WWE fans #wantwrestling–and rightfully so

I recently came across this post on Tumblr saying WWE is rebranding itself as ‘sports entertainment’ because everyone hates professional wrestling or calls it ‘gay.’ He also references the “I Want Wrestling” hashtag on Twitter, which I have been using lately when watching both RAW and local shows in the St. Louis area. From what I could tell, he basically says we should give up on wanting wrestling.

He says we, as wrestling fans, should blame “dumb idiots who think anything outside of their comfort zone is an unnnecessary evil” for making Vince McMahon rebrand the company.

First of all, WWE has been known as sports entertainment way before this rebranding attempt. Secondly, McMahon made a strategic, well thought out, business decision for the rebranding. And, according to WWE.com, one of the biggest aspects is an emphasis on bringing in new talent. Just because WWE is turning its namesake into three letters than no longer stand for anything doesn’t mean that fans should stop expecting or wanting wrestling from a wrestling company.

Taking the word out of the company’s name does not take the concept out of the company. Fans wanting wrestling from the largest wrestling company in the world is understandable and completely acceptable. Yes, there are people who don’t like wrestling and don’t give it a chance. I say that’s their loss. But for those who have a true passion for the sport, there is no reason for them not to demand wrestling.

Comment #10:

Robin’s Rants- Tilikum returns to shows at Seaworld

It seems a little ridiculous for Sea World to rush back to letting Tilikum “perform.” Regardless of whether or not he should be in captivity, the fact that they’re putting him at risk for injuring or killing another person is not smart at all. However, the first death should have been an indicator that he was not meant to be in captivity and forced to perform. I value the lives of animals very much, and having to perform tricks all day for people who won’t care about the him (or for him) after they walk away is no life for an animal.

WWE re-branding brings hope for better talent

I’m no longer a wrestling fan.

It’s not that I don’t like wrestling anymore. I do; it’s one of my biggest passions (and has been since junior high). But, according to World Wrestling Entertainment, I’m not a wrestling fan. WWE is re-branding the company and dropping “World Wrestling Entertainment” from their name so they will strictly be “WWE” (and it won’t stand for anything).

According to an article on WWE.com, “two key components to WWE’s brand expansion will be the active pursuit to acquire entertainment content companies and the outsourcing of WWE’s core competencies – television and film production, live event production and licensing.” The article also states that WWE will develop new television shows “including scripted, non-scripted and animated programs, as well as the launch of a new WWE network.”

I hate the idea of re-branding the company. It’s a professional WRESTLING company. Yeah, they entertain the fans. Yeah, they put on great shows and have (arguably) some of the best performers from around the world. But it’s still a wrestling company. And luckily, Vince McMahon kept that in mind during the restructuring.

There is a specific focus on bringing in new talent–much needed new talent–and Triple H (Paul Levesque) is heading up that search. According to WWE.com, Levesque is the one who brought in Sin Cara (also known as Mistico). Sin Cara made his debut last week on RAW and blew everyone away. As long as Levesque maintains that level of star power when bringing in athletes, the pure wrestling fans still have a fighting chance.

I fear that there will be so much focus on the non-wrestling aspects of the re-branding that the wrestling aspect will get pushed aside. But, if Sin Cara has anything to say about it, we know there’s no chance of that happening–especially after his extremely impressive debut.

We know it’s Friday. Stop ‘singing’ about it.

Rebecca Black, the latest internet sensation, is one of the worst things to happen to the music industry. And the press (along with social media) has done nothing but fuel the fire.

She can’t sing, yet people constantly talk about her God-awful music video, her terrible (auto-tuned) voice and how she’s not talented in any way. People are making Facebook statuses with (arguably) the worst song lyrics ever written. Late night shows are even joining in on the joke of the year. And, it’s only making Black more popular. She’s becoming famous for being terrible.

Any press is good press, and in Black’s case, there’s nothing stopping this song (if you can call it that) from making her a mainstay in the “pop” industry. Pop is not my favorite type of music, but I understand it has its place in the industry. Just about everyone can admit to liking N*sync or the Backstreet Boys (or the generational substitute). It’s a phase. I get it. But Black doesn’t even deserve a phase. She doesn’t have the talent to do so. But all the (social) media attention she’s receiving begs to differ.

Everywhere you go, there is something about Black. Whether it’s Twitter, Facebook, TMZ or whatever other gossip sites exist. Someone is always talking about her, and I would be very surprised if there’s not a PR group behind a lot of the talk–even if it’s bad. Everything is getting her name out there. As much as it pains me to admit, when I kept hearing about this song called “Friday,” I even looked it up. But at least I had enough sense not to watch the entire video.

I just hope that Black is an overnight sensation whose PR people don’t have enough faith in her ‘abilities’ to push the music industry into oblivion with her auto-tuned atrocities.

Comment #9

Robin’s Rants- Mexicore

“I’ve never listened to Pierce the Veil, but choosing to draw on their heritage and own experiences is a great idea. That’s one of the thing I absolutely LOVE about local bands. Their songs (and the way their music sounds) is created by their surroundings and the personal histories of each member of the band. It seems like some bands, once they ‘make it big’ begin to lose that close-to-home type of feel to their music. They get so focused on being involved in a business and making money that they forget about what it was that led them to success–their heritage, backgrounds and history. It’s nice to see more well-known bands bringing those elements to their music. And I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to start listening to Pierce the Veil.”

Comment #8

Allan Lewis’ Buzz & Traction:  Making the transition from journalism to PR

I think the biggest problem with public relations and journalism is that both sides seem to think the other is “evil.” Like you, I always say that PR is the ‘dark side,’ mostly because that’s what’s handed down from writing for newspapers since high school. But then the PR textbook talks about how to work with journalists and how to convince them to run your story or cover your event–making it seem like you have to beg, plead and pray with everything you have just to get a journalist to listen to you. If both sides calm down and think rationally, there could be a lot of benefit for both, rather than this unspoken tension.

Jersey Shore gets ‘RAW’

Last week, one of my favorite things (pro wrestling) collided with something I hate (Jersey Shore)–and all for ratings. But it worked.

Snooki was the guest host of WWE’s Monday Night Raw when WWE rolled through St. Louis last week. She had a backstage scuffle with Vickie Guerrero, which led to Snooki slapping Guerrero in the face. By show’s end, Snooki had jumped in the ring, literally pounced onto one of the WWE Divas and started beating her up. This lead to Trish Stratus and John Morrison saving the day and an enraged Guerrero issuing a challenge to Snooki, Stratus and Morrison–At Wrestlemania.

A reality tv star with no training whatsoever is being showcased in one of the biggest matches at the biggest wrestling show of the year. As a wrestling fan who watches for the athleticism and talent of the WRESTLERS, seeing stars from other elements get tossed into a wrestling ring makes me question why I still watch the ‘sport.’ I know Sam Muchnick would be rolling over in his grave if he knew a fake-baked reality tv star will be a Wrestlemania headliner.

However, I can’t deny the tremendous amount of press coverage WWE is going to get from meshing with Jersey Shore. They have already been covered on TMZ and other celebrity gossip sites, and friends of mine who watch Jersey Shore but despise wrestling were talking about Snooki on RAW. People are talking about wrestling. Professional wrestling. And in case you haven’t noticed, since the Attitude Era lost its spark, next to nobody has been talking about wrestling.

Vince McMahon and his creative team are generating interest (and those ever-important ratings) the best way they know how–bringing the biggest stars in the entertainment industry to the forefront of their biggest spectacle of the year. Jersey Shore fans will tune into Wrestlemania to watch Snooki wrestle. Every celebrity gossip will write something about Snooki ’putting the smackdown on Vickie Guerrero at the grandest stage of them all.’ Every entertainment news station will show clips of Snooki walking down the entrance ramp and giving Guerrero a clothesline or kick to the gut to show her ‘worth’ in the wrestling business.

And as much as that makes me cringe, it’s what has to be done to generate interest from the casual and closet wrestling fans. It’s what has to be done to get record-breaking numbers at Wrestlemania. Because, apparently, having a solid card and good build up to fueds just doesn’t work anymore. And in about 10 years, WWE will get another ratings boost when they induct her to the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame.

Blog Comment #7

Allan’s Buzz and Traction blog:

Renovating North Main Street is a great way to give Edwardsville publicity. It could bring more people to town from surrounding areas to sight see. Additionally, the renovation will bring more revenue to the city and allow it to grow.

Social media meets professional wrestling

The Rock has come back…..to Twitter.

For the last couple of weeks, WWE Superstars John Cena, the Miz and the Rock have been tweeting in relation to storylines. I think that is a big step for both WWE Creative/storylines, as well as social media. With Wrestlemania less than a month away, and the millions and millions of fans who have found their way to Twitter, this is one of the best moves WWE could make.

For fans who don’t have cable access, or aren’t able to keep up with the show every week, having storylines crossover into social media keeps everyone in the loop and allows them to follow along without physically sitting down to watch the show.

The Rock is arguably one of the best talkers in the business, and for him to carry over and turn his promos and thoughts into 140 characters to keep his millions and millions of fans updated about his life is great. Being on Twitter also gives those who are not involved with (or interested in)  wrestling a chance to hop on the Wrestlemania bandwagon.

Cena and the Miz, along with the many other wrestlers and personalities who have made their way to Twitter, have the ability to reach so many more fans, and to bring more fans to the show. I never thought I would see the day when social media became a part of storylines in a wrestling show, but I think it’s an amazing way to increase viewership and attendance at shows.

Comment #6

Allan Lewis, Reasons Amtrak sucks 2-24-11

This was THE worst experience I have had with public transportation, without a doubt. It was understandable that the train couldn’t move because of a car on the tracks, that I get. But for the conductor, and every other Amtrak employee on the train, to pretty much disappear and force people on the train to call local police stations to figure out the status of what is going on is completely unacceptable. Unless there is no other option, I refuse to use Amtrak again. Also, I sent a complaint letter to Amtrak Monday, being told I would receive a response in 24 hours. Guess who hasn’t gotten a response and it’s almost the end of the week?