Clocking in at 6 hours and 51 minutes, last night’s WrestleMania was nothing short of an odyssey. The WWE always sells “the moments” and they gave us plenty. Those moments range from genre-defining to nostalgia laced fan service. What a night. There are always rumors that the WWE “sweetens” the attendance numbers, as they claim it is part of the show. Argue the numbers all you want, the pictures do not lie. It certainly looked bigger than any other WrestleMania we’ve seen previously. Early figures at the gate also claim massive financial success.
Last nights results, however, are rather polarizing. Most successful people and endeavors are. If your fan base has strong opinions, things are going well. Eric Bischoff said it best- “controversy creates cash”.
Today, the wrestling universe will rumble with a bevy of comments, posts and blogs about what “should have happened”. Its the almost instant and perpetual writing of wrestling fan fiction. It goes on every day. The show is mostly broadcast live and always performed in front of a live crowd. This live, organic feeling tricks people into believing that they have a hand in the outcome. They seldom do. These are stories. Wrestler injuries, backstage politics and the occasional in-ring mishaps are the usual causes of any changes with the onscreen product. The crowd believes that it is an interactive experience when, in fact, it is only reactive. Things happen, the crowd reacts and it moves forward. When the story is told well, the crowd can feel as though they themselves have willed it into existence.
This feeling is both a blessing and a curse for WWE. When a fan enjoys a story or wrestler, they almost always claim responsibility for that wrestler’s success. When a story does not go a fan’s way or a wrestler they do not like becomes successful, WWE always gets the blame. The reactions can be painfully negative. The backlash can become so overblown that people will actually call for a boycott of WWE. This level of protest should be reserved for a corrupt political party and NOT a television show. It is a double-edged sword that comes with having such a passionate fan base.
But the claim of boycott is always fleeting, everyone always comes back the next night to watch RAW. There always seems to be the promise of new beginnings for these post-Mania RAWs. Maybe things will change, maybe they wont. Maybe its just a television show, maybe its everything. That is the beauty of pro wrestling, it has so much variety and its ultimate goal is to capture your emotions. It can easily immerse you. Unwanted outcomes can feel extremely disappointing. Just remember to take a breath and turn the page.
Four Sided Stories 