Are they pushing the "Straightedge" thing correctly?

[Y4J]

Now before I go into this, I want to mention that I think CM PUNK is doing an AMAZING JOB. If you don't think he's an over heel, listen to the heat he got at the beginning of Smackdown. Punk is the man right now, and his promo was great.

And I can understand if WWE wants to push the whole "I don't drink and do drugs and i'm better than you" type of thing, which is good.. But I still think they are pushing the wrong way..

I mean, is WWE contradicting themselves? I mean, even though it has adult theme's, WWE does a lot to aim towards kids.. Well then, why do they keep shoving straightedge like it's a bad thing to the fans? I am straightedge, and have many friends that aren't, and absolutely have no problems with it. Even punk hangs out in bars and still is straightedge, but has no problem with it.

But rather than push the whole CM PUNK thinks he's better because everyone else drinks and does drugs, they push that the whole concept of straightedge being bad.

They need a face to be like "Straight is alright with you, and alright all around, but just because some people aren't straighedge doesn't mean YOU'RE better than them." Instead they have Mr. "Leaves the company when they need him" Hardy go out and say "We're independent people, we can do whatever we want! And though that's correct, I feel that instead of pushing the individual perspective, they are pushing that "straightedge is bad."

Please serious replies. I'd like to hear smart opinions.

 

[TwistofRKO]

The point is that he's ACTING better than you. Obviously I'd hope people agree doing drugs is bad for you, the reason he get's booed is because he brags about have a better life. It's not about the actual act of being straight edge, I mean, he used it as a face and got cheered for it.

 

[KKarvox]

I agree to an extent, but i think they are trying to make Punk out to be an a-hole, not really making straight edge bad. I do agree that WWE is being a little contradictory with this, pushing people like Hardy and Mysterio who have multiple wellness policy violations between them, and making Punk, who is a decent role model as the bad guy. I just don't think WWe is trying to say that being straight edge is bad.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I think you're reading too much into this. I know a few people that are hardcore Straight Edge believers and Punk's current character is behaving just like them. Now as to whether CM Punk is really like that or not, I don't know and don't really care. It's very entertaining and it makes for a great heel character. Punk having the whole "I'm better than you and look at what I've accomplished because I'm better than you" feel is nothing more than classic heel mentality.

The WWE isn't trying to accurately portray what Straight Edge is or isn't, they're having CM Punk take the beliefs of the hardcore, militant Straight Edgers and just crank up the arrogance factor. There are a lot of different personal spins on the Straight Edge lifestyle, kind of like there are many different branches of religion. I have two brothers, both of them are fairly religious. One attends a church in which they believe that women should always wear ankle length skirts while another attends a church that puts no emphasis on any particular style or type of clothing. They're both Christians, but they each have slightly different beliefs that tweaks the religion. The WWE's spin on "Straight Edge" isn't really anymore incorrect than their portrayal of Cryme Tyme as two young, athletic black men that have been influenced by hip hop and rap music.

 

[TC920]

WWE are doing the right thing with the straight edge character. They're doing the same thing ROH did and exploring all sides of the character. When he first came to WWE, he mentioned that he was straight edge and was pushed as a face for leading a "clean" lifestyle. Now that they want him heel, he's playing the part of a hardliner and shoving it down peoples throats. That's the way to flip it and make it work. I don't think they're necessarily pushing it as bad to be straight edge, as much as I think they're trying to push Punk's heel turn in the same way they did Jericho's, where he thinks he's better than everyone else, and the only way to make that work is to have someone oppose that. I don't feel that they had Jeff come out and oppose Punk in a way that said "straight edge is bad, do drugs". I think the point they were trying to have Jeff get across was "hey, I've made mistakes, but I've overcome my demons." Which isn't a bad thing, because the fact of the matter is, there are plenty of people who make mistakes in life and try to better themselves, which are the people I think WWE was trying to have Jeff connect with, not push straight edge as a bad thing.

 

[Rebecca]

I don't think they're necessarily pushing it as bad to be straight edge, as much as I think they're trying to push Punk's heel turn in the same way they did Jericho's, where he thinks he's better than everyone else, and the only way to make that work is to have someone oppose that.

This. Nobody likes a goody two shoes and nobody likes one that's full of themselves. It's not what Punk preaches, it's how he goes about preaching it, as if he's above everyone else, as if he's the only person to ever graduate from the DARE program in middle school. He's aspiring to be our role model, even though he thinks we're all lost causes. Punk takes it too far and WWE is doing it right because it's a "let ye who is without sin cast the first stone" type of situation, he's being holier than thou. If you think WWE aren't right pushing Punks Straight Edge lifestyle in this way, then they're not right in pushing Swagger, who's doing virtually the same thing to MVP over on RAW.

I'd also add to the fact that nobody is more vilified than someone who tells the truth because people simply don't like the truth. The best heels in history have always had a valid point in everything they say. Take a look at Chris Jericho's promos of the past six months and outside of the parts where he's glorifying himself, when does he ever really lie? And it's not the idea of focusing just on the truth, but the idea of creating a single devil out of that truth, making it the only comeback you have in an argument to the point that you're annoying and repetitive. Another great person to reference in this is Kurt Angle. It didn't matter what his opponent did in the ring against him, Kurt was still an Olympic Gold Medalist, as he'd constantly remind us for the better part of a decade in every single promo to the point that winning Olympic Gold Medals with a "Broken Freakin' Neck" didn't seem all that impressive due to all of the ad nauseum induced from him being so dedicated to praising this point like a senile grandfather telling the same war story to his grand children for the hundredth time.

I've really enjoyed CM Punk's transgression into heeldom. He's pulled out every old hat trick in the book and put his own whiny and preachy spin to it, they're not pushing the straight edge lifestyle itself as a bad thing, they're pushing the man who thinks because he follows it, he's better than everyone, as a bad thing, that's why WWE are using it correctly.

 

[CM Punk Circa 2004]

It's really mind boggling how a parent can be at a WWE Show and have their kid cheer for a "Hardy,Mysterio" while the supposed bad guy is doing the right thing by saying not to drink smoke and do drugs, how do you best explain the logic for that? That yeah they made mistakes but their human? True but when they keep on effin up like poster boy #3 of WWE Mysterio getting busted for I believe a 2nd time now how can you tell your kid "yeah he's a drug user but still wear his mask with pride" lol, there's no logic except if the parent feels the need to lie just as the same as saying Santa is real. On a side note it's easy for Punk to be a great a-hole because he happens to be 1 in real life, same as Orton.

 

[quickfix]

I believe the WWE's attempt at pushing CM Punk's straightedge gimmick as a heel in completely wrong for the simple fact that is insults every fan who steps into the arenas. You have primarily "blue collar" workers working long hours or not working at all right now spending their hard earned money to be entertained while laying back with a couple beers to drink. And not to mention all the kids whose parents spend even more money to make a night out to watch wrestling a memorable event for their kids with all of the merchandise available. I mean what is the long-term objective for the WWE; do they want kids to go to school preaching amongst their friends that their dad is the coolest because he can drink the most beer at the family picnic and pass out faster than any of the other fathers. It's also a little insulting to me personally that they expect CM Punk to stand out amongst all those other guys in the locker room when everyone knows that just about every wrestler most likely depends on some sort of prescription medication or a night out at the bar after an event to help keep themselves in the right frame of mind having to spend so much time on the road.
I mean let's be serious; are we to expect the WWE fans to erupt in applause 30 days from now when Rey Mysterio returns from his suspension. He's already acknowledged failing a drug test due to not being able to furnish his prescription documentation in a timely manner. Kids are already aware of his suspension as WWE has not been afraid to publicize it. Wait a second, maybe this whole suspension is just a ploy to go along with CM Punk's new "Straightedge" heel gimmick. Rey's return to the ring will include a lame 10 minute speech about how the fans should cheer for him and not Punk because he was cool enough to violate the WWE's wellness policy and Punk is just a lame-ass who thinks being the champion, being the best wrestler in the WWE is the most important thing.
What are we to think when Kurt Angle makes his inevitable return to the WWE, and YES, he WILL return to the WWE. A man of his intelligence and ability will soon realize that Dixie Carter has been lobotomized and inherited half the brain of Eric Bischoff as well as half the brain of Vince Russo. Do we want the youth fan base of the WWE to look up at their parents and say, "When I grow up, I want to inject myself with HGH prescriptions and get arrested for driving on a suspended license as well as stalking women." I apologize to Mr. Angle as I do not believe he stalked a woman but regardless his life's problems have been highly publicized and they would work well to go along with CM Punk's "Straightedge" heel gimmick and would definitely cause the WWE fans to stop chanting "YOU SUCK" every time his music plays as he walks down the aisle. That's because the way Punk's gimmick is being pushed, wrestlers like Mysterio and Angle would have to be the face if being "Straightedge" is such a bad thing.
I hope this makes sense. If it doesn't please respond with an opinion you feel would clarify what I am trying to say.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

It's a nice twist on how the world thinks. The fans don't want a person who plays by the rules, tells them they're wrong, and is successful by being clean. The fans want someone that they can relate to. Kids can relate to Rey Mysterio, and drug addicts who like pain can relate to Jeff Hardy.

I think this is a perfect way to push the "Straightedge" moniker. The reasoning is that many of the fans hate seeing someone that's better than they are. Ric Flair was always wearing Rolex watches, riding in limo's and partying all the time. Fans didn't like Flair because he was better off than they were. Same goes for Punk. The fans hate someone who's not dependent on drugs, alcohol, and pussy to get to where he is in life.

 

[CM Punk Circa 2004]

I mean let's be serious; are we to expect the WWE fans to erupt in applause 30 days from now when Rey Mysterio returns from his suspension. He's already acknowledged failing a drug test due to not being able to furnish his prescription documentation in a timely manner. Kids are already aware of his suspension as WWE has not been afraid to publicize it.

Actually yeah dude I do expect that. The "WWE Universe" for the most part are morons and dont cheer/boo with their own brain, they do it as who the E pushes down their throat. They were popping for Hardy when he would have a illogical explanation to whenever Punk would make a logical fact of his drug use, so wtf does that say about their fan-base?

 

[school-of-hard-knocks]

I think WWE is doing a great job with CM Punk at the moment. The whole straight edge gimmick is meant to be heel in its' roots. CM Punk is better than everybody else because he doesn't drink, smoke or do drugs. What else do you need? That is some great material right there for a heel. Nobody likes to be preached to and that is the heel part of the gimmick and not the fact that CM Punk doesn't do drugs.

At the same time this is working really well for WWE. They have a top guy in their company who is making them look good in front of people who are critical of pro wrestling because of the steroids, pain killers, narcotics and other addictions that follow it. WWE can now say "Look, just because you are a pro wrestler, it doesn't mean that you have to do all of these things. Just take a look at CM Punk." And that is sending a positive message.

Plus this is not the first time that WWE has taken something good, turned it into a heel gimmick and made it look good. For example, Mr Perfect was heel. Is it bad to be athletic, good looking, great at sports, etc? No, but when you preach to the fans how that makes you better than them over and over again it makes you a good heel. And that gimmick worked great for many years without the kids thinking it was good to be a slob.

 

[Viola Moonlight]

The CM Punk heel push is basically the best thing going for the SmackDown brand & both sides of the push are doing an absolute fanastic job of getting him to be a huge heel of the company & finally solidify Punk's place in the Main Event. He has the skills, the charisma & the appearance to pull this off for a good couple of years as he was never really that over as a face. The heel turn just suggests to the fans "I tried, you didn't like it... so screw you" which is a great way to start things off.

What I like that is so interesting about the heel turn is his straight-edge gimmick that he is sporting full-fledged to the max preaching his beliefs. It is a great idea & they are pushing the gimmick well. Nothing about this could be incorrect about pushing Punk as straight-edge... unless he gets suspended from the Wellness Policy. Let me explain.


1) New, innovative gimmick: This is a topic of discussion that has surfaced up in recent years with the growing number of believers in the straight-edge lifestyle. This area has not been touched in the full-fledged version that Punk is using before & offers something fresh to the table where gimmicks are concerned. Many people do tend to hate those who preach their methods as the correct lifestyle as proven with many religious debates over the years.

2) The trend of audience members cheering heels: Anybody noticed in recent years that the fans are being split down the middle as to who the fans are cheering? Notice how the support for the heels are getting stronger by the minute? Although Vince is somewhere in his 60's and may not be on top of his game like he used, despite the great job WWE is doing in building up for the future, he still has hearing abilities to take notice of the fans. I think the audience is not going unheard or untouched now & the creative/booking teams are using Punk as a test subject.

From what I believe the WWE are using Punk to confuse or embrace the fans trends of cheering the heels & is basically a full-proof plan the way they are pushing Punk now & in the future. Since Punk has the background of being straight-edge, someone who SHOULD be idolised & thus a face... they are using this to their advantage by allowing people to give a damn about Punk. Think about it. If heels get cheered/supported for their actions, Punk is a heel, & Punk's character suggests "no drugs"... a great subtle combination for getting the crowd to realise the messages.

OR, they could take the path of having this complete jerk-off in the heel scene to try & push the fans in cheering the faces once again. Associating someone of Punk's stature with other heels getting consistently cheered like Orton & Jericho can have its affects psychologically concerning the crowd in the long-run.


There are other reasons, but I will stick with these at the moment.

 

[drobs85]

I guess Punk is the exception to the "split down the middle cheer for heel/face thing your talking about. Because no one cheered punk when he was a face, and they damn sure don't cheer him now. So he would be the exception. Backwards ass fans. Stay heel punk. Cena please turn heel! They boo cena one week, cheer him the next. Heel cena.

 

[BananaHeel]

Children cheer Cena. You can hear the adult crowd booing. I say Punk should keep to his gimmick, because it is a nice way to turn by using your own gimmick that made you face to begin with. And lately there haven't been many believable heels in WWE except Orton. And most of us cheer him on anyways.

 

[Billie Jean]

First of all i agree, Punk is doing a super job.

But i agree with what most of the posters above have said, i think you have read a little bit too much into this. No one likes a smart ass, and that is the whole ocncept of this character. I get your point, but wouldn't you be iritated if someone came up to you and said he was better than you because he dosen't take a few bacardis?

Its a perfect way to push the Straight edge character, because before he was CM Punk that people cheered for because he was the face, but now he has full recognision for being a crafty dirty heel, but with a rediculisioly clean lifestyle. So all the kids are getting the right message, dont drink and do drugs, but at the same time you are getting a great heel with CM Punk.

There is a lot of kids and such at my street who like wrestlign, and none of them is against staying clean and such just because CM Punk is, its just how you interpit it.

 

[oldschool123]

They're pushing it correctly. Theres nothing wrong with being straight edge so the way to get him good heat is to make him have the holier than thou attitude about it.