Its time for RAW, to start targeting the adults/teens again.

[Milkyway!]

Who dosen't have school the next morning and partents yelling at them to go to bed at 9:00 due to the fact they need a good nights rest for school in the morning? The adults/teens do not. Who has jobs to spend money on WWE Merchandise? The adults/teens do. Why "try to hook this generation" if your just going to lose them when they mature a little bit, and start to mature. Its like when you got to the age of 13, Cartoons, were no longer cool. Your more into, Law and Order, House, (used to be) Wrestling, Violence, etc, etc. WWE needs to stop worrying about the audiance of tomorrow, and start worrying about audiance of today. Because of this worrying about the audiance of tomorrow we (we being the audiance of today) have to suffer through horrible times of wrestling. It just makes more since to me, to target today, instead of tomorrow.

Discuss. What do you think? Good Tactics? Bad?

 

[HBK-aholic]

Wrestling isn't seen as 'cool' among most adults or teenagers. Do many of you spend time talking to people off of the forum about what happened this past week on Raw? To children, it's all they talk about. There's a couple of kids where I work that watch the show, and love it, it'll all they talk about, they try and practice the moves on one another, and they talk about how much they hate the heels for doing what it is they've done to their favourite wrestlers.

They don't understand wrestling is scripted. They take everything as they see it. The older you get, the less of that is within you. From experience of this forum I know there is only a few people who still see it this way. WWE target those that still do believe everything, and that don't complain. While it's a bit mixed up especially with the times it's shown, I can understand why they're doing this.

 

[Milkyway!]

Wrestling isn't seen as 'cool' among most adults or teenagers.

But thats only because wrestling companies are no longer shooting for them. =\ Who wants to see childish games being played by "fake wrestlers." If you read the interview with Jerry Jarret a couple of days ago. Reality, sells.

Do many of you spend time talking to people off of the forum about what happened this past week on Raw?

No, because most people tell me it childish, and boring.

To children, it's all they talk about. There's a couple of kids where I work that watch the show, and love it, it'll all they talk about, they try and practice the moves on one another, and they talk about how much they hate the heels for doing what it is they've done to their favourite wrestlers.

Just remember how when you were a child. What your parents, or older siblings did. So did you. It wasn't until you got 13-14 that, you truly got a mind for yourself. What was cool to them, was cool to you. So if they targeted the people with money, not only do they catch the parents eyes, they also catch the kidds.

They don't understand wrestling is scripted. They take everything as they see it. The older you get, the less of that is within you.

Obviously so. But if your targeting those that are older, it will at least keep a little fire a going in them. And as I said above, you just let the peer preasure work its magic.

From experience of this forum I know there is only a few people who still see it this way. WWE target those that still do believe everything, and that don't complain. While it's a bit mixed up especially with the times it's shown, I can understand why they're doing this.

They shouldn't. Thats what this entire thread is about. Target those who have the money, yet no its fake. They don't care if its fake or not, just do a flip thingy. It excites everyone. (I.e. Evan bourne.)

 

[Luther_Hull]

The WWE dug themselves into a hole really with the Attitude era, it worked at the time but they've got serious after-effects. Targeting kids is the wrong option, people who grew up watching the Attitude era aren't going to let their kids watch the same product they watched as young adults, and that's what they'll think will still be on. Wrestling's got a bad stigma these days, mainly due to the Attitude era, although Benoit didn't help at all, and parents just won't let their kids watch it, its as simple as that. By changing their product to suit them, all the WWE are doing is alienating their audience, why am I, an 18 year old going to want to continue watching a programme that is now apparently a kids show? But at the same time, a parent's not going to let their kids watch a programme on after the watershed, so no one's winning at the moment, especially not the WWE.

The best thing to do would be to return to an Attitude era style, there's no point at all in showing a kids programme after the watershed, so if that's the timeslot that WWE have got then they should cater to an audience that's going to watch at that time, the 18-30 demographic. So on that basis I'd have to say they should really cater to today's audience, because tomorrow's probably isn't allowed.

 

[miamicanes460]

I want to see a brass knuckle beatdown. I want to see more blood. I want to see more intense rivalries. I want wrestling to play like a rated R movie, not a god damn rated G disney movie. They need to cut ties with the comical worthless wrestlers and put more time and effort into the guys who really matter. No more Eugene characters, no more D'Lo Browns, no more Hornswaggle...

If I were the owner of WWE, I would do this:

ECW becomes the most violent program on the face of the earth. All of the young developmental talent is on ECW. Everyone who is young and/or a highflyer goes to this program. Raw and Smackdown are the big brands still, and you get moved up if you are great in ECW.

Cut guys like Finlay, Hornswaggle, ect... Guys who couldn't ever be considered title picture players. These guys do nothing for the company.


Wrestling has always had that "badass" I'm going to beat the shit outta you guy. There is nobody like that anymore. Nobody that is just a physical mo-fo who is just brutal in the ring. Brock Lesnar, Stone Cold...guys like this had fans because they were awesome and did some badass shit. Now we see nothing like this. Wrestling became so...boring.

We, as fans, want blood, intense rivalries, realism...I thought that the Jericho/Cena rivalry was actually kind of sweet...when Cena went off on Jericho, beating the crap outta him on Raw. That was sweet.


Now, ontop of this, I really feel that they are trying to make Cena the PG Austin. It doesn't work. I want to see Cena beating somebody down with the chain fist...giving somebody the STFU with the chain around the neck...now that's vicious and awesome. We want things like this. As fans, brutality is what appeals. We don't get a lick of that anymore.

 

[Mr. TM]

Well I saw a poster say that WWE should use the brands differently. That is so true, to create a difference. Make Raw that, a little more Raw. Have the higher rivalries, more intense educated storylines. That is what WWE needs, storylines that draw you in. Have they not been paying attention to the other shows on TV? Look at Lost, that show draws you in by having cliffhangers, and creating background stories. Raw should have these types of storylines. A good Raw sets the WWE week. If you enjoyed Raw, you will want to watch ECW and Smackdown as well.

ECW on the other hand is actually doing what is should be doing. They should ass more of the high flying edge on the shaw. If Raw is the witty while intense show, ECW should be the wow show. The show where there is wrestling, with less storylines. This is where a cruiserweight title should go. Less characters, more talent.

Smackdown as had been said should be the show for kids. Have the characters that children like on this show. if you want to do something mystifying, don't do it on Raw, that is unbelievable, do it on Smackdown.

For the rosters, I would change them around to make this make sense.


Batista- Move him back to Smackdown. Young adults hate him, kids love him. Moving him was one of the worst things WWE has done in a while.
Charlie Haas- Move him to ECW, stop doing the lame name changes, and have him wrestle some matches.
Chris Jericho- Keep him on Raw, he is one of the best examples of what Raw should be.
CM Punk- Move him to Smackdown, kids love him as well. If they keep him on Raw, he has to turn heel.
Cody Rhodes- Keep him on Raw, put him in youthful matches
Dolph Ziggler- Fire him?
Goldust- If he stays around, send him over to Smackdown.
"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan- Future endeavors? or to Smackdown.
Hardcore Holly- Keep him on Raw, and have him as a brash heel.
Jamie Noble- ECW.
John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL)- Good fit on Raw.
John Cena- Tough choice. I stay keep him on Raw, he sells, and all of that. But his character is good for Smackdown. Tough choice.
JTG- Smackdown
Kane- Smackdown
Kofi Kingston- Smackdown
Manu- Raw
Mike Knox- Raw
Randy Orton- The main heel of Raw
Rey Mysterio- Smackdown, with appearances in ECW
Shad Gaspard- Smackdown
Santino Marella - Smackdown
Sim Snuka- Raw
Shawn Michaels- Raw, just because he can play a great face with edgey attitudes
Ted DiBiase- Raw
William Regal- Raw


Big Show- Raw
The Brian Kendrick- I almost say ECW.
Carlito- Smackdown
Curt Hawkins- Raw
DH Smith- Raw
Edge- Raw
Ezekiel Jackson- Smackdown
Festus- Smackdown
The Great Khali- ECW
Hurricane Helms - Either ECW of Smackdown
Jeff Hardy- Smackdown
Jesse- Smackdown
Jimmy Wang Yang - ECW
Kizarny- Pink slip?
Kung Fu Naki- ECW
Montel Vontavious Porter- Raw
Mr. Kennedy - Raw
Primo- Raw
R-Truth- Indy?
Ryan Braddock-
Scotty Goldman - ECW
Shelton Benjamin- Smackdown
Triple H- Again, the opposite of John Cena
Umaga- Smackdown
Undertaker- Obviously Smackdown
Vladimir Kozlov- Raw
Zack Ryder- ECW


Boogeyman - Smackdown or the streets
Chavo Guerrero- Future ECW Cruiserweight champion
DJ Gabriel- Raw
Evan Bourne- ECW
Finlay- Smackdown
Hornswoggle- Smackdown
Jack Swagger- ECW
John Morrison- Raw
Mark Henry- ECW
Matt Hardy- ECW
The Miz- Smackdown
Paul Burchill - ECW
Ricky Ortiz- TNA if he is lucky
Tommy Dreamer- ECW


With this balanced roster, WWE would have 3 unique shows. Raw is smart, ECW is wow, and Smackdown is fun. A perfectly balanced week.

 

[2012isbs]

I say audience of tomorrow at 9:00 to 10:00, audience of today at 10:00 to end. ECW give it an hour and a half time slot and have 9:00 to 10:00 for tomorrow, Today at 10:00 to 10:30.SD all audience of tomorrow.
Or
go with audience of today kids will want to watch WWE but parents will say no the few kids that get to watch WWE will tell they're friends how awesome WWE is and when the parents say yes they will watch and love the storylines. Therefore completing the fan circle.

 

[The-Legend-Killer]

TM im really liking your rosters. Only thing i would change is i would keep The miz on raw, he and morrison make a pretty good heel tag team (reminds me of rated rko)

Anywayz yea i wanna see more blood in the programs the last blood match that i really like was well ages ago. rated rko vs DX in the hardcore match that show smashed everything in ratings. Where ortons head was cut to deep and he poured blood down to his thighs...Oh yea bring back the attitude era >

A good point i might add. im turning 15 and well wwe starting to get kinda well gay. I only watch raw and my 17 year old bro only watches smackdown for hardy so everyone under the age on 13

 

[realblackhart]

I kind of have mixed feelings about this but when I was a kid I loved wrestling and when I became a teenager hat's whe the attitude era began. Well being that the kid thing just started then they should stay targeting the kids, making money out of action figures, replica kids belt, WWE kids magazine exc. exc. When I was a kid, Hogan, Macho Man, Warrior, Mr. Perfect, all these guys were awesome to watch. Children now like Cena, Jeff Hardy, CM Punk. My parents let me watch it in the 80's and 90s because it was ok for kids. The attitude era only existed to compete with Nitro. But since the attitude era brought a big fan base in then it should come back but not now. If you were a teenager during the attitude era than your an adult now; maybe you have kids maybe you don't. But if you were a teen during Attitude than what you watch shouldn't really bother you. If it bothers anyone at all, it would be the teens now. IMO the WWE is doing right by targeting the children now but it should be temporary. The children watching now will only stay interested if it turns into another attitude era when this kids group become teens. The WWE is generating a lot of money targeting this group with merchandise and magazines and stuff, and the only reason is because the parents approve of the material they watch on TV. When this group becomes teens then that's when the switch should take place.

 

[JackAttack]

I don't think you guys should let the fact that the WWE is appealing to kids ruin the overall feel of the show for you. If you’re watching wrestling just to see the violence, then maybe it’s time you moved on and found a different show to watch.

If you don't like some of the childish elements such as Hornswoggle, then just ignore them and focus on the stuff you do like. After all, the main event feuds are still pretty serious, and there's more than enough violence to appeal to adults. Besides, the show is still pretty violent at times. Do you recall Jericho beating Shawn until he was covered in his blood, or later on in the feud how Jericho smoked Shawn's wife right in the throat? Don't worry, it’s still pretty violent.

Also, it’s been brought up before that simply making it more edgy and violent won't necessarily bring back the old fans, much less gain a significant amount of new ones. In an age of action movies and reality TV. shock and awe just doesn't work like it used to. People were mesmerized by the attitude era because they never knew what to expect. It was violence and raunchy on a level that people never witnessed before. Stuff like that just doesn't work anymore.

 

[Pimpin]

I know we shoudn't let the kiddie product ruin our overall feeling for the show but it's kind of a problem when the same kiddie product is making some wrestlers that I will not name look like ass kissing *****es. The thing is & I know im not the only one who feels this way but ever since they started catering to the lil kiddies the overall product has actually sucked & while they are catering to their kiddie fans they should also cater to their hardcore fans who have also stuck by them during this horrible time.

 

[Brizziville]

It's obviously not going to happen anytime soon, so let's try not to worry about it, and watch how many superstars' finishers' names get changed for the sake of a kid friendly show. The STF? Come on. What is that?