The Prime Time Players - A controversial babyface duo!?

[Hard Hit Prince]

I think I got inspired about this idea thanks to Mark Madden so yea, it can probably be nothing. But let's see what you guys think, right? So Prime Time Players... do you remember them? This team is made of two different personalities, one being the charismatic Titus O'Neil and the other being the recently revealed homosexual Darren Young.

Whether it was on purpose or not Darren Young gained a lot of popularity among his peers and peeps. He had the guts to reveal himself as an "happy gay guy living his dream" and I don't know about you, but I for once, can get behind a guy like that. So what I'm saying his - why doesn't WWE capitalize on such good press and turn PTP to a babyface duo? Titus O'Neil charisma and Darren Young's revelation can easily make it work and the good thing is that, they would have an instant team to feud with... The Real Americans.

So what I'm going to reveal now, isn't my personal beliefs on anything like that - it's just an idea that WWE could and quite frankly should capitalize. Zeb Colter is known for being an outspoken guy, most of the times controversial against illegal immigrants - but what would be his thoughts on "homosexuals"? I know, just the thought of it makes it really hard for the WWE to go in, it would really result in bad press since the revelation was only this past week, but damn it - how great could it be to actually have a tag team feud with such personal matters being used?

I can easily see Zeb Colter coming out stating that the founding fathers of the US believed in "Adam & Eve" not in "Adam & Steve" - he could go as far as saying that people like Darren Young shouldn't be allowed in a locker room with other men, and blah blah. Just this words would create instant heat for the rivalry, I'm sure that if Titus O'Neil ran to the ring after that and tried to took out the Real Americans to protect his best friend would instantly turn them babyface... So discuss this possibility... Would WWE be smart to use this recent media coverage on homosexuals in their storylines?

Once again this as no intentions to harm anyone, it's just an idea for an entertainment company. I apologize if I came out wrong and for my bad english too.

 

[Mac Attack]

I don't know I think that whilst there are the "straight" folks who support gays who would think that a storyline building off supporting gays would be very successful, I quite frankly I think that the LGBT community would or should support this and I personally who am "straight" would not appreciate this. And it all stems for equality.

I recognize that it would make financial success for a storyline touting this to be established and I give you a lot of credit for your idea because it's a rather good one if indeed it were to happen however I think morally it SHOULDN'T happen. Darren Young specifically states tht your opinion on him shouldn't change due to his reealing. What should this correlate to? Darren Young remaing that midcard tag team member who can also be the singles jobber to the stars. I know this opinion will not be popular and not supported due to the financials, but if WWE wants to truly Be A Start, they would respect Darren and respect the theme of equality. Someone who turns out to be gay can be appluded, but elevated and praised and recieve additional financial and personal success in a job? I think not. And guess what Darren agrees.

 

[Sexcellence of Sexecution]

I'm not sure how cool I am with the WWE exploiting Darren Young's sexuality for the sake of an angle, but that's just how the fucked up world of professional wrestling works sometimes. Even if they were to portray Young's sexuality in a positive, empowering way, it shows even more integrity on the part of the company to not let it effect how he is booked at all. The Prime Time Players are ladies' men who talk about their "MILLIONS OF DOLLARS", and they both seem to have fun playing that kind of character. Just because Young is gay it doesn't mean he can't portray a heterosexual womanizer. Dustin Rhodes was straight and he played Goldust.

I've been saying that the PTP should get a decent push for awhile, but it doesn't have to have anything to do with Darren Young being gay. They are both charismatic and funny, and the have some cool catchphrases, so I think they could play the face role naturally.

All that begin said however, if Darren Young really wanted to incorporate his homosexuality into his character, and he came to management with an idea, I guess they could consider it. I just don't expect that he will do that. Maybe doing a Muhammad Hassan type character could work, with Young portraying a typical heel (cheating, cocky, etc.), but when he gets booed by the fans for his heelishness he could call them all "bigots" and say that they are only booing him because he's gay. A character like that would be interesting and different, but it's definitely not necessary for them to go in that direction at all.

 

[Hard Hit Prince]

I can see why this idea may not be "morally accepted" but I think that WWE would be smart enough to show the good side of Darren Young and they would side with the acceptance to gay rights and things like that. I was just thinking that reality based storylines are usually entertaining and if done right, this could also bring some good press to the WWE - however yes, that should be a debate that WWE and Young should have first. I think that this subject is a sensitive one, so that could really translate to good television and as HUMAN beings we would sideline with the Prime Time Players.

Accepting Young as homosexual doesn't need to change Young's gimmick whatsoever, he doesn't need to be "flashy" all of a sudden, or make moves to other guys. Gays are regular people too, so they wouldn't really change him as much as portraying him to be the victim of insults and xenophobia by a very "low man" and in the end he would stand his ground and make the gay community proud of it. I think that this could really be something to be invested on, even as a tag team feud with not so much television time whatsoever. Darren and Titus are two funny dudes that could easily get the crowd behind them without this angle, but this angle to me, just screams good television, good money and at the end of the day, good press w/ both parties agreeing when is the line going to far!

 

[MCMG]

The WWE have to look at this and see if there is a legitimate way to cash in on the intrigue of Young coming out. It needs to be tasteful, this isn't the Attitude Era, this isn't TNA so they have to be careful with what they do.

Coulter would be perfect for this role. It would make perfect sense for him to be anti-gay as well as anti-foreigner, he probably thinks women can't drive either.I liked the idea of O'Neil defending Young regardless of his sexuality because that has a good underlying message to it. Moreover, there is a entertaining storyline involved and some good matches between the Real Americans and the PTP's. Win/Win thus far with the only problem being Young becoming uncomfortable and people taking it out of context and making it out that the WWE are homophobic.

 

[Eyebrows]

The issue with most media portrayals of homosexuality, especially in soaps, is that the homosexuality becomes the only defining part of their personality. Once the suggested storyline with the Real Americans is over, then what? He'll have nothing to do because you've essentially stripped his entire personality down to being gay.

Given the WWEs history of making gay jokes and the trouble they've had with GLAAD in the past, I would suggest that wrestlers, even storyline-wise if they're heels, criticizing Darren Young for his lifestyle choices would be ill-advised. I would also suggest that making him a heel who criticizes the fans for being homophobic would meet even more backlash.

I don't rate the guy personally but that's only my opinion and I know others see potential in him. Still, turning him face and emphasising his homosexuality isn't going to make him any better or worse as a talent. If you're going to turn him face, you can at least do it by showing a multi-dimensional character with multiple positive factors rather than doing it purely because of the master status he now has.

 

[j2early]

i can see the wwe going with ryback bullying darren young into a fight...think about it, what is the payoff with rybacks character? who steps up to his bullying? its a realistic storyline that i think can work if done properly.

 

[Tyrant25]

I don't think WWE should acknowledge Darren Young's sexuality at all. I'm sure the audience will definitely cheer for them because of Young's revelation, and if that's the case, they should turn the Primetime Players face. But only on the grounds of if the audience wants it. They should NOT turn them face just because of Young.

 

[zones.]

i wasnt going to speak on this, but in reading the first 3 posts iv noticed something that i didnt see mentioned... if someone beat me to it then im sorry, but look at it this way, while it would be interesting and personally i wouldnt have a problem with doing a storyline in which young stood up for himself and his lifestyle, i think theres a pretty good chance that only one of the two parties involved win in the LONG run. as i type this, i glance up and see a mention of having ryback bully him. while it would potentially get him great heat (ryback needs it btw, if what im about to state didnt happen then GREAT idea) it might ruin the man in the long run. the storylines bottom line would be "homosexual vs homophobe" and i think theres a good chance that the title might actually STICK to the opposing party.

i mean yes, its understood here that its a storyline, but we all know most of the viewers of WWE are not adults and not here to read any of this. an uninformed mind would surely look at the heel and really believe he hated gay people. big heat for the rest of said heels career? possibly. completely shut out by a vast majority of fans for a long while, at least? also possible...

so morals aside, i dont know if this would really be that great of an angle. id say just to be safe they would have to use a heel who is not over much at all, someone they can do without if it backfires just to be on the safe side. and in doing that, it could possibly kill all steam the angle has before it even starts so ehh, im not sure about this one. it would be a great idea, i love it, but i think there are more variables here that we are not taking into consideration. maybe im over-analyzing it, sure... but i feel like i may have a point.

 

[Sega]

I think it's a bad idea. People right now are supporting Young and don't have a problem with him coming out. But when the WWE starts to shove the PTP in our face because of the fact that the guy is gay is going to receive a lot of flack from the fans. And in turn from the press. Do you think that the crowd is going to give Young a standing ovation or boo him. I think that especially the smark fans will start to turn on Young after a while and call him derogatory names. Why you ask? it's because these are the same people chanting husky Harris for fun..

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

First off, why do you read mark madden? he's the Glenn beck of wrestling. Second, mo, leave him as his character. If you really want to show its not a big deal, don't make it a big deal.

 

[ADLegend21]

They seemed pretty over for their first match as Babyfaces tonight. There was no mention of darren's announcement on screen and they just turned babyface like it was nothing. It was seamless and smooth.

 

[arttagboy]

It's hard not to get behind D Young. PTP are faces now, Zeb Colter will give them some much needed heat... This is a good direction for these guys to go

 

[CM Steel]

What Darren Young does behind close doors is his own business. Okay he came out publicly. Now all of a sudden all eyes on Darren Young the person, not the wrestler. I have nothing against gay people. The way they live their lives is between them and God almighty. But by Darren Young coming out in the public light like he did. He put the world in his personal business. Now the WWE is making a way for D. Young to be the new poster child for sports entertainment and the gay community, like how the NBA is for one Jason Collins.

"Hey he's gay let's put him on TV and sports magazine covers across the country". I'm not supporting someone who's sexuality...I'm not trying to offended anyone here. But I just think that this whole thing with Darren Young and the WWE is wrong. Or just not right.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

What Darren Young does behind close doors is his own business. Okay he came out publicly. Now all of a sudden all eyes on Darren Young the person, not the wrestler. I have nothing against gay people. The way they live their lives is between them and God almighty. But by Darren Young coming out in the public light like he did. He put the world in his personal business. Now the WWE is making a way for D. Young to be the new poster child for sports entertainment and the gay community, like how the NBA is for one Jason Collins.

"Hey he's gay let's put him on TV and sports magazine covers across the country". I'm not supporting someone who's sexuality...I'm not trying to offended anyone here. But I just think that this whole thing with Darren Young and the WWE is wrong. Or just not right.

no he didn't, he was asked. Also, psychologically, it was probably good for him and its 2013 so the rest of the world is cool with it. Unless you're Russian.

I don't see the, putting his personal life in his character at all which is good. Lots of tag teams now though which is great.

 

[MayorMcCheese]

The PTP have been great and are great, and it's about time WWE wakes up and reazlies what talent they have right before them. These guys should have already won the tag titles, yet WWE always tries to derail their momentum

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I was surprised at the positive reception the PTPs got and I'm glad that WWE didn't go the route of putting Young's sexual orientation front & center. What would people rather have: a young guy getting a decent push or WWE turning him into some outdated stereotype? Is Young supposed to come prancing out with feathered boas and speaking with a lisp? Is he supposed to look straight into the camera while licking a lollypop suggestively? Not only is it playing up to negative stereotypes, it doesn't work. Want proof? Take a look at Orlando Jordan's run in TNA as his character very much relied on the whole "creepy gay guy" stuff.

Young coming out is a big deal for him and a positive thing overall, in my opinion. I felt a little nervous, however, when the PTPs were out there last night. It was Young's first time on WWE television since coming out and I honestly kept expecting some fans to breakout in some sort of offensive chant. The whole "I paid my money so I'll do what I want" bullshit isn't a compelling argument. You wanna say "Cena sucks", go right ahead but there's a difference between fans chanting for wrestlers they "love or hate" and making hateful slurs. At the same time, I guess I shouldn't be all that surprised as WWE was in California last night. Who knows, Young might still get that negative response elsewhere, unfortunately.

I've enjoyed the PTPs all in all and, as I alluded to, I was surprised to see them get such a positive response as babyfaces. Maybe it's just me, but Young seemed different out there. He seemed more energized. Who knows? Maybe hiding his sexual orientation is something that's genuinely weighed him down and now that he's out, he's able to really just cut loose a lot more than he did in the past.

 

[rge2010]

I was disgusted last night at the way WWE is pandering and playing up this whole gay thing. All of a sudden Darren Young is a babyface and scores a win.

Wont be long before Young has the US or IC Belt. Positive discrimination if you ask me.

 

[Hard Hit Prince]

Why should WWE stereotype him if they revealed he's homosexual? I have gay friends and they are normal, they watch the same things I do, they talk about the same things I do and we don't even remember he likes guys. It's just one of these things that isn't a big deal, but at the same time it is, specially when you are doing something that nobody else has ever done.

Last night we had a preview of what we could see in this feud I just put in the original post. Darren Young looked different, no he was not more energized! You just noticed him because of the hype he gained in the past week. He's different from every other wrestler, because he's gay. THAT'S NOT A BAD THING. If WWE acknowledged it, it would be the same as telling us that Kofi Kingston is now a father. Also, it could be only this angle that they used his "homosexuality" after that, they could do what they do now and be a more relevant team in the eyes of the WWE fans. They looked fantastic as a fun babyface duo, this angle could work with no problem - being gay isn't abnormal, people are what they are and I'm pretty sure that a big part of the WWE audience (families) understand that and would spread this message.

In a normal and rational thinking using it isn't bad to anyone or anything, in fact it's just a win/win situation. WWE could gain new sponsors, could show the gay community that they are in their side and use Darren Young as a spokesperson. Why not use Darren Young? Do you think Darren Young would be against it? I'm sure he would love to help fight bullying against gays all over the world. It's an hot subject and last night I really felt it would work and do wonders for them. Darren Young is different now in my eyes, he isn't black Cena anymore, he's himself and that's because he's now different from everybody.

 

[Mustang Sally]

All of a sudden Darren Young is a babyface and scores a win.

Yes, it was hard not to notice that. The group has been a two-man version of 3MB for quite some time now, yet the week after Young's announcement, his wrestling suddenly improves enough that he gives out a lot more punishment than he usually receives.....and scores a win in heroic fashion.

Does coming out as gay make a person a better wrestler? Only in the world of entertainment, apparently.

Still, it was kind of exciting to watch. Personally, I don't give a damn about Darren Young's gender preferences, one way or the other...... but if WWE sees fit to celebrate his announcement by giving him some in-ring glory, that's fine & dandy.

A full scale push would seem a bit like overkill, though, if one hadn't been intended before Darren's revelation. He was a jobber before coming out and I see no reason to switch things up just because of this.

As to the notion of turning a perennially heel tag team into good guys because one of them has come out? Well, use your own judgment on the feasibility of that.

 

[TB77]

I have been a fan of PTP since they debuted. They work perfectly together. I've been hoping for a face turn for a while just because there were getting lost in the shuffle due to so many heel teams. Did D-Young coming out have anything to do with them turning or himaking the pin. Maybe but who cares they are a good tag team that can transition well into a strong face team. As far as the OP's point it's not a bad storyline idea I just don't think they named to go that route PTP can get over with out it just by doing what they do.