Wrestling = Reality Television?

[Super Crazy]

Okay, so today on my lunch break at work, the Family Feud was on. See if you go from 12 - 1 you get to see The Price Is Right, but if you go from 1 - 2 you get to see The Family Feud. Not that you are forced to, but most people choose this over anything, but anyway, onto the wrestling.

On Family Feud today, one of the questions was " What Reality Television Shows Appear Scripted ? " The number 7 answer was the WWE. Now this surprised me, as most everybody knows that wrestling is a sport, no matter what, it's a sport, whether you classify it under fighting, or wrestling, either way, it is a sport to me.

Now my question to you is do you see wrestling as reality television or as a sports show? We all know the WWE likes to be classified under " Sports Entertainment ", but what is it truly to you? Also, do you find it odd that people would mention the WWE as reality television? Do you think that most people that aren't fans in this day and age consider it to be so?

 

[gd]

I always thought if fell under the male soap opera category. You can't really call it a sport, since it's not an actual competition to see who the better wrestler is. I wouldn't call it reality TV either, since it is basically known that it's fake by most people over 8 years old.

It's just another TV show to me. It's like the male version of Guiding Light, or whatever the hell other shit those women watch. It's all about over the top ridiculous storylines and violence, and people really get into it.

 

[BladeRunner]

Yes it is reality tv...kind of.

It's also sports entertainment as much as people hate to call it that.

But wrestling is special, like reality tv is special, in that both blur the line between fantasy and reality.

For instance, some things that happen on both you never really know if they're true or not. I feel like this is wrestling's strength and should be played up.

Never quite knowing which parts are real and which parts are fake is the key to a good magic act. It's also similar to this.

So it's similar to magic, sports, reality tv, and theatre. It's all those things rolled up into one big crazy ass package. And that's why I like it so much.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Now my question to you is do you see wrestling as reality television or as a sports show?

It's sports entertainment.... but it comes far closer to being a sports show than a reality television show. Reality television? I don't really see the connection here at all.

We all know the WWE likes to be classified under " Sports Entertainment ", but what is it truly to you?

An escape from reality. When I am stressed out or having a bad day, I can ALWAYS count on Raw, Smackdown, or Impact to get me back in a better mood because I forget most of life's problems and focus instead on "what's going to happen THIS week!?". Despite knowing that it's fake, WWE and TNA put on great shows every week. Normally I find most "real" sports to be a bit boring, but add all the things that make pro wrestling "fake" and it turns into an awesome show. That's why I like "sports entertainment", the results might be predetermined but we are often guaranteed a cool show.

Also, do you find it odd that people would mention the WWE as reality television?

Extremely. When I hear "reality television" I think of stuff like The Real World or Survivor.... Fake stuff that they try to make you think is real. Granted, one could argue that pro wrestling does that, but for those of us who ignore the kayfabe aspect and just watch it to be entertained, there is no major connection to reality television. Reality tv is a genre that I don't particularly care for, television should be an ESCAPE from reality, it's not supposed to be real whether it's "fake real" or truly real. That's just my two cents.

Do you think that most people that aren't fans in this day and age consider it to be so?

Nope. This is actually the first I've heard of a remark like that. Most people who aren't fans consider wrestling to be cheesy, dumb, and my personal LEAST favorite remark, "it sucks because it's not real like the UFC". I have to hear remarks like that on a daily basis from people who have no respect for me liking wrestling. If they don't like wrestling that's fine, but these people need to show some respect for the people who do like it! I don't go around badmouthing the things THEY like.

 

[brock9233]

That's why they have changed its name to World Wrestling Entertainment. They are entertaining us and we know these matches are always pre-decided that who gonna win or loose.

 

[LigerBomb]

Now my question to you is do you see wrestling as reality television or as a sports show? We all know the WWE likes to be classified under " Sports Entertainment ", but what is it truly to you? Also, do you find it odd that people would mention the WWE as reality television? Do you think that most people that aren't fans in this day and age consider it to be so?

• It's not a sport. If it ever was it hasn't been for a very long time. It's not reality TV either.
• To me, as per the rules of common sense, it's a fictitious, scripted television programme; truly.
• No I don't find it odd that people are stupid and ignorant.
• Non fans consider it fake crap by and large.

 

[Tastycles]

Sports Entertainment isn't a real thing, its something they made up so they could admit it was fake, without saying as much. Wrestling is a soap opera for men and children. Sure, they have a fixed way of determining an outcome, which is wrestling matches, but it is mostly the story arcs that people care about, with the ring as an added bonus. It's not reality TV, though NXT is produced to look like that. I'd say its a high concept soap opera.