TNA Trying Too Hard To NOT Be WWE?

[satanklaw]

I searched the threads before I posted this and actually shocked no one has mentioned this, but TNA is editing out profanity, even ass and bitch, which they used to say all the time. Now that WWE is allowing such words on TV TNA isnt, but they are still allowing the violence and blood. I am someone who roots for TNA to succeed too so dont take this as a bashing TNA thread. So a few questions:

1) do you even notice or miss the profanity?

2) are they trying to hard to not be WWE?

3) is there a reason why they changed it isnt them trying to not be WWE?

 

[Azane]

I think censoring profanity draws more attention to it, There's times they censor something like a chant, and I wouldn't of thought twice about it, if they hadnt cut it out on purpose.

And... trying to not be WWE, is something that has changed on and off, TNA is so much closer to WWE now than they were 2 years ago, but on this particular subject, TNA has a seperate set of sponsers and executives to impress, their decision on what to air as far as material is probably heavily dictated by a spike tv executive. WWE/F is a much more established franchise, so they can.... bend the rules a little easier on censorship, if a sideboob or ass gets stuck. WWE also has their ace card, where they can say they do their Monday show live and they missed the mute button in the production trailer (btw, if you ever tried censoring something with only a few second delay.... it's actually pretty hard sometimes)

3; I still think it's because a spike executive or a big sponsor is pulling strings to make the product more immature for a target audience.

 

[satanklaw]

but that doesnt explain how blood and sexuality is still heavily involved in TNA so sponsers and Spike Execs doesnt seem like a reason for it. I think the attention is cause they have guys saying things worse than ass on TNA and censor it too. I mean "Let the Pigeons Loose" and someone bleeding almost every week? and they say ass and bastard on Smackdown too for your delay arguement

 

[Richard Blonoff]

I have heard in the past that they have told some of the knockouts, Velvet Sky specifically, to tone down on the sexuality a bit.

Anyway I think one of the reasons is ever since Spike lost their TV deal with the UFC for free cards and TUF they have suffered some sponsor loss so they they may be trying to make up for it by drawing in some more friendly sponsors. Just a thought

 

[Vintage]

It wasn't velvet, it was Angelina. Dixie thought her ass was huge when the BP were being pushed before the tag titles came around. It's obvious since then she's had a change of heart and even hired a bigger ass that wears less.

As far as the OT, aside from the production side of things which I feel is because WWE set the industry standard, the two companies products couldn't be any different at this point.

 

[RawIsJericho]

There's still more profanity on TNA whether it is censored or not, and there's things that would definitely not be said in the current WWE.

Example, I can't remember it word for word but Crimson and either Magnus or Joe were yapping back stage this week, Crimson said something along the lines of "we can go right now I don't give a beep"

That would not fly in the current WWE. So no, they are not trying too hard to not be the WWE. If that was the case, they wouldn't be letting Crimson say things like that.

 

[IHW]

1) do you even notice or miss the profanity?
I have noticed the change.
2) are they trying to hard to not be WWE?
No, they are trying to be their own company. They need to quit being compared to WWE. It takes away from their products.
3) is there a reason why they changed it isn't them trying to not be WWE?
They changed because TNA can, it has nothing to do with WWE. It is TNA's marketing. My little 5 year old brother called Big Show a bastard during Royal Rumble. D.B.D called Show a bastard a few weeks back. That shows me that little kids pay close attention to what goes on. Maybe, TNA noticed that, and hopes they can draw a larger youth crowd.

 

[SpecialFNK]

I think the person who would use a swear word the most was Mr Anderson always saying "asshole" but he hasn't been seen much for awhile now.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Profanity is not limited to words, if we'll go with that. We've seen Bully Ray spit on other people, Roode spitting on Dixie, Jeff Hardy flipping Roode off, Gunner and Abyss flipping the crowd off and so on.

And now TNA is trying too hard NOT to be the WWE? I thought the problem was that they were trying too hard to be LIKE the WWE. Mood changes every two months it seems.

The only indication of TNA trying not to be like the WWE was the rebranding initiative. That was a clear cut "hey look at us we're not like them" move. Everything else is just fans adding meaning to stuff where they shouldn't. TNA is just trying to create its own identity and there's two ways to do it - be like the WWE or be unlike the WWE. Fans will always read it as something, but most of us are morons looking for a conflict anyway.

Trying to be like the WWE or not, the product is currently more entertaining and in the end - that's what we should care about. Personal opinion, of course.

 

[IT Factor]

1}Profanity isn't a big deal to me. If it is used correctly, it can add a little humor but otherwise TNA is just celebrating it. Just to do it, which makes it dumb because it makes no sense to do so.

2}I give TNA credit for trying to be somewhat different. The problem with that, though, is that TNA seems to have the old WCW mentality that anything already established elsewhere[WCW, ECW, etc] is better than original homegrown talent. Which just isn't so. TNA needs to focus on what they do well like the X-Division, tag division, and alot of great in-ring wrestling. They haven't delivered well on those things in awhile. If they start focusing on what made them better in the beginning, it would go a long way to helping improve the overall product.

3}They need to establish an identity for TNA like they did in the beginning. Making the shows edgy and more adult oriented and focus on in-ring competition. Those are two things WWE doesn't really emphasize which would set TNA apart and make them stand out. Otherwise, there really isn't anything they could do but copy WWE.