The "Reality Era" Is Bad For WWE

[ProWrestlingFan]

So since CM Punk promo WWE started there so called "Reality Era".

After that :

Dolph Ziggler started wearing trunks with #Heel written on them, now people know that a heel is a person who is "acting" as a bad guy.

CM Punk talked about how WWE is always behind big guys which was not true and now it has made an image in many people's mind that every wrestler who is big is pushed because of his size and they are all bad wrestlers.

CM Punk buried Alberto Del Rio when he said he has no mic skills. Now people won't look at Alberto the same way since he debuted.

Chris Jericho saying Miz started talking slowly after him so now people know that Chris Jericho just acts when he talks slowly.

And John Cena exposing Rock's "notes" written on the wrist. Now many people think Rock is overrated on the mic and he has always used "scripted notes" to cut a promo throughout his career.

Exposing that everything is fake is bad for WWE.

What do you think ? Is it bad for WWE or is it ok for WWE to expose things like this on TV?

 

[BaconBits]

I tend to agree with just about everything you said. I think a reality based approach is a bad move for an entity that supposed to function almost entirely on fantasy. It makes the "sport" seem even more fake.

The only thing that should be reality based about any of it is the real injuries when the occur, so people understand why their favorite wrestler isn't on TV. I don't even think wellness violations should be made public.

 

[oldhamandy1]

I think part of it is that it is so easy to find things out now, when I began watching as a kid back in the 90's I had no idea what the real names of the wrestlers were. I knew it was fake but assumed they used their own names, now it takes a quick google search and you can know almost everything you need to. So why not play on that a bit?

 

[ThinkinSmart]

The business has to evolve. You can't go around just saying its 100% real sport any more. People have their real sport and thats UFC, people who are fans of the WWE (with maybe the acception of little kids) know its fake but enjoy it any way. Most of the crowd is in on it, thats why Punk blew up after his promo. Why can't Ziggler wear a shirt that says Heel on it? It's unique. No one cares if its fake, every one here knows it is and still watches every week. What matters to the crowd now is good performers and great matches and moments, hence why CM Punk and Bryan are two of the top guys putting on crazy good matches every week and why Jericho and Punk are one of the head liners for mania. Wrestling fans like to feel "in the know" like their part of the club, and in reality every one is "in the know" so why not use that to the companys advantage?

 

[cm ben]

I don't agree that it's a bad thing. I'd bet that 95% of viewers, kids included, know that wrestling isn't real. Finally admitting it is making for some interesting moments. Feuds are taking on a much more personal feeling, and even kayfabe injuries are kind of having me scratching my head now (e.g. Jericho at Elimination Chamber). By admitting it's fake, it seems more real!

As far as burying the Miz and ADR--first of all, I wouldn't call it "burying," more just, I don't know, run-of-the-mill insulting. Apart from that, I think it's just raising the bar. Jericho and Punk are better than them, and they're setting the standard. If you can't hang with them, have fun in the mid card.

 

[Ijapa]

You're suggesting that using insider lingo openly in pro-wrestling destroys the illusion; it doesn't have to.

Real people do use notes when they're speaking in public. The Rock using them doesn't mean that pro-wrestling -- relative to the kayfabe world on Raw and Smackdown -- is fake. It means he's using notes.

Ziggler calling himself a heel doesn't mean he's admitting he's a fake, it means that's what pro-wrestlers call bad guys.

Having mic skills just means you can talk really well.

None of this inherently destroys the illusion of kayfabe. I think it enhances it.

 

[xoxo French Kiss xoxo]

So since CM Punk promo WWE started there so called "Reality Era".

After that :

Dolph Ziggler started wearing trunks with #Heel written on them, now people know that a heel is a person who is "acting" as a bad guy.

CM Punk talked about how WWE is always behind big guys which was not true and now it has made an image in many people's mind that every wrestler who is big is pushed because of his size and they are all bad wrestlers.

CM Punk buried Alberto Del Rio when he said he has no mic skills. Now people won't look at Alberto the same way since he debuted.

Chris Jericho saying Miz started talking slowly after him so now people know that Chris Jericho just acts when he talks slowly.

And John Cena exposing Rock's "notes" written on the wrist. Now many people think Rock is overrated on the mic and he has always used "scripted notes" to cut a promo throughout his career.

Exposing that everything is fake is bad for WWE.

What do you think ? Is it bad for WWE or is it ok for WWE to expose things like this on TV?

None of what you posted is new information.

The majority of informed people know that bad guys in wrestling are heels, and good guys are faces.

Vince loves big muscular guys, because big muscular guys make money.

Del Rio has great skills on the mic, when he's speaking Spanish, his English isn't great and it kills his promo work.

Jericho is right, and anyone who didn't catch on to it being an act is an idiot.

They read off of cue cards when they cut promos in the back, that's why they rarely face the camera and they look off to the side during their interviews.

The Rock is overrated on the mic, and you would think that an actor, who memorizes scripts for movies would be able to memorize a promo, or that someone in the back would have the balls to cut his promo shorter, because 20 minutes of his shit last night was 15 minutes too much.

If people don't realize that pro wrestling is scripted that's their problem for being dumb.

 

[amodernphoenix]

What the hell are you talking about with the "Reality Era"? WCW exploited reality to the extreme in the 90s during the Monday Night Wars. Hogan-Russo, Nash broke kayfabe every other week, Bischoff announced the results of tv programming that was supposed to be "live" on the WWE at the beginning of Nitro... Then there are more recent examples like Bret vs Michaels (when they both still wrestled), Hardy vs Edge/Lita, etc. Reality has been done.

And what about ECW's Job Squad? Pin me, then pay me....

 

[GMASTERNICE259]

I actually enjoy this, everybody knows that the matches are planed out and the actual wrestling mostly fake. But with this new "Reality Era", this really backs up the wrestling itself. Because now we see not just what goes on behind the seen, but it's setting up actual tension between the superstars and divas.

 

[SWANTON]

i think cm punks shoot boost views up a little towards more adult fans cuz i see more people booing cena now then in 2011 and 2010

 

[ECW Sandman]

Being a fan of wrestling since the age of 2 or 3 ( 1984- 1985 ) I have seen just about anything and everything in all the era's of Pro Wrestling, and this Reality Era in a way is refreshing, there getting away from the whole '' Good Guy/ Bad Guy and making it some what entertaining for the older fans what we thought was real back then kids now a days think the stuff they do now is real, they see The Rock on TV as a movie star and probably think why is an actor going to face John Cena the little kids don't understand that The Rock was a wrestler and when I say little kids I mean like 3- 12 years old.

 

[GI Cake]

So since CM Punk promo WWE started there so called "Reality Era".

After that :

Dolph Ziggler started wearing trunks with #Heel written on them, now people know that a heel is a person who is "acting" as a bad guy.

Ziggler has always been calling himself a heel. His twitter account is @HEELZiggler for Christs sake, how did CM Punk's shoot promo inspire Ziggler to wear trunks with #Heel written on them? It is just his way of trying to stand out in the crowd of cocky heels with great wrestling talent.

CM Punk talked about how WWE is always behind big guys which was not true and now it has made an image in many people's mind that every wrestler who is big is pushed because of his size and they are all bad wrestlers.

Those words do have some truth, professional wrestling has always been about larger than life men dueling it out in front of millions of peoples using moves that would kill normal men. So naturally bigger guys like The Rock, Brock Lesner, John Cena, and Randy Orton are going to have an easier time getting pushed. The smaller guys like the Bret Harts, the Shawn Michaels, the Chris Jerichos, and the CM Punks have to prove they have the ability to put people in the seats in order to get their push. In short, big guys get pushed easier, but only a few of them have the level of success that a lot of the smaller guys have had.

CM Punk buried Alberto Del Rio when he said he has no mic skills. Now people won't look at Alberto the same way since he debuted.

There isn't really any other way to look at Del Rio than the guy who comes out in the fancy cars and talks about destiny. If Del Rio came out and did something different then the same thing he has been doing since he debuted then you could complain about Punk burying him. But Punk spoke the truth, after Del Rio talks about Destiny, their is no substance behind Del Rio as a character, and as a wrestler. Paint drying on the wall could tell a better story than Del Rio and it would draw more people.

Chris Jericho saying Miz started talking slowly after him so now people know that Chris Jericho just acts when he talks slowly.

That is part of Chris Jericho's current gimmick. He is saying everyone is copying him. Heels have been talking slow since the start of time. And how on earth do you think the average fan is going to get the crap you are spewing? Kofi does a spring board cross body like Jericho, does that mean the fans will see that wrestling is fake? Get a grip.

And John Cena exposing Rock's "notes" written on the wrist. Now many people think Rock is overrated on the mic and he has always used "scripted notes" to cut a promo throughout his career.

Once again, you completely miss the point of this promo. Everyone saw the notes in plain sight. The Rock went out and called Cena a bitch, and a kung pow bitch. As someone who has been in verbal and physical disputes with someone, you would want to say whatever you can to hurt their feelings. It wouldn't have been believable if Cena didn't call him out on the notes. And let me say, Rock hasn't used notes when he was wrestling full time. He is a damn good mic worker. Even with the notes, he had the fans in Portland eating out of his hand. The crowd was living for the next thing to get trending on Twitter.

Exposing that everything is fake is bad for WWE.

Wrestling being fake has been a common fact since the Attitude Era, get used to it. The WWE are now just pushing the envelope with guys like CM Punk, John Cena and The Rock. And guess what, the ratings have never been better.

 

[Headman]

It can't hurt if it doesn't exist. The "Reality Era" does not nor has it ever existed. It's the same era. The WWE has been sprinkling real life into kayfabe for years. Look no further than Edge and Lita. It actually helps the show if you think there is real heat. Instead of the Rock vs Cena being a cookie cutter match it's percieved to be very personal. Much more personal that it actually is I'd wager. I don't see the problem with using the word heel on tv either. A heel is a villain. It's not a term that was made up for wrestling. Hell, the Grinch was called a heel. It's not out of the realm of possibility that someone like Dolph Ziggler would enjoy the fact that fans think he's a bad guy and boast his heel status. Now when Russo use to talk about "Going off script", that was bad. That tells the fans the show is scripted which is not exceptable. But Cena calling out the Rock doesn't make wrestling seem fake. It just makes the Rock look stupid. Which may or may not have been the goal.

 

[boywithbluehanger]

I agree with the original poster and expect a lot of people to disagree simply because that's the typical thing to do around here it seems. I didn't enjoy when The Rock said "babyface" or Ziggler calls himself a "hashtag heel". Exploiting the fact that it's all a show in front of the audience is breaking the fourth wall and outside of sitcoms or cartoons I'm not a big fan of that.

 

[Headman]

I agree with the original poster and expect a lot of people to disagree simply because that's the typical thing to do around here it seems. I didn't enjoy when The Rock said "babyface" or Ziggler calls himself a "hashtag heel". Exploiting the fact that it's all a show in front of the audience is breaking the fourth wall and outside of sitcoms or cartoons I'm not a big fan of that.

Disagreeing with you is the typical thing to do around here? Now I feel bad for adding to it, but I'll be nice about it. lol

I don't think using the terms baby face or heel break the fourth wall. As long as they never go to the ring and start talking about who was supposed to win, or so and so was not scripted to come out when they did I have no problem with them outing eachother as good guys and bad guys. I know some heels in real life. I also know a couple babyfaces. Although while I'd probably use the word heel (if this were the 1930's) to describe an asshole, I would probably use a different word besides babyface to describe a good, honest person. But still, it's wrestling lingo. The fans use it, the wrestlers may aswell use it too. In closing I do agree with you that I hope they dont go too far into blurring the lines between kayfabe and reality.

 

[boywithbluehanger]

Disagreeing with you is the typical thing to do around here? Now I feel bad for adding to it, but I'll be nice about it. lol

I don't think using the terms baby face or heel break the fourth wall. As long as they never go to the ring and start talking about who was supposed to win, or so and so was not scripted to come out when they did I have no problem with them outing eachother as good guys and bad guys. I know some heels in real life. I also know a couple babyfaces. Although while I'd probably use the word heel (if this were the 1930's) to describe an asshole, I would probably use a different word besides babyface to describe a good, honest person. But still, it's wrestling lingo. The fans use it, the wrestlers may aswell use it too. In closing I do agree with you that I hope they dont go too far into blurring the lines between kayfabe and reality.

Thanks for going easy on me lol

But I guess if I could use an example..a really geeky one. It would be like if Magneto said to Professor X, "I would help you in your plight but I am the major antagonist in most of our predicaments." I mean it's mild in comparison to what you used as an example but it still is pointing out the character role from the perspective of a writer or analyzer of the work.

 

[HBKperfect23]

I hate that they openly admit wrestling is fake and they are "working heel", "jobbing", and "getting heat".I miss the days where it wasnt known (at least to me) what was going on backstage and the real reasons behind certain things. It doesnt have to go back to the days where the wrestlers would be fired for losing bar fights because they had to be so bad ass. But STOP telling us and consistantly reminding us its scripted....we will gladly forget.

 

[wrestlingfanatic98]

for kayfab reasons it is a disaster. I totally disagree the business needs to evolve, yea at a certain point. If that is the case we should know to much, should magic shows in vegas etc evolve to a point and keep up to date and show us to much what we should know.

Wrestling was always about suspending your disbelief its the reason why we love it more than boxing, if I was running a magic show and I was letting the audience know about to many secrets then what is the point in the show, for example - if I was at a kids show and I basically showed how the rabbit got into the hat, what the hell is the point pulling the rabbit out of the hat, the air of mystery for the kids is gone.

It is the same with films, we know they are not real. It does not mean they have to be so realistic to the point where we cannot spread our imaginations. Just because the world as changed films have 2 change for the world. I would be happy if WWE was as OTT has possible, because I want to be entertained not adapting to the so called real world. The WWE is its own world, not trying to be part of the actual real world has so many call it

 

[jokernaut]

it is bad when you look at the points you made. it does make things look bad on wwe but it has been a desperate time for the wwe the past couple years. vince knows the business doesnt have the spark they use to have so they will try anything. in some ways, i think that the reality era is for guys to either put up or shut up. if you want to be a top guy then step up and no one will make you look like a loser. thats the positive i see. cm punk telling del rio he sucks on the mic is bad but at the same time it might just push del rio to be better. i more on the side of the reality era and supporting it but if it doesnt help things, then yeah it could double all the points you made about the bad

 

[ilapierre]

WWE started the so-called 'reality era' with CM Punk's promo? There used to be promos like Punks but way better up until about 2005. I've seen Piper deliver some excellent promos since 2005 and I watched Cena deliver a better promo a few weeks ago. Calling out backstage stuff on air is nothing new, as one posted said so eloquently above. Go check out Piper's promo on Vince Russo in TNA back in the mid 2000s. What era did that usher in? lol..one of the best promos of all time, 10 times better than anything extremely whiny that came out of CM Punk's mouth..Punk marks just want him to usher in an era and that just happened to be his biggest moment. It wasn't that great a moment though, I still don't understand why people regard this promo as special. Like I've already said, guys used to come out all the time and talk about stuff you'd only read on the internet. It's nothing new.

As for this so-called 'reality era', I don't think it exists. We are still in the PG era. You can't label something an era until a few years have passed. The attitude era wasn't something we called it back when it first began. We weren't sure if what was going on was just the evolution of the New Generation ushered in by Hitman and Michaels. As long as WWE remains PG, WWE will be in the "PG" era. Reality tv got big 12 years ago, if you want to label something the 'reality' era then that would have been the Attitude era, the middle era and the PG era. It all falls under the bracket of 'reality'.

Oh and by the way if any of you think The Rock is overrated on the mic you've gotta be totally insane. It would be like denying that Michael Jordan was that good at basketball, denying that Hank Aaron was the best at hitting home runs, like denying that the Beatles made great music, or denying that Angelina Jolie is hot or denying that Hulk Hogan made wrestling. The Rock is one of the best promo men in the history of history, not just wrestling.

 

[midgensa]

I personally think it enhances storylines.

They had done the "J.O.B. Squad" a long time ago ... it is not like this is a new thing. The thing is ... Ziggler saying he is #Heel is not revealing anything. The term "heel" has been used for bad guys LOOOOOONG before wrestling (just listen to The Grinch song at Christmas).

Punk talking about the big guys and such is talking about who is given the OPPORTUNITY ... he does not inherently break kayfabe with these comments. He is, if anything, enhancing the kayfabe that someone his size can believably beat someone twice his size.

I didn't like The Rock promo thing (which OBVIOUSLY was done on purpose as some are trying to refute). It made The Rock look too much like an idiot (which he had done a decent job of with his promo anyways). To include that in the storyline just makes little sense to me ... unless they actually plan on The Rock turning full on heel ... which is not going to work.

But the whole "talking about behind the scenes" thing is just overblowing it. They are on thin ice with kayfabe ... but they still have it so far ... and thin ice is where the good stuff happens ... where the envelope gets pushed.

Hopefully, they keep the illusion for the most part while they keep pushing the envelope.

 

[RyanAn]

They are bridging the gap between real and fantasy the best they can. Its week after week of trying to create compelling storylines, it's only a given that eventually there will be some nod to the storylines being scripted and characters existing.

 

[VinnieSunshine]

It's not really a BAD thing...but it's not good either. Last night The Rock's promo seemed weak because he was all about trying to get things trending on twitter...which I blame 100% on Vince.

Rock seemed uncomfortable out there with his promo bringing up industry terms and talking about how he was a babyface and whatnot.

When used SPARINGLY, reality in wrestling can be a good thing. Punk's promo in the summer was amazing because it made you believe that there was bad blood between him and WWE (even though there was, it was exaggerated for TV) and it came across as true and passionate.

The industry is changing, no more is it the fantasy world. Characters are more believable and more based in reality. Basically they're more HUMAN. No more are there psychotic dentists or clowns running around.

Reality in wrestling can be done right, if it's not overused.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I just don't see anything negative coming from this. All in all, the WWE has been blurring the lines between kayfabe & reality for the better part of 30 years since Vince has been regularly courting mainstream media attention. The WWE is, if anything, proof that pro wrestling has to evolve to some degree in order to remain relevant to any significant degree. Look at all the contemporaries of the WWE that didn't think so. They've all gone the way of the dinosaur and most of them are nothing more than licensed properties currently owned by WWE.

This is 2012, not 1982. In this day and age, virtually everybody knows that professional wrestling isn't 100% real. Suspension of disbelief is important to enjoying pro wrestling and fans in this day and age are able to do that, with the exception of lots of internet smarks, while still acknowledging the choreographed spects of it. The WWE is a form of escapism, just as all of pro wrestling generally is, it's combat entertainment that's using aspects of reality that aren't over the top to come up with interesting storylines.

Most average fans don't seem to have an issue with all this and, surprisingly, I haven't run across too many internet fans that do either. I don't particularly see an issue with the occassional use of frequent & well known wrestling terminology or the use of actual situations, often exaggerated, backstage in order to enhance a feud or running storyline. If anything, all this just seems like standard internet nitpicking.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

It's not really a BAD thing...but it's not good either. Last night The Rock's promo seemed weak because he was all about trying to get things trending on twitter...which I blame 100% on Vince.

I can't really condemn Vince because I thought last night's promo fit in perfectly wiith The Rock's style. The Rock is someone that's ALWAYS used tons of catchphrases in his promos, as well as coming up with unique insults to his opponents. Kung Pow Bitch, Lady Parts, Fruity Pebbles and the others are just the latest ones to join Candy Ass, Monkey Ass, Rooty Poo Candy Ass, Boots to Asses and so on and so forth. The Rock's style of promo, as a face, has always revolved a great deal around fan participation and rallying them to his side. Basically, The Rock pandering to the fans last night, overall, wasn't any different than what he was doing back during the Attitude Era with the exception that there was no Twitter back in the AE.