sat. Larry had a moment. The view ladies were a horrible time waste. THe house wife was stupid, just not something as a fan of wrestling I want to see. I want someone who knows where they are, and who is around them. I dont want to see the view on wrestling. While I get the idea to attract new viewers, its not done well. If these people will take some crazy bumps like Kane used to do to the guy from baseball. Hitting him over the head with a guitar, do that. Hit snooki with a guitar. Or have Big Show KO her, shes used to that. That would be somewhat relevant to wrestling and somewhat funny.

The best host that I can remember was Daniel Brian, even though it wasnt anything great.

 

[ChaoticMind33]

It's been awhile since we have seen him but Pete rose is among the worst guests. Kane did not like him one bit.