Have We Lost Our Sense of Humor?

[Rasha]

I stumbled across this video a few weeks ago and it's been cracking me up every time I watch it. Anyone who watched WCW during its peak will feel their heart warm up with nostalgic delight. Please enjoy, then consider my question below:

[YOUTUBE]oC6EhwmD0GM[/YOUTUBE]

After watching this several times, I'm left to wonder why wrestling fans as a whole are so tough to please today. The minute someone like Santino or Shark Boy shows up, some people get pissed and accuse the booking team of not trying hard enough. We've become obsessed with critiquing a guy's look, mic skills, moveset, entrance theme... dissecting everything in pieces to the point it seems we lose sight of the whole.

Look at some of the guys in that video; silent mask-wearers or some of the goofiest looking guys (Silver King, El Dandy) to ever go into a ring. But there was a time when we marked out for the Cruiserweight Division. Hell, I know some people who said they only watched for the Cruisers.

Is it loss of innocense? Is it a lack of appreciation? Or is it something else? Whatever the cause, why do you think the general sense of humor has decayed among wrestling fans?

 

[Ferbian]

The innocence might actually be a pretty fair answer.

We're grown older, and obviously the common fan exposed on this forum are people that are elder, and have been watching professional wrestling for years. There's the kids in the crowd, mainly in WWE that obviously will be thoroughly enjoying of the programming, the antics of D-Generation X even in 2009 (I enjoyed those as well, and had my share of chuckles).

However, the majority of us are elder people that knows more or less the ins and outs of the business. We know it's not real, we know it's not something we could expect them to do for anything but entertain us. And it will most likely kill something for us somewhere down the road. We spend a lot of time analyzing the programming rather than spending the time enjoying it, having a laugh, and suspending disbeliefs. Which is another thing I think causes us to "loose our humor" for the programming - Suspending disbelief is something we've become less and less able to do I'd like to believe. I try my best to suspend disbelief every week when I watch, but in the end it gets quite hard because I know none of the stories that are going on are real.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

It depends on what you think is funny. There's some stuff out there that will make me laugh, but there's some stuff that I don't think is funny. For example, I cringe every time Hornswoggle is shown on Smackdown. The little guys annoys the fuck out of me, and I just can't stand him. Some people love Jarrett's MMA gimmick, but I don't think it's funny at all. It just bores me. But I do chuckle at some stuff every now and then. DX always managed to make me laugh, and Triple and Shawn Michaels did a fine job with being in funny in 2006 and 2009, and TNA does have some stuff that can make you laugh. They go a little overboard sometimes, but that's another discussion for another thread.

Also, As Ferbian has already said, age has a lot to do with this. A lot of us on this forum have become older, so we have the tendency to analyze and pick apart a pro wrestling show a lot more. I do the same the same thing with movies, television shows, and sports. When we were younger, we would just sit back and enjoy the ride. We really didn't care about the specifics.

 

[UltimateHitman]

I love LaParka! I just posted about that chair guitar thing not too long ago on another thread. That video is awesome, too. The song goes very well w/the clips. But on to the subject at hand...

I don't know, coming from an older guy's point of view, and maybe I'm just lucky, but I keep myself lighthearted and still enjoy things that I used to enjoy when I was younger, and some things I actually even enjoy moreso and have more of an appreciation for (especially younger women, but that's another topic...).

But seriously, I appreciate things like LaParka even more now, and wish they did a little more stuff like that, but not too much. They can't go overdoing it. But in the case of LaParka, he did his funny little things, but he also pulled off some really good wrestling, and I think that's where they need to keep the balance. If you're totally comedic it can lose it's flavor over time. I'll use Hornswoggle as an example, since he was mentioned above.

When they first started with Hornswoggle I liked the little mook. I thought it was funny when they had coach chasing him around and he was doing cartoon-y shit like running through the door on the wall, ala Looney Tunes. I also liked it when they had him and the Boogeyman as honorary D-X members that one night. I actually think they should have kept them all together. But now I look at him and pretty much go "meh". I mean, I don't mind them doing one or two small things w/him for the kids, that's fine and dandy, I just don't find him as interesting as I did before.

I think it's a small sacrifice when you realize they're doing the PG thing now, and even if they were a little more edgy, you still have kids watching. And that's not a bad thing at all when you think about wanting pro wrestling's rich history to persevere because if you were a totally "HBO" or "Cinemax" level of entertainment it would turn a lot of people off. And being an oldster, and growing up in the PG 80's era w/the cartoonish gimmicks, it was pretty interesting and fun to be a part of.

I'm probably in the minority here (particularly with Shark Boy), but I wanted to mention Santino and Shark Boy. I like these characters! I think Santino and Kozlov are doing really good in their roles and they break the monotony well. Santino's got the comedic thing down pat and you can tell he's still athletic when he wants to be. The same goes for Eric Young in TNA. He's very enjoyable in the comedy role and again breaks up the monotony because, let's face it, we all like a nice laugh now and then. I like a nice, raunchy comedy laugh now and then, but I also like the feel-good family friendly laugh too. And all laughs in between. Even if it's just lighter humor, it's still nice. I think people are so worried about being "tough" or emotionless or guarded or whatever term you want to use these days to really allow themselves to just enjoy light hearted, non-serious or goofy humor. Especially in the age of MMA where everybody sees these bad ass fighters and try to imitate their attitudes. When they do have some laughs, they want more "refined", or "manly" laughs, if you understand what I'm getting at.

I can't let this response end without expanding on Shark Boy. That's another instance where I find the whole thing ironic and very funny. He does sound a hell of a lot like Austin, and not only is a little skinny guy who has the gimmick of a huge, deadly predator like a shark ironic in itself, but the little skinny dude imitating Stone Cold, the big, rough, take no shit, redneck bad ass is ironic on top of it. And I don't know, I just love seeing the guy in that character. The catchphrases and mannerisms actually overlap so well, and he does that imitation so spot on, I'd swear he was Jason Sensation. lol

I guess what I'm getting at is that everything doesn't have to be so serious, but on the same token, things can't be all fun and games either. There has to be a balance, and even if goofy schticks aren't your cup of tea, it's much better to just take them with a grain of salt instead of getting yourself so worked up about every little silly or mildly annoying thing. (With the exception of Jarrett. And the Terrible Trio of Hogan, Bischoff, and Russo. They just plain suck...) I just think that as long as you still have your wrestling action with just a dash of comedy mixed in, there shouldn't be anything wrong with it. Stop taking things so seriously and just lighten up and have a little fun.

 

[gd]

Ya, people just need to chill out. Wrestling isn't supposed to be serious all the time. The more jkes the better, as far as I'm concerened. Even if it's stupid comedy, it'll usually at least get a smirk out of me.

For instance, Santino and Eric Young (when he's not trying to be serious of course) are two of my personal favorite wretlers. Comedy segments, matches, gimmicks, etc and whatnot are all fantastic in my book. Sometimes it's what I look most forward to. Anybody that says most comedy in wrestling is stupid and a waste of time is just wuond too tight.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

La Parka used to rock SO fucking hard, man.

Thats really all I have to say, but I need to not spam. Comedy in wrestling most certainley has its places, and is a very welcome change of pace the vast majority of the time. As long as there isnt a major oversaturation of it, its generally pretty entertaining

 

[MizFit]

Comedy in wrestling certainly has a spot.

Sometimes the humor is a little dry, but overall its nice to mix in some comedy here and there, as long as its not over done. I find it entertaining usually, and comedy is a small staple needed in wrestling.

 

[Miko]

I am convinced that most people who post on wrestling message boards had their sense of humour bullied out of them at school, seemingly convinced that Santino Marrella insults their intellegence. Comedy in wrestling's good, Jarrett's MMA angle is awesome, it takes away from all that serious shit that keeps happening, cant keep having people get run over, or beaten the shit out of by a gang of other guys. This isnt The Wire.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

Comedy in wrestling is great. La Parka, Chris Jerico with Ralphus, the Juicer, dX, Santino, Rock promos, Hornswoggle, EY, Eugene etcetra. Comedy is subjective, not everyone laughs at the same things and age is only one factor in what tickles us. People in this thread have already said they don't like Hornswoggle (how dare you slag off my son!) but like EY/Santino - the proof as they say is in the pudding.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

La fucking Parka!!!

He was fantastic. Funny, threw a great chairshot and could wrestle too. I would love to see someone like him in the WWE now.

I dont think we have lost our sense of humour as a whole, but the WWE product as a whole is catering for a younger fanbase right now, so its only natural that the humour and jokes are going to be tailored towards that audience, therefore not representing the general humour of the IWC. Santino can be funny, but some of Cena's attempts at humour are pretty dire.

However, there usually is a couple of things on a WWE show that amuse me, sometimes more. I prefer when the show isnt serious the whole way through. I will always fondly look back on Jericho and The Rock back in the late 90s, those guys were fucking hilarious. Also, Austin when he was leader of the Aliiance or friends with Vince...some funny stuff...Kurt Angle singing "Jimmy Crack Corn"...legendary.

[YOUTUBE]o9YVjpVV8Es[/YOUTUBE]

Now that is hilarious

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

I'm sorry I kept looking at Debra Naitch!

Guys like Santino, Shark Boy, EY all need their TV time because wrestling as a whole is basically "I hate you and I will get my revenge on you" (thank you Paul!). But with comedic elements like a Goldust will have you in stitches even if the main event is about Hunter Vs Booker.

IWC mainly gripe about the fact that 'this guy is being wasted, they should give him a legit push' but if someone already excels at what he is doing, why bother. Everybody isn't gonna be World Champion, so let them give us the lolz and get the pops.

 

[Calderownz]

Wrestling fans have one big problem. They think they're smart to the business, but most of them are not.

I remember when I was younger, I really disliked religion and was educating myself on the subject (or at the very least, trying to). Any time someone would try and keep the conversation light about that subject, I couldn't handle it. I always wanted to get my points and thoughts across. I didn't like jokes about God being real, or jokes that were in favor of religion in any way. I couldn't handle it.

It's the same way with most wrestling fans. They feel they know more then they actually do. So, they get upset when it is challenged.

Things should be done this way, and for this reasons. This will be funny, this isn't and that's that. It becomes less entertainment in their minds and more of a "I could do this better." It's the same thing that makes someone hate football or basketball, when they know they could never do it, or foolishly think they could do it better.

 

[Tastycles]

The wrestling audience hasn't lost its sense of humour at all, which is why Santino is one of the longest serving members of the Raw roster. Seriously, he's been on Raw longer than pretty much everyone apart from John Cena and Randy Orton. The reason for that is that he's very good at comic relief, and that's something the wrestling audience seeks in abundance. The only difference is the internet. The internet community, and particularly the IWC takes itself far too seriously, and as a result they don't let themselves enjoy themselves. Santino may not be Bob Hope in the comedy stakes, but he's no less funny and no less over than any other comic wrestler of the past. People only moan because they don't want to seem purile on the internet. Santino is by far the most popular wrestler amongst my non wrestling fan friends, and the IWC would do well to note that popularity. Kozlov goose stepping whilst playing the air trumpet is funny, lighten up.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I think there've been several good points made. I think a lot of it does sort of ride on what people generally consider to be funny and I also do think that some of us sometimes just take things much too seriously. Sometimes, if I'm in a particular sort of mood, I don't mind comedy wrestling and sometimes it just irritates the crap out of me so I'm definitely guilty sometimes.

I think another problem is that way too many people believe that in order to be funny, there has to be a good deal of raunchiness in there as well. If it's not got some cursing in it or doesn't contain sexual innuendos, then we sometimes just label is as corny or hokey.

Last Monday on Raw, John Cena & Jerry Lawler made some fat jokes at Vickie Guerrero's expense and it's got some people all up in arms. I think it's sort of a good example of just how mixed up the IWC gets at times. Some want the WWE to be a little more controversial, well look at the criticisms it's gotten for the fat jokes made on Raw this past Monday. Everything gets made into a federal case these days and people just take everything FAR too seriously. It was part of a wrestling angle after all and it's not as if John Cena went and pulled some 250 pound 14 year old out of the audience.

To some degree, I do believe that wrestling fans have lost their sense of humor because far too many just can't sit back and enjoy things. Everything has to be analyzed down to the slightest, most minute detail and has to fit into EXACTLY whatever sort of scenario that they believe will work best.

That's not to say that everything seen in comedy wrestling is funny because it's not, but I don't see any harm in letting yourself have a little good natured chuckle.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

Last Monday on Raw, John Cena & Jerry Lawler made some fat jokes at Vickie Guerrero's expense and it's got some people all up in arms. I think it's sort of a good example of just how mixed up the IWC gets at times. Some want the WWE to be a little more controversial, well look at the criticisms it's gotten for the fat jokes made on Raw this past Monday. Everything gets made into a federal case these days and people just take everything FAR too seriously. It was part of a wrestling angle after all and it's not as if John Cena went and pulled some 250 pound 14 year old out of the audience.

To some degree, I do believe that wrestling fans have lost their sense of humor because far too many just can't sit back and enjoy things. Everything has to be analyzed down to the slightest, most minute detail and has to fit into EXACTLY whatever sort of scenario that they believe will work best.

That's not to say that everything seen in comedy wrestling is funny because it's not, but I don't see any harm in letting yourself have a little good natured chuckle.

Hey Jacko, gonna have to disagree with this example for one simple reason - it's at the expense of an individual and as such, cannot be regarded as 'good natured'. WWe is now aimed at youngsters and as such has to consider it's wrestlers (particularly faces like Cena and Lawler) as role models. If you heard that your daughter was getting making fun of by boys at school about her weight, you'd consider them boys bullies - what makes Cena and Lawler (and by extension, the WWe) any different. Rick Rude used to do this generically in the old days (and he was a heel - so not someone whose example kids where meant to follow); in recent years however Vicky was derided by Santino's alter ego Santina as a pig - even being forced to fight in a pigpen, Laycool brought Mickie James to tears with the 'Piggy' James angles and now Vickie, despite losing weight, is no1 with a bullet for derision AGAIN. This is particularly rich, considering that a certain Mrs Levesque has never been a stick insect herself (which is not a dig, as I've always found her VERY attractive).

 

[ABMorales787]

When it comes to comedy, it's about two things. Your audience's appeal and timing. Most of the IWC doesn't seem too appreciative of EY's antics, but the live crowds show a totally different reaction. With Santino, most people enjoy it as well. At the end of it, they both appeal to their respective crowd. If you switch these guys and put them on opposite shows, it won't really look right.

Then there's timing. Where most of the other guys trying to be funny as of late fail. When DX reunited in 2006, it was special because it had been so long since they were together and they hype that lead to it. When they came back in 2009, it almost seemed forced and by that point they were more about selling merch than cracking out the crude pranks.


Here's a good example of a well timed and executed joke.

Here's a terrible one. Bad speech, bad well.... everything.

I'd say humor in pro wrestling is pretty good these days. maybe not as good as when you had DX impersonate The Nation or Kevin Nash impersonating Arn Anderson, but it's still pretty good. But if you put guys who can't be too funny, you can't expect good results. Just look at the video above.

 

[LilacFray]

Innocence it is, like everyone else have agreed

I think humor is mandatory..!!
Or it gets boring now and then..

I used to liked Hornswoggle but somehow later I began to get irritated whenever he turned up.. I din get all fussy about it or hate on him though!

I think Santino and Kozlov make an epic duo
I totally crack up whenever Santino says something stupid and
Kozlov, a serious looking built man breaks into a goofy grin that lasts only for a second or two, and there he is with a straight face again XDD

 

[MissCG]

I definitely think you need those lighter, funny moments to break things up. I`ll admit I love Santino. He`s great comic relief. Some of you may be right that we pick apart and analyze the shows so much that we aren`t really sitting back and enjoying them. Very interesting topic!