Return of the casual fan?
 

Hi, and thanks for having me. I only registered on tpww this year, but have been a guest for a while. In fact, I vaguely recall coming on here for the first time to find out that Bret Hart had beaten Chris Beniot for the WCW Title in 1999 in the title tournament. I think... has tpww been round that long? Anyway, a few months later, HHH retained in the fatal four way at Wrestlemania. I was a HUGE HHH mark at this stage, and I made the exclusive switch from WCW to WWF, and I have watched WWF/E somewhat religiously since then... although I had been a casual fan since Wrestlemania 6.

And this is what I would like to discuss… the concept of the "casual" fan. And by this I mean people that know fuck all about wrestling.

I have been to a total of 1 (one) live WWE event, as I live in New Zealand and even though I live in the capital city, the WWE has come only once to our city, and I'm a lazy son of a bitch. I have never been backstage, stepped in a ring, or even shook the hand of anyone who has ever workedfor WWE. The only piece of merchandise I have is a Chris Benoit shirt from that live event... :shifty:


But I'd like to think after 11-12 years of full-time fandom, I know a thing or two about the WWE, based simply on my experiences and memories as a fan. And reading tpww of course ;)


This thread came about today at work when a colleague of mine noticed that I was watching videos of Raw on my lunch break. He said "Oh, you like wrestling, I'm a huge wrestling fan as well!". I responded "Really? That's great, have you seen the CM Punk promos?".

Blank stare… not only at the name CM Punk, but at the word "promo". Huge wrestling fan indeed… so the typical story came out, this guy hadn't watched wrestling in years, and knew exactly seven things about wrestling…

• Randy Savage
• Hulk Hogan
• Bret Hart
• Yokozuna (Random)
• Stone Cold Steve Austin
• The Rock
• There's a ring, referee and belts

I mentioned Triple H… blank stare. At this stage, I became angry and stopped talking to him.

If someone was to say "Oh, I'm a huge Lost fan" and then go on to tell you they watched the first four episode of season one, you'd laugh at them, right?

So, getting back on topic, the question I pose is this… will WWE ever get casual fans like this again, people who are not that invested in the product, but watch it anyway because it's "cool"? Or has this ship sailed simply due to the fact that the world has matured and we are just a generally more bitter, cynical and sarcasic bunch of monkeys? Would ice-cream help?


Do the recent events of CM Punk and the media attention he is garnering (I have heard, again, I'm from NZ, we don't have media) show any possibility of drawing in this larger fan-base? If not him, is their anyone on the roster that has that ability?

Look forward to your comments :) Apologies for the keyboard diarrhoea...

Not only do they need ice cream bars, they need to bring back rasslin buddies.

*entertainin' buddies

me and HBPunk are Art Buddies who like to eat RASSLE ICE CREAM

the vast majority of wrestling fans are casual. The IWC is so fucking stupid sometimes.

I will say this...since the Royal Rumble, I've gotten a few people at work who used to watch to start watching again. I hope that helps. I want ice cream.

i work with a guy that's a casual fan. he just enjoys it for what it is and doesn't read any internet rumors or dirt sheets or any shit like that. it's fun talking to him sometimes

"Your problem is that you don't care at all, and my problem is that I care too much"

Your comparison with Lost, a television show which ran for six or seven seasons, with the wrestling industry, which has been running for longer than I have been alive, is a bit of a stretch; but I'll agree with you.

Personally, I'm fine with wrestling not being as popular as it was ten years ago. It's not because I'm an elitist, but because pandering to the casual fan was mbarrassing at times. I like that now wrestling is aimed at the wrestling fan, albeit at the moment with the WWE, the 15 year old wrestling fan... but that'll change, right?

I don't think that's true. I think the vast majority of fans watch it evey week, but don't partipate in the IWC. I wouldn't call that casual. It's probably something along the lines of:

70% watch weekly, follow the stories, cheer the faces, boo the heels, buy the merch, don't play online (marks)
25% watch occasionally - generally if there's something "cool" happening (casual)
5% the IWC

The WWE is nearing a time where special things can happen. Interest is slowly but surely rising. I hope they don't mess it up.

Simple as that.

See it's weird, because so many friggen little kids watch it.

Agree with your Lost comment, very much apples and bicycles, but you obviously got the drift.

And I REALLY agree with your comment about pandering to the masses. Snooki and John Morrison at Wrestlemania was a sickening recent attempt...

Why do you think those kids wear Cena shirts and boo the heels? Because they only casually watch once in a while if it's "cool," or because they watch every Monday night and love Cena?