How Do You Deal With "The Question"?

[It's Damn Real!]

You know the question I'm talking about...

It's asked in a variety of ways, but it always, invariably comes back to the same general theme — "you know it's fake, right?"

I've been having a bit of a back-and-forth (not quite a debate) on the New York Rangers' forum I run, where there are a handful of wrestling fans who participate in a general wrestling thread, but not nearly enough to avoid the question. But it got me thinking — sure as I am it's been asked before (probably more times than anyone would like to remember), I can't actually remember the last time I've seen it asked here.

My argument has been simple — Is it scripted? Yup. Are the punches real? Nope. Are the bumps real? Absolutely, even if their delivery is pre-determined. Does any of that actually matter? Not to me. And not to most wrestling fans, I'd imagine (though I'll let them speak for themselves).

At the end of the day, or the end of the show, pro wrestling is simply adult-oriented story-telling that rides on a wave of visual athleticism. It's often along the same stories told year-after-year (David v. Goliath, good versus evil, etc), but at it's core it's simply a visual depiction of "good guys" versus "bad guys" where eventually, the good guys prevail and justice is served. Much in the same way you would watch a Western movie knowing that by the end of it the cowboy is almost assuredly going to win, kiss the girl and ride off into the sunset after gunning down the bad guy, we do the same, just to a different theme. It's why I detest the patronizing "you know it's fake, right?" question. When I'm in a good mood, I'll respond kindly by explaining that yes, I know it's "fake", and no, I don't care. On less kind days, I fire back similar jabs like "You know 'Homeland' is fake too, right? And 'Dexter'? And 'Ray Donovan'? And any other scripted show you watch and enjoy and are able to suspend disbelief over?

So sure, it's been the same basic principle for the past however many years, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable IMO. I still "mark out" all the time when a new guy debuts or the underdog wins the title, etc. Even when I can see it coming a mile away.

Is it a little ridiculous that I watch scripted athleticism where guys in tights "fight" over titles? Maybe. But no better or worse than any other scripted fiction on television, I'd argue. At the end of the day, is wrestling really that much worse than say... Duck Dynasty? The Bachelor? The Jerry Springer Show? Is it really that much worse than being thoroughly invested in The Jersey Shore or Vampire Diaries? Ultimately fiction and entertainment are subjective. What you like as an individual is what you like. I'd never tread on that. Not intentionally. Not unless what you liked was actually harmful. It's why I always say things like "I don't believe in bad music". All music exists as entertainment. Entertainment exists. You either like it or you don't. Not liking it doesn't make it not entertainment. It just makes it not entertaining for you, or me, or whomever.

I actually got into an argument over this with a buddy on Facebook who posted some making-its-rounds YouTube clip about how all country pop is the same. His opinion was that country pop is bad music. Mine was that bad music doesn't exist, and that no one forces him to listen to it, so if he doesn't enjoy it, he can not enjoy it without having to tell others that they shouldn't either. It isn't harmful to listen to Blake Shelton or Florida Georgia Line, so if someone enjoys listening to them, more power to them. Moreover, someone could easily turn the tables on him and post some video about how every hardcore song sounds the same, and how all the guys in hardcore bands look the same, etc. I'd be defending his right to enjoy that music (even though I don't like it) just the same.

Well, the same goes for wrestling in my view.

So, even if you didn't experience it in that exact variation, I'm sure you've been questioned on the why behind you still watching a "fake" sport.

How do you all tend to respond to it?

 

[sanefan_har]

Person : You know wrestling is fake right? It's all pre-determined and what not
Me :Well, don't you respect people like Tom Cruise and Jackie Chan for doing all the stunts in their movies?
Person : Well, yeah, it's a big deal, considering the fact that they are putting their bodies on the line for our entertainment.
Me : There you go. I respect all the wrestlers for putting their bodies on the line for our entertainment. You choose Jackie Chan, I choose someone like Jeff Hardy. I don't force you to like wrestling, so you forcing me to stop watching pro-wrestling doesn't come off as anything sincere. Just irritating. I'm sure you are better than that
Person : ........ <leaves>
Me : <goes on to WZ forums> WTF Vince? WTF?? Why choose the wrong guy 2 years in a row to win the Rumble?

Sidenote :I never posted anything as crude as that comment on these forums.

 

[three count bout]

I surprisingly never really get asked about it however it did happen somewhat recently. When the person asked if I knew it was fake, I stared at him confused and said as sarcastically as possible "Holy Shit I KNEW something was up!" He was a friend of a friend, suffice to say he never came back over. I'm not advocating people reply rude to the question however I still find it bizarre that these people think they're giving us Earth shattering new information.

 

[rbv13]

I typically go off on a sarcastic rant. "WTF, where did you hear this? I've been watching my entire life and this is the first I'm hearing of this. What's next? That TV host and his assistant didn't really kill the leader of North Korea? The US Government didn't try to eliminate an entire race a blue aliens while trying to obtain a fuel source? I just don't know what to believe anymore. Thanks for opening my eyes you F'n dick weed."

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I surprisingly never really get asked about it however it did happen somewhat recently. When the person asked if I knew it was fake, I stared at him confused and said as sarcastically as possible "Holy Shit I KNEW something was up!" He was a friend of a friend, suffice to say he never came back over. I'm not advocating people reply rude to the question however I still find it bizarre that these people think they're giving us Earth shattering new information.

In my experience, they're not. That's not actually the purpose of the question. The purpose of it is to belittle you for watching something they find absurd, because the notion is that you're an idiot who is still being deceived by what's going on behind the curtain.

I've always interpreted the question as more insulting and less inquisitive. I don't think I've ever encountered someone who was honestly asking if I realized it was fake, as though they were trying to educate me. It always came off as condescending, which is why I tend to reply back in kind.

 

[TheICChampion]

Luckily I don't encounter this question all that much. Whenever I do I just say "Yeah, well, it's SCRIPTED, but you try coming off the top rope and landing on someone without hurting them or yourself, see how that works out. See how fake that feels." Or I say "How do you figure they pull off those moves without at least getting hurt a little bit?". They usually don't have a response to either of those comebacks.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Luckily I don't encounter this question all that much. Whenever I do I just say "Yeah, well, it's SCRIPTED, but you try coming off the top rope and landing on someone without hurting them or yourself, see how that works out. See how fake that feels." Or I say "How do you figure they pull off those moves without at least getting hurt a little bit?". They usually don't have a response to either of those comebacks.

You don't even need to go to that length, to be honest. There's a world of difference between "fake" and "scripted".

I'd look at that person and tell them to take a single back body drop. One. Hit the ropes, come back, head-over-heels and land on your back just one time the way the guys they like to poke fun at do thousands of times a year. Feel that impact. Feel that pain. Then come back and tell me how "fake" it is.

 

[Bockwinkel's Class]

I tell them it's "fiction" not "fake". I don't like referring to something where the guys take real life bumps and suffer real life injuries as "fake". As "fiction" it's no different than the movies and TV shows people watch religiously. "You do realize the Death Star isn't real and Darth Vader doesn't really go around force choking people, right? Of course you do. Wrestling isn't any different. It's fiction like the vast majority of entertainment people enjoy."

 

[Uncle Sam]

Yeah, well, Peter O'Toole wasn't really T. E. Lawrence, mate. Linda Blair wasn't actually possessed by the devil. Jackie Chan wasn't genuinely fighting to the death with his stunt team in early twentieth century China.

Know what else isn't real? The fucking Simpsons.

 

[ABMorales787]

"No shit."

That tends to be my response the scarce amount of time I've gotten it. I live in a culture where even knowing it's staged, people will throw fits if a foreigner talks shit about Puerto Rico. Ask Damien Sandow. He talks about it in the Jericho podcast. People back home don't give a shit if it's staged, they'll still boo heels, cheer faces and even attack if they see it fit.

 

[Dagger Dias]

The inevitable question "you know it's fake right?" is often annoying. My immediately response is usually me rolling my eyes. I then go on to explain how it may be predetermined, but some of the spots they do definitely aren't fake. Tell that to the wrestlers who get injured. As for the predetermined results.... My most used example is the boxing match between Mike Tyson and Peter McNeeley in 1995. It was a big deal with it being Tyson's return match, but then it ended almost immediately followed by a reaction of "wait, that's IT!?". That may have been "real", but would you rather have that or a match that despite having a predetermined result you're guaranteed to have a show? I like both pro wrestling and MMA (even though I only casually watch the latter).... if I want to be entertained I watch WWE. If I want to see a "real" fight, I'll watch UFC. This conversation 9 times out of 10 takes care of "The Question" and in the rarer instances when it doesn't, I simply ignore the individual's remarks afterward.

 

[L@RISANO]

Simply, I watch it as I would other TV shows, for the storylines, how feuds will play out and how the Superstars/Characters will perform in their roles.


Fake? We knew that long ago didn't we? It is the whole reason Vince goes on about "Sports Entertainment"... because that is what it is, at the end of the day.

 

[GeminiGarlord]

"Yes, and that's exactly why I watch it"

(seriously, I find "real sports" the most boring thing on earth")

 

[HurriKane]

Show them something from ROH, or something from Japan.

I remember having a bunch of people over talking shit about wrestling, and I had just bought this ROH DVD, and watched El Generico Vs Claudio Castagnoli, and they never brought up the fake aspect of it.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I just ask them to they watch the soaps- like "Coronation Street", "Eastenders", or fake reality shows like "Geordie Shore" or "TOWIE".

When they almost always say "Yes", I say "and you are laughing at what I watch?!"

It is hilarious that these people can try and take the piss out of wrestling fans, saying they need to grow up, or laughing about it being "fake", but yet they are shitting themselves with excitment over "Who killed Lucy Beale?" in Eastenders, talking about how amazing it is watching an bunch of idiots from Essex going to staged parties, or posting statuses on Facebook about how they cried when a cat got run over on Corrie!

It's alright pal, you go and watch some failed Z-List celebrities living in a house together for entertainment, or eating bugs in the jungle, I'll watch some of the finest athletes in the world put their bodies on the line in action packed "FAKE" wrestling. I think we know who's made the better choice.

 

[Navi]

I just look at them stunned and go "No really, are you kidding?", then they start bobbing their heads up and down telling me that's its fake and it just a bunch of half naked men muscle bound men grappling each other. That's when I nod, smile and say "I know." Then I turn around and walk away.

 

[StonewallBrigade]

Tell them it's scripted entertainment like plays and movies except in movie fight scenes they are usually not even making any contact.

I hate how people know nothing about wrestling but think they know something you don't.

 

[Mustang Sally]

At the end of the day, or the end of the show, pro wrestling is simply adult-oriented story-telling that rides on a wave of visual athleticism.

Sure, it's more like a stage play than a movie or taped TV show. On the latter two, if something goes wrong during filming, the director yells "Cut" and they get another crack at it. In a stage play.....or pro wrestling....if something goes amiss, they have to keep on going, come what may. Plus, due to the required on-the-spot athleticism, pro wrestling offers a lot more chances for genuine disaster (or simple production gaffes) than does a regular play on stage.

As to folks who've questioned me about the "fake" aspect of wrestling, I ask if they enjoyed "The Wizard of Oz." Invariably, they say they did and I ask how they can criticize me for enjoying something that isn't "real" when they can appreciate productions that contain flying monkeys and melting witches. Makes 'em step back for a minute, that's for sure.

Sometimes, my buddies say: "In wrestling, they try to make it seem like what's happening is real".....and I respond by telling them that the cop shows, westerns and other adventures shows they enjoy on TV feature people getting killed, hurt, being held in hostage situations, etc. Aren't those shows trying to make it all seem real? How come the "fake" aspect only bothers you when it comes to pro wrestling? Huh? Huh?

Gets 'em every time, I'm telling ya.

 

[Alex]

I just ask them to they watch the soaps- like "Coronation Street", "Eastenders", or fake reality shows like "Geordie Shore" or "TOWIE".

When they almost always say "Yes", I say "and you are laughing at what I watch?!"

It is hilarious that these people can try and take the piss out of wrestling fans, saying they need to grow up, or laughing about it being "fake", but yet they are shitting themselves with excitment over "Who killed Lucy Beale?" in Eastenders, talking about how amazing it is watching an bunch of idiots from Essex going to staged parties, or posting statuses on Facebook about how they cried when a cat got run over on Corrie!

It's alright pal, you go and watch some failed Z-List celebrities living in a house together for entertainment, or eating bugs in the jungle, I'll watch some of the finest athletes in the world put their bodies on the line in action packed "FAKE" wrestling. I think we know who's made the better choice.

Yup quite a few people who've ridiculed me for liking wrestling also seem to be into Eastenders and Geordie Shore and the like. Ironically after they've had a laugh at my expense because of wrestling I try and get them to talk about the latest tv show they like. After about five minutes I reiterate their point 'But you know it's fake right' they then say it's different, I ask them to explain and they can't which is quite funny.

Another point I like to make about wrestling is I call it physical theatre.I had this talk with my sister because she thinks there's no entertainment value in wrestling (more personal preference than anything) she has been in various plays and I likened what she did to wrestling. We promptly had a discussion/argument about how wrestling is physical theatre and eventually she got the point I was trying to make. It probably also helped that her drama teacher also said wrestling is a type of physical theatre.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

At the end of the day wrestling is just another TV show in which you become emotionally invested in the storylines and characters, just like any other TV series or film. The only difference is that wrestling requires a huge amount of athletic ability, plus being able to perform live infront of an audience every night with no way of re-doing any mistakes that may be made.

To be honest, when you think about it, it is pretty strange that people laugh at wrestling as "fake" when every single film, play or TV series is also choreographed and involves pretend fights, love scenes and death. No-one really gets killed in Terminator, no-one really stabs anyone in performances of Macbeth, so why is someone getting hit in the head with a steel chair (which quite often makes heavy contact) classed as so "fake"? Puzzles me really

 

[ヒュー　G.　レックション]

To be honest, when you think about it, it is pretty strange that people laugh at wrestling as "fake" when every single film, play or TV series is also choreographed and involves pretend fights, love scenes and death. No-one really gets killed in Terminator, no-one really stabs anyone in performances of Macbeth, so why is someone getting hit in the head with a steel chair (which quite often makes heavy contact) classed as so "fake"? Puzzles me really

I think because, in my experience with non-fans, they believe that all wrestling fans think that the product is real and so they feel a need to make them aware that it is fake. The non-fans I've talked with were never aware that people watch fake wrestling for entertainment's sake, they thought that we were watching it as legitimate sport.

And to be fair, wrestling companies do present themselves that way. There isn't a closing credits with a cast list. In the past, TV interviews wrestlers would do, would be in character and pretend it's real, what other kind of actor does that? It's the fact they try so hard to pretend I suppose, when everyone knows it's fake, that draws attention to wrestling and makes it a laughing stock.

 

[Stone Cold Tea]

Before i didn't really have an answer for that question i just walked away, but as i got older and started going on to wrestling websites i realised just how much work these people put in.
Now when someone asks me that i tell them its scripted entertainment that i watch for storyline purposes and that if they think its fake then they should go travel the road for 300 days plus a year, work through injuries, keep themselves in good shape an get beat up in the ring every night, then tell me how fake it is.Once i've explained the gruelling schedule to them most people are like 'oh yeah i never thought of it like that. They really are great athletes' and thus the world is a better place.

 

[raymondo]

Before i didn't really have an answer for that question i just walked away, but as i got older and started going on to wrestling websites i realised just how much work these people put in.
Now when someone asks me that i tell them its scripted entertainment that i watch for storyline purposes and that if they think its fake then they should go travel the road for 300 days plus a year, work through injuries, keep themselves in good shape an get beat up in the ring every night, then tell me how fake it is.Once i've explained the gruelling schedule to them most people are like 'oh yeah i never thought of it like that. They really are great athletes' and thus the world is a better place.

Couldn't agree more.
I was just reading bout King Mo, saying How much harder PRO WRESTLING is than MMA.
These super athletes are putting it all on the line.