In Perspective: WWE Needs To Stop Being 80/20

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Having watched both WWE Armageddon and the Tribute to the Troops, WWE seems to have a pattern of doing something really horrible and then redeeming themselves somehow by default because just like your child, you don’t want to hate them for being bad because you know they are going to be no matter what you do.

The Ex-WWE Referee Tim White Suggested Suicide angle was too much and pointless, and for those of you who missed it, be thankful. It’s to the point where all you can do is be silent for a few minutes because somehow you know you shouldn’t be surprised to witness such a bad writing decision. I know the world doesn’t stop for a wrestler’s death but a little sensitivity never hurts anyone. They used this to try to build up the dangers of the Hell in the Cell but since they never mentioned Tim White’s injury before this, it’s a little out of no where. It does nothing to promote the dangers of Hell in the Cell when you have much more bigger and well known spots to remind viewers of, like Mick Foley being thrown off the cage. And since everyone’s into Vince’s hidden messages in the writing, I couldn’t help but think this is how Vince views his former employees: a bunch of talent falling off the wagon, with their spouses leaving them, down and out without the WWE. If so, that’s pretty horrible. There’s some discussion this isn’t the end of the storyline but God please let it be over. I wish I had gotten up and gotten a glass of wine during that segment. What’s even more amazing, in a industry that has to deal with death on such a public, interactive level, that they would brush a suggested (storyline) suicide off and “the show must go on” without anyone grieving or batting a eye? I wish they hadn’t gone there, especially it being the holiday season where people have lost loved ones to suicide, making this year already hard enough to deal with. Isn’t wrestling supposed to help people get their minds off real life sometimes? I know WWE wants so badly to be a entertainment company so they can say they can get away with having deaths and murders as part of their storylines. WWE is trying to be the 80/20, 80 percent entertainment, 20 percent wrestling. I wish it went the other way around but maybe I’m too much of a traditionalist. Maybe as a 24 year old Amerasian female who has watched the sport most of my life, maybe I’m not the WWE target audience.

And as they do something really bad and deflate the live and pay per view audience, they manage to get it right the next night by airing the Tribute to the Troops that they filmed the week before. I always look forward to the tribute because
you get a chance to see the talent be themselves and putting a less-than-storyline driven show for the men and women who serve in the military. Vince McMahon doesn’t get everything right all the time but I do feel comfortable enough to say that he gets the idea that paying tribute to the people who defend and protect our country is a good idea. A show like this gives me a chance to cut John Cena and Chris Masters a break. After watching the MSNBC footage all week, I can safely say that I like Masters as a person, and if they would allow him to be himself, as a face, that he would be well liked. John Cena also seems grateful to be elected team captain though I wish someone else would be team captain soon. I also think Big Show is one of the most natural charismatic guys on the roster based on how he can always make me laugh when they showed him on camera being himself, whether it be dancing with a service woman or even winking at the camera. I also want to give props to Lilian Garcia for always giving the best rendition of the National Anthem each and every time and wearing that sexy outfit showing her abs for two hours in that less than pleasant cold climate. The WWE talent behind the scenes knows exactly how to capture the mood and give the WWE some excellent PR with their music videos – I don’t know if any other entertainment company does it better. The Good Santa with the cheap pop (Mick Foley) versus Bad Santa with the cheap heat (major armed services supporter JBL) worked as the appropriate gimmick match for the season and the Boot Camp match with Shawn Michaels versus Triple H worked as well with the clever sandbag spot.

The WWE divas were indeed the main attraction though for obvious reasons because nothing boosts morale like a hot girl in a holiday outfit coming to lift your spirits. It would have been fun to see Mickie James there but the bizarre pairing of Maria and Candice Michelle worked because though I hate to say it, Maria gets cuter each week, that I’ve given in and accept the stupidity of her character because she seems to carry herself well away from the cameras. Props to Trish Stratus for being the most diplomatic (next to JBL) of all the talent in bringing up how good it is that the women in Afghanistan will have schooling and are having a existance outside their homes.

Though certainly not through WWE Armageddon, WWE’s Tribute to the Troops did what it wanted to do by providing everyone with a feel good support the troops show, a chance for families to see their families on television whom they hadn’t seen in a long time, as well as a chance to make me not ashamed for watching professional wrestling because of the service they did for the troops knowing that their lives are in true danger day in and day out and the sacrifice they give to give up their civilian lives to serve their country no what your politics are and that’s putting it in perspective. Thanks for reading, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, feel free to drop me a line anytime at Bam@4sternstaging.com.