When did the line blur between heel and face?
 

At what point did the audience stop booing the heel simply because he was heel and cheering the face simply because he was a face. Personally I think this occurred primarily through Austin 3:16. It's happening again with Orton, who has all the mannerisms of a heel but is getting pops. (of course Cena gets booed as a face, but I think the people booing him are doing it because everyone else is down on him and not because of actions taken by the character).

Was there ever a period before the attitude era where a heel got babyface pops?? Do you guys think it changed the way wrestling is written and characters are presented.

Would you guys rather they keep Orton heel?

around the time ecw first formed, not saying they originated it, but they had a big role

heel flair with the horsemen might have been cheered but i don't rember.

HBPunk is spot on. I don't know why they don't do this more often, at least with the main-eventers. It worked brilliantly with Austin and even Rock for a couple years, the guy was basically the same character in 99 and 00 minus trash-talking the crowd. Today,iIt's working for Orton.

Stone Cold! Stone Cold!

austin really did mainstream the idea.

...I think the NWO probably started the movement where heels were cool, and Stone Cold REALLY took the ball and ran with it and took it to a whole other level.

July 26 1998

Hey. My 12th birthday.