The WWE Universe: Getting the story past the barricade

[Razor]

Alright, so I was toying with the idea of posting regular reviews in the sticky thread where I evaluated the Raws/Smackdowns for what they were story wise. I felt it would be a different take on the usual match-centric reviews. But I quickly got depressed looking at the storylines and realizing the readily avoidable pot holes they kept hitting. Instead, I took it easy, and fell back into watching them again as a fan. I had taken a hiatus (both forced and unforced) for about a year from wrestling shows in general, and it felt great. Then I realized something:

The WWE Universe is always talked about as being powerful. World changing, even. But they're never actually used in a unique, story-driving way.

Sure. They pick stipulations, opponents, and sometimes even who wins dance contests. But their input always stops at that. Very rarely is a storyline ever actually influenced by what the crowd does, and when it is, we crap our collective pants.

This thread, hopefully, will be to serve as a nexus for which we can come together and post cool ideas we have to the crowd more involved. No, I'm not talking ECW "throw shit into the ring and maybe even join the MITB match!" involvement. I'm talking about stuff like this:

Spoiler

One thing about CM Punk's cult thing he did was that the crowd couldn't readily show their alignment with him if they wanted to. Hell, membership into the group was dependent on the inductee shaving their head. That one, random jackass could do that, but your random fan in the crowd with a job and a community to not scare away with "Oh, I shaved my head because I really like this pro wrestler and his cult of fellow wrestlers."

One thing about the Wyatt Family, though, is that one of the members wears a sheep's mask. Pretty creepy, right? Cheap too, I bet.

If they had been awesome, WWE Creative would have paid some indy wrestler $100 to attend the show and wear a sheep mask. Give him front row tickets and have him enjoy the show, only wear the mask at all times. Then the next week, have three peppered along the front rows. Then ten. Then fifteen. Have movers in the back during the "Wrestler X is walking to the gorilla point" shots with the masks on or nearby. Make it appear as if the Wyatt Family is already growing their reach into RAW.

Then, when they debut, put those masks on sale. Have Wyatt say that he "made sure" Vickie would put them on sale so that any willing to join the Family could show their support. (PROTIP: Have Brad Maddox back the idea as "good for business," then reveal after a long storyline that he's actually a member of the Family) Then, if it goes according to plan, the crowd will start buying masks and wearing them to events themselves. (Setting up the eventual turn from heel to face, when everyone buys the damn things, then that once in a lifetime shot of when Wyatt turns back heel and you have some child breaking his mask in disgust.)

It's even better if Wyatt lectures the audience on how to respect/wear their masks, and admonishes those at ringside who wear them wrong.

The above does a few things:

1. Ropes in merchandise sales (both those who will buy them out of actual support, and those who will buy them to purposefully wear them wrong or break them during the show).
   
2. Shows how much the WWE Universe supports the Wyatt Family without having to gauge on pops or how many reach over the barricade.
   
3. Gives multiple chances for not only the Wyatt Family to troll the audience, but the audience to troll back. And what crowd doesn't like to troll the wrestlers? (WHAT, I'm looking at you.)

Any other ideas? Is my idea great, or completely lopsided? I'm a writer after all, my ideas can get pretty lofty.

 

[Fernando]

Arent the sheep masks on the video suppose to represent how people are, well, sheeps?

I guess it would be like when Cody was Undashing and gave away plastic bags, it´s supposed to be something free so people would want it.

I dont think people go to a wrestling show to buy stuff they find on a dollar store, if the sheep mask becomes a thing it would be because the family was gaving it away on the shows.

I would buy the crap out of Punk SES mask, and even Codys, but no a shaving on live TV or a bag.

 

[The Butcher]

I guess it would be like when Cody was Undashing and gave away plastic bags, it´s supposed to be something free so people would want it.

Just for clarification's sake, they were paper bags. Cody wasn't trying to kill people, and knowing some wrestling fans, if a Superstar put a plastic bag on their head they would keep it on until they suffocated.

I like where Razor is coming from, but I don't know if The Wyatt Family is quite the group for such an exercise, nor do I think it'd work quite like it's laid out in the OP. All we're really talking about is taking fan involvement up a notch through the use of merchandise.

I think two simple examples are those of Diesel and Rey Mysterio. Diesel would only give daps to kids who wore his signature glove, while Rey will only touch foreheads and say something to kids wearing some form of his mask. Those lack storyline implications, of course, but I'm just saying that they're basic takes on the concept.

If WWE were to try a face stable, I could see it working. I'm not much for fantasy booking, but I can say that it'd be best with a face stable. That's because you'd get involvement from folks of all ages and people would feel like they're a part of something. It would have to go beyond a t-shirt, of course, because it would have to be something that could be effectively exploited for angles. The framework of the idea is easy, but the details of the Superstar(s) involved and the item being used would have to be worked out well enough to give it impact and emotional resonance with fans.

Interesting concept. If I can hang some meat on the bones, I'll certainly post it here.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

A few of problems:

1. You're giving up front row revenue with your indy plants. Is it worth the investment?
2. I'm not sure anyone would want to watch a show in a sheep mask. They need to make them comfortable and allow people to still see easily. I don't know if that's possible.
3. Does the mask take emphasis off the leader (Bray) and place it on the dude in the original mask?
4. I know the IWC is excited abou the Wyatt Family but are they worth it and is this idea really going to take off that easily?

I like where your head is at though. This thread and idea is far more interesting than most of the topics that pop up on this forum. I'm just don't think it works as well as you hope.

Here's something simple:

When I watch a Cubs game on TV I am genuinely bored for most of it. Raw isn't much different. The part of a Cubs game that keeps my attention is the part where they spend two minutes, play a little song, advertise something, and show shots of the fans hanging out during the game. Generally they stick to attractive young women but I think WWE has a diverse and interesting enough looking fanbase to keep people's attention. They can focus on the one hot chick in the crowd, the fattest guy, the next fattest guy (who is also really fat), the happy kids, the people with merchandise, and the next hottest girl who is not that hot but wrestling fans will take what they can get. Meanwhile they can have a product placement in the corner and the broadcast team can announce that the "Raw Fan View" is brought to you by Subway.

I know the IWC would complain like crazy but I think they wouldn't change the channel. People watching is fun. Plus everyone wants to be on TV, this may encourage people to buy tickets with the chance to actually be on TV.

 

[bxbigshow]

While the concept is interesting I agree with the implication that the wearer of the mask is 'sheep' aka a follower and someone who isn't "freed". Well maybe except Erick Rowan because he freely removes it.

I think the wearing of the mask is really for the purpose of removing it and showing our freedom.

**Sidebar: I love the fact that a wrestling storyline has me debating a topic like this in this way.***

Also, the group of masked wrestlers will give off an Aces & Eights vibe in my opinion, and WWE wouldn't want to in any way resemble TNA.

But if the masks were available for either purchase or giveaway I have no problem with it. At least make it an option for the video game so you can add to the Family yourself.