CCharger
The Great One  
Posts 3492
Registered 7-21-2010 Member Is Offline Mood: Covfefe
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| posted on 6-6-2017 at 10:24 PM |
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Millenials Are Killing Pro Wrestling
http://deadspin.com/study-the-median-age-of-tv-wrestling-viewers-has-nearl-1795864450
Really good article on how the consumers of pro wrestling are getting older and older. Lots to digest in here.
One takeaway from me was that while the average age of a WWE fan has doubled to nearly 55 years old in just 17 years, the product the WWE has put out
in that time has become more kid-centric and family-friendly. That could explain the decline in viewership: WWE is producing a product for kids, but
kids aren't watching. Adults are. And those adults are frustrated that the product isn't addressing them.
Perhaps the answer is for the WWE to head in a more TV-14, adult-oriented show like many have been saying? I'd love to get The Rick's take
on this.
"She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted."
"The powers of the president to protect our country are very substantial and will not be questioned."
--- Stephen Miller, Trump senior White House advisor, Feb. 12, 2017
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Paddlefoot
Rocco Rock of Jabroni
Posts 7330
Registered 1-19-2008 Location Stupid Idiot Section Member Is Offline Mood: ChinceMcMahon
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| posted on 6-7-2017 at 12:20 AM |
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As shallow as I am when it comes to lascivious behaviour over the wonders of the female body, I don't want a return to the "woo hoo! puppies!"
days. As much fun as it could be sometimes, especially with the likes of Trish, the girls today work too damn hard and are too damn good at actual
wrestling to get labelled and demeaned with that kind of thing all over again. Normally I don't fall for the feminist definition of
"demeaning", like freaking out over guys going to Hooters, but in the case of the current group of WWE women it would be demeaning in every
insulting way possible.
I guess the greater thing is that being a publicly traded company with a media footprint that's much more huge than it was during Attitude means
WWE won't ever go full-bore R-rated ever again. The most that will happen will be excessive use of words like "bitch" or "ass". And maybe
the return of some crimson masks every once in a while. Chair shots to the head will still be out, for obvious reasons. Ditto with porn-level skits
for the talent to perform in. Attitude Era WWF would take the Paige cum-fest scandal, for example, and run with it, and probably put a belt on her
within a matter of weeks of it being exposed. Today's WWE though? Nah. That kind of approach is most likely permanently over.
You know, everyone says it's not supposed to make sense, like that's the whole point, dude. And I'm just saying, you know,
that's like an excuse for lazy storytelling. Just don't sell me shite and tell me it's gold, all right? I might be stoned, but
I'm not high. You know what I mean?
- Cassidy from Preacher, commenting on The Big Lebowski and/or professional wrestling
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CCharger
The Great One
Posts 3492
Registered 7-21-2010 Member Is Offline Mood: Covfefe
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| posted on 6-7-2017 at 12:32 AM |
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Speaking as a middle-aged WWE fan, I can say that I'm not interested in any R-rated skits or diva shenanigans. You know what I do want to see?
Pro wrestling actually being treated as an actual sport where wins and belts and rivalries mean something and not some reality show about men
play-fighting in their underwear where the announcers are more interested in hyping next months match than in calling the moves in the ring.
I want to see the WWE be more like New Japan and less like Total Divas. I want to be treated like a adult and not some stupid kid. I get that kayfabe
is dead, but holy shit try to make me suspend my disbelief.
"She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted."
"The powers of the president to protect our country are very substantial and will not be questioned."
--- Stephen Miller, Trump senior White House advisor, Feb. 12, 2017
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Paddlefoot
Rocco Rock of Jabroni
Posts 7330
Registered 1-19-2008 Location Stupid Idiot Section Member Is Offline Mood: ChinceMcMahon
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| posted on 6-7-2017 at 12:40 AM |
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blargh sry
[Edited on 6/6/2017 by Paddlefoot]
You know, everyone says it's not supposed to make sense, like that's the whole point, dude. And I'm just saying, you know,
that's like an excuse for lazy storytelling. Just don't sell me shite and tell me it's gold, all right? I might be stoned, but
I'm not high. You know what I mean?
- Cassidy from Preacher, commenting on The Big Lebowski and/or professional wrestling
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Paddlefoot
Rocco Rock of Jabroni
Posts 7330
Registered 1-19-2008 Location Stupid Idiot Section Member Is Offline Mood: ChinceMcMahon
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| posted on 6-7-2017 at 12:41 AM |
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Them ditching the stupidity and having more actual wrestling would be about the most radical and ground-breaking thing they could possibly do at this
stage of their existence.
You know, everyone says it's not supposed to make sense, like that's the whole point, dude. And I'm just saying, you know,
that's like an excuse for lazy storytelling. Just don't sell me shite and tell me it's gold, all right? I might be stoned, but
I'm not high. You know what I mean?
- Cassidy from Preacher, commenting on The Big Lebowski and/or professional wrestling
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janerd75
The Great One 
Posts 3766
Registered 1-28-2013 Member Is Offline Mood: Lantern kick'n
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| posted on 6-7-2017 at 03:50 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Paddlefoot
As shallow as I am when it comes to lascivious behaviour over the wonders of the female body, I don't want a return to the "woo hoo! puppies!"
days. As much fun as it could be sometimes, especially with the likes of Trish, the girls today work too damn hard and are too damn good at actual
wrestling to get labelled and demeaned with that kind of thing all over again. Normally I don't fall for the feminist definition of
"demeaning", like freaking out over guys going to Hooters, but in the case of the current group of WWE women it would be demeaning in every
insulting way possible.
I guess the greater thing is that being a publicly traded company with a media footprint that's much more huge than it was during Attitude means
WWE won't ever go full-bore R-rated ever again. The most that will happen will be excessive use of words like "bitch" or "ass". And maybe
the return of some crimson masks every once in a while. Chair shots to the head will still be out, for obvious reasons. Ditto with porn-level skits
for the talent to perform in. Attitude Era WWF would take the Paige cum-fest scandal, for example, and run with it, and probably put a belt on her
within a matter of weeks of it being exposed. Today's WWE though? Nah. That kind of approach is most likely permanently over.
But I like puppies. Otherwise sure, I get why that can't be A Thing in today's WWE. I can look up Paige vids and get my fill of that.
As for the ultraviolence, I wouldn't mind a modified chairshot with a gigged chair that has an extra metal plate underneath or somesuch
tomfoolery to make a loud smacking sound when it "hits". Added to that perhaps modify how they're taken, like the recipient holding up his
forearm to take the glancing blow instead of dudes straight-up taking Shamrock-style shots to the face. Perhaps break it out on rare occasions for the
right guy to emphasize his "badness" like they allowed Taker essentially sole province of using the Tombstone piledriver.
As for blood, why does the UFC galoot get to bean a full-timer and give him a bloody forehead pussy when that's a no-no for everybody else?
Regardless, of course no full-on Flair Blood Masks, but just a bloody mouth once and again would go a long way towards the realism factor. Yes, even
if it's a blood capsule, just not as ham-handedly done like when Reigns got handed one a while ago. And maybe for a PPV, on their own goddamn
network no less, maybe bust out a Blood Mask for a special occasion.
Swearing in light doses, sure, but off-air "leaked" real swearing like when Vince f-bombed Shane when he just came back. Without outright swearing,
I think they would be on the right track if they kept doing what they did with the Joe/Pauly D promo on Monday. Drop mic, promos over, but oh wait
we've got a ring mic picking up a far more serious and sinister conversation that was *wink-wink* only supposed to be betwixt them. Not a swear
word was dropped that I can recall, but that was intense as all heck.
quote:
Originally posted by CCharger
Speaking as a middle-aged WWE fan, I can say that I'm not interested in any R-rated skits or diva shenanigans. You know what I do want to see?
Pro wrestling actually being treated as an actual sport where wins and belts and rivalries mean something and not some reality show about men
play-fighting in their underwear where the announcers are more interested in hyping next months match than in calling the moves in the ring.
I want to see the WWE be more like New Japan and less like Total Divas. I want to be treated like a adult and not some stupid kid. I get that kayfabe
is dead, but holy shit try to make me suspend my disbelief.
Right now, the "envelope pushing" that is the Fashion Police whets my appetite for salacious shenanigans. And calling back to WM, I dug how they let
Big E and Xavier address the Paige situation with the "pull the lever" comment. So that kinda subtle stuff for an old piece of fuck like me where
subtext is nurtured is much more highly appreciated by me now. But that type of stuff only comes from letting certain wrasslers off the scripted leash
to be themselves. However, that's a complicated balance to pull off in the WWE's mixed economy of freewheeling improv promos vs. highly
scripted ones that necessarily and rigidly must move the from pre-designed set piece to set piece.
I like some of the graphics they now put up showing title wins and other accolades, but you're right rivalries come in fits and starts, factions
are mostly non-existent, the RAM championship belt goes missing for most of the year, and the announcing is just...there. The last one is the biggie
on my list. There's a reason J.R. is pretty much the most respected name in wrasslin' announcing. He had a definitive personality and he
knew how to assist the story happening in the ring. No meandering during the course of the match to talk about some other dumb shit happening later in
the show. Everything was present, upfront, and NOW with his calls. Hell, even Vince was heads and tails above what we have today. There's no
personalities up there, just shills for all things to all people all at once...all while there's a match going on in the middle of the ring
taking a backseat to all that noise.
Guys like J.R. shilled too...the match in front of them and the upcoming PPV, and that was it. Where are the Jessies, Gorillas, Brains, Joeys, or
hell, even Tony Schiavones going to fucking plaid with hyperbole over the tepid salesmen that are there now?
"Well, life's a bitch n' then you marry one. Alls you know now is you're goin' into the bar tonight to get just fuckin'
interplanetary." - Wayne (Letterkenny)
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bopol
Showstopper 
Posts 715
Registered 1-18-2013 Member Is Offline Mood:
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| posted on 6-7-2017 at 05:07 AM |
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The Attitude Era wasn't all that great. It was totally buoyed by Steve Austin and his Stone Cold character being one of the most compelling
characters in all of entertainment for the late 90s. Add in Vince McMahon playing the perfect heel to Austin's face; the Rock being another
incredibly compelling character and Mick Foley playing the perfect foil (both in alliance and against these top characters) and you had a winning
formula. If you put those guys on TV today, even with whatever supposed restrictions are in place, you would still have another golden era of
wrestling.
The problem with the current product is that they have no characters. Too many interchangeable parts; too many face and heel turns. Too many
wrestlers who do different things that they don't have a distinct character. IMO, that's why Kevin Owens is having success; he stands out
in a group that seems to sink into the background instead of coming across as larger than life.
And here's the thing: there is no reason why they can't do this today. There is nothing about being PG that means you can't make
compelling stories and characters. The WWE just lacks the ability to do that.
I only signed up so I can read the forum.
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Thom
The Immortal One 
Posts 4792
Registered 1-14-2003 Location At the gym Member Is Offline Mood: Rather be lifting
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| posted on 6-7-2017 at 01:54 PM |
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The E is just biding their time. In a short while, that average 55 yo will be a senile septuagenarian, who thinks all the kiddie stuff is funny as
hell.
#GLENNSURVIVESLOL - Cherokee Jack, from TWD Season 6 thread
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CamstunPWG187
Man of a Thousand Holds
Posts 1585
Registered 5-2-2010 Location Harbin, China Member Is Offline Mood: Barbeque
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| posted on 6-7-2017 at 03:01 PM |
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I have no reason to watch.
I watch whenever 411 gives a match a high rating and after I come here to check to see if majority opinion on it is good. Match quality is all I care
about because I really don't care about WWE's stories.
Matches rarely ever get serious or meet their potential in a WWE ring, these days. Aries and Neville are great but they haven't been able to
have a kickass, high-flying sprint in the 3 months they have been having feuding. Somehow Joe and Rollins just aren't having great matches, and
Nakamura's matches aren't all that, either. The WWE midcard is a dark place. Either guys aren't motivated, or they are simply held
back for some unknown reason...
...One of which could be how selective WWE is towards every single one of their employees, which is proven (Lesnar busting Orton open/Vince dropping
that F bomb) and just slowly boils in my head how shitty everything is ran in WWE. It's something that, as a human being, I have come to
despise. I don't tolerate a lot of stuff anymore. WWE's a shitty place, and the idea of putting money in their pockets is absolutely out
of the question. Even pirating their shows feels dirty because I am at least letting them know people out there actually care enough about their
product to actually watch it.
The product is PG, and WWE has the writing of insultingly bad children's shows, yet most of their audience is adult. Like, fuck you, Vince. Why
do you hate me after I put so much hard-earned money into your pockets over the years?
Mick Foley said a long time ago, "The wrestling business is sometimes like a girlfriend who doesn't love you back" , or something close to
that. WWE doesn't love me back. They took my money and ran. Not once. Not twice. But hundreds of times. Fool me once, shame on you, twice,
shame on me.
Going to the New Japan Show on May 9th in Tokyo was a real blessing, and felt great. I was there with hardcore wrestling fans, had an amazingly fun
time hanging with them, and loved the show. It wasn't even a major show. It was like a fucking house show, and yet, it was a million times
more fun than any WWE show I have watched recently. New Japan not only has fun, interesting shows, but has good stories. If I wanna watch good
wrestling, I have them and American Indies.
Hell, we just had the first ever pro wrestling show in Harbin the other night, and I was the ring announcer (MKW - Middle Kingdom Wrestling, owned and
operated by one of my best mates, Adrian Gomez), as well as the guy who gave cues and all that shit. It was an AWESOME experience and more memorable
than anything WWE has done. We had a great crowd filled with expats we mostly knew. Most, if not all of the wrestlers even knew or seemed to care
about Extreme Rules last Sunday.
WWE has made their product such an average, assembly-line, run of the mill, redundant (kinda like this sentence) pile of lameass that it has become
irrelevant in my life.
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First 9
The Rowdy One
Posts 2374
Registered 1-22-2013 Member Is Offline Mood: Doing the Emma Dance
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| posted on 6-7-2017 at 03:12 PM |
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Was it ever really confirmed the product was sanitized exclusively for the kiddies?
It seems it was all for the sake of premium sponsors. Melzter or somebody else last year reported that the sweet sponsorhsip money is what has made
these forgettable years a lot more profitable than the Attitude Era years. People may snark on Mountain Dew but it's miles above stuff like
Stacker 2. They also got KFC and the Mattel sponsorship, and even once got Coca Cola.
The general audience being guys in their forties but considering how WWE is just making more and more content for the hardcore audience it seems that
building up a new fan base isn't their main priority right now.
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Paddlefoot
Rocco Rock of Jabroni
Posts 7330
Registered 1-19-2008 Location Stupid Idiot Section Member Is Offline Mood: ChinceMcMahon
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| posted on 6-7-2017 at 03:28 PM |
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Is there still much of an audience for hardcore? Speaking only for myself if I never saw another match involving barbed wire, stabbing each other with
forks, or hitting each other with fluorescent light tubes I wouldn't miss it in the slightest. Yes, more tables-ladders-chairs would always be
welcome, because those kinds of spotfests are always fun. But all that blood-gushing cringe-inducing nonsense? Nah. Leave that crap to human garbage
like Ian Rotten when he's in an alley behind a 7/11 filming a couple of junkies strangling each other with rusty wire for a bag of meth.
You know, everyone says it's not supposed to make sense, like that's the whole point, dude. And I'm just saying, you know,
that's like an excuse for lazy storytelling. Just don't sell me shite and tell me it's gold, all right? I might be stoned, but
I'm not high. You know what I mean?
- Cassidy from Preacher, commenting on The Big Lebowski and/or professional wrestling
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CCharger
The Great One
Posts 3492
Registered 7-21-2010 Member Is Offline Mood: Covfefe
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| posted on 6-7-2017 at 03:37 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by CamstunPWG187
WWE has made their product such an average, assembly-line, run of the mill, redundant (kinda like this sentence) pile of lameass that it has become
irrelevant in my life.
QFT
quote:
Originally posted by First 9
It seems it was all for the sake of premium sponsors. Melzter or somebody else last year reported that the sweet sponsorhsip money is what has made
these forgettable years a lot more profitable than the Attitude Era years. People may snark on Mountain Dew but it's miles above stuff like
Stacker 2. They also got KFC and the Mattel sponsorship, and even once got Coca Cola.
Sponsors give money toward things that have a lot of eyeballs on it. If ratings continue to plummet, Network subscriptions slip, and social media
mentions decline those sponsors are going to re-think their financial commitment.
WWE is a company that doesn't know what it wants to be. Does it want to court the kiddies with Bayley, Cena and the New Day? Does it want to
court the IWC with NXT and Owens and Styles and Nakamura? Does it want to be an international company (Mahal and India)? Does it want to compete with
UFC (Lesnar) or not?
WWE is trying to be something for everyone. The problem with that scattershot approach is that when you try to get your audience to be everyone, it
ends up being no one.
"She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted."
"The powers of the president to protect our country are very substantial and will not be questioned."
--- Stephen Miller, Trump senior White House advisor, Feb. 12, 2017
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First 9
The Rowdy One
Posts 2374
Registered 1-22-2013 Member Is Offline Mood: Doing the Emma Dance
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| posted on 6-7-2017 at 03:51 PM |
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The fact that today's sponsors are paying better than the Attitude years disagree with your statement. I'm sure there's a number
where ratings can't fall to but the fact that they still haven't altered anything about the main product means they aren't close to
it.
To us they come off as a disjointed company but they really are hitting all their marks. The kiddie appeal is what made Cena a top merch seller
without having to get over with the entire audience, the smark appeal is what is now having their develeopmental shows have events in the Allstate
Arena, and while it's too soon to call it a total success, the ridicolous number of views for Mahal segments make it look like their hotshotting
plan might pay off.
I don't follow RAW or SD week to week anymore and mostly stick to NXT, but under any objective standard, this is a company that is making
financially sound decisions and balancing out a number of agendas. Could they be better? Sure, but that doesn't mean they aren't already
doing great.
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Flash
The Great One
Posts 3364
Registered 4-22-2005 Location Ontario, Canada Member Is Offline Mood:
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| posted on 6-7-2017 at 04:18 PM |
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I think in a lot of ways WE are just as much the problem; Imagine any other show that you've been loyally watching for what... 15, 20, 25 years
and odds are the quality and lack of originality is going to suffer. Yeah the cast has changed, but by and large the characters and stories are going
to repeat themselves over and over.
What's more; we break down, deliberate, and over analyze the current product while comparing it to peak periods despite the fact that those
peaks are by far outweighed by maybe not the valleys; but at least years and years worth of "good, but not great". Worse still for the WWE we latch
onto every rumour and fantasy book 101 different outcomes which are either going to A) be miles above what the WWE can deliver because generally
fantasy booking is done for the maximum (like IWC hero winning despite all evidence to the contrary, stuff that would fly in the face of stuff that
makes the WWE millions) or B) winds up being exactly what the WWE does... which if broken down and talked about a whole bunch before it happens it
winds up being just "okay". Yeah some of the chances the WWE does take get completely shit on, but I also think we sometimes fail to encourage them
for taking those chances... House of Horrors was a train wreck, and they played it wrong, but it does represent them trying something different.
Now I'm not entirely letting the WWE off the hook; I think if we are being honest the WWE has taken far more chances on talent than we'd
like to admit over the last few years... I mean go back 5-6 years ago and think about every "yeah he won't make it in the WWE" and look at
their current roster... but they do still by and large pigeon hole these guys into tired wrestling character tropes... the unbeatable monster (until
beaten), the chicken shit heel, the blind ref.. ect. I also don't think they've taken any chances with the presentation and structure of
their product... we've got the network, but still follow the monthly PPV model that's been in place for 21 years. I mean I guess
there's something to be said from the WWE's stand point that if it's still making you a tonne of money you keep riding that horse. I
also don't think they do a good job of listening to their fans... there is probably a place for cash cow Roman Reigns at the top; but
don't do it in a way that trolls the rest of your audience, or where they are left wondering why all roads lead to Roman. I think they also have
a hard time deciding what they want to be at times... to say nothing of a lack of direction more often than not.
I've been working my way through the Attitude era and 20 years removed you realize that there was some of the WWE's best stuff in there;
but there was also a LOT of crap we probably gloss over in our remembrances of the golden era of wrestling... I'm curious to see what the
current stuff looks like in a void a few years from now.
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gobbledygooker
Sister Act 2
Posts 9269
Registered 12-17-2002 Location Charlotte, NC Member Is Offline Mood:
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| posted on 6-7-2017 at 07:01 PM |
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Myself and my brother are pretty much in the "Rock n' Wrestling/Attitude Era" sweet spot, age-wise. I was born in 1979 so was right in the
wheelhouse of loving all things 80's WWF during the Hogan boom (I still remember my mom buying us our first wrestling toys circa. 1986, the old,
big rubber ones that didn't even move. I think the first ones we got were the Nikolai Volkoff and Iron Sheik tag team set). So we then grew up
into teenagers in the mid-90's when the Attitude era was taking off and were once again in WWE's wheelhouse of who they were marketing to.
After those huge periods, it was inevitable that there was going to be some fall off. I just think my love of it in my first twenty years on earth
basically turned me into a habitual viewer like so many of us are, for better or worse (though I will certainly fast forward and/or not watch during
the "worse" times).
"Hulk Hogan have the sex with some dumb bitch on the TV. The girl smart if she make the $$ from his bald ass but she also desperate to have sex with
the howdy doody like Hulk Hogan. He worse than Mel Gibson and I think now %10000 he prove he have grasshopper dick and raisin balls." - The Iron
Sheik
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CCharger
The Great One
Posts 3492
Registered 7-21-2010 Member Is Offline Mood: Covfefe
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| posted on 6-7-2017 at 08:31 PM |
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Maybe that's it then. They're just no more boom periods to capture younger people's attention.
Corporations like the WWE don't like boom/bust periods because of the unpredictability. They'd much rather have stable periods of
mediocrity than wide swings in greatness and shittiness.
"She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted."
"The powers of the president to protect our country are very substantial and will not be questioned."
--- Stephen Miller, Trump senior White House advisor, Feb. 12, 2017
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gobbledygooker
Sister Act 2
Posts 9269
Registered 12-17-2002 Location Charlotte, NC Member Is Offline Mood:
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| posted on 6-7-2017 at 09:52 PM |
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I mean, I've just now had a child of my own, but was Cena at his peak as big for kids as Hogan was at his peak? Possibly. But I guess the
bigger question is did Cena shatter the mold like Hogan did (hell no he didn't).
And to speak to CCharger's point above, I think someone could come along with the perfect mix of charisma, skill, etc. to get it back up to one
of those plateaus in the future (Punk probably would've been the most recent possibility and we all saw how that turned out). But yeah,
Rollins, Joe, Lesnar, even my beloved AJ, are all awesome in their own part but due to more factors than we realize, none of them is going to be the
next Hogan, Stone Cold, or Rock.
"Hulk Hogan have the sex with some dumb bitch on the TV. The girl smart if she make the $$ from his bald ass but she also desperate to have sex with
the howdy doody like Hulk Hogan. He worse than Mel Gibson and I think now %10000 he prove he have grasshopper dick and raisin balls." - The Iron
Sheik
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Chris Is Good517
Best There Is Was or Ever Will Be 
Posts 12535
Registered 1-10-2002 Location Little Rock, AR Member Is Offline Mood:
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| posted on 6-7-2017 at 09:55 PM |
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I think the article really underplayed how much this is affected by being a study of Nielsen ratings in a world that overwhelmingly now consumes its
TV media in other ways than watching live television. Why invest three hours on Monday nights when you can watch a condensed 90 minute version on Hulu
the next day, or store it up on the DVR and plow through it in less than two hours over the weekend? Nothing is happening in WWE right now that makes
it appointment television anymore. You can blame a PG product, you can blame Roman Reigns, you can blame millenials for not being couch potatoes, but
none of those are the factors behind the two biggest problems WWE has: oversaturation and boring, uninspired writing. The writers don't have
enough ideas to fill 90 minutes of Raw right now, but they have to stretch it out into three hours anyway, and then ask us to come back for two more
hours for Smackdown on Tuesday nights? It's too much even if the product felt fresh and objectively good; when everything feels this rudderless
and stale its ridiculous. NXT and 205 Live are much more palatable because they can be consumed in hour long bites, and even there 205 Live feels like
the same show every week and the first few weeks building to the next Takeover are usually a slog in NXT. I don't know what the right fix is,
but blaming people for not watching TV live anymore is definitely not it.
Monday Night Flaw, a podcast about professional wrestling starring OO's own
Figure Foreskin as Andy the Smarmy Host and Chris Is Good517 as Cousin Balki.
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denverpunk
The Rowdy One
Posts 2581
Registered 6-27-2007 Location Mile-Hi Member Is Offline Mood: Stoked
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| posted on 6-8-2017 at 10:53 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Chris Is Good517
I think the article really underplayed how much this is affected by being a study of Nielsen ratings in a world that overwhelmingly now consumes its
TV media in other ways than watching live television. Why invest three hours on Monday nights when you can watch a condensed 90 minute version on Hulu
the next day, or store it up on the DVR and plow through it in less than two hours over the weekend? Nothing is happening in WWE right now that makes
it appointment television anymore. You can blame a PG product, you can blame Roman Reigns, you can blame millenials for not being couch potatoes, but
none of those are the factors behind the two biggest problems WWE has: oversaturation and boring, uninspired writing. The writers don't have
enough ideas to fill 90 minutes of Raw right now, but they have to stretch it out into three hours anyway, and then ask us to come back for two more
hours for Smackdown on Tuesday nights? It's too much even if the product felt fresh and objectively good; when everything feels this rudderless
and stale its ridiculous. NXT and 205 Live are much more palatable because they can be consumed in hour long bites, and even there 205 Live feels like
the same show every week and the first few weeks building to the next Takeover are usually a slog in NXT. I don't know what the right fix is,
but blaming people for not watching TV live anymore is definitely not it.
Quoted for absolute truth. It's up to WWE to make the show entertaining again, and if interest in the product is at an all-time low, then they
need to start asking themselves some really tough questions like:
1. Our next chosen one is not accepted by the fans, so why do we keep shoving him down everyone's throat in a way that pisses them off?
2. Why does it take so long for us to get on board with talent that the fans like, but doesn't fit our long-term plan? Why do we adapt so
slowly?
3. We have the best women's roster we've ever had, so how do we show off their strengths and minimize their weaknesses?
4. See #3, but substitute men for women.
5. If our Universal Champion only wants to wrestle six times a year, then how do we keep the title relevant when he's gone?
6. Our talent is booked like stock characters rather than actual people with human motivations. Why?
7. We're stuck in an evil authority figure rut. How do we get out?
I'd start with that, adding that the ratings heydays of the past are almost certainly gone forever and a new rubric for success may need to be
created.
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CCharger
The Great One
Posts 3492
Registered 7-21-2010 Member Is Offline Mood: Covfefe
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| posted on 6-8-2017 at 11:44 PM |
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This is a great point and I'd like to see a breakdown of the demographics of Network subscribers.
"She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted."
"The powers of the president to protect our country are very substantial and will not be questioned."
--- Stephen Miller, Trump senior White House advisor, Feb. 12, 2017
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denverpunk
The Rowdy One
Posts 2581
Registered 6-27-2007 Location Mile-Hi Member Is Offline Mood: Stoked
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| posted on 6-9-2017 at 06:22 AM |
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Something else to consider: We're currently in an era with the most well-written, mature TV programs in the medium's history. Between
Netflix, HBO, FX and what-not, there's no shortage of edgy, envelope pushing programming, yet WWE consistently insults its audience's
intelligence. Why should a 30-something viewer get their kicks from WWE when there are countless other outlets that won't treat them like
idiots? And I say that as a fan.
[Edited on 6-9-2017 by denverpunk]
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GodEatGod
Man of a Thousand Holds 
Posts 1254
Registered 1-14-2004 Location Monroe, LA Member Is Offline Mood: Weird
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| posted on 6-9-2017 at 06:50 AM |
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To be fair, a lot of wrestling fans ARE fucking idiots.
"It is an impressively arrogant move to conclude that just because you don't like something, it is empirically not good. I don't like
Chinese food, but I don't write articles trying to prove it doesn't exist." - Tina Fey
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Paddlefoot
Rocco Rock of Jabroni
Posts 7330
Registered 1-19-2008 Location Stupid Idiot Section Member Is Offline Mood: ChinceMcMahon
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| posted on 6-9-2017 at 07:54 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by GodEatGod
To be fair, a lot of wrestling fans ARE fucking idiots.
Ayuh. Not sure which ones are worse these days. The mega-smarks that go to shows determined to make themselves the center of attention with stupid
chants at the most appropriate moments and wreck the fun for the other fans. Or the sk8rbois who go into a frothing rage if someone says
something like CM Punk wasn't buried by WWE or that Daniel Bryan had to give up the belt eventually. Take a look at the Disqus* comments at 411
Mania or Diva Dirt as full proof of the mentioned idiot effect.
* Disqus is the sewer of reader/fan comments; the only other place worse is probably YouTube for pure malicious ignorance
You know, everyone says it's not supposed to make sense, like that's the whole point, dude. And I'm just saying, you know,
that's like an excuse for lazy storytelling. Just don't sell me shite and tell me it's gold, all right? I might be stoned, but
I'm not high. You know what I mean?
- Cassidy from Preacher, commenting on The Big Lebowski and/or professional wrestling
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CCharger
The Great One
Posts 3492
Registered 7-21-2010 Member Is Offline Mood: Covfefe
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| posted on 6-9-2017 at 02:35 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by denverpunk
Something else to consider: We're currently in an era with the most well-written, mature TV programs in the medium's history. Between
Netflix, HBO, FX and what-not, there's no shortage of edgy, envelope pushing programming, yet WWE consistently insults its audience's
intelligence. Why should a 30-something viewer get their kicks from WWE when there are countless other outlets that won't treat them like
idiots? And I say that as a fan.
[Edited on 6-9-2017 by denverpunk]
But the data in this particular study would refute that notion. People 30+ ARE tuning in to the WWE. It's the younger generation that's
not.
"She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted."
"The powers of the president to protect our country are very substantial and will not be questioned."
--- Stephen Miller, Trump senior White House advisor, Feb. 12, 2017
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denverpunk
The Rowdy One
Posts 2581
Registered 6-27-2007 Location Mile-Hi Member Is Offline Mood: Stoked
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| posted on 6-9-2017 at 03:05 PM |
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I used 30 year olds as a blanket statement for younger people in general. Should have gone lower.
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