How do you defend wrestling?

[voncouch]

So today, once again, I had a friend of mine give me that look we've all seen when you tell someone you're a wrestling fan. No matter how many movies WWE produces, no matter how many talk shows wrestlers go on to show they know how to string together a coherent thought, wrestling is always going to have that stigma. So I got to wondering: how do you defend it when someone passes judgement?

Personally, I do theater so I explain it in those terms. It's a simple story told by two or more highly skilled athletes through physicality and movement. It's performed on a raised stage in the round. There's lighting design, there's set design, there's sound design. Boom: that's theater. At worst it's a physical exhibition. At best it's performance art.

So how about you? What's your go-to defense?

[Bad News Gertner]

I don't. Who cares if we watch wrestling. It's no worse than reality t.v. I posted on my fb about getting front row tickets today.

[Schlomey]

I quit defending it a long time ago...however, in the rare instance I do feel the need to feed (the troll) I don't say a word I just show them Mankind at the King of the Ring.

[Innovator]

There are worse things out there than wrestling.

Toddlers and Tiaras, 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom, Big Brother, etc.

[voncouch]

For the record, telling someone to fuck off is a another perfectly viable option

[Dude Marsh]

Just like everyone else here, I can't be bothered to defend the fact that I watch wrestling with all the other crap my friends watch.

[Curtis]

Its very easy to defend wrestling.

Moron #1 : Wrestling is gay!

Me : So is your mom, but everyone still watches her!

Moron #2 : Wrestling is for little kids

Me : So is your mom's vagina but I still ram it hard!

Moron #3 : Wrestling is fake

Me : So are your mom's tits!

ETC.

[morgest1984]

I think Raven summed it up best when he said something like
"For someone who wants to get it you'll never have to explain, for someone who does'nt want to get it you'll never be able to explain."

[whiteyford]

With a sword.

[Extreme Angle]

I say it's the guy's Eastenders

[Ruien]

Quit defending it in middle school. If anyone is that bothered by my hobby then they have their own issues to deal with.

[whiteyford]

I say it's the guy's Eastenders

More like Hollyoaks.

[Cool King]

More like Hollyoaks.

Everyone is under the age of 30?

[whiteyford]

They are all terrible actors.

[Cool King]

Corrie is where it's at.

[whiteyford]

That or River City.

[Cool King]

How could I forget River City?

[Ultra Mantis]

I was an extra on Hollyoaks recently and the acting is somehow even worse up close. They literally use the first take where actual words come out of their mouths. It was magical.

[Shisen Kopf]

I stomp on the ground as I punch them.

[Rammsteinmad]

I usually just go on a tirade about how whatever sport they watch (usually football) is just "men playing with balls". If they want to take it further, I'll then rant about how wrestlers work through injuries, whilst most athletes (or football players anyway) show no sportsmanship and are always fussing and pretending to be hurt as soon as they get tackled coz they're fucking pussies. Usually works as well. :)

[The Condor]

I Don't even bother. A lot of people I know are closet wrestling fans as it is. When the Rock came back it was cool for them to talk about publicly but now you don't hear them as much. It is what it is. They watch blockbuster movies and TV dramas/reality shows and I have my own source of entertainment. It has a stigma but its all the same in the end essentially. Wrestling is certainly unique in the entertainment industry.

[Bad News Gertner]

I kick them in the shins and tell them it's Artistic Combat

[Theo Dious]

I don't generally bother to defend it, but with specific people my response is often "Shut up, you watch anime."

[Theo Dious]

I love this Nascar commercial from a few years ago. Wrestling should do something like this.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/_0MjRlSW9y4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

How could I forget River City?

Heard some rumors that there is some trouble in River City.

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

I've defended it enough and at this point its counterproductive. If you don't like it nothing I'll say will convince you otherwise. "It's fake" is usually just said by trolls because most people know the risks with all of the injuries and deaths.

If anybody asks why I watch it I usually say something like my dad and I watched it for years and I got addicted. If i stop watching it sort of feels like all of those years watching it were a waste of time. It's not anything worse than reality TV and it's new every week. Unlike watching network TV shows you don't have summer breaks where it's not on. Also it seems they always try to do something cool in the Summer because they know that the other stations don't have anything new.

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

I love this Nascar commercial from a few years ago. Wrestling should do something like this.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/_0MjRlSW9y4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

If anything Nascar stole these commercial ideas from the WWF.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/rZKhEcoaHTs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Graveler]

I hulk up and give 'em the big boot

[CSL]

I don't bother nowadays. People either "get it" even if they aren't fans in terms of the athleticism, "hard work", obvious injury potential, wear and tear, entertainment value etc or they don't.

[Theo Dious]

If anything Nascar stole these commercial ideas from the WWF.

Fair enough, I just prefer the way the Nascar commercial basically says "fuck you you're not worth arguing with" vs the WWF commercial that says "you're wrong and here's why."

[The Gold Standard]

I don't. Who cares if we watch wrestling. It's no worse than reality t.v. I posted on my fb about getting front row tickets today.

This 100%. I could careless how people who don't watch feel about wrestling.

[Kane Knight]

There are worse things out there than wrestling.

Toddlers and Tiaras, 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom, Big Brother, etc.

Usually, the people who mock wrestling watch one of those.

Or something just as insipid.

Does wrestling really need to be defended, though?

[Dukelorange]

I think Raven summed it up best when he said something like
"For someone who wants to get it you'll never have to explain, for someone who does'nt want to get it you'll never be able to explain."

I like this.

[Anybody Thrilla]

Yeah, pretty good quote on the subject.

I'm such an exuberant personality to my friends and fans alike that I've made them start watching wrestling because they want to hang out with me more. This is a one hundred percent accurate post.

[Volare]

No one questions me at all.

[Lux]

I generally tell them it's better than nascar.

[Lock Jaw]

I hit them with a Canadian Destroyer

[Mr. Nerfect]

I don't really care what people think. Why do I need to defend my tastes to them? Most of them are shitty people anyway and would be cowardly heels in real life, and jump through a window to escape from Shawn Michaels.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I really like Raven's thoughts on wrestling. He's got a good mind for the business. I always felt like he would make a great writer or commentator or something like that.

[Black Widow]

The Same WAY i Defend Me Enjoying Sleeping With Girls I Tell Them 2 Fuck Off.

[Bad News Gertner]

Bam

[Corporate CockSnogger]

Lesbian sex is far less gay than professional wrestling though.

[MoFo]

Usually just join in with the piss taking and call it gay and fake.

Like, it's men in baby oil and sparkly trunks. Even if I wanted to stick up for it I can't.

[Anybody Thrilla]

I really like Raven's thoughts on wrestling. He's got a good mind for the business. I always felt like he would make a great writer or commentator or something like that.

Johnny Polo as a commentator was just OK.

[Theo Dious]

Johnny Polo as a commentator was just OK.

YOU TAKE THAT BACK RIGHT NOW YOU RAT BASTARD SONOFABITCH

[Theo Dious]

Lesbian sex is far less gay than professional wrestling though.

Lesbian sex isn't gay at all. Gay sex involves the butt. Everybody knows that.

[irishmaster]

These are my thoughts on it. I posted this on my Fb page before the Rumble this year.
Who is ur fav movie star or movie? Mine is Russell Crowe. He is brilliant in Gladiator, Master and Commander Far Side of the World n things like that but also brilliant in things like Beautiful Mind, 3:10 to Yuma n Cinderella Man. But he is an actor - when I sit down to watch him I know in the back of my mind he is a cricket loving Aussie who is just playing a character in that film. But I put that to the back of my mind cos I an sitting down to be entertained. Next week he will be doing something else. Most actors do not preform there own stunts. Some like Harrison Ford n Tom Cruise and even Russell Crowe do. But even those guys who do there own stunts have the back up of CGI and computer aided design. These guys also have the advantage of a set script that is learned word-for-word, multiple takes, camera angles and air brushing and the fact that it is probably done on a closed set with only a handful of people, people who's sole intention is to help the creative process in anyway they can. Now wrestling is the same in some ways - they clearly do their own stunts, I sit down to be entertained so there is some information that I put to the back of my mind - the fact that the outcome is known n that they have a large crew to help in the creative process aswell. But here is where ur movies n television fall down and wrestling is superior. Wrestling is not done on a word-for-word script. Yes they know the outcome and where the storyline is goin but most of the time they fill in the blanks themselves. Every action n word spoken is not edited n retook, it happens there n then in front of a live arena audience of between 15 and 20000 who will have no problem in literally telling u that "you fucked up" if u mess something up - no retakes for these guys n no small group watching in a closed set, there is also the small inconvenience of the millions n millions of people watching live on television around the world. There is also having the ability to play the crowd. Now I know the greatest actors in the world have the ability to make u properly care or hate a character as a movie goes on but the greatest wrestlers in the world do it aswell. Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Steve Austin n now CM Punk wore n have the ability to be able to change the opinions of a crowd of maybe 100,000 people (depending on event). And they do this not by a well written script that had been edited n poured over for months by directors n producers. They have a small set of instructions and they do it by their actions in the ring, they do it by gauging the crowd as they cheer n responding to that so it becomes a mutually beneficial relationship - they feed of each other. It only happens rarely,every few years can someone truly do it like the men mentioned above. I'm not saying wrestling is better than movies n tv or the other way around, they both have there advantages n disadvantages but do not dump on something that u don't understand simply because u don't understand it! Now movies n tv n wrestling will never compare to actual unscripted sport. Real top level high class sport is immense in every way conceivable to movies n tv n wrestling because it is real! Nobody knows the outcome, it is literally one against one and is played in front of a massive live audience and television audience.
I know- bit rantish!

[Dude Marsh]

I would appreciate this rant better with some line breaks.

[DaveBrawl]

If anything Nascar stole these commercial ideas from the WWF.

<iframe height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/rZKhEcoaHTs" frameBorder="0" width="420" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>


My question is why are they using footage from the late 80s/early 90s if that Nascar commercial was made in 2001? They had redesigned the cars like twice since that footage was shot. Poor marketing Conseco, especially for an investment firm. No wonder you also ended up sponsoring AJ Foyt's field filler team.

[XL]

With a baseball bat. Preferably wrapped in barbed-wire.

[AJHayes]

Ask them why they like movies. Defeats their "wrasslin is fake!! Why do you like it!?"

[#1-norm-fan]

If someone tries to make you feel like wrestling is for losers, you simply tell them "Johnny Curtis is a lifelong wrestling fan. Therefore you're wrong."

If they ask "Who is Johnny Curtis?", you tell them to ask their girlfriend and/or mother.