Corporate Puppets?

[Boss]

So after reading the Austin Sellout thread it got me thinking about WWE wrestlers that are often labeled "sell outs." Only difference being I'm referring to active wrestlers like Rey Mysterio and especially John Cena who have been accused of being "corporate puppets" in recent years.
Certain members of the IWC believe that when 1) wrestler becomes over 2) wrestler sells tickets/merchandise 3) wrestler is pushed obviously means someone is sleeping with bosses dick or sucking Vince's daughter or whatever. In my humble opinion certain members of the IWC are fucktards from bizzarro land.
A common argument is

dey yous to be good, but sinse dey become poplar dey just sale tshirts o and dey no 5 moovs!!1

or the slightly more rational

their not being themselves they just do what creative tells them to do/say.

I take back the rational comment this is stupid too considering all wrestlers are assigned gimmicks/characters and are tasked with making it work.

Anyway what do you think of "corporate puppets?"
Is being a "corporate puppet" really a good thing?
Why or why not.

 

[S.O.B. Radio]

When I think about the entire "corporate puppet" mentality of most wrestling fans, I always think back to a time before Rob Van Dam was WWE Champion.

I always used to hear people where I used to work bitch and complain about why RVD was not WWE Champ. Everyone from HHH, Steph, Kurt Angle, Vince McMahon, etc. were blamed for RVD never being champion at that time.

My argument to them was that WWE was not too wild about RVD and his admitted pot smoking. This proceeded to piss off everybody I worked with and sure enough when RVD won the WWE title and was given the ECW title, it didn't take him long to screw up on a grand scale and for me to get the last laugh.

In order for any superstar to succeed in any business, the key is to follow the rules and procedures. If a company chooses an individual to represent them, that individual has to adhere to the standards set forth by people who have been there longer than them.

 

[MaciniRocks]

My first question is why in the bluest regions of hell does everyone make it seem like something they don't like that's said by others is said by some 5 year old who really needs a Speak and Spell? Lowers the level of any argument IMO

Now as to the "Corporate Puppets" thing... it's the same thing I've been saying for the longest in the music world. People get to an area of success and change who they are, what they do, and everything to get more. It's all well and good because it happens everywhere else too.

How many people get promoted at their jobs if they aren't what the management are looking for? You could be the best thing going but don't fit the mold of the company, you most likely won't get a promotion, it will go to the guy who is less talented but does everything they want (85% of the time). There are plenty of mangers in retail that have no clue what they are doing but they agree with the bosses and fit the mold, so they get the job. And don't discredit retail as a job, just to try to show your need for a sense of superiority to people. A job is a job and retail is more important than many might think... but I digress. And no I don't work retail, I used to.

People who get the limelight are people who fit into what those above them want. In Hollywood, it's not as much about the actors skill but how good they look. If you don't believe me, watch some "indy" films, lot of great actors but don't fit the "Hollywood" mold.

If you don't sell out and aren't willing to become a "corporate puppet" more power to you. Always respect someone who chooses to be themselves and stick to their beliefs no matter the sacrifices. But remember there ARE sacrifices you make. Because if you aren't willing.... someone else always is.

 

[Tastycles]

Its the classic ridiculous arguments that people make about all art, "Metallica were shit after the Black Album" is perhaps the most common example. People like being outsiders and don't like seeing when people that they like become popular. CM Punk is ten times better now than he was last year, but it is only a matter of time before people start saying that he has sold out or is poor now.

John Cena isn't a corporate puppet, he is a wrestler that is popular, very little has changed stylistically about him, or Rey Mysterio, for that matter since their debuts. If being successful by doing your job makes you a corporate puppet, then I guess everyone is. Literally two weeks ago, Rey Mysterio was suspended, that doesn't sound like the work of a corporate puppet to me.

 

[Dave]

Here is the bottom line at the beginning of the response:

People are idiots and will never realise what it takes to run in a business, not now... not ever.

Here's the thing. Yes, people have been called corporate puppets by idot fans but what the Hell does that matter. At the end of the day, Vince McMahon is a business man and what he does is sell t-shirts, it's his fucking business for God's sake. Every single wrestler on the roster is a "corporate puppet because, like it or not, they all have the same goal. Every single person wants to make it to the top of the business and since the business is money driven, you are going to have to sell a lot of shit. The people who say that they sell out because they are suddenly selling out are fucking ridiculous. I mean, what exactly do they expect from Vince McMahon and his wrestlers? For them to come out every week and say "don't come to the shows and don't buy our merchandise because I don't want to be called a sell-out"? Of course not. They are in a competitive business just like anyone else and they have to sell their merchandise. The WWE have one thing that they can use to sell their merchandise and that is the wrestlers themselves. They are the ones who wear it, plug it, sell it and at the day, Vince McMahon is not stupid. He wants something back from his investments and that is merchandise sales and good wrestling matches.

 

[X]

Its the classic ridiculous arguments that people make about all art, "Metallica were shit after the Black Album" is perhaps the most common example.

Well, to be fair Tasty, Metallica really were shit after the Black Album. They've been shit for years now.

John Cena isn't a "corporate puppet", atleast no more so than any other popular wrestler of the past 20 years. Hogan was just as much a "corporate puppet" as Cena is now. Yeah, Cena is the golden boy of the WWE and the guy Vince loves to tout as the hero. So what? He plays that role remarkably well. But he's definitely changed as a wrestler from a more well-rounded in ring performer to the brawler that we see now. He's actually a pretty good brawler, but I preferred his earlier days. Just the other day I was watching his match against The Undertaker at Vengeance 2003, and man was he different back then.

Don't think I'd call him a "corporate puppet" though, that's a bit harsh.

 

[I_Like_All_Wrestling]

Again, wrestling is a business. Understand that and things will make sense.

Wrestlers are paid performers working off a script. If you refuse to work off of the script provided to you, you will either be let go, or used as a jobber. That's just the way it is. You couldn't walk into an office job and claim your not doing what they want because that's not what you want to do and you're not a sellout. In professional sports if you refuse to follow team rules and underperform you're let go, fined or stuck on the bench. If you're an actor and you refuse to act according to the script, it's very likely you'll be replaced unless you are a huge huge star.

Just because it's wrestling doesn't mean different business rules apply. It's your job and you have to follow the guidelines set my management.