Thread: Were you a "smark" before you logged on?
View Single Post
Old 03-16-2011, 02:51 AM   #12
Tom Guycott
Wrestling Marks Rejoice!
 
Tom Guycott's Avatar
 
Posts: 10,166
Tom Guycott makes a lot of good posts (200,000+)Tom Guycott makes a lot of good posts (200,000+)Tom Guycott makes a lot of good posts (200,000+)Tom Guycott makes a lot of good posts (200,000+)Tom Guycott makes a lot of good posts (200,000+)Tom Guycott makes a lot of good posts (200,000+)Tom Guycott makes a lot of good posts (200,000+)Tom Guycott makes a lot of good posts (200,000+)Tom Guycott makes a lot of good posts (200,000+)Tom Guycott makes a lot of good posts (200,000+)Tom Guycott makes a lot of good posts (200,000+)Tom Guycott makes a lot of good posts (200,000+)Tom Guycott makes a lot of good posts (200,000+)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tazz Dan View Post
I was going to make a similar thread tonight, but mine was going to be has the average fan become smarter? I mean we all use google I'm sure to search things of interest in general life, so why do so many members of the IWC believe that the "Average Fan" does not search WWE or TNA on the internet, and not give them credit fo knowing what's going on.

I for example know a few people who don't post at any forums but could stop me in the street and talk to me about something I may have just read.

Might do this thread actually.
I was about drop an answer to the question about two posts up, but had business to attend to. Now that this is here, it's an interesting point too (and also, one I was going to start a thread on, just unlike Tazz Dan, I wastoo lazy).

It's not just the IWC who downgrades the importance of the internet to caual fans.

One thing I found curious is, until very recently, how reluctant the wrestling business as a whole seemed to refuse the existance of the internet as something other than a collection of rabid, anti-social, basement dwellers, and only 12 of those on the planet are wrestling junkies who know everything about everyone instead of a place where someone who may just be the average "mark" goes to look up some info on someone they may like, only to be bombarded by rabid fangirlery at every turn, or unintentional smark comments as to the nature of the business.

For example, it seemed to be a "big fucking surprise" when a match that should have been one of the biggest draws in the history of wrestling, period (Goldberg v Lesnar) turned into a fan-chanting clusterfuck because certain information about two insanely over POP CULTURE ICONS was readily available TO EVERYONE ON THE PLANET at the click of a mouse.

As unrealistic as it seems, the fans in attendance of a show and most of the ones watching on TV were pretty much expected to tune into wrestling for the 2-3 hours a week, then divorce themselves completely from the product until the next TV show.

While it may be true most people aren't surfing the web in droves and heading to TPWW forums or the like, the internet doesn't seem to get the recognition it deserves for the sustained popularity of the product. The 8 year old kid we bash around here for the sake of hating Cena are the ones more likely to use teh tubes for some info on him. That 13 year old girl who wants to see pics of Jeff Hardy sans shirt to secretly fap to are more abundant than the "smark" who logs on to bitch about his arrest record. Guys like Punk and Danielson garnered a following pre WWE not merely because of shoot interviews and indy promotion smarkfests, but because a lot of their matches and promos are in one way or another available on the web for anyone who wants to watch more wrestling. This gathered them enough buzz for Stamford to take notice.
Tom Guycott is offline   Reply With Quote