The Return of Risqué - Why do people cheer heels?

[trendkiller]

With the tweener-turn of Randy Orton in WWE and the massive cheers Mr. Anderson receives in TNA, the face-heat of Edge (especially AFTER his heel turn) and the always-present cheers for Jericho, why on earth are people cheering these guys?

I don't think it's as simple as "because they do what they want to whomever they want", because that didn't work for Batista. People still boo the hell out of him. And still, people cheer Big Show.

No, I think that the reason why tweeners and heels are getting so hot in the current wrestling climate is because everything has turned so child-friendly and while this is great for the kiddies, the characters portrayed as faces are over-the-top friendly and goody-two-shoes, that not a lot of us can really relate to. And besides, they're all fairly hypocritical; For example, Cena talks of respect, but he throws a salute before running to the ring, despite having never been a marine. How is that respectful?

However, looking at what characters are portrayed as what (face/heel), things get interesting...

In Punk, you have a straight edge guy as a heel - a guy who lives a healthy lifestyle, refuses to use drugs, drink and smokes, while a guy like Edge, whose motto was "Sex and violence" up until recently was a babyface. Oh, and Orton too, the sociopath with a short fused temper is now also a good guy. It doesn't really make sense, does it?

In my opinion, the reason why heels get so much face-heat is because some fans feel that the heels see the faces, the heroes if you will, for the hypocritical scum they truly are. Jeff Hardy is a drug-addicted deadbeat, yet he is the good guy against Punk? No; while we may buy it at some conscious level, I'm pretty sure that deep down inside we know the reverse to be true.

Orton is easier to explain, when you look at what people he's been aggressive towards - First, against And then against "legends" that could barely walk, let alone wrestle. Then, the McMahon family, easily the most hated on-screen faction in the history of the WWE (and possibly of wrestling altogether), which includes Triple H (and the hate against him has been excessive as well). And then Legacy - two snot-nosed brats that were living off their respective fathers' hard work. How was a tweener-turn not inevitable?

So, with all that being said, do you think that this argument has some kind of merit? That those of us who are adults see through the paper-thin characters of the faces (whether consciously or subconsciously) and side with the heels because they don't pull punches, they tell it like it is and they aren't afraid to confront those who are hypocrites?

Or am I completely wrong?

 

[TwistofRKO]

Batista doesn't play a 'tweener role. "Doing whatever they want" isn't really want Batista does. I'm sure you know this, but you incorrectly assessed it here. Batista is a flat-out heel. He intentionally bores the crowd (Saying nothing), aligns with other heels, and goes after the fan favorites. That doesn't disqualify "Doing what they want to who they want" from the discussion.

I think they are also over due to the lack of restrictions. Its boring when you know how a given character will react to any given situation. With a 'tweener you don't know how they attack anything that's thrown their way. They will attack your favorite wrestler, but then they'll beat up the guy that everybody hates, so you still like them.

A 'tweener is a cool role to play and takes a good talent to utilize it properly.

 

[trendkiller]

Batista doesn't play a 'tweener role. "Doing whatever they want" isn't really want Batista does. I'm sure you know this, but you incorrectly assessed it here. Batista is a flat-out heel. He intentionally bores the crowd (Saying nothing), aligns with other heels, and goes after the fan favorites. That doesn't disqualify "Doing what they want to who they want" from the discussion.

Granted, but I still find it a tad curious why people would boo him when he questions why Cena is the golden boy and not him. I mean, isn't it a legitimate gripe?

I think they are also over due to the lack of restrictions. Its boring when you know how a given character will react to any given situation. With a 'tweener you don't know how they attack anything that's thrown their way. They will attack your favorite wrestler, but then they'll beat up the guy that everybody hates, so you still like them.

A 'tweener is a cool role to play and takes a good talent to utilize it properly.

Yes, but the lack of restrictions aren't necessarily part of the face package, but rather it's a product of the current climate in (specifically) the WWE, where faces ARE predictable, repetitive and unsurprising, because that appeals to children (there is a reason Wiley Coyote never catches Roadrunner, no matter what gadgets he tries). Look at traditional face characters throughout wrestling, surely you don't mean to tell me none of them lacked restrictions or couldn't be unpredictable? (And we don't even have to focus solely on the Attitude Era either!)

Children cheer the faces because they are dependable, predictable and the kids know exactly what they're getting. Adults boo them for the very same reasons. (Thereby not saying that adults don't cheer faces or that children don't boo them, I'm just trying the argument out here, finding my ground, so to speak). And then the question becomes "why do adults cheer the heels, who are morally reprehensible, undependable and/or unpredictable?"

I think that understanding whatever the answer to that question is would bring at least me some more understanding of wrestling overall.

 

[shattered dreams]

Such cheering is hardly a new thing. Maybe you see a little less of it in the WWE environment but as soon as the cat was out of the bag that what we watch is entertainment then surprise surprise sometimes people like to cheer for who entertains them the most. People often talk about bookers they do not like not understanding the face-heel interaction. While the business does boil down to that successful interaction, I think a lot of people are hung up on how it used to be instead of the evolution of the crowds interaction with faces and heels. There are many interesting ways to book a match that is not as simplistic and boring as the pure good vs pure evil. The more they book this way in an attempt to entertain the more it gives the crowd the freedom to pick a side instead of be forced onto one. To me, it is a natural consequence of attempting to make the product more entertaining.

 

[mikeyboy]

personaly ive always preferd heels over faces ive been a wrestling fan since the mid 70's and the heels have always been my favorites , in my mind they have the attitude someone who beats people up for a living should have i dont understand how you can be a nice guy and whip peoples ass as your job.

 

[LigerBomb]

It's human nature vs. the supposed neutering of the individual created by law/society/morality. At the root of our being many of us, if not all, still have atavistic urges that largely stem from preservation instinct, greed, fear etc. But the common good will tell you you can't just look out for number one at all costs as one see's fit with impunity.
Basically in an effort to grow beyond our more primitive urges we've all come together to give this whole socialization/society thing a try sacrificing some freedoms in the process. By and large it has worked but some would argue that we've reached the apex of such constructs and therefore need to advance our thinking and behavior according to a new paradigm.
While a heel does the "wrong" thing, more often then not he or she is really just looking out for theirself attempting to protect their future by taking what they want when they want it by means they see fit in the here and now. They are the Übermensch of the times, a being of action and individuality.
It doesn't help then, that WWE story telling devices tend to reward the heel in the short term while largely excusing the behavior in the long term. At worst all the cheating, lying, stealing, and implied hypocrisy of heels is met with a mere physical beating in the ring as a blow off which when seen as deterrent/rehabilitation mechanism is lacking at best. Especially when a beating in the ring is the fate of anyone, "good" or "bad", who steps between the ropes at some point as it's not a means to an end but the central aspect of pro-wrestling as a whole.
In fact, though he does receive his "comeuppance" from time to time the man in WWE who has the most money, power, success, and therefore freedom also happens to be the worst morally speaking and is the biggest heel i.e. the Mr. McMahon character. Yes he gets beat up on occasion but what he craves the most, and what he believes in is never put to question or made to be at real risk. Even in physical defeat he leaves with his true power intact.
As such I believe some cheer the heel as the person they would prefer to be were it not for the confines --both figurative and literal-- of law, society, and/or morality i.e. the pure baby-faces. Though in truth with regards to the motives of the audience I believe it's more carnal than philosophical for the majority.

 

[kc2788x]

I cheer heels because they do things that "faces" doesn't do with the exception of hall of famer Eddie Guerrero, the suppose heels does the usual breaking all sort of rules to winning, the in betweeners that gets cheers via Straight edge or Randy Orton paid their dues and doesn't resort to politics to get over the crowd, most folks just surfs on their favorite wwe superstars and see if they use politics to their advantage (cough cough HHH, Shawn, Shame-us for example) When faces beat down the heels, the heels deserve it, when the heels does it, they do it just because!

 

[Hawkeye]

It's simply because people have an obsession with the Anti-Hero.It's a classic archetype that's been used for many years in many different formats across the universe.The anti-hero represents the spirit of the average man in a physically dominating manifestation.For all intents and purposes they are the good guy,but they know as well as we do that sometimes it's good to be bad.So they do what we want to.They attack their boss,they intentionally piss people off because they can get away with it but because at the end of the day they are on the side of right we love them for it.Randy Orton,Stone Cold, Wolverine, Batman, Venom,this list goes on for days but the message is still the same."We do what's right,but we don't take s$%t from you,or anyone else"

 

[Saritafan]

I like Babyfaces better TBH because they can connect with people and make them smile. Fans who only like heels cheer for them because the fans themselves are disliked in real life so they want someone who they can relate too lol, It's the truth. The fact is that it's a lot easier for people to be disliked than liked and fans think that people would hate them also if they were wrestlers because they don't find themselves likable