Critiquing Wrestling

[Leafy]

Me and Tenta were PMing back and forth and I said my view of wrestling and Tenta said it would be a good thread so here it is.

I recently reviewed December to Dismember and reviewing a PPV forced me to view wrestling in a different way. I was analyzing all the moves, judging the quality and the way the wrestler's reacted to the crowd. After I was finished the review it made me hate a wrestling PPV. I've never hated any wrestling program and had always enjoyed wrestling whenever I got the chance by the review had made me throw away the enjoyment for a letter grade.

This made me think, does critiquing wrestling make us focus on the negatives and get rid of the purpose of wrestling, enjoyment? You watch the match anticipating a botched move, shaking your head in shame at bad booking. Do these small details actually effect the PPV as an entertaining watch? I watched the PPV again after the review and found December to be an entertaining show.

I hated giving the matches a letter grade. I find all wrestling on the same plane, entertaining display of athleticism. I applaud wrestlers when they are able to chain moves together or fly around the ring, but who are we to boo a Tommy Dreamer match or Khali. Is it not impressive that Khali can move around the ring much less wrestle? When we critique wrestling we put this to the side and only focus on his limited movement. So I ask you to watch a wrestling match and take it as it is, entertainment.

 

[Tenta]

A splendid post, Leafy. And I'm not even saying that because I gave the idea. It's something that I find interesting, and also something I wait for someone like KB's response, if he ever gets this.

When I'm watching wrestling, I go into the experience blind. I don't like reading spoilers, and I don't like hearing other people's opinions, not because I don't think they're valid, but because I don't want to it alter my opinion on the match. It's very simple; human beings are subjective to the opinions of others. We, very often, modify our opinions of the group, in some sort of scary group thought mentality that may threaten the existence of the world. I digress, however.

Having said that, when one critique's they're under the opinion that they have to be more concerned about things the group would notice. They rarely think, "Will I enjoy it", as opposed to thinking far more often, "Will the entire audience enjoy it". Thus, we tend to look at matches in a more negative manner. Now, that's not always the case. Typically, KB is someone that reviews based on his own enjoyment. But for those that aren't fully set on what they like, they look for the thoughts of the most intelligent poster next to them. It's not until we break this groupthought that we can mature as fans. Example: X and I agree on a lot of things on this forum. Admittedly, I find him smart, so I adopt his thought, because I think he knows more than me. One thing we can't agree on is that I find Shelton Benjamin shit, and he likes them. Thus, I deviate from the path, and it allows me to either be entertained more (or in this case, less) by the images on my television box. That's not a bad thing at all, as some people have great minds for the business. But it's only when one breaks the concept of group thought that he can become more entertained by the show, and critique while still maintaing entertainment.

Good post, Leafy. I like this guy.

 

[The Doctor]

Interesting thread.

I would say yes, but I don't mind. I have a TON of fun goofing off in the LDs and looking at the product analytically. I think I have retained enough of my ability to lose myself when it matters, for example during the Hardy/Morrison title match, or the MVP/Kofi US Championship Match. I was on the edge of my seat for both matches and was completely engrossed.

However, being analytical is extremely enjoyable. It all boils down to different ways of enjoying the same product. Being analytical isn't for everybody, just as losing yourself isn't.

 

[Remix]

I'm going to say yes. analysing a match in detail just kills any enjoyment that can be derived from it. I find that this is not only the case in wrestling, but in almost anything. For example To Kill a Mockingbird is a great book. I did it for my GCSE english lit paper, and got to the point where I could quote it and give you the page number of said quote. However I will never read it again. Analysing what seems like every line, thinking about what Harper Lee was intending to convey with it, the metaphors, the underlying message and everything else just killed it for me. I enjoy reading but I dont want to be thinking about how Boo Radley's a mockingbird. Reading, like wrestling for me is escapism from reality and you can't escape from the real world if you're relentlessly analysing it.

the general critiques such as 'my god John Morrison's fun to watch' are fine with me but delving so deep as to see the flaws in a suplex is going too far for it to be enjoyable.

 

[Dagger Dias]

does critiquing wrestling make us focus on the negatives and get rid of the purpose of wrestling, enjoyment?

You asked a very good question. Honestly.... heavy critiquing does make us enjoy the product less. I gave letter grades to matches and PPV's in the past.... and shortly afterwards I began to get burnt out on wrestling. Shortly after I stopped doing that, I began to enjoy it more again. I'm always interesting in seeing other fans' reviews, critiques, and "grades" for matches or PPV's, but I do not do them myself much anymore because it takes away from my enjoyment of the product.

It's great for someone to share their opinion of something, but when we begin to analyze it too heavily it becomes less entertaining and we watched wrestling to be entertained in the first place right? So as I have said many times before, let's just sit back and enjoy the show.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Having said that, when one critique's they're under the opinion that they have to be more concerned about things the group would notice. They rarely think, "Will I enjoy it", as opposed to thinking far more often, "Will the entire audience enjoy it".

You hit it right on the head, Mr. Quake. It never ceases to amaze me how many people don't think for themselves; instead, they sublimate their own preferences and desires to a "group consciousness" that makes them concern themselves more with the people around them than the spectacle they came to see. It puts me away to see a person on my TV screen, sitting in the crowd; while a terrific wrestling match is going on in front of them, what are they doing? They're talking on their cell phone; the idea of 20,000 people sitting around them apparently isn't comfort enough. While the camera is on that fan, I never see him even glance at the ring.

As to the question of analyzing the show; I'm with Leafy......I just enjoy it. When you watch a police drama, you just get cops. When you tune in a western, you just get cowboys. But when you watch wrestling, you get vaudeville. It's a potpourri of events and acts that hit you in rapid combination. There are great wrestling matches (and terrible ones). There are backstage segments, crowd interactions, "unplanned" run-ins, personal interviews, activities in the ring other than wrestling (contract signings, interviews, weddings......even coronations). There's music, fireworks and surprises galore. You name it, WWE has it.

It amuses me to read the various sections of this forum; I see tons of people who claim to love wrestling, even as they hate everything that goes on in WWE. When I watch Triple H in the ring, I don't care whether he attained his position by marrying the boss's daughter; I just enjoy his performances. When I watch guys like John Morrison and The Miz fight each other, I don't worry about who deserves a push; I just appreciate the spectacle of two youthful wrestlers plying their trade and putting on a great match.

We like some of the things WWE does......and we don't like others. But that's what it's all about, isn't it? Analyze it if you want.....but don't forget to enjoy what you came for in the first place.