OldSchoolWrestlingFan
Pre-Show Stalwart
In this day and age of "reality" based wrestling/gimmicks do you miss WWE having more "characters" (like Warrior, Undertaker, Kane, etc) or do you like the "reality era"?
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Most of the best talents in the WWE have close to cartoonish characters.
Rusev (CLASSIC foreigner heel)
Rollins (CLASSIC over the top coward heel...best since Edge)
Cena (Nothing "real" about a Super heroic white rapper)
Wyatt (Do you know any Cult leaders in real life?)
My point is...the characters just have to be modified. It's the same reason why Cesaro can't get FULLY over. He needs some element of character. Same thing is destined to happen to Owens and any other guy who just comes in as "A guy"
Also why Bailor is gonna be a MASSIVE star.
With respect, I think the OP is looking at this conversation from the wrong angle. When you compare the ons screen personas of today versus yesteryear, we aren't talking Characters (yesteryear) versus Reality (today). A more relevant diconomy would be Gimmicks versus Characters.
My thesis being that a Gimmick is a one dimensional version of a character, following one archetype and giving no nuance to the persona. A great modern day example of this would be Heath Slater. His One Man Rock Band gimmick would fit the golden era of WWE like a glove. Alternatively, try bringing Honky Tonk Man to modern WWE and see how long he can hold on to the IC title.
A Character, on the otherhand, may root his persona on an archetype, but is otherwise a fully fleshed out entity with a life of It's own. It's refined, dynamic and doesn't cleanly fit in simple molds such as a simple "redneck" or "lunatic". Modern audiences in ALL mediums want refined and interesting characters. A redneck also needs a cult following and offer allegiance to a rocking chair. A lunatic also needs a chip on his shoulder and insatiable thirst for revenge. A high school science teacher also needs to deal meth to leave money for his family after he dies from his terminal cancer, which in turn satiates a missed opportunity from his path of life that cost him billions of dollars in a pharmaceutical empire (also, needs to role model a healthy young man to vicariously replace his own son, who is broken in his own eyes).
I believe we as fans and smarks are willing, and dare I say, eager to welcome a gimmick. But, we also beckon refinement of said gimmicks.