The PG rating not the problem?

[fredstephenson]

i just read jrs blog about wwe being pg where he said something along the lines of wwe is pg and thats that but if you find the show unbearable dont watch it which is fair enough he also said about blood and chair shots not being necesary and i agree with him on those points or at least i would if wwe didnt do hell in the cell and extreme rules pay per views as its stupid having ppvs/matches like these when they cant use blood an chairs

but anyway i for one am very bored with wwe and considered quiting watching after wrestlemania but yet i find myself still watching due to my hope that it might start getting good again my problem isnt with wwe being pg
my problem is it feels like for at least year ive being watching a rerun of the same epsiode of raw every week but with a different guest host and thats what annoys me it seems that creative cant be arsed any more and are on cruise control the attitude era was fun for me because of the compelling storylines and fueds awesome promos cool gimmicks stables ect and all of these things are possible in pg wwe but for whatever reason they choose not to do them

my point is i used to look forward to watching raw every week and after it had finished i could usually say to my self wow that was a damm good show but i like many others havnt been able to do that in a long while and while many people blame this on the pg rating after thinking about it for a while i think it might be due to the wwe writers being lazy or just plain useless or perhaps vince or one of the other higher ups in the company restricting them does anyone agree or have another theory

 

[I own a set of balls]

In terms of "entertainment", honestly, it's all relative. Watching PG programming with wrestlers not being able to say the word "ass" while they run around and play with a midget might be entertaining to kids than it does for older teens and adults. Again, WWE is a multimillion dollar corporation that wants to maximize its profits by targeting the right audience, and after they feel that competition has died down (with recent surges from TNA still not as damaging), the WWE is trying to market their media spectacle to younger generations. Therefore, they HAVE to tune down their product in order retaliate against parental censorship, which means that many storylines and angles available with edgier TV that seems interesting to older audiences will be neglected and replaced with more family oriented shows.

Sure, the writers and performers might have their shortcomings i.e. failing to bring up a significant new man to add to the main event scene in the recent few years with the exception of Randy Orton, the WWE will survive simply because of the fanbase, marketing, celebrity acknowledgments, affiliation with charity institutions, and a stable broadcasting channel that it has built up through out its decades of existence.

 

[90s]

Well, a lot of people stopped watching the WWE, right? They don't get the rating like they used to in the mid-late 90s and early 2000s.

I stopped watching the WWE around the mid 2000s. It's hard for me to watch the WWE nowadays. It's not really the PG rating, but they don't pay attention to their mid cards and tag team titles as much anymore. The storylines are mehish, and it was just more entertaining back in the day. They don't need to get rid of the PG rating, they need to find their passion again. But as it's been said before, that probably won't happen until they have a legitimate opponent going against them.

 

[The Ram]

My problem isn't the pg thing either. I could never see blood again in WWE it wouldn't bither me. But I still would like to see chairshots to the head. No my problem is having alot of extraordinary fueds and storylines. We've seen some real good fueds but nothing really extraodinary. Jeff Hardy and Punk fued that was like an extraodinary fued, it was really good. We also don't see midcard fueds. The last time I remember seeing a good mid card feud was that jeff hardy and umaga fued. Please people let me know when was the last time you've seen a good mid card fued. But I think it was just a bad year for WWE because I didn't have a problem with WWE in 2008 I think it was a really good year for WWE. But now WWE is all in a big mess. I hope after the draft the WWE can get it all together with different superstars in different brands.

 

[frankiew723]

i think that the pg era is a bad idea because the attitude era wuz the greastest thing in pro wrestling and it wuz more entertaining but either way tna doesnt have a shot on wwe

 

[Spidey Revivey]

I have said this many many times about the PG Era outside of online discussions:

The problem isn't that the product is PG now. The problem is the repetitive and boring storylines within the Era.

When we had the Attitude Era, there was some form of storyline everywhere. And usually awesome storylines made AMAZING matches/feuds. The envelope was pushed and the people at the time enjoyed it very very much. Went along with the fans and they ate it up like The Rock ate pie..

But so far the PG concept has so many boundaries that the creative writing is severely lacking. Don't believe me, review tonight's Diva match. Hell review any diva match lately. They didn't have that problem a decade or so ago. Yes most of it was sexually pumped, but at least the athletic side sure did stand out. Chyna, Victoria, Molly Holly, Lita, Trish..I could go on and on about the sheer magnitude of Women's wrestling alone back then. And what did we see tonight? A Dress Up Battle Royal? What's next- a Tea Party Match followed by Bring-Your-Own Barbie Doll?

I'm not going to keep goin with this, but seriously PG can be a lot better than this without having to be hardcore. Creative Writing needs to step it up.

 

[pessimism101]

TV-PG is not the problem. The problem is, WWE has writers who are used to creating TV-14 storylines and when faced with TV-PG, they're treating it like a Disney production. WWE needs a crash course on what TV-PG actually means. They can do a hell of a lot with TV-PG that can still hook the older audience. Shows like the Simpsons, Futurama, and Seinfeld have all attracted all kinds of demographics (the latter of which was able to attract more adults than kids) with a TV-PG rating. That said, WWE should do one or more of the following: 1) Fire all of the writers and bring in fresh ones; 2) have some sort of fan interaction regarding storylines.

 

[fredstephenson]

I have said this many many times about the PG Era outside of online discussions:

The problem isn't that the product is PG now. The problem is the repetitive and boring storylines within the Era.

When we had the Attitude Era, there was some form of storyline everywhere. And usually awesome storylines made AMAZING matches/feuds. The envelope was pushed and the people at the time enjoyed it very very much. Went along with the fans and they ate it up like The Rock ate pie..

But so far the PG concept has so many boundaries that the creative writing is severely lacking. Don't believe me, review tonight's Diva match. Hell review any diva match lately. They didn't have that problem a decade or so ago. Yes most of it was sexually pumped, but at least the athletic side sure did stand out. Chyna, Victoria, Molly Holly, Lita, Trish..I could go on and on about the sheer magnitude of Women's wrestling alone back then. And what did we see tonight? A Dress Up Battle Royal? What's next- a Tea Party Match followed by Bring-Your-Own Barbie Doll?

I'm not going to keep goin with this, but seriously PG can be a lot better than this without having to be hardcore. Creative Writing needs to step it up.

you are correct about there used to be storlines everywhere a few years ago every wrestler on the show would be involved in there own actual storyline even if some where ridicoulous such as perry saturn and moppy lol it still all added to the entertainment value and made you more intrested in the actual fueds and matches look at it now though even the world title fueds have no storyline or angle a usual scenario to set up a title match for a ppv these days involves the contender going down to the ring saying to the champ i dont like you i want your title. or somthing along those lines then over the next couple of weeks they will interfere in each others matches and then they have a title match at the ppv its just boring and its hard to actually care about the match or the competitors due to this

 

[Spidey Revivey]

you are correct about there used to be storlines everywhere a few years ago every wrestler on the show would be involved in there own actual storyline even if some where ridicoulous such as perry saturn and moppy lol it still all added to the entertainment value and made you more intrested in the actual fueds and matches look at it now though even the world title fueds have no storyline or angle a usual scenario to set up a title match for a ppv these days involves the contender going down to the ring saying to the champ i dont like you i want your title. or somthing along those lines then over the next couple of weeks they will interfere in each others matches and then they have a title match at the ppv its just boring and its hard to actually care about the match or the competitors due to this

Couldn't've said it better myself. That's EXACTLY what the Heavyweight Championships look like now. You would think with this PG Era it would be more like the golden days of wrestling, where blood and boobs weren't needed to put the fans over, but no their product is totally spun in the web of "I don't like you so I'm fighting you." Even the Heels nowadays have things in common that they wouldn't have had back in the golden days or the Attitude Era. You're either cocky or a bully, which go hand-in-hand often. But let me hit this nail on the head:

So far, everytime a Heel Superstar starts badmouthing Face Superstar, and then Face Superstar comes out, they have the nerve to look surprised.


This goes with what you said about the product being unoriginal. Everytime it happens the bad guy is all surprised. Even tonight Swagger was all :-O when Cena came out...I mean really? We are in a transitional phase of wrestling and you can't at least look credible when the "good guy" comes out? Way to overplay the coward role, WWE.

 

[theHeadliner]

I was thinking of retiring from watching WWE after Michaels retired because he was the only reason I tuned back in after I stopped watching when he retired in 1998. I tuned into RAW tonight. The PG rating isn't the problem, its the boring, repetitive storylines and bland, robotic promos by the younger guys and the generic-non-personality characters of the young guys. Those creative aspects are what made pro-wrestling great. Seeing the same match and same feud over and over gets old, and these young characters who are bland and can't cut a promo kill the interest as well.

 

[johnnyblaze3:16]

all right the pg era doesn't suck because its pg. it sucks because lets face it the talent is there but not used. back in the golden era we didnt have all that just wrestling. if you want to see good pg check out wrestlmania 4 and the tournament no blood/chairs but still awsome. when the attitude era came along although it was great, changed the game it became about promos/factions and hardcore matches. the problem is everyone wants attitude and the e is giving it to you (cause its what you want) but its pg. i personally miss actual wrestling you know not just two hours of promo and a count out main event (raw). heels and mid carders didn't need a push back then look at jake the snake and ted dibiase. spent there entire life mid carding and are hof. if we want a better product maybe if we were a little more patient it would happen

 

[BreakinGPointZ666]

I don't think it's so much the PG Era, its due to the laziness of the storyline writers. All they do is plan out the same crap after every feud. Lets say Randy Orton wins #1 contender match, next thing you know, he's interfering in the champ's match later that night. Champ offers Randy Orton a title match that night on Raw/Smackdown, Orton turns it down so they wait for the PPV to come and have the match. It's too predictable and unoriginal boring crap! Maybe if the creative writers could actually spend time and think about what a feud actually is, they can cook up something extraordinary. The PG Era doesn't need any blood or hardcore action for it to be entertaining (but it would be nice to see some of it once in a while) but they can get original and realistic storylines going.

 

[Floody118272]

I reckon you are right fredstephenson with the same matches happening. It's like when Rey Mysterio was always versing Batista in the main event of SmackDown for about 4 Weeks last year. NOW THAT WAS BORING!!!

 

[philbrooks]

I love reading some people's opinions on the internet who seem to think swearing and blood are the answers to a quality product. It is and is only quality storytelling.

 

[mondo242008]

I Miss the days when someone would get tossed into the ringpost and start bleeding, haha but I think the real problum is the lack of crativity, last year it was edge and cena for what seemed to be everrrrr, and im not going to lie it got pretty old after a bit, they seem to be sticking with rivels WAY to long now, I remeber back a few years when HHH was the champ and he faced someone new every pay per vew instead of rematch after rematch after rematch

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

I agree with everyone here saying the PG rating is not the biggest problem with the WWE. A lot of storylines seem to remind you of other storylines. The earlier post about the championships nowadays being "I don't like you so let's fight" are right on. And the constant storyline build-ups of the face in a random match and the heel interfering gets really old. Old to the point where it's reminding me of when nWo started doing that in every single match back in the day. It's repetitive, boring and something definitely needs to change.

BUT

You can't say you wouldn't be at least the tiniest bit more interested if last nights diva match wasn't a gown match, but a lingerie match. Or if we saw another diva walk down the aisle with playboy bunny pasties on her breasts and that's it. Or how about Austin when he guest hosted? Tell me that wasn't nearly as interesting with him being held back by the PG rating. Even he commented afterwards that it wasn't the same out there because he was handcuffed.

The PG rating might not be the biggest problem, but it would sure make things at least a little more interesting.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

there is no problem. WWE has been nothing short of absolutely fantastic wrestling television for the past two months. Anyone who can't see that either doesn't like real wrestling, or is a fucking moron, and the WWE doesn't need you.

 

[Doomsday Device]

Interesting thing is that people love Rock and Austin but dont want to acknowledge that they were created from the Attitude era, its like, they want them, but they dont want the era. Rock and Austin would never happen in todays era. Even Austin said himself that he felt handcuffed doing that Raw a few weeks ago. The problem with this pg era is that wrestlers cant be themselves. Everything is heavily scripted and robotic. And its painful to watch. Even the announcers, every word they say is being told be Vince or someone in the back.

I was watching Survivor Series 2005 just a few minutes ago, and if you listen to the commentary by Lawler, Cole, Taz and Coachman, they're being themselves. It sounds like a couple of guys kicking back and having a beer. Thats what I like. For people to be themselves.

This is not the first time we have this pg era, late 80's early 90's was pg also. With Hogan ripping his cute yellow and red shirt. Now we have Hogan Jr aka Cena taking off his orange shirt and throwing it to the crowd. Very entertaining.

 

[yanks9548]

No blood, and weapons is not the PG ratings fault. Its a campaign to protect wrestlers and fans. All WWE programming was always PG except for RAW therefore it isn't because the product is PG that WWE is lacking its lacking because there are minimal long lasting feuds and almost no free TV main events end cleanly

 

[MeanGene]

These awful promos....being a professional wrestler has to do with ACTING, not wrestling....thats why the Miz sticks out right now. He has some good improv skills...but the rest of the WWE is garbage. Take a look at some of the older Shawn Michael clips...this guy is priceless mocking Hogan "...and whatcha gonna do,....brotherrr..." HBK owned the spotlight and kept everybody on the edge of your seat. Nowadays the wrestlers are just identifed by their entrance music, but have nothing to say.

Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Cena, Shemus, Orton all awful on the mic

Jericho and CM punk are in a league of their own.

 

[JrX]

Agreed.

I think they are running out of ideas. And yea the main reason why WWE is so boring is because unless your in the storyline with the World heavy weight Championship, your storyline is meaninless. Back then, fans wanted to see the tag division, intercontinental title etc etc etc. Now it's so bland

The PG rating is not the issues, its just the storylines are so bland. They keep recycling the same old ones with a small twist. It's too predictable. ANd the rising stars of the past that are "stars today" are not as charismatic as their predecessors (ROCK stone cold, shawn michaels, triple H, jericho). Cena and orton are great, but i woulnd't put them in the same league. But thats IMO

 

[WWE Manster03]

Suprised that nobody has mentioned that aside from HHH, Steph, Vince, Michael Hayes, and John Lauranitis there are no real wrestling minds on the writing staff. JR is another one, but I'm pretty sure he is just talent relations, as is Lauranitis really. Most of the writers wrote for Hollywood sitcoms and stuff like that before they came in, as stated by Stephanie on the Wayne Brady show a few years ago. I think once Vince gives the company up to HHH and Stephanie we will start to see a better direction in terms of writing and storyline progression. Steph has a good mind for the business, and does a pretty good job being the head writer on NXT and I tops on Smackdown along with Hayes.

 

[fredstephenson]

there is no problem. WWE has been nothing short of absolutely fantastic wrestling television for the past two months. Anyone who can't see that either doesn't like real wrestling, or is a fucking moron, and the WWE doesn't need you.

its was slightly better but thats only because it was leading up to wrestlemania but i still wasnt particulary entertained by much apart from the shawn undertaker fued and bret and vince the actual wrestling that wwe offers is ok but nothing special i know everyone likes pro wrestling for there own individual reasons but i honestly dont know how anyone who likes good tv in any way at all can say they really enjoyed wwe over the last year or so unless you enjoy watching such classics as hornswoggle versus chavo six in a blindfolded water pistol match.

 

[CrunKSinatrA]

I don't think the big problem is the PG rating, because MMA sells their product without adult storylines and it's $60 pay per view for a couple 2 minute knockouts or 15 minutes of clumsy half wrestling on the ground... no chair shots, ladders, tables, or even a ring card girl half as hot as Maryse or Layla. Since it's PG I think they should bring back the cartoony characters like Doink, Goldust, or Henry O. Godwinn. Let the wrestlers put in their dues with these crap but at least entertaining personalities. There would be no Stone Cold with the Ringmaster and HHH wouldn't be the Game if he wasn't Hunter Hearst Helmsley first. Plus you never who might just take off with their ridiculous character... I'm pretty sure the Undertaker must've rolled his when he first heard his character idea, but almost 20 years and an American Badass later he's still here and the GobblyGooker isn't.

Also it seems like the product and the mid card has to suffer in order for HHH and Cena to look good and maintain their main event spot. There aren't any more good tag team feuds or even a tag team finisher. Even the Smoking Gunns had one, there was the 3D, Doomsday Device, Dropping the Axe, but now I guess the Big Show has his knockout punch and Miz can pin the guy?

 

[GIMH]

there is no problem. WWE has been nothing short of absolutely fantastic wrestling television for the past two months. Anyone who can't see that either doesn't like real wrestling, or is a fucking moron, and the WWE doesn't need you.

This, a thousand times this. I saw the title of this thread and thought, "hang on just a minute..."

WWE has been great the past few months. Sure, 09 wasn't a golden year, though Smackdown was IMMENSE through the summer. But it was decent, watchable - there were hardly any PPVs were I thought, "well that was crap."

But since the start of the year, it's been great, and since the night after the Chamber, I can't miss a show, I really can't. Every week I look forwards to Raw, NXT and Smackdown, can't remember the last time I didn't see one of them.

If it was doing a 1 rating then yeah, talk about a problem. Otherwise, um, really? REALLY?