“It’s still an action adventure. It’s still…I won’t use the word comedy, but we do humor. It’s still a rock ‘n’ roll environment. It’s still a soap opera. It’s still action in terms of athleticism…so it’s all those things and there’s nothing like it on television. It’s a variety show for sure.”
That’s what Vince Mcmahon had to say to the media about his show. You know what? He’s absolutely right. The Pro Wrestling Rulebook which defines what the show is and how wrestlers should be booked clearly states that… wait a second. There is no wrestling rulebook. From what i can see, wrestling is a two hour block of television entertainment that you can do whatever you want with, as long as you have some wrestling matches on it to ensure you that at least a portion of America will tune in. Did anyone ever notice that at the end of the Soprano’s each week that a different writer was often listed for that week’s episode? I wonder what would happen each week if say one week J.J. Abrams sat in on a booking meeting, or Quentin Tarantino another week, or even Adam Sandler. One week would have dramatic storytelling, the next week would be way outside the box, and the week after that it would be really funny. That’s the beautiful thing about wrestling, is that you can do whatever you want within your time restrictions to get people to watch the show. Alot of your typical internet arm chair show-haters put too much emphasis on the wrestling portion of the show, when the reality is that most successful shows place their emphasis on VARIETY. Think about how strong a word that is when you’re trying to get people to tune in to your show, as opposed to the basic resrictions placed on it when the word wrestling is used. Some people just simply refuse to watch wrestling. I don’t know anyone that refuses to watch a variety show. That’s why segments like Rock and Mankind’s “This is your life” draw. That’s why weddings draw. That’s why funerals draw. That’s why things that take place outside of your typical two men in a ring fake fighting each other have been shown to increase ratings. Because you’re giving the fans something else. You’re giving them a VARIETY of things to choose from. Not too difficult a concept to grasp.
*Just read Kevin Macalgarkey’s column where he threatens to “open up the column a little more” by including a mailbag. Does Mr.Macluskeyvaney get paid to write for the site? I think he would even be the first to admit that his last installment was a weak effort, to say the least. I would comment on some things he said, but I can’t, because he didn’t really say anything. Spice it up a little Macalshmakel! Take a shot at me if you have to! Weren’t we supposded to be feuding??
*I guess another newbie thought it would be shits and giggles to take a shot at yours truly in his first column. Michael Moody thought he could get under my skin by referring to me as a jobber. I wonder how many fans would have liked to make well over a quarter of a million dollars a year to be a jobber? Mr. Moody, from what I understand, was a longtime listener and caller to WCW live.****NERD ALERT!!**** So he got mad that they used an idea of his and complained to Dave Meltzer, I guess because the people of the world needed to know who Michael Moody was, and Meltzer put him on his show to vent. Well, then he decided to follow the wreslers around like some crazed paparazzi with a video camera and started making documnentaries. He made one about New Jack, which I’d like to see becuse I’m a big fan of his, and another called “101 Reasons To Not Be A Pro Wrestler.” If you want to check it out, I wouldn’t bother, since it only scored a 5.3 out of 10 on The Internet Movie Database Rating System. I did notice a funny youtube clip of him where a wrestler attacks him, and i guess punches him in the face. Maybe he should make another one called “101 Reasons Not To Piss Guys Off And Get Punched In The Face.” I would vote “stay” nonetheless, so I can see what further immature insults he can come up with for me beyond calling me a jobber. Ouch!
*No more basketball should mean higher ratings across the board in wrestling. I saw that ECW took the big hit tuesday night with the Celtics clinching, and Impact got let off the hook thursday night. Result- TNA beats a WWE brand in the ratings. Not enough to parade in the streets over, but enough for a small pat on the back, however short-lived it might be. The shows for the next three weeks of Impact I’ve seen look strong on paper. I’ll make a bold statement that they’ll do good, ratings wise.
*I saw something I couldn’t believe in my latest venture into the TNA forums. No, not that someone thought that only hardcore football fans know who Pacman Jones, but a thread which when I read it I thought it was a joke. “Bring in Melissa, Drop The Beautiful People?” Now that is someone I hope never gets a job in creative. Nothing against Melissa, she’s a great worker, even though I’m not too keen on the “angry” cheerleader thing, but get rid of two of the hottest chicks in wrestling becuse he doesn’t think their work is up to par? I can’t even begin to tell you how bad of an idea that is for a show targeting 18-34 year old males.
*I’d like to welcome everyone to discuss this article in the awe-inspiring and insightful “Official Glenn Gilbertti Thread” in the TNA section. Intelligent discussion is recommended. Unlike certain users, I could care less if your posts have all the words spelled correctly.
