Does Anyone Else Think...

[The Gribbler]

That revealing the RAW guest host a week in advance may be hurting the ratings they are attempting to draw?

Follow me on this one: You are watching RAW and wondering who the guest host will be for the week following. Up on the tron pops up Sgt. Slaughter.

At this point one of two things happens. Either you say "Hey, I think I'll tune in and watch the Sarge, might be interesting" or "Oh...well I guess I won't bother"

If you intend to watch RAW either way then the guest host really doesnt matter.

BUT

If they didn't tell you who the guest host was going to be, would you not tune in to find out on the following weeks RAW. At least this way RAW could plug their main event, and a few other matches and hopefully hook you into the show even if it turns out you don't like the guest host.

Just My Opinion.

P.S. If there is another threat commenting on this I am sorry, I couldn't find one.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

No. That'd be like WWE getting The Rock to show up and Raw and not telling people before hand he'll be on the show. If they know he's going to be there and they want to see him then they'll make a point of tuning in. If they don't know he's there then as Raw is easily missable these days they just won't bother.

Sgt. Slaughter is a wrestling personality who would'nt surprise people and Floyd Mayweather is somebody people would tune in specifically to see.

 

[HBK-aholic]

I completely agree with Jake here. If it isn't advertised that a Non-Wrestling celebrity is going to be on the show people aren't going to tune in to see them because they simply won't know about it. Your point doesn't make sense because in general, non-wrestling fans aren't going to tune in just to see if it's someone they like - the odds are they probably don't even know when Raw is on or that they're doing a guest host type show.

 

[The Gribbler]

Yeah I suppose your right, Do you think it might be a good idea to keep it a surprise if it is a wrestling based guest host?

Advertise the big draws but keep it a surprise here and there just to keep people curious?

Or do you think the entire idea is pointless?

I completely see your point but a good surprise here and there would reward those loyal viewers who tune in no matter who the gimmick host is.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Do you think it might be a good idea to keep it a surprise if it is a wrestling based guest host?

Nah, pointless. Some wrestling personalities might draw extra people. But I think you'd be hard pressed to find somebody who would stop fans tuning in.

Or do you think the entire idea is pointless?

I think it's a great idea. It's all scriped by the same people so having a different host each week makes it more intresting than having a lazy choice all the time.

If you don't like the person who's the permanent GM then you're stuck with them for months or years on end. If you don't like that many from Scooby0Doo then it doesn't matter because he's on on TV the week after.

 

[Mantaur Rodeo Clown]

?I completely see your point but a good surprise here and there would reward those loyal viewers who tune in no matter who the gimmick host is.

Are you kidding me? Did you not watch the edition of RAW with Sgt. Slaughter as the guest host? I think we got a great suprise when he brought out "The Best There Is, The Best There Was and The Best There Ever Will Be" Jim Duggan. I mean that's a great homage to wrestling fans, who have been loyal to the product, and wanna see that 2X4 one more time.

Loyal viewers don't need a reward. We're low life scum. If Vince McMahon were to knock on my door and punch me in the gonads, and tell me that my watching of WWE RAW was directly related to my gonad agony, I'd still tune in to see the main event. I'd say the same for about 80% of loyal RAW viewers. Except the womenfolk of course.

 

[JimmyLeviathan]

Why doesn't Gribbler have a point? The concept that there will be a new guest host on Raw every week is already well and truly established so it's not like anyone is going to forget it. Wouldn't it be better if the viewer didn't know who it was going to be?
I just read 'Controversy Creates Cash' and the lengths that Bischoff went to keep important storylines in WCW a secret were amazing. The point being, as he puts it. "The best way to tell a story is to get the audience to ask themselves "What's going to happen next" If they want to find out they'll have to tune in'. Bischoff also made the point (although I can't find the exact quote) that if you have to draw people in by telling them what's going to happen then your product is ineffective.
Instead of revealing every week who the guest star is why not make a big deal out of 'who is it going to be'? The best moments in wrestling are those that are unexpected. Having the attitude 'if we don't advertise the next guest host then nobody will tune in' is a load of crap.

 

[Flava Flav's PMing Bitch]

I actually have to agree with Gribbler here. I think the idea of leaving the guest host a surprise works, like Gribbler said people will tune in to see who the host is and maybe they'd be able to rope some folks in with some good matches.

Like I won't tune into Raw Monday cause I don't care about Floyd "Money" Mayweather, the same way when they announced Shaq as the host I said fuck dat shit, and didn't watch. Though that's just me and the WWE will not fail if I do not tune in, just my two cents.

P.S. I find it funny how now they will have two guest hosts who had some beef with Big Show, can anyone say Mayweather and Shaq vs. Big Show and Jericho.

P.P.S. Hhhmmm on further review of my statement I seem quite racist what with not tuning in for the two African-American hosts. Sorry about that folks.

 

[BernacK6]

Let's make this simple: if WWE's biggest surprise on a weekly basis is who the guest host for Raw is, that's when they're in trouble. Frankly, the guest host is someone who is a mouthpiece for the WWE Creative Team, because we all know these guys aren't actually making matches happen. The Guest Host concept will eventually wind down and go away once the economy turns around and NBC gets off of Vinnie Mac for ratings. Be patient.

 

[Motor City Mayhem]

I agree with Gribbler and Coldfeetofdeath, not telling people who the next guest host is makes it more interesting, it makes more people tune in to see who the next guest host is, instead of knowing who it is.

But at the same time then people who might not like the Guest Host Idea (Like Me) might not tune in as much because then they don't know if its a Host that has potential so why watch?

I think that by telling people then you can get people that don't usually watch wrestling might because then there favorite Sports Player or TV Personality will be on that show, then by watching they might like it.

My Verdict: Telling People is the way to go. Because when you tell people that Shaq is going to be on Monday Night Raw fans or Shaq are going to Watch It because it Shaq, then maybe, just maybe they might become a wrestling fan.

 

[RKOLEGACYRULZ]

Well whether they reveal their guest or not for STRAW it will hurt their ratings to draw one way or the other
Even If they didn't tell you who the guest host was going to be, noone would tune in to find out on the following week on RAW coz if it wasn't for internet reviews to we wouldn't waste our time watching the garbage he is feeding us week after week or shall I say weak after weak the only way to draw people is p[ut great matches on TV not crappy matches!!
Sgt Slaughter was guesthost as a way to promote the G.I> Joe movie that was out that's all it was really
Look how bad it did with Jeremy Piven and FReddie Prinze Jr

BEsides reading the RAW reviews are better and kills viewerships lol

 

[Bobloblaw]

It would be nice to have that sort of suspense of not knowing what's going to happened weekly, sadly the Raw guest host isn't where it should be coming from. Good storytelling is where that should be at. This is just my own guess, but the idea of the Raw host is not only to bring up ratings, it's also about gaining new (that stay) viewers. If we're going to be honest professional wrestling has always been the red headed step child of entertainment. The idea of the Raw host seems to be a way to improve the company image by tagging themselves with whomever seems to be popular with pop culture. It's an insensitive for them to promote their own projects. Look how much media attention they got with just Shaq and Piven as host. All from just an hour worth of the "stars" time.

The other thing is with the guest host. I think they're shooting for the idea that you may know who the person is, just not know what they're going to do. Piven turned heel, Prinze got into it with Orton, it's just a different form at getting at suspense. I'm not really feeling it, and rather bored with it, then again I'm most likely jaded.

 

[The Gribbler]

If we're going to be honest professional wrestling has always been the red headed step child of entertainment. The idea of the Raw host seems to be a way to improve the company image by tagging themselves with whomever seems to be popular with pop culture.

The thing is, pro wrestling will always be pro wrestling. To hell with entertainment and to hell with WWE films; Vinnie mac needs to stick with what made his company great, some seriously amazing pro wrestling shows.

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

No.

If anything, it is helping the ratings. Ratings have been higher the way things have been done on Raw with announcing the Guest Hosts a week in advance.

This concept has been debated time and time again, but to give a recent example, take Christian's return on ECW. His return WAS NOT announced in advance, and instead he just randomly appeared. And the show drew a poor rating. Imagine how much higher it would have been if his return was announced in advance.

 

[TheOneBigWill]

How would it be hurting Ratings? Because someone is named the Special Guest Host and as such it makes viewers not want to watch that single Person? So what?!

The Guest host has very limited air-time to begin with, and doesn't affect the matches outside of "making the Main Event", and adding a new element to the Chavo/Hornswoggle shit-feud.

If anything, pre-announcing your following week's Special Host is a good move because its allowing people to spread word-of-mouth to everyone else in saying "Hey, did you hear so and so is gonna be hosting Raw?" If its someone like Slaughter, then you have to ask why? In this situation, it was because the show was in Canada and Slaughter is an All American character. So he had a purpose and it was moderately funny.

In my opinion, they need to start advertising top quality Main Events a week in advance more often. Start telling the world of one or two top quality matches that'll be happening, and it'll continue to increase ratings - not decrease them.

 

[Nate DaMac]

Meh. It would be cool to be surprised every once in a while, but for the most part, announcing the host a week in advance is a good business move. Shaq was a fantastic idea, as evident by the ratings of his new show. Shaq is a draw. The casual fan may be more intrigued when Raw has a guest host that they are a fan of. On a side note, are people really still bitching about the guest host concept? Get a clue.

 

[Why Always Me]

No. That'd be like WWE getting The Rock to show up and Raw and not telling people before hand he'll be on the show. If they know he's going to be there and they want to see him then they'll make a point of tuning in. If they don't know he's there then as Raw is easily missable these days they just won't bother.

Sgt. Slaughter is a wrestling personality who would'nt surprise people and Floyd Mayweather is somebody people would tune in specifically to see.

I agree with that in principle, but I would much rather tune into Raw, not knowing who the guest host was, and then 'IF YA SMELL' blasts out. Man would I scream like a little girl.

Surprise element works much better, thats why I was annoyed when they ruined Goldberg's debut by announcing it the night before at WrestleMania, or Jeff Hardy's return. Remember the shock when Booker T was interviewed backstage and Eric Bischoff showed up, whenWCW wrestlers started invading Raw or for any of The Rock's returns in 2002/03/04 (diva search, helping Eugene, when everyone though Austin was returning).

 

[Tastycles]

No. If they didn't reveal who the host was, then no non wrestling people are going to tune in. "Oh, it could be someone I care about" oh wait, it absolutely isn't, it's Sgt. Slaughter. However, if you say, hey, next week Shaq wil be on Raw, the thought process will be "Oh, Shaq, I love him and his antics, I will watch this show."

Raw wouldn't have got anything close to 4.0 if it wasn't known that Shaq would be on it. As for wrestling celebrities, the ones they are getting in are big names anyone. Nobody who would tune in for a mystery wrestling figure wouldn't tune in for Ted DiBiase. This is definitely something that is being done right and something that is being done well.