Doink The Clown & Friends are back & Clowning Around on Raw. Humor or Detriment?

[Ambiguous Turd]

Yep. Doink The Clown is back on Raw. Except this time, he doesn't have the make-up, and he has a new name.

Today, he goes by the name "Santino Marella". But for all intents and purposes, he should be dressed up like a clown, because that is exactly what he is.

But he's also brought his friends with him from "Klowns R Us". You remember "Dink", his little buddy? He's been renamed, too and he's also taken the makeup off. He's called Hornswoggle, and now he's evolved into a little leprechaun.

.....

But the fun doesn't stop there. Remember Wink and Pink? They're back, too. And they are called "Chavo Guerrero" and "Jillian Hall".

Now, I have this poll open to WWE Fans (or critics). But at the same time, I know that some of the "WWE Shareholders" won't resist coming into the thread, as well .... looking to add their two cents. So, if the "Shareholders" come in, my only request to you is to do your best to put your image off to the side, for just a moment, don't think about others .... and provide your OWN opinions.

In other words, we're not looking for "Well, I personally don't find Hornswoggle funny, but the kids do .... so I'm going to vote him as being funny and a positive for the show". I want to know YOUR OWN honest opinions.

Now every one of the four talents mentioned, should all be dressed up in clown suits, all with makeup, making fools out of themselves, give balloons to the audience, and other things that clowns generally do. Being funny, in theory, is one of the key things.

But are they?

Doink (I mean, Santino) and his little buddies are typically never involved in any storylines. Never involved in any matches. But they receive a considerable amount of air time; more specifically "mic time", when that could be going towards other superstars on the undercard to develop their own characters ... and actually get people fired up for potential matches on PPV.

So do you personally enjoy the humor and think it's merited? Or do you think the time dedicated to the Raw Clowns is terribly misplaced and should go towards developing serious talent. OR do you think it's warranted for some of the Clowns, but not others?

Do you find the humor funny? Or is their humor brand of humor more appropriate to be flushed down the toilet? And does it warrant the time it receives in place of developing other talent and letting them speak to get over with the audience?

 

[NSL]

I noticed this myself Monday...It's always these 4 (sometimes with Brie and Nikki joining in), to amuse the hosts. I call them the Court Jesters, but Doink, Dink, Pink, and Wink works just as well.

I have never found Santino funny, and only enjoy seeing him get beat up on. Getting chokeslammed by Big Show was the best thing he's done since......Maybe the run with the IC belt.

Jillian is being wasted, and it's no wonder she sucks in the ring now. When was the last time she had a run of weeks with matches? I'd expect her to be rusty every time she stepped in the ring...

Hornswoggle...There's not much to say, other than, why is he still employed? Isn't there a midget wrestling company somewhere, where he can be taken seriously?

Chavo is getting punished for his brother's sins. I don't know how else to put it. He was always a great wrestler, and showed during his run in ECW that he can still go, but they've taken any chance at pride away from him. I guess for the paycheck, he might as well grin and bear it, but he would be better off anywhere else.

 

[The Doctor]

I actually believe Chavo is good in his role as comedy, as is Santino. Santino is a genuinely funny guy, and Chavo looks to be having fun, despite what people might say.

Hornswoggle and Jillian have run their course. Jillian is not amusing and was just a thinly-veiled Take That at Brooke Hogan, and Hornswoggle is just tired. Maybe his program with Chavo could have been a little funny if handled properly, but it most certainly was not.

 

[BladeRunner]

Santino I find pretty funny sometimes. The rest of them I could care less for, except for Chavo who shouldn't be a clown and should be given a chance to be an actual wrestler.

 

[Viola Moonlight]

My own honest opinion without consideration of anything but myself? Well, I'm not Vince McMahon, but I'll try my damn hardest to do it.

Santino entertains me in his role of being the comedic wrestler and find him quite amusing. The way he wrestles in the ring, both in the selling and offensive mode cracks me up every single time, especially with his trash talking and his punch combo/twist of the hand/end with throat punch type move. He does well enough to make me laugh and I applaud him.

Horny is a hit and miss concept. Sometimes he gets the laughs, other times I don't do anything. Every single time though, I think about how sad it is how they have to use a midget to attempt humour. I just take it as it is and sit there and try my darnest to do what Horny is trying to get me to do.

Chavo is the serious comedic character and it does work well to an extent. I just wished that they used Jamie Noble, someone who hasn't been seen since getting smashed by Sheamus, and before that was about months of "rest time." Chavo is a good wrestler who can work in the upper midcard to elevate some of the talent, imo... where Jaime has no use left but to work comedically.

Jillian is very rusty in the ring, so her character I don't mind at all. She knows how to get cheap heat from the crowd and is the most hated person on the entire diva's roster. They should let her get into the ring more often and allow her to scrap the rust off and become a serious contender. Then, the diva matches on RAW could be interesting. The pops from Melina/Kelly against the heat of Jillian would actually get the division in a better place... imo.

 

[Theo Mays]

I agree with Doc. I love Santino and he usually makes me chuckle whenever he is on TV. Chavo, while he is a joke now, is a great in ring performer and I think he is having fun with the role. He is constantly on TV and people know who he is. And while he is taken as a joke, people know his wrestling history and know what a great performer he once was. I can't stand that little green annoying midget. I just want to punt him into a creek. And Jillian, she is underrated in the ring, but annoying as hell. She go along with Horny on the little trip I'd like to send him on.

 

[Legend_Killer]

Chavo said that he didn't have so much fun since his uncle Eddy died and that he loves to meet guest host and Santino is prety funny I am not a kid but I like to watch them doing something stupid hey if Chavo likes it I like it too

 

[Sean Valjean]

Funny that this thread was started because I just finished watching Raw, and as soon as the "Raw'S got Talent" was announced, I predicted that all four of these guys would be involved somehow; sad that Masters was the only suprise and source of humor in that whole segment.

Now, as of my opinions on these four:

Santino: I think he's a legitimately funny guy, but only when he doesn't try TOO hard. I usually find him funnier when he's just talking and not doing too much, but when he get's too over-the-top (like on Monday) it just falls flat. Tone him down just a tad, and he's fine.

Hornswoggle: I have NEVER been entertained by him. In fact, I hate him. I know that sounds harsh, but I seriously can't stand seeing him; whenever he shows up, I'm like "UGH, REALLY?" On Monday, I thought for the first time, we'd actually get a guest host comedy segment that didn't involve him, but no, he comes out in the end, randomly dressed as Jack Osbourne (Why? Did I miss the joke?). It was completely unnecessary, like him, and although I understand his popularity with kids, he needs to go. Quickly.

Jillian: Her singing gimmick as always been hit or miss with me, though lately it's been full of "miss". It really depends on what she's singing, because if she's singing a song I know or like, it can be funny. But if it's something I've never heard or don't like, it gets annoying VERY quickly. The only time I've ever laughed out loud to her singing was when she sang "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and that was partly due to John Morrison, who was on commentary, singing along. I think her gimmick, or at least the singing part, has gotten old now, because I'm kind of tired of it. If her gimmick really is a shot at Brooke Hogan, she might be around for LONG time thanks to Hulk going to TNA.

Chavo: I don't find him funny at all, or at least this "cartoony" version of him. He's another guy that seems to try too hard to be funny; except he's not really funny to begin with. In his fued with Hornswoggle, he reminded me of Elmer Fudd; except not as entertaining. I think he should cut the crap and go back to being a serious competitor and be in the US title picture.

So out of the four, Santino is the only one I find legitimately funny and the comedy skits are warranted for him. Same for Jillian, but she needs something new. The divas need a good heel though, so she stays. Chavo just needs to drop the comedy act, stay FAR away from Hornswoggle. Hornswoggle just needs to go. Though overall, I wish they didn't spend so much time on four guys who do nothing, and give it to guys like Kofi, Swagger, and Bourne to help develop them more.

 

[The Todd]

I find each one of them to fit the bill perfectly. I don't think each should be used every week, but they should all definitely stay. I find Santino funny and think he should stay in that role for life. He is apparantly a talented wrestler but likes being 'comic relief' on the show, and fair play to him.

I'm a fan of Hornswoggle, and I'm not afraid to admit it. His stuff with Chavo did make me laugh from time to time, and I like what he's doing with DX at the moment.

As for the other two, they are annoying, extremely annoying, which is perfect as whoever shuts them up instantly gets a cheer, which is the whole point. There's a reason Jillian never finishes a song.

If you limit it to just two of them on a show per week, it is fine. If it's all four and it lasts longer than five minutes, then you have a problem.

 

[JGlass]

I have always found Santino to be quite amusing. More importantly, when I watch RAW with someone who doesn't normally watch, they find Santino VERY amusing. If fans can tolerate his antics, then there's no harm in using him to attract people with his silliness. Plus, as of late, he's taken up the least amount of time of the 4 clowns, and is usually involved in something fairly amusing, such as his inability to say Ben Roethlisberger or him playing scrabble with Shaq/Shaque. Nice, short, and fairly funny.

Hornswoggle, on the other hand, sucks. When you reduce Dx, the lawless rebels of RAW, to getting a LEGAL DOCUMENT to get rid of you, you know you suck.

I can never ever remember being amused by Jillian. I heard that when she was in OVW she was actually a very good wrestler, but we have never gotten to see that. Bad singing is only funny when the person singing is being serious and thinks they are good. Nobody believes that Jillian Hall thinks she's a good singer. The best thing she has going for her are her humongous boobs, but we also have Melina for that, and Melina is a lot hotter than Jillian.

Finally we have Chavo, who has been all over the place in his WWE career. He's been a cruiser weight champ, a tag champ with one of the greatest wrestlers ever, and even an ECW champ, defeating the likes of CM Punk, a 3 time world champion and someone who has been feuding with the likes of The Undertaker. Unlike is straight-edge friend, however, Chavo is now getting beaten up my a midget. Chavo is a one trick pony, and I'm hoping that if and when the midget goes, he goes too. I feel bad, because I always get the feeling Chavo is giving this business his all, but nobody wants to see him any more, tough luck.

So my verdict? We don't need midget, huge boobs horrible voice, or... well I can't think of anything that's not completely racist for Chavo, but you get my point. Keep one clown, and fire the rest.

 

[Pimpin]

Santino: For me his comedy is mostly always a miss. There's just something about the crap that he does that ain't funny. Of course it doesn't help his cause that the idiotic WWE Creative Team gives him crappy material to work with. I say he should stay for a while to see if any of this crap gets any better.

Hornswoggle: I hate Hornswoggle. He constantly ruins countless of segments & matches. Hell he ruined Chavo vs Evan Bourne for me (that match was really good until Hornswoggle got involved). I'm not gonna go elaborate on his skits with DX, but if you do get "legal documentations" from them, then you are in fact a shit character. My suggestion for Hornswoggle is either stick his ass in a cannon & launch him off somewhere or just punt his ass off of the Grand Canyon. Either way I want his ass gone for good.

Jillian: The singing gimmick has been old for years now & quite honestly i'm tired of it. She's not essentially horrible in the ring, but it's not like she's allowed to showcase those skills. I say keep her around & try to develop her as a serious competitor in the womens division (that's just wishful thinking right there.

Chavo: How long ago was it that Chavo was either a US Title contender on Smackdown or being the ECW Champion? Either way it wasn't that long back & he was delivering some really good matches. I say make him drop the whole comedy crap & just stick him in the US Title picture & let him develop a really good heel character. Anything other than this whole comedy crap for Chavo is better than where he's currently at.

Personally I don't find any of them funny. I say keep Santino cause he could be funny. Let Jillian become a heel diva cause lord knows that the divas division needs more heels & let Chavo be a US Title Contender & keep him away from Hornswoggle. As for Hornswoggle, just get his ass up on out of there & keep him out.

 

[Southwind]

Santino is OK, he used to be much better but his guest host gushing has worn on me he is still acceptable though.

Hornswaggle is an embarrassment, what is accomplished here ? Since Vince can't build new stars why not take away this useless Leprechaun ? And instead have a revolutionary idea, like giving new stars and talent a chance to get in the spotlight and um grow ?

Jillian Hall is awful just plain awful, what does that accomplish nothing it's annoying and sure as heck isn't entertaining next.

Chavo is a much better wrestler than an entertainer, I can't say he is awful because he has such amazing in ring talent. But he's not being properly utilized, as an employer the WWE should be maximizing the abilities of there employees, to put Chavo in this shameful position is nothing short of a failure.

 

[Tyler44]

These segments every week have gotten to a point where it just is an embarrassment to watch. Why do i say this? Because i grew up with this. I grew up with wwe and just killing myself waiting for 9:00 to come because i just wanted to watch it all week. It was one of my favorite moments every week. I was unfortunate to just barely miss the attitude era, but my brothers saw it and i watched it a few times when i was real young and they told me everything and I've seen so much on youtube. So i grew up with Raw, Smack Down on thursday, Velocity, and Sunday Night Heat. I grew up with being able to watch the free ppvs cause i had a cable box that got the channel. But what does all this mean? Well watching this program now and seeing these segments make me feel like shit inside because everything i looked forward to as a kid has turned into this clown circus with wicked bad and boring same old comedy skits. I hate watching it with a passion and it is really just sad to watch.

Why not just stop watching? Well after watching it for about 7 straight years, its hard to just stop. Yes it is like an addiction, but i don't want to say that cause it sounds pretty gay saying that about fake wrestling. Seriously though, I'll ask you this, tell me how easy it is to just stop watching wwe, stop going online and reading information about it, stop going to youtube and seeing old videos, and to stop playing the games that come out every year. It just isn't easy so i feel somewhat forced to watch wwe and then i get the GREAT opportunity to watch Santino and his shitty segments. Really, there are no words i can use to describe this part of the show perfectly, all i got is gay, dumb, stupid, shitty, boring, awful, terrible, and just pointless.

I'm sorry, but i grew up with this, and to watch what it has become is like watching an old person dieing. It's just hard to watch and you feel embarrassed for yourself that you actually are watching it.

 

[Rayquaza2233]

The only one that I find amusing is Santino. His "hulking up" is amusing, I remember the time Masters put him in the Master Lock and he attempted to hulk up. Nearly did, then he passed out. xD As someone said earlier, his arm twist punch or whatever the hell it is is worth a few laughs from time to time. Love the guest host segments, too.

Hornswoggle was better when he was with Finlay, I can't add much more that hasn't been said. Wtf was the point of breaking them up?

Honestly, when Jillian comes on TV, I usually instantly go for a pee break. The only time I found her amusing was when DX put a trash can over her head when they were walking to the ring for their first RAW match this year. That was more due to DX than anything Jillian did.

I feel sorry for Chavo, there isn't much I can add here that hasn't been said already.

 

[shafe_41]

I'll be honest... these 4 goons are funny at times. Hornswoggle gets a little old, but c'mon... it's a little person, that grunts like a small animal, and runs like an elf. It's amusing. Chavo is funny, Jillian still gets great heat for a gimmick she's been doing for over two years now, and Santino... he's pretty much great in everything.

My take on them is this... the WWE obviously has plans for them (except Hornswoggle) in the future because they continue to feature them on Raw, every. single. week. There's a reason for that. Is it for simple comedy gigs? Maybe. But I for one think the E still has plans for Santino to be taken seriously. They're not going to keep this guy around strictly for his comedy chops. Jillian is under-rated A LITTLE BIT as a performer in the ring. She should be feuding with Melina for the Divas title and not Alica Fox who doesn't know the difference between a hiptoss, her ass, and last Tuesday. That baffles me. Chavo... he's Raw's performance jobber. You want him to get his ass beat? He'll do it and sell it like Jamie Noble did with Sheamus on Raw this past week in complete epic fashion. You want Chavo to put on a good match with a mid-carder to get them over? He can do it very well. You want him to sing Ozzy Osbourne songs? He'll do it. Chavo is 152% under-rated in everything he does. It's just a shame he never got a golden gimmick that he could be taken seriously and hold the US Title or IC Title for long periods of time and be featured more prominantly. It's a double shame the poor guy only got his push because of Eddie passing away because Chavo is a great performer.

No matter the uses of these "clowns," it's better than them being future endevoured. They keep their jobs, we get some comedy, and especially with Santino, I believe the E has a serious role for him down the line. I've said it many times. His original gimmick was to be the protege of Kurt Angle. That has to count for something doesn't it?

 

[Tastycles]

I think Santino is funny, or he is quite amusing most of the time. I wouldn't pay to see him do stand up, and it's borderline racism, but you know, it's some well needed comic relief. Chavo can be hit and miss. He is great at woe is me comedy, but sometimes its more whingy than funny. Jillian Hall has long stopped being funny, as far as I am concerned, and watching Hornswoggle makes me question why I'm even watching wrestling, to be honest with you.

Santino deserves semi regular mic time, as does Chavo, who can put on a decent match as well. I'd use Jillian as much as any diva, and maybe let her sing her entrance music, but that's it, nothing else. Hornswoggle, I don't know. I didn't absolutely hate him when he was a manager, so if firing him wasn't an option, I'd go with that, but ideally he just wouldn't be there.

 

[Kanye South]

Santino Marella is hilarious to me. He always provides some excellent humor especially compared to someone like Triple H, who could talk about Big Show's fatassness one second, and the next look like he's constipated. Santino is funny as hell, and is the funniest thing on Raw.

Jillian Hall is horrible. We should all tie her up, gang rape her, brutalize her with a frozen chicken, and then ceremoniously urinate on her semen covered body.

Seriously though, she is a waste of space. From a personal standpoint, she is only big lips and a nice chest, which isn't hard to find these days. From a business standpoint, she doesn't contribute anything to the show. Her face isn't anything special, and it's quite obvious her breasts have more plastic than a Coke bottle warehouse. So flush that bitch.

Chavo became dead to me after his ECW Title run and 'La Familia' stable with Edge. Put him in a stable like that with Carlito or something and maybe I'll be able to watch him without incoherently growling angrily. Keep him though because if he goes, then I won't have anyone to put in jobber matches in General Manager mode on Smackdown Vs. Raw 2008 and 2010.

Hornswoggle. To me, he's occasionally entertaining. Like in his DX segment this past week. I don't care if you keep him or can him, indifferent. I know Sidious is going to drop a testicle when he reads this, but I see no point in complaining about Horny because although he isn't the most entertaining guy, he obviously isn't going anywhere because of the money he brings in. He has the job security of John Cena just because of those green bowl hats.

So to break it down:

Santino-Funny as hell. Keep.
Chavo-Jobber matches on SvR 2010. Keep.
Hornswoggle-Better than Primo. Keep.
Jillian Hall-Fuck her in the ass with a 20 ft. strap on, then flush her.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

Flush all four of them.

Santino is only funny as a heel. His heel antics were hysterical, and I think the role of a heel suits him a lot more than being a face. As a face, he makes me shudder in embarrassment. He tries too hard, and it's forced comedy. As a heel, he flat-out worked. I don't see a change any time soon. It's gotten to the point that when Santino's on, I only pay half attention, because it's depressing that they neutered one of their best characters.

Hornswoggle needs to go. Back when Finlay was a heel and he interfered, he worked. Even when he was a face and he interfered on Finlay's behalf, it was tolerable. But then they went ahead and made a character out of him, and started the antics that we're stuck with every week now. He's useless without Finlay, and Hornswoggle is the Achilles Heel of Raw, usually taking what is a very good episode to mediocrity. I also shudder in embarrassment whenever he's on screen.

Jillian I've never liked, but I give her credit for stretching this gimmick out for as long as she has. She's utter shit in the ring though, and is easily replaceable.

Chavo I like a lot as a wrestler, and as much as I hate to say it, the role as the down on his luck victim of comedic antics is what is keeping his job. He's at the very least on Raw every week, whereas some guys on the roster haven't sniffed television in months. Still though, Chavo was ECW Champion and had a pretty good run as champ. He deserves more.

 

[Futurist]

I think Santino is hilarious. I love how they play up his Italian accent and lost in translation English, like when Cedric the Entertainer was guest host and Santino referred to him as Fredrick the Entertainment. But, I would like to see him in the ring. That doesn't seem to happen anymore. I'd hate to be a pro wrestler and not be utilized for my wrestling abilities and only for backstage segments.

 

[Suneeboy]

I personally don’t find any of them funny, and when their segments start I either walk away, change the channel, or watch like a deer caught in the headlights. If I laugh, I laugh because I find it completely stupid, not because I’m entertained or think its funny. I want to see a wrestling program, but instead I’m given a variety program with these 4 getting a huge amount of time to do nonsense.

I am not embarrassed when I watch it like some people have mentioned, I am just utterly disgusted and annoyed. I watch it and say, “Wow this is so bad.” Which it really is in my opinion. Santino is corny, Chavo looks out of place, Jillian is annoying and can’t wrestle, Hornswaggle just flat out needs to go away now. None of it is funny to me, and none of it is entertaining. The Chris Masters segment? Not funny. Chavo vs. Hornswaggle matches? Not funny. Santino ever since turning face? Not funny. Jillian? Not funny. Guest Host? Not entertaining.

Its just not good television and they are not fun to watch and there is no other way to put it. I’m too old for this shit, I don’t have time to waste on watching nonsense. I work 5 days a week. I’m up 6:30 AM, come home at about 7:00 PM…play with my children, have a conversation, eat dinner, wash, etc, and then on Mondays I sit my ass on the couch and unwind. When I get free time to watch some wrestling I want to be entertained….with RAW and especially these CLOWNS, I am thoroughly, fully and completely not entertained. Sidious great thread again…you always hit the nail on the head and don’t hold any punches about the bullshit that the E has been spewing out.