Welcome one and all to a brand new idea that's been brewing in my head for a good little while. This is a thread in which we will analyze the psyche and character of all the "types" of faces and heels there are to analyze. You see, a couple of months ago, I had a debate with KB over who the greatest jobber of all time was. It made me realize that there were so many ways to interpret a type of character, and how people have different views regarding what each type of character can possibly be. You have your monster heels, your cocky heels, your "cut the bullshit" heels, and that's merely dealing with an iota of the landscape of character's one can portray in professional wrestling. This thread is dedicated to the strong choices that wrestlers over time have made to craft new, intriguing characters to entertain us.
So, without further ado, let's explore the first chapter of this thread:
Today, we're going to explore the very root of character, and how professional wrestling has, in time, allowed for multiple permutations of character to ensure that professional wrestling will, indeed, never die, nor become fully stale. It'll be extremely basic, only getting down the foundation for later chapters. If you're expecting to see specific types of heels or faces exemplified today, it may be wise to return another day, as this is merely meant to set up the groundwork for what we shall be discussing for multiple chapters to come. First, let's start with this very rudimentary rule:
Rule 1: As long as there is a will to perform, there will always be a place in society for professional wrestling.
This rule should be established because, at the very core of our nature, acting is a very pure and instinctive action. Every day, to some extent, we all portray a certain character. We establish an identity, an objective, and a mood for how we're feeling, and the quirky thing is, they're always different every single day. Granted, you do have your typical basic needs that motivate you, such as the need for food, water, and sex (Especially if you're KB). However, when we wake up every day, we have different goals we'd like to achieve. Some of us would like to pay our bills. Some of us would like to go grocery shopping. Some of us would like to climb high atop Mount Fuji, clad only in bubble wrap, and do the Watusi, and then find the long lost Yeti. Whatever the case may be, we wake up with a different objective every day. That objective drives us to our actions, and those actions create a character in which we portray to reach our objective. Our actions will always be different in how we reach this goal, but we always have a motivation which sets up our line of thinking throughout the entire day.
Professional wrestlers are no different than any of us. Just more muscly, more talented, and making a larger income than most of of us could ever dream to have.
Still, they are just like us, and have basic drives and motivations. Their goals, of course, are far more dramatized than ours. some wish to be champion. Some wish for vengeance. some wish for glory. And some just flat out love to hurt people. Wrestler's goals and motivations can be infinite. They can wish to do exactly as us, yet the only thing separating us from them is the glitzy nature of the goals they wish to achieve. Which, in fact, brings us to our second rule/
Rule 2: Wrestling fans must suspend their disbelief, and accept that these characters are our equal.
Yes, wrestling fans must, indeed, suspend their disbelief. Sure, we know it's fake. That doesn't mean it has to be a conscious factor into how we view what we're watching. That's why, to me, kids are always the best wrestling fans. They are willing to suspend their feelings of disbelief, because they more or less don't know any better. They in fact, do accept that these characters are real, because to them, the characters are real. For successful professional wrestling to occur, fans sign an implied contract with the wrestlers once they purchase a ticket. This contract states, more or less, that as long as the performances are believable, that fans will suspend their disbelief to enjoy the performance. Now, granted, over time, certain wrestling fans have gone outside the realms of this contract, and we'll discuss this in later chapters. However, for now, we're looking at the ideal state of professional wrestling. and in this ideal state, we discover that, indeed, fans are willing to suspend their disbelief in order to allow the program to progress, and the actors (wrestlers) to portray their character.
Which brings us to this third, and final, rule of the Introduction of Character:
Rule 3: Character Permutations are Infinite.
More or less, there are an infinite number of characters that can be portrayed by wrestlers. Sure, wrestlers are limited by factors such as height, weight, and sadly, attractiveness. However, a wrestler is allowed, infinitely, to pick at his/her brain, either from experience or viewing other wrestlers, and create a character from the depths of their creativity. It falls upon the wrestlers to make strong choices, and to do such in a manner that creates a personal touch to the character, thereby making it all their own.
For example, let's take two wrestlers who portrayed similar characters, at similar times, yet due to the strong choices made by both wrestlers, were allowed to let their character's expand, and consequently, create an all together different character the likes of which becomes "theirs".
Now, see here, we have two characters we'd readily describe as "cocky heels". And, more or less, these characters came during the same period of time. Both characters were self absorbed, and thus, at least creatively, one would have to imagine that both would be somewhat screwed, as they'll always be connected as the "same".
However, again, wrestlers have infinite choices to portray a character. They can use their own resources, in their own brains, to portray a character that is distinctively their own, and frees us from the problem we consider "same". Though they may have similar goals, there's no way to portray their motivations as the exact same. Sure, all would like to be champion, but every wrestler has other motivations that take them on a route to become champion, and make it possible for them to succeed in the wrestling business. At first glance, Shawn and Rick are indeed the same. However, both make strong, independent choices, in order to become as distinct a character as possible. Something even as subtle as carrying an object (be it Rick's bottle of perfume, Arrogance, or Shawn's mirror) says multiple things about their characters, yet also gives them something to distinguish themselves by. Now, when we see a bottle of perfume called Arrogance, we recognize that is unique to Rick Martel.
Now I know what's coming. "But Tenta, plenty of characters carry mirrors. That isn't exclusive to Shawn."
True, to some extent. Again, Shawn possibly took this idea from another wrestler. However, much in that same vein, Shawn also did other things to distinguish his character from any other. Be it the glasses, Sherri, or the Heart-Print trunks, Shawn created other things from his own creativity in order to give us a distinct and unique character. Thus, we now have to unique characters to entertain us, and to become emotionally attached to by their character, whom is constantly in search for a goal or motivation. Though they indeed may seem the same, as we can see, there are distinct permutations of the character that allow wrestlers to continue to manipulate characters forever.
Thus, let's again fit all of our rules into one clear and concise statement, to leave this chapter by.
Character permutations are infinite. Due to this, and the audience's agreement to suspend disbelief, as long as there is a will to continue performing, professional wrestling must always exist.
Thus, we have our first chapter, and the first section of this thread. I think now is a perfect time to open the matter to debate. My updates of this thread are contingent on the flow of debate that occurs in this thread. However, I will let you all know that the next chapter will be:
Exploring the Role, and Evolution, of the Fan.
So, without further ado, let's explore the first chapter of this thread:
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Character
Today, we're going to explore the very root of character, and how professional wrestling has, in time, allowed for multiple permutations of character to ensure that professional wrestling will, indeed, never die, nor become fully stale. It'll be extremely basic, only getting down the foundation for later chapters. If you're expecting to see specific types of heels or faces exemplified today, it may be wise to return another day, as this is merely meant to set up the groundwork for what we shall be discussing for multiple chapters to come. First, let's start with this very rudimentary rule:
Rule 1: As long as there is a will to perform, there will always be a place in society for professional wrestling.
This rule should be established because, at the very core of our nature, acting is a very pure and instinctive action. Every day, to some extent, we all portray a certain character. We establish an identity, an objective, and a mood for how we're feeling, and the quirky thing is, they're always different every single day. Granted, you do have your typical basic needs that motivate you, such as the need for food, water, and sex (Especially if you're KB). However, when we wake up every day, we have different goals we'd like to achieve. Some of us would like to pay our bills. Some of us would like to go grocery shopping. Some of us would like to climb high atop Mount Fuji, clad only in bubble wrap, and do the Watusi, and then find the long lost Yeti. Whatever the case may be, we wake up with a different objective every day. That objective drives us to our actions, and those actions create a character in which we portray to reach our objective. Our actions will always be different in how we reach this goal, but we always have a motivation which sets up our line of thinking throughout the entire day.
Professional wrestlers are no different than any of us. Just more muscly, more talented, and making a larger income than most of of us could ever dream to have.
Still, they are just like us, and have basic drives and motivations. Their goals, of course, are far more dramatized than ours. some wish to be champion. Some wish for vengeance. some wish for glory. And some just flat out love to hurt people. Wrestler's goals and motivations can be infinite. They can wish to do exactly as us, yet the only thing separating us from them is the glitzy nature of the goals they wish to achieve. Which, in fact, brings us to our second rule/
Rule 2: Wrestling fans must suspend their disbelief, and accept that these characters are our equal.
Yes, wrestling fans must, indeed, suspend their disbelief. Sure, we know it's fake. That doesn't mean it has to be a conscious factor into how we view what we're watching. That's why, to me, kids are always the best wrestling fans. They are willing to suspend their feelings of disbelief, because they more or less don't know any better. They in fact, do accept that these characters are real, because to them, the characters are real. For successful professional wrestling to occur, fans sign an implied contract with the wrestlers once they purchase a ticket. This contract states, more or less, that as long as the performances are believable, that fans will suspend their disbelief to enjoy the performance. Now, granted, over time, certain wrestling fans have gone outside the realms of this contract, and we'll discuss this in later chapters. However, for now, we're looking at the ideal state of professional wrestling. and in this ideal state, we discover that, indeed, fans are willing to suspend their disbelief in order to allow the program to progress, and the actors (wrestlers) to portray their character.
Which brings us to this third, and final, rule of the Introduction of Character:
Rule 3: Character Permutations are Infinite.
More or less, there are an infinite number of characters that can be portrayed by wrestlers. Sure, wrestlers are limited by factors such as height, weight, and sadly, attractiveness. However, a wrestler is allowed, infinitely, to pick at his/her brain, either from experience or viewing other wrestlers, and create a character from the depths of their creativity. It falls upon the wrestlers to make strong choices, and to do such in a manner that creates a personal touch to the character, thereby making it all their own.
For example, let's take two wrestlers who portrayed similar characters, at similar times, yet due to the strong choices made by both wrestlers, were allowed to let their character's expand, and consequently, create an all together different character the likes of which becomes "theirs".
Now, see here, we have two characters we'd readily describe as "cocky heels". And, more or less, these characters came during the same period of time. Both characters were self absorbed, and thus, at least creatively, one would have to imagine that both would be somewhat screwed, as they'll always be connected as the "same".
However, again, wrestlers have infinite choices to portray a character. They can use their own resources, in their own brains, to portray a character that is distinctively their own, and frees us from the problem we consider "same". Though they may have similar goals, there's no way to portray their motivations as the exact same. Sure, all would like to be champion, but every wrestler has other motivations that take them on a route to become champion, and make it possible for them to succeed in the wrestling business. At first glance, Shawn and Rick are indeed the same. However, both make strong, independent choices, in order to become as distinct a character as possible. Something even as subtle as carrying an object (be it Rick's bottle of perfume, Arrogance, or Shawn's mirror) says multiple things about their characters, yet also gives them something to distinguish themselves by. Now, when we see a bottle of perfume called Arrogance, we recognize that is unique to Rick Martel.
Now I know what's coming. "But Tenta, plenty of characters carry mirrors. That isn't exclusive to Shawn."
True, to some extent. Again, Shawn possibly took this idea from another wrestler. However, much in that same vein, Shawn also did other things to distinguish his character from any other. Be it the glasses, Sherri, or the Heart-Print trunks, Shawn created other things from his own creativity in order to give us a distinct and unique character. Thus, we now have to unique characters to entertain us, and to become emotionally attached to by their character, whom is constantly in search for a goal or motivation. Though they indeed may seem the same, as we can see, there are distinct permutations of the character that allow wrestlers to continue to manipulate characters forever.
Thus, let's again fit all of our rules into one clear and concise statement, to leave this chapter by.
Character permutations are infinite. Due to this, and the audience's agreement to suspend disbelief, as long as there is a will to continue performing, professional wrestling must always exist.
Thus, we have our first chapter, and the first section of this thread. I think now is a perfect time to open the matter to debate. My updates of this thread are contingent on the flow of debate that occurs in this thread. However, I will let you all know that the next chapter will be:
Exploring the Role, and Evolution, of the Fan.
