Even the Retards Have Computers Now

[PureHatred]

I just read a post by KK and a light went off in my head:

There is no longer a distinction between the so-called "smart mark" and the "casual fan." Or to be more exact, the distinction is more subtle. If you ever wander around the net and do stuff like visit the WWE chat room you'll notice something: even the retards kinda know what they are talking about. Yes, they're still complete marks and have tiny attention spans, but they are also aware of things like backstage politics and internet rumors.

That's why the WWE has been increasingly using the Internet to further their storylines. This isn't an awakened appreciation for their 'smart' fans. They are still playing to the lowest common denominator. They just relaized something:

Even the Retards Have Computers Now

Look for more work/shoots, more mention of Trips having pull backstage, JBL being a dick, etc...hell, by next year the WWE might even open up their own message boards. :eek:

Take care of each other. Its a whole new world out there.

[Scarface]

Everyone everywhere has access to the internet now. Of course more people are going to become more clued into whats going on backstage. I've always thought that there were more smarks around than people/WWE thought.

Btw WWE message boards would be cool if the wrestlers posted on them.

[Loose Cannon]

I was actually thinking this as of this week as well. I really was shocked at reading WWE.com this week and finding that they were actually putting over their releases as if it were some big event. "Release Week 2005" or something. And with all the JBL/Richards stuff and the interviews with released superstars, I was just like :wtf:

[Xero]

Maybe the WWE is trying to stick it to us Smarks by cluing the marks into backstage shit. I'm serious. Not only did they go as far as cover the JBL/Meanie incident, but they brought it on air. They covered the roster cuts like the MLB would cover a trade.

Plus, there's the whole Brock Lesnar crap. Everyone should have gotten the clue by now that he has resigned, but they're doing a whole storyline ONLINE. I'm sure that the MAIN reason for the Brock stuff is so the 'other' news sites don't pick up something that has leaked, but it's still a first for the WWE.

If I didn't know better, I'd say that this was a Paul Heyman scheme. It's genius for them to pull this shoot shit out of their asses.

I've also noticed more 'shooting' on WWE TV recently. While it's obvious that it's scripted, they're making a lot of attempts to draw in a more clued in (not as much as smarks, mind you) fan base. Not counting One Night Stand, the Matt Hardy fiasco seems to have jump started this.

[Kane Knight]

YEah, I've been trying to get this point across for a while.

I mean, the "casual" fans come online too. While they're not as likely to check unofficial news sites, www.wwe.com is a surefire site for wrestling fans. I guess they finally woke up and realised THAT'S WHY IT WAS THERE. I mean, they've had it there for a while, but it's not really for the so-called "net fans" and "smarks." How many of us are really out there looking for KAYFABE news?

The problem is, the WWE let a hatred of the internet BLIND them to the total usefulness of the internet as two things:

1) A feedback forum...They get direct feedback from more fans than ever before, and should appreciate it instead of getting pissy because we don't understand the business.

2) MASSIVE PUBLICITY!

At the point the Amish have a wesbsite (Several actually), it should be a no-brainer for the WWE to make use of theirs. They can simultaneously pander to marks and smarks...If they can get over their egos.

[Face Heely]

Personally, I think this intentional blurring of kayfabe and reality is a bad move. True, there's some fun in pointing to an event on TV and saying, "Hey! I knew about that!" But when the plotlines get to a point where they're pretty much requiring you to follow along on the internet to have any idea what's going on, that's gonna start losing the interest of a lot of fans.

The problem lies in who they're playing to with these pseudo-kayfabe storylines and events. Their current strategy (as it seems thus far) draws in your typical, smarmy, but overall clueless internet wrestling fan - the kind that occasionally hit the news pages of a site like TPWW just to collect news and rumors so they can look smart to their friends (or on internet message boards...which often backfires, naturally). In the meantime, casual fans with little interest in backstage goings-on get confused and disenchanted with the product, and genuine "smarks" (y'know, the folks that follow the backstage news, etc., because they have a strong interest in the product and/or wrestling profession) get annoyed by the influx of wannabe "smart fans," and similarly disenchanted - but with the company, for trying to pull the wool over their eyes, rather than with the product.

Lemme draw you an analogy here - pro-wrestling grew up as a "sport," and retains many aspects of such a background (champions, running commentary, even this new roster stuff). Now, your casual wrestling fan, he watches the product, he pays attention to who the champions are, but he doesn't really care much for the backstage dealings. They don't care (if they even know) that Triple H has tremendous backstage clout; similarly, your casual baseball fan probably doesn't care that the Yankees' constant success is arguably attributable to their enormous payroll. A genuine "smart mark," in wrestling or a non-scripted pro sport, is aware of backstage dealings, rumors, politics, ratings, all that hootenanny, and those factors float around in his mind as he both enjoys and analyzes the product and company. Then you've got your middle ground, the wannabes. They're the guys that'll memorize meaningless stats, not because they can apply them in an earnest appreciation and assesment of a team or player, but because they know dropping those factoids into a discussion will make them look smart before their peers. And we all know how much those guys piss off fans on either side of the spectrum.

So, if the WWE really wants to go through with this particular use of the internet (i.e. using WWE.com as a pretend, pseudo-kayfabe news site, pandering to pretend, pseudo-smarks, rather than staying strictly kayfabe or strictly "smart"), I think it's best that they only do it in limited doses, lest they alienate fans from either end of the smart-to-mark spectrum.

[PureHatred]

Personally, I think this intentional blurring of kayfabe and reality is a bad move. True, there's some fun in pointing to an event on TV and saying, "Hey! I knew about that!" But when the plotlines get to a point where they're pretty much requiring you to follow along on the internet to have any idea what's going on, that's gonna start losing the interest of a lot of fans.

Actually, this is becoming more and more prevalent among all TV shows especially ones that are aimed at younger audiences. The Internet is an integral part of popular culture, so TV is using it to provide the fans of shows extra scenes, interviews with the casts, spoilers, etc.

And sports are the same way. Watch Sportscenter on ESPN and count how many times they ask you to log on espn.com for more in depth articles. Same for the netwrok coverage of all major sports in the US.

The point is, as the Net becomes more integrated into everyday life, its only natural that the WWE is goin to use it to thei r advantage to try and reach all their fans.

And yes I think there will be a point where you will need to visit the website to get the best information about whats happening on TV; good or bad, thats just where TV shows are headed.

[YOUR Hero]

More hits = more revenue.

[TerranRich]

I personally think it's a brilliant move on the WWE's part. They're making their web site out to be almost just another news/rumor site and are treating the two (WWE the company and WWE.com the website) as separate entities. This is also working toward eliminating the "special" factor of Internet smarks. I mean, think about it: for a long time, we've been the "special" crowd, thinking we know it all and judging wrestling as if we owned WWE, or TNA, or Wrestling Itself.

What WWE is doing is basically making Internet fanhood a common thing. They're grooming all their "casual" and "mainstream" fans to look at the Internet as a source for wrestling news, starting with their rumor-mill-on-training-wheels, WWE.com. They're breeding a whole new breed of Internet fans, those trained by WWE to visit their web site and think of themselves as "smark". Hell, everybody knows that wrestling isn't really about inflicting damage and truly beating opponents...it's commonplace knowledge that wrestling is about athleticism and "show".

But now they're blurring the line between kayfabe and reality. I think it's a neat idea and I'm interested to see how it will play out. Insider terms like "work" and "shoot" being said on-air. References to backstage occurences that aren't part of the scripted storylines. It's all very intriguing to the average smark. I want to see what it'll do to the casual-fan-turned-wannabe-smark. ;)

[Batsu]

Insider terms like "work" and "shoot" being said on-air.

That was weird to hear Ric "I HATE INSIDER TERMS" Flair call himself a "mark" for Angle on RAW...

[V]

I thought he hated outsiders using insider terms, but not the terms themselves

[Kane Knight]

I thought he hated outsiders using insider terms, but not the terms themselves
Still, for him to use them on TV basiclaly means they will work their way into the mark vocabulary. Kind of like Face and Heel on the video games, which is what set Flair off anyway. They're so insider that even non internet fans know what they mean.

[TerranRich]

Which video games use the terms "face" and "heel"? I own Smackdown Vs. Raw and I know that that video game used "clean" and "dirty" in lieu of the evil insider terms. :p

[Kane Knight]

Which video games use the terms "face" and "heel"? I own Smackdown Vs. Raw and I know that that video game used "clean" and "dirty" in lieu of the evil insider terms. :p
Smackdown: HCTP had a slider between face and heel.

You also selected (At the beginning of season) who would be "face" and who would be "heel."

[Kane Knight]

It was also the prevalent PS2 WWE game when Flair originally decided to complain.

[TerranRich]

Ah...I have that game but never played it (got it simply for ripping themes off of it) ;)

[.44 Magdalene]

I'm telling you, mang...you're gonna wake up one day and find out your whole life was a work.

Then you're going to lose your push to help Death get over, and go to that great Velocity in the sky where you'll job to Jesus for all eternity.

[Kane Knight]

I'm telling you, mang...you're gonna wake up one day and find out your whole life was a work.

Then you're going to lose your push to help Death get over, and go to that great Velocity in the sky where you'll job to Jesus for all eternity.
I'm offended and you shouldn't get away with insulting my religion like that.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to kill some towelheads for rejecting Jesus and then a quick covet of my neighbor's wife.

[Kane Knight]

Ah...I have that game but never played it (got it simply for ripping themes off of it) ;)
There have been others. This is the first example I could think of.

On the back of the strategy guide (The official one) for WCW vs nWo, they used a TON of "Insider" terms, including lines like Jobbers/Main Eventers, talking about the "Cards," etc. Also something done with the approval of a wrestling organisation while Flair was working for them. Granted, I doubt WCW was that hands-on, but it's funny how far back it goes that these "insider" terms are being used in ways the public will pick up on.

[TerranRich]

Ah yes, I have that strategy guide, right here as a matter of fact, and those terms are used...and defined...throughout the intro.

[Kane Knight]

Yeah, But if you read them, Flair'll shoot on you.

[Shadow]

Yeah, But if you read them, Flair'll shoot on you.

That's just wrong.

[Kane Knight]

Yeah. Old man facial.

[Corkscrewed]

As I've said in other threads, I think it's a good thing. The first ten posts basically covered my feelings... by taking advantage of the internet, you're getting that feedback, you're eliminating a "thorn" (as in us smarks), and you're creating intrigue even among those who know more in the first place.

It's not like they're releasing stuff vital to the storylines only online. If you watch the shows, you'll still know what goes on. The web site is more like an extra... it's a bonus for smarks and marks alike. And they're using to regain that footing that they lost when the whole smarks thing first surfaced: illusion of reality. Essentially, every wrestling fan thought it was real at some point. If it wasn't the actual hitting, it was the storylines... sorta. But when you start realizing certain things are real and certain things aren't, you might become disillusioned. Now, blurring these shoot/work angles puts us off solid ground again, and because even spoilers aren't definite, the surprises can catch us offguard, even if we've known about them. Stuff like the Matt Hardy music hitting... it was still surprising and exciting for people who've followed the story from day one.

Basically, for those who don't know everything, things go status quo. But for those who were informed, this new stuff they're doing can surprise even the smarks.



Great things has always come to those who embrace new technology, not fight it. I mean, Walt Disney never would have been able to make Disneyland such an instant hit if he didn't have a TV show advertising it for a year, during its construction. During a time when people thought TV was still some threatening new medium that could never last, he embraced it and used it to his advantage.

It looks like the WWE is doing that now with the world wide web, after realizing that fighting did no good.

[Kane Knight]

Disney's EPCOT center is a tribute to how ahead of his times he was. I mean, not because of the wonders it shows today, but because it was established so long ago.

The problem is Vince is a wannabe PT Barnum.

[Kane Knight]

wwe.com : Being dragged, kicking and screaming, into the 1990s.

[Shadow]

Disney's EPCOT center is a tribute to how ahead of his times he was. I mean, not because of the wonders it shows today, but because it was established so long ago.

The problem is Vince is a wannabe PT Barnum.

Every wrestling promoter is a wannabe PT Barnum.

[TerranRich]

Yeah, But if you read them, Flair'll shoot on you.

http://images.xylot.com/flairshooting.jpg
Flair: WHOOOOO!! This is for the WCW vs. nWo World Tour Official Strategy Guide! WHOOOOOO!!

[blake639raw]

Maybe they think that if they have coverage of things like this, it will draw people away from "the dirt sheets".

[Kane Knight]

Maybe they think that if they have coverage of things like this, it will draw people away from "the dirt sheets".
I hope they don't think that.

Because it really won't. People will go to the dirt sheets to try and confirm what is real and what is rfake even moreso when that KAYFABE line is blurred.

I hope they're not trying to "beat the internet," because they will fail. The best they can do is embrace the technology and ride it.

[blake639raw]

I hope they're not trying to "beat the internet," because they will fail. The best they can do is embrace the technology and ride it. That's exactly what it seems like to me...

[Kane Knight]

And you're probably right. I just hope you're not.

[PureHatred]

Maybe they think that if they have coverage of things like this, it will draw people away from "the dirt sheets".

I think there are a group of people out there, the hardcore WWE marks that honestly believe there is no other wrestling company in the world, that will eat up everything on the WWE site and won't go to any other site for verification.

Their like the Republican party with Fox news. The best way to make sure your POV is getting across is to control the messenger.