Hey Scott
Saw you dislike of the usage of "IWC". Are there any other terms that piss you
off? I still loathe it when the term "WWE Universe" is used. Then there are
terms that USED to mean something, but are just ridiculous like "extreme"...
Anyway, yes, I REALLY hate the term IWC, as though we all have a convention every year where I hang out with CRZ and coordinate whether we're going to enjoy TNA that month or not. Which is of course silly because there have been many, many weeks where my opinions on stuff differ drastically from people on this very site, or Todd Martin, or whoever. Oddly my TNA ratings have been spot on with the guy on the Observer site every week for some reason.
WWE Universe is also incredibly stupid. Michael Cole's "building momentum" is a totally meaningless and annoying term. Russo pretty much ruined "shoot", although "format sheet" also makes me want to gouge my eyeballs out whenever I hear it. "Socially active" sounds like something like 55 year old marketing executives came up with to appeal to 12 year olds, which probably isn't far from the truth.
There's way more, but that will get people started.
Vintage. Always fucking vintage.
ReplyDeleteWWE Universe.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it so hard to just say the word "fans"? WWE Universe just sounds insanely pretentious.
IWC is still fucking good and quite frankly, sums up the internet communities for wrestling fans in a short and simple way.
ReplyDeleteThe WWE Universe shit is still shit on a stick though.
I did always dislike IWC. It makes us sound way too unified, and way too friendly. I never really understood why the term needed to be coined in the first place.
ReplyDeleteWWE Universe is dumb, WrestleMania Moment is dumb.
"Championship", exclusively, is dumb because there's just so many sentences where it sounds awkward.
Looking at, and pointing to the WM sign is REALLY dumb. I don't care if it's the biggest show of the year, a grown man seemingly being awestruck by the power of a logo on a banner is dumb. A lot of the big time feel of WM that used to exist now just feels so forced that it bugs me.
"Shoot", or any sort of insider talk to make this particular angle seem real is dumb but thankfully we don't get a lot of that any more.
Hearing about how one guy respects (the hell out of) the other guy bugs me if it's done very often.
And of course "THIS BIZNIZZ". Fuck you Hunter.
Definitely "WWE Universe," just because it is so unnecessary, not to mention it just sounds lame. Seriously, has ANYONE ever said they are a part of the "WWE Universe?" Even kids? Shit no. They say they are "fans," which is a term that isn't held exclusively to wrestling and therefore shouldn't be swept under the rug out of embarrassment like the company does with other rasslin-sounding jargon.
ReplyDelete"WWE Superstar" has got to be the one I hate the most. I know they're not allowed to use any form of the word "wrestler" (even though it's still right in the company name somehow), but not everyone can be a "superstar". Drives me nuts when I'm on some news site and the headline says "WWE Superstar released" and it's some guy I've never heard of. It works for guys like Cena, Punk, HHH, etc... you know, main event guys, but when they use it for guys that aren't even midcard level it sounds ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of guys who don't deserve to be called a "superstar", why did Tyson Kidd (whoever the fuck he is...) tell you off, Scott?
Speaking of Michael Cole ... and it's not just him, but I've always hated ... "turning point of the match"
ReplyDeleteHe was bothered because I accused Harry Smith of roiding in the last book.
ReplyDeleteThe worst part of it is he's become self-aware of it now and thinks it's a goddamn CATCHPHRASE. No, it's not, you just suck at announcing!
ReplyDeleteBy calling everyone on the roster a "superstar" it cheapens the term. I remember thinking it was stupid, even as a 9 year old. Using the same term to describe the Rock and Yoshi Tatsu just doesn't work.
ReplyDeleteI watched a bit of a Royal Rumble from a few years back, think it was 2008, pre-WWE UNIVERSE JR said something along the lines of "this has shaken the world of the WWE" or something like that. It flowed much more naturally and was used to illustrate how important John Cena's surprise return was.
ReplyDeleteChampionship Title.
ReplyDeleteNO. It is a Belt. They're fucking belts because you wear them around your waist.
It's a championship! A belt is something that holds you pants up DAMMIT! ~Vincent Kennedy McMahon
ReplyDeleteRight on about IWC; it's nice to hear someone else agrees. What else are we supposed to say when we need to reference the general ideas being expressed by wrestling fans across internet message boards and chat sites? I understand the complaint that it implies a wholly unified opinion, but I see it as rather expressing one of many opinions which have been multiply voiced across these forums. I understand how much people hate labels, but sometimes they're useful. It's so much easier to say "the IWC loves Dolph Ziggler" than to have to type something clunky like "It has been a common opinion which I have observed across multiple message board postings, though by no means does this represent the whole of fans who discuss professional wrestling within this medium as there are certainly some fans who have opined to the contrary, that Dolph Ziggler is a talented wrestler." Seriously, just let me use the convenient acronym and get to my point.
ReplyDeleteIt's like when bands complain about being called indie-rock because "the term is meaningless". Maybe so, but it's convenient short hand to indicate we're talking about a band with a slightly more eclectic sound than that found on mainstream rock radio. Music doesn't transfer to words precisely, but if I know a band is "indie-rock" as opposed to "modern rock" (Nickleback) or "pop rock" (Matchbox 20), then I at least have a starting point for deciding if I might be interested in checking them out. Similarly if know we're talking about the opinions of fans who are prone to critical wrestling discussion (IWC) versus fans who are generally receptive to whatever the present direction of the WWE may be (the mainstream audience) then I have some orientation in the conversation. It's really the same thing as "smarks" vs "marks" but I think it sounds less pedantic.
'Smark'... once upon a time in the far far ago.. it was actually quite nice to be considered one... now every tom dick and harry thinks he's one, and usually equates to us all being lumbered with the condescending, overly critical, arrogant twats like the people on 411 comment section.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you hate "turning point of the match" out of curiousity? Most matches have them. If Superstar A was squashin' Superstar B and Superstar B hit Superstar A with a chair that'd be a pivotal "turnin' point" Assuming of course chairs are legal, otherwise it'd just be "the End"
ReplyDelete"This business" I get. I hate that it's called a business too. I wish they'd just say "this sport". But alas I suppose it is a business and the whole point is to make money. So while it might be breakin' the fourth wall a tad, I can see why they say it.
I have no problem with either term. What I do have a problem is with one them being "outlawed" by WWE. I always thought the terms were synonymous. When we're being formal and announcing a match, it's for the championship. When we're being personal and wrestler is cutting a promo, he wants that friggin belt, no?
ReplyDeleteI hate terms like "Suplex" and "Head Scissors Takedown" and (most of all) "Powerslam". I'm trying to enjoy my stories; I don't need a bunch of fancy pants technical jargon crammed down my hearing holes and distracting me from this weeks number one contenders matches.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with the "building momentum" phrase bein' pointless. Whenever Cole uses it he's implyin' that either A) a Superstar is attempting to weaken his opponent via a succession of maneuvers so said opponent will be susceptible to pinfall or submission or B) a Superstar just won a match that will enhance his confidence thus increasing the perceived probability that he will be victorious in any forthcoming matches. (i.e. a winning streak)
ReplyDeletePretty much every American sports analyst and nearly all sports squads buy into the theory of momentum. It's even been affectionately dubbed "Uncle Mo" in certain circles.
A term that irritates me is whenever a superstar or a rassler is talking and they use the phrase "each and every..." I'm not sure why it annoys me so damn much. Maybe it's due to the redundancy? Hard to say, but it does indeed irk me mightily.
Ironically...I laugh like hell whenever Daniels and Kaz refer to themselves as the World Tag Team Champions of the World.
"It has been a common opinion which I have observed across multiple
ReplyDeletemessage board postings, though by no means does this represent the whole
of fans who discuss professional wrestling within this medium as there
are certainly some fans who have opined to the contrary, that Dolph
Ziggler is a talented wrestler."
True dat!
Is he even still around?
ReplyDeleteI don't care for the "definition" of IWC (as in, we all have one viewpoint like Scott mentioned), but I like IWC as an easy identifier for wrestling fans on the Internet. Because it's a lot less to type than "wrestling fans on the Internet".
ReplyDelete"WWE Universe", ugh. I guess they saw a ton of sports teams with nicknames for their fans (like Red Sox Nation) and thought they needed a catchy name. And then went with the worst one.
"The WWE" because it doesn't make sense. The World Wrestling Entertainment? Same goes for "The WCW".
"Superstars" and "Divas". Fuck you, they're WRESTLERS.
"Sports Entertainment". Just a terrible phrase.
"Championship" in reference to the physical item.
Anytime Eric Bischoff described any type of kick.
Anything Michael Cole has said or ever will say.
It's more so due to overuse of that exact term. Of course matches have them, but I don't necessarily need Cole to reiterate that exact line every-time a baby face hits a move to put an opponent down for a minute. It's like he's telling the viewer ... okay, this match is nearly over.
ReplyDeleteTerms that irritate? How about anything that has come out of Cole's and Lawler's mouths over the last four years? I honestly have a more enjoyable time with the sound turned low and: 1. Texting friends and family. 2. Watching it with friends and family. Or 3: Reading and throwing out lines to the BoD. It was never that way with JR announcing. Heck, when I talk wrestling with friends, we go in and out of JR impersonations without even realizing it. "He's a hell of a hand." "Good God Almighty." "What a hoss."
ReplyDeleteAll acronyms are irritating (FTW stands for Taz's belt, not For the Win). All euphemisms (universe = wrestling fans) are irritating. While I realize that language is a living and evolving entity, I don't understand the need to bastardize it for the sake of a catchphrase.
Agree 100% on Eric Bischoff and his description of various kicks.
ReplyDeleteWWE Divas was always sort of lame, but now it's just absurd.
Well, didn't he get wellnessed?
ReplyDeleteMy biggest pet peeve with "championship" is when they refer to the physical item as a championship. You win a championship, you don't wear one.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the other folks that approve of IWC as shorthand for the internet community. It's not so much we share a singular mindset but we do represent a specific niche of fan. It's a good way to tell the difference between a fan like myself and a fan like my coworker who believes since Chris Jericho was "fired", he will never come back again. It's fine as a specific term.
ReplyDeleteI've come to hate "Superstar". It's not the word so much as it now has replaced "wrestler" wholesale, which really irritates the shit out of me. Vince isn't fooling anyone in the fucked up world his mind resides in.
Awww... dont be mad.
ReplyDeleteBe thankful that they think so highly of you that they post as you.
Face it, you're over.
I'll openly admit to looking through your Facebook page in an attempt to find Tyson Kidd's birthday wishes.
ReplyDeletePlus, it rolls horribly off the tongue. If you look closely, you can tell practically everyone on the roster outside of John Cena, Jerry Lawler, and Michael Cole have a hard time getting "WWE Universe" to come out right.
ReplyDelete(And when those three morons are the ones that can get it out right, you know it's a bad term)
Seeing as how most of the "Divas" are models, not wrestlers, that one kind of works.
ReplyDeletewhat's funny about Bischoff is that he's a legit karate guy, and so he probably is using the real names in some martial art or another. They're just stupid names.
ReplyDeleteAnd by multiple accounts, a lot of them are divas in the bitchiest sense of the word. Touche, WWE.
ReplyDelete"It has been a common opinion which I have observed across multiple
ReplyDeletemessage board postings, though by no means does this represent the whole
of fans who discuss professional wrestling within this medium as there
are certainly some fans who have opined to the contrary, that Dolph
Ziggler is a talented wrestler."
Sandow?
There rarely ARE turning points in any WWE match until the finish, when guys just trade/avoid finishers until one finally hits for the victory. It's not like a situation where, for instance, Bryan takes a bad landing and hurts his ankle in the third minute and it gets keep getting worse to the point that he's forced to tap to Cena's STF at 9:00. Using a sports feel, you could go back and point to that specific injury as the turning point, but when guys sell injuries in matches, even then they rarely figure into the finish.
ReplyDeleteI guess I've just heard 'superstar' so many times over 22 years of fandom that I've gotten used to it, though 99 times out of 100, I myself will refer to the talent as 'wrestlers' since, duh, they're wrestlers!
ReplyDeleteHere's a term that always makes me cringe. YOU'RE WATCHING THE LONGEST RUNNING WEEKLY EPISODIC SERIAL ENTERTAINMENT NON-SPORT, ATHLETIC-ENDEAVOUR, STORY-DRIVEN, CHARACTERS WELCOME, ACTION-ADVENTURE SHOW IN TELEVISION HISTORY!!!!!!
"Not for nothing" - Thanks a lot, Tazz; Cole's adopted it, too
ReplyDeleteMore of a singular Tazz thing, but the term of not bOhemoth... it's behemoth.
Standing back front crescent kick! Hahaha that was always my favorite one
ReplyDeleteDid you find it? Can you relay it to those of us that refuse to use Facebook?
ReplyDeleteMike Tenay and Taz, every fucking PPV: ''This match is PHYSICAL.''
ReplyDeleteBecause it also includes people who aren't fans, but like to snark on the product regardless.
ReplyDeleteThe Universe is everybody that knows about WWE!
threadjack: obviously the program between Jericho and Ziggler wasn't planned out or anything. and to me it sounds like Jericho isn't satisfied about the way things went down.
ReplyDeletehttp://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/WWE_News_3/article_64762.shtml
"WrestleMania moment" is horrible today but used to be okay in the past (for example: I wouldn't have had any problems if someone in 1998 would have talked about Hogan and Andre standing in front of each other as a great "WrestleMania moment").
ReplyDeleteGROUND AND POUND!
ReplyDeleteVintage Michael Cole!
ReplyDeleteI think the "WWE Universe" term stems from some baseball marketing garbage. It started in 2004 (or right around then) when the Boston Red Sox were beginning to refer to their fanbase as "Red Sox Nation". Then in the following season(s), the Yankees started calling their fanbase, "Yankees Universe" and both teams wound up making shirts with the names and on them and at least for the Yankees, they now have a "Yankees Universe" fan club where you pay into it and wind up getting certain perks, making you feel like an elite fan. I'm guessing this is where WWE got the idea for "WWE Universe" and probably figured it would be a (not so) cool way to get the fans to become more attached to the product. Of course, the Red Sox and Yankees announcers don't refer to the fans as members of "Red Sox Nation" or "Yankees Universe" during games, it's more of a marketing ploy and far less annoying than the way WWE overuses the phrase.
ReplyDeleteI always thought of IWC referring to all of us fans of wrestling who post on-line, even us mouth breathers who just leave comments.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Tyson Kid, it just seems to me more and more wrestlers are like the guys who make comics. The WWE guys are just like the guys who work on Marvel and DC books; they're huge marks for themselves and hate everyone in the audience. The indie wrestlers are like the indie comic guys; much more approachable and have an incredible bond with other indie guys from years of paying dues together. So, please don't stress Tyson Kid being upset with you.
I'm not sure what comic creators you're referring to, but the ones I've met are incredibly nice and engaging. Unless you're an annoying crank. Are you an annoying crank?
ReplyDeleteYou know what term I miss? "The Squared Circle"
ReplyDeleteI think "WWE Universe" was their third attempt at creating another name for their fanbase. I remember them trying things out every few weeks before this one finally stuck... can't remember what those things are though.
ReplyDelete.....poodyroo?
ReplyDeleteIs that what people have been meaning when they put "so and so FTW"? I always thought it meant, like, fuck everyone, this is my stance. Like "Ron Paul, Fuck the World." I haven't been this waylaid by a stupid internet acronym since I found out "SMH" means "shaking my head" and not "so much hate."
ReplyDeleteThe term red sox nation was creatd by those boston loving dickheads at ESPN. True Yankee fans would never use the team "Yankees Universe" We just refer to ourselves as the Evil Empire. We....ahem....embraced the hate.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised Russo didn't create a group called "IWC" just piss off...well, the IWC.
ReplyDeleteI'm been lookin' for that poodyroo. He's my brother.
ReplyDeleteMy newest pet peeve is "in ring performer" as a euphemism for wrestler. I can almost understand "WWE Superstar" because it refers to each guy as a general entity. But "in ring performer" is always strictly used as a find & replace term for wrestler, which makes it pretty lame: "Alberto Del Rio is an extremely accomplished in ring performer, no question about it." If you want to refer to their job description, fine, call them WWE Superstars. If you want to talk about their wrestling skills, just say "wrestler".
ReplyDeleteOnce I got into kickboxing I kind of understood what he was saying. But some of them still made no sense.
ReplyDeleteKAYFAB!
ReplyDeleteI'm the opposite. I like knowing what the moves are. I hate when the commentary team doesn't call the match and they talk about other things..
ReplyDeleteOH IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW IT....WOO WOO WOO You know it!
ReplyDeleteWhen you actually start noticing the word 'momentum' during a show it becomes incredibly annoying. Everyone's 'building momentum' during their matches, if they do anything in the lead up to a PPV or if they're walking down a particularly steep ramp to the ring. You can barely go through 15 minutes of a show without hearing it.
ReplyDeleteWeird that you'd mentioned that. I clicked on some link that led me to some Jericho interview and he said "performer" like a million times. Talking about who would be the next great performer. On and on. It was from Pwtorch.com maybe. Maybe he's just bein' a smart ass and trollin' us or maybe he's just too rock star to think of himself and this business as mere wrestling? Who knows. It struck me as odd though.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. I never had a problem when it was just a term used to describe something big, but now that it's a clearly just WWE-speak branding, it feels very forced to me.
ReplyDeleteor maybe he's been around backstage long enough to pick up the lingo that Vince wants used and now it comes 2nd nature.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been around the comic world in awhile (used to collect, worked some at a shop) but up through the 90s, if you weren't Rob Liefeld or a wannabe Rob Liefield, most of the comic guys had reps for being quite accessible and nice to fans. Maybe it's changed, but was never aware of comic book writers and artists looking down on fans. hell, that's how they got in the industry.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, every comic book creator (outside of Brubaker, who totally ignored me as he signed my book) was super nice and took time to chat with me. Can't say the same for wrestlers I've met.
ReplyDeleteWWE execs have definitely taken a page from 1984 in shaping the language around the product (see?). They aren't alone though. Lots of media companies do that and the Republican Party (and to a much lesser extend and much less successfull, the Dems) has taken 1984ish use of language to new heights. Healthy forests equates to slash and burn. Clean energy refers to more coal plants. It's the way of 2012 in marketing and politics. Create you language to control your audience and the audience perception.
ReplyDeleteNot so much a phrase that is overused, but one that is underused and annoys the shit out of me is the term wrestling. I know it's been stated millions of times over, but the word wrestling is in your company's name! It's in the word Wrestlemania! Why do we have to pretend that we aren't watching wrestling? It's still frustrating to me. It's comical that when a wrestler like Punk wants to be edgy, all he has to say is, "I'm a WRESTLER" and people pop for it.
ReplyDeleteI haven't watched regularly in a long time, but Michael Cole's tendency to refer to everything as "steel" used to annoy me to no end. "Steel Chair!" "Steel Steps" "Steel Guard Rail" Ugh... Not everything comprised of metal is made from steel, right?
Whenever Big Show's hand is referred to as a baseball mitt, a frying pan or some other large object, I roll my eyes.
This one is a blast from the past, but RVD's "educated feet" and "unorthodox offense" used to drive me up the wall. Literally every time the guy wrestled, we'd get both terms.
Adding on to this. Anytime Big Show or Khali would come out, "You really have to see him in person to appreciate how big he is." Well, I can appreciate how much he sucks in the ring from right here at home for a lot less money.
ReplyDeleteI think Jef got kayfabbed
ReplyDeleteI think the whole "wrestler"/"wrestling" thing is made out to be a much bigger deal than it actually is. A year or so ago when that international memo was leaked in where WWE told their announcers not to use certain words, and people suddenly acted like "wrestling" was a banished word. If you check out WWE.com or WWE Magazine, "wrestler" and "wrestling" is used quite frequently. And it's not as forbidden on WWE television as people act. In addition to Punk, Bryan quite frequently says it, and Cole and Lawler use it during commentary when it's necessary.
ReplyDeleteAnd frankly, I understood why they sent out the memo to their international markets. The verbiage they use is different than ours (using phrases like "catching" and such) and they wanted to have a sense of consistency.
I'm pretty sure "WWE Fan Nation" was one of those failed attempts.
ReplyDeleteI like sports entertainment, but only if it applies to other things besides wrestling. For instance:
ReplyDeleteHarlem Globetrotters basketball should be called sports entertainment
Roller Derby is sports entertainment
That basketball with trampolines show that was on Spike TV like 10 years ago is sports entertainment
Ninja Warrior is sports entertainment
However if it's only supposed to mean wrestling than fuck that
That trampoline basketball show was sweet, they should bring that back.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see I'm not the only one.
ReplyDeleteAnytime Michael Cole uses "skull", I wish ill upon him.
ReplyDeleteoh monster truck rallies are also sports entertainment
ReplyDeleteDon't confuse "the guys who work on Marvel and DC books" with Alan Moore.
ReplyDeleteNow THAT guy is a mark for himself.
I still love the stunt during the 2009 World Series where the Phillies came out to the Galactic Empire theme during the first game.
ReplyDeleteI hated that the Phillies lost, but hey, the Yankees are still Cliff Lee's bitch.
This guy doesn't get it.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately no.
ReplyDeleteOk, insults...awesome. No, I'm not a crank. I know a *ton* of people who make comics and a lot of them are friends. But if you read the interviews and stuff, most of them think they're God's gift to comics. Two that come to mind are John Byrne, an artist, and Steven Wacker, a Marvel editor. A more recent one is Scott Snyder, a writer.
ReplyDeleteThere are plenty of very nice ones, too. Jim Lee is one of the nicest people in the world. But generally speaking, the guys who work independtly are way nicer. Rob Liefeld is super cool to talk to. Mark Millar is a lot of fun. Stan Sakai is super nice...etc.
Only superhero fanboys hate Alan Moore. I think he's a genius and has every right to be angry.
ReplyDeleteHA. Jef sux!
ReplyDeleteOkay, insults.......awesome.
ReplyDeleteHe should be, Watchmen was an unparalleled work of art. But he's also kind of nuts.
ReplyDeleteHe has a right to be angry because people enjoy his work?
ReplyDeleteSounds sane.
Also, I hate the 50 billion different names for a No DQ match.
ReplyDeleteIt will always be Stephanie McMahon Helmsley to me.
ReplyDeleteRob Liefeld just recently had a Twitter war with one of the current Batman writers. He came off like the world's biggest baby. Then again, if I had his drawing "talents", I'd be angry at people more successful than I am as well.
ReplyDelete"IWC" bugs me because it has essentially become shorthand for "vanilla midget-loving workrate freaks" (for lack of a better term) rather than representing a community of wrestling fans with varying tastes and opinions. Therefore, it is frequently assumed that the "IWC" can't appreciate the contributions of a Brodus Clay or a Santino or even a Sid or a Luger to the professional wrestling landscape. Personally, I've only seen a smattering of ROH, only recently starting checking out puroresu (and even then only stuff from the late 70's-early 90's), don't really dig spotfests or "garbage matches" unless there's a solid storyline or compelling characters are involved, and I've always dug Sid. But because I talk about THIS BUSINESS on the internet, certain assumptions are made about my fandom even by those within said community. That's why I've come to hate the term, no matter how convenient it may be.
ReplyDelete"Longest Running Weekly Episodic TV Show" also gets under my skin, because it's so deceptive. How many other "weekly episodic" shows are there, anyhow?
Red Sox fans go around wearing shirts that say "Red Sox Nation," and Yankees fans wear "Yankees Universe" gear.
ReplyDeleteIt's brand marketing and happens all over the place. I don't have a problem with the term, but I dislike it's overuse. I think the WWE as a whole would improve 100-fold if they changed the way they do commentary back to something more organic, like Monsoon and Heenan, or even McMahon and Ventura. Hell, I'd rather listen to Lord Alfred Hayes and Sean Mooney over Ol King Cole (oh for fuck's sake, did they do that intentionally...?).
Yeah, that Twitter war awful and cringe inducing. He's still a very nice guy, though.
ReplyDeleteWhat are you talking about? He's always super cool whenever people talk about his work. He's just very, very angry DC stole his work from him and keeps antagonizing him. The whole thing with buying Wildstorm and then interfering with ABC was kinda weird, too.
ReplyDeleteVince McMahon on WWF Superstars, when listing who would be on the show that week/the next week, would say "and then from there..." between wrestlers and or segments. I don't think I've ever heard that used anywhere else.
ReplyDeleteYou're quite the crank, Dougie. I'm guessing you're insulted by the term fanboy, but I didn't mean it as an insult. If that wasn't it, though, I have no idea what set you off.
ReplyDeleteJackin' the thread, but Josh Matthews is going to "sue" WWE and both GMs because Kane attacked him twice. I doubt this goes anywhere, but why does WWE think it's so fascinating to use disputes like this as a plot device? So boring. So played out.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I like Edge, and loved the character, I didn't need to hear the phrase "Rated R Superstar" 97 times a show. I was surprised to hear that he came up with that himself - at one point he was saying it over and over and over while plastering the logo on his shirt, wrist bands and hat all at once - that type of pushing something down your throat had Vince written all over it.
ReplyDeleteI hate "WWE Universe", or that "weekly episodic.." non-sense, or any other term that they come up with and force on you over and over. I hate when "over-coming the odds" is used in relation to John Cena, when he essentially is the odds at this point. I have no idea why "Hustle, Loyalty, Respect" is supposed to sound cool or what kind of fool would see it on a John Cena t-shirt and start repeating it in real life because it's a code of honor or whatever it's supposed to be...
"Wrestlemania moment" is annoying. It was fine at first when the occasional "in ring performer" would be called out for never having a great moment at Wrestlemania, but now they're all talking about it and pointing to the sign. It's not about winning the title, or settling the score, it's about having a "Wrestlemania moment".
So pretty much any of their patting themselves on the back terms or their way of saying that wrestling isn't really and these guys are competing to be the best performer on the show.
Well the Red Sox started Red Sox Nation in 2004, which may have been borrowed from another "Nation"...so I'm sure they would have tried that one out. Taking something someone did 5 or 6 years ago and slightly modifying it to make it seem unique has WWE Creative written all over it.
ReplyDeleteHe may be a nice guy, but he's a terrible artist.
ReplyDeleteVince must have gotten around to seeing the Social Network.
ReplyDeleteNow they can use drawn out court proceedings to fill out the 3 hour Raw era.
http://youtu.be/jvWGZpu_TXw
ReplyDeleteUgh, that's probably accurate.
ReplyDeleteIf he made Cody Rhodes or The Miz a know it all asshole who fucks over his friends like the Zuckerberg character in that movie though, that'd be pretty cool.
Argh. I'm gonna add "vanilla midget" to my list. For one, because it makes Kevin Nash sound like a sage evaluator of talent and that should never happen, but also just because it's a shorthand stereotype that ends up dragging down people it should never apply to that are in no way "vanilla" or are in some cases not all that small. It's to the point where anyone who wrestles like a technical wrestler at all is immediately assumed to have no charisma right out of the gate, regardless of their character or how well they present it.
ReplyDeleteI remember when Nash first said that, my friend couldn't grasp the meaning of it. He kept saying "Nash is white too! Why would he be calling someone else vanilla?" I kept trying to explain to him that "vanilla" meant bland in that case but it wouldn't sink in with him, for some reason. He was otherwise a smart guy but in his head, calling someone "vanilla" conjures a big white guy wearing Fubu mocking someone else for also being white.
Yeah, I'm not crazy about the term, either. But it was ironically convenient at the time.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that was the shit. For once, I actually liked some form of basketball.
ReplyDeleteWait wait wait....so vanilla can mean bland, not just white...even when used as a slur...
ReplyDeleteBut gay or retard cannot have alternate meanings? Carazzzy. Could someone please publish a manual so I can keep this all straight in my head? To avoid pitfalls? Cheers.
Yeah....didn't matter. We won.
ReplyDeleteOh he's not that bad...just can't draw feet. Or hands. Or backgrounds.
ReplyDeleteBut have you SEEN his shoulder pads? Or GUNS?? Or pouches?!? Dude is OFF THE HOOK!
I would be much happier if no wrestling or MMA announcer ever used the word "controversial" again.
ReplyDeleteI don't know you, or what you look like, or who you are at all, but I really, really deeply wish you'd get gangrene and die really, really slowly and painfully, while suffering retching stomach pains from the high-octane antibiotics the doctors have to inject with a really long needle several times a week to fight the gangrene but they don't work and the infection just keeps spreading, and you have really painful bloody shits all the while, and eventually you start to get really high fevers and your mental state is so compromised that your family is required to put you in a nursing home where the staff is apathetic and underpaid and they leave you laying in a bed all day stewing in your own painful bloody turds and developing large, weeping bedsores which will then get infected with gangrene themselves, and then you'll die in the middle of the night and no one will notice until you don't eat the cheap gruel they shovel in front of you for breakfast and then the nurses steal all your personal belongings and sell them for Oxycontin.
ReplyDeleteOr, in other words, not all words have alternate meanings, especially when being used as an exaggeration in the same context. Apples and oranges, kid.
Wow, agreed with you about everything but "Hustle, Loyalty, Respect". I really like that one, actually.
ReplyDeleteStill hate the term "WWE". It just pisses me off. First, it sounds wimpy. Second, I feel like I am shilling for Vince anytime I say it to non-fan friends. Third, it just reminds me of what a dumbass Vince is. Fourth, it pretty much marks the moment that the Attitude Era ended. They went from being renegades to corporate suits.
ReplyDeleteThe one time I cheered for the Yankees. Phuck the Phillies.
ReplyDeleteThis was really sad.
ReplyDeleteStole!
ReplyDeleteUgh. I hate when people refer to teams as we. What position did you play?
ReplyDeleteIt will be the WWF to me until the day I die
ReplyDeleteSecond base actually. I backed up Robbie Cano. Don't ya no?
ReplyDeleteThe point of language is to communicate meaning.
ReplyDeleteIf I want to get across that I dislike somebody, I am going to use the words that are most effective for that situation.
Me, too.
ReplyDeleteUnparalleled? It was good, but it was the greatest thing ever put down on a piece of paper.
ReplyDeleteHE SOLD IT!
ReplyDeleteWhat? I like a good ol street fight! I have no idea what you're talking about. Like there's a bunch of names for a no holds barred match, right? When I sit down for an Extreme Rules match, I know I'm gonna get nothing but the best action. Those Hardcore matches are awesome! When I see a PPV have an "anything goes" texas death match, I'm there, baby. I will plunk down big time bucks to watch a non-sanctioned brawl. No DQ matches rule, brother.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how serious you are or how ironic you're being, but when I look at your post at face value, there's a huge distinction between the terms you're comparing. Vanilla is the nickname for people or styles. Vanilla, in it its literal form, is not the person. Gay, in its literal form, does define a person. So to use that as a slur is demeaning to anyone defined as gay. However, there are no people made out of vanilla ice cream who are offended by the use of vanilla. We, as people, define ourselves by our nationality, ethnicity, religion, gender, and sexual orientation. So, if I replaced the word stupid or sissified with Christian or American, I'd be pissing a lot of people off. Similarly, when I liberally use the word Gay and let it mean "stupid," the implications are that I'm equating them, that I think they're synonymous. Unfortunately, I have to teach this to every high school class I've taught.
ReplyDeleteIt seemed like the post was sarcastic in the beginning, but I can't really pick up the tone of the second paragraph. I apologize if I'm just saying things you already know to be true.
Not against the Rangers in 2010.
ReplyDeleteMe too, and I don't think I've ever heard anyone say "WWE" outside of a wrestling TV show, unless they were bitching about the name change.
ReplyDeleteIsn't a Texas (or wherever) Death Match just a non-PG way to say Last Man Standing, as in pin then a 10 count?
ReplyDeletefuck the pandas :)
ReplyDeleteYou want to talk about that? Ok. The rangers were the better team that year, no doubt. And coming off beating the Yankees in the ALCS they have won...oh wait...nothing. Just remember....Yankee fans have forgotten more of their amazing history then most othre teams actualy hacve
ReplyDeleteYeah I never liked the 'E' either, I try to remember to type it on here, but I always say WWF when I'm talking about it.
ReplyDeleteOh, I was just referencing the "Yankees are Cliff Lee's bitch" statement from earlier, as Lee played for the Rangers that year before coming back to the Phillies.
ReplyDeleteMind you it was only three games total in the post season, but hey, as a Philadelphia sports fan, I take whatever wins I can get.
[insert face sticking out tongue here]
Originally, yes. But WCW got really lazy and there were quite a few Texas Death matches that were just No DQ matches.
ReplyDeleteI think you meant "wasn't" there. And I'm not enough of a comics guy to judge, but I do know Watchmen is widely considered in literary circles to be the peak of the form, and the only graphic novel on the 100 Greatest Novels of All Time list. Pretty unparalleled.
ReplyDeleteThat was a list by TIME. So...grain of salt and all that shit.
ReplyDeleteI dunno, I'd put Transmetropolitan ahead of it when it comes to comics, (there are other comics too, that I'll think of...eventually). I mean, it's well-written and it basically changed the entire way people looked at comic books, but I don't really have much of an emotional attachment to the story. I hate every character except for Rorschach and the first Nite Owl.
But...what is terrible, and what is...inspirational?
ReplyDeleteIt's only in the depths of pure torment can one find the sweet bliss of salvation. And only in the driest desert can you discover what it really means to be water.
Well, he bought your book at least...
ReplyDeleteWell, that's because the people that ran WCW were stupid. Hell, I think Russo had 4 different names for a hardcore match on the same show.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. The Rock doesn't have anything close to the rockstar charisma and bad boy sex appeal of Tatsu.
ReplyDeleteAFAIC, it's his overuse of "vintage" that's most annoying (of course they turned that into a running joke a few years ago on some commemorative episode of Smackdown whose purpose I've forgotten by now).
ReplyDeleteThe Rock also never wrestles on Superstars...SEE THE CONNECTION?
ReplyDeleteAs stupid as the WWE sounds, its their own fault they lost that trademark. They agreed with the WWF to market themselves primarily as the World Wrestling Federation and this were allowed to use the initials. Within a year of signing that agreement, Vince McMahon starts pushing WWF this and WWF that for the New Generation marketing.
ReplyDeleteSo the WWF sues the World Wrestling Federation for breaching their agreement, and the Federation argues that they should be allowed to continue to breach their agreement because they now rely on the WWF initials so much that it would be unfair to lose. Put simply, we broke our agreement so badly that now we need to keep breaking it or we'll suffer loss. That was so arrogant its no surprise the House of Lords come down on them hard. They have no one but themselves to blame for it.
Now the WWE rolls of the tongue bad, World Wrestling Entertainment Championship sounds terrible and you can't use 'the' in front of it. If they were still the World Wrestling Federation, they'd at least have to acknowledge they produced a wrestling product. Not much that can be done about it now, sadly.
That's something I've noticed recently about Wrestlemania. Like many things in the WWE, it seems forced. "The Show of Shows" sounds particularly up themselves and terrible. Wrestlemania is still important, but they seem to trying as hard they can to make it sound important when it used to just *be* important.
ReplyDeleteBUNKHOUSE BRAWL, BABY
ReplyDeleteDon't forget Kurt Busiek himself commenting on this very blog just a couple of months ago. You think any wrestlers would admit to reading this? Even though they clearly do.
ReplyDeleteIt was a private message. He's on my friends list as TJ Wilson if you want to stalk him that way, though.
ReplyDeleteWhat a 'tard.
ReplyDeleteCan you tell us why he told you off or is that a private matter?
ReplyDeleteWhat was so stupid about Rated R Superstar was that he didn't do anything Rated R. He didn't drop F-bombs, or have violent matches (outside the Foley feud), and the whole live sex show with Lita was pathetically tame.
ReplyDeleteYou mean the Tater Tot Connection? The biggest tag-team of all time, with Yoshi Tatsu and Sheamus?!?!?!?!?!
ReplyDelete*head explodes*
ReplyDeleteUnless you're Scott Steiner. I really believe him when he says he wants to be the next World Heavyweight Championship.
ReplyDeleteif matches are three minutes... i can understand it being a bit redundant.
ReplyDeleteWell, what do you think they should have done in the live sex show if it was so tame? Obviously they're not going to bang on live tv and nobody is going to get naked. I actually thought it went pretty far with Lita stripping down into her bra and panties and simulating a blow job on Edge.
ReplyDeleteThat would revitalize the tag team in ring performing division.
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine said to me that her son's a huge WWE fan, mentioned she used to watch the WWF when she was younger. "But they don't [exist] now, do they? It's WWE instead. I don't like it as much."
ReplyDelete"No, it's the same company, they just had to change the name"
"Are you sure? It's definitely not as good as the WWF was"
Some numerical milestone. Vince loves those.
ReplyDelete5.4
ReplyDeleteThey shouldn't have done it at all. It was pointless. It was a shock angle where you knew nothing shocking would happen.
ReplyDeleteexcept it was the highest rated segment in years, so I'd say the company feels it was worth doing
ReplyDeleteYou are in an extreme minority.
ReplyDeleteI still maintain "so much hate" works perfectly in any context where SMH pops up. Also, my wife still gives me shit as I honestly thought FTW *was* legitimately fuck the world. Damn you, Taz(z).
ReplyDeleteI hate it when I feel compelled to agree with Dougie, but for real, man.
ReplyDeleteAnytime the word "championship" is use to describe the physical belt. As in "he attacks him from behind with the championship."
ReplyDeleteA championship is an intangible concept. The belt is a physical representation of the championship. It's not rocket science!
I'm just a little peeved that WWE.com recently referred to the "Big Gold Belt" as the "Big Gold Championship", as though everybody has always called it that.
On no. People disagree with me, I must be wrong.
ReplyDeleteYou finally get it. You're welcome.
ReplyDeleteNot really a term I hate,but why do Sting and Hogan keep saying "kay fab"?
ReplyDelete1. I've always pronounced it like "Hey,Babe"
2. Why do they just go like"Hey,Kay Fab. HAHAHAHAHA" for seemingly no reason? I don't get it. Is it like a Russo-type thing?
What does that say about you, considering everyone on this blog hates your guts.
ReplyDeleteThey're ribbing poor Joseph Park.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone in WWE even know what that word means? JR once used it during a DX/Spirit Squad segment for crying out loud!
ReplyDeleteWell, the AWA knockoff shirt was literally the only good John Cena T-shirt ever, so that phrase gets a pass from me.
ReplyDeleteI present here the thrilling conversation in full:
ReplyDeleteTJ WilsonHappy Birthday!!Hope you finally replyAugust 30
Scott KeithSorry, not trying to be a snob. Thanks for the birthday wishes, hope the new team goes well for you!August 30
TJ WilsonI was meaning about the book. Thank you for the well wishesAugust 30
TJ WilsonWell anytime you want to discuss it let me know. I figure you'd have to stick by your wordsAugust 30
Scott KeithWhich book were you reading? The Benoit one or one of the earlier ones?August 30
TJ WilsonIt was the Benoit one. The one that claimed Davey Boy was signed in WCW for $100,000August 30
TJ WilsonI'm just curious where some of the info came from. Like that Davey one is quite a bit offI also just looked at your pics where you say that Harry is all roided out like his dad. What is wrong with you? You saw him at pwa when he was 18-19 and he wasn't 150lbs. He was at least 210. Guys like you are what this business needs less of
People always say they hate the prom king. But they still vote for him and he still nails the hottest chicks in town.
ReplyDeleteRight, uh huh.
ReplyDeleteWe hate you cause we're secretly jealous.
So what's the proof about Harry. He was wellnessed, but was it for roids?
ReplyDeleteGlad you've come to terms with it.
ReplyDelete"The Numbers Game" by Michael Cole. He doesn't say it much anymore - tho he DID say it this past Monday Night on RAW. He used to say it about the Nexus CONSTANTLY. Had I invented a drinking game based on "The Numbers Game", I would have been dead from alcohol poisoning.
ReplyDelete"tout" - Every time the WWF(E) mentions that word - Aaaaargh!
ReplyDeleteNot so much a term, but a trend, and thats the ridiculous multiple nicknames that the WWF tries to get over.....I mean what the fuck is an "Apex Predator???????" or a "Cerebral Assassain"? How many people actually said "no that isn't Kerry Von Erich the Modern Day Warrior......its the 'Texas Tornado' " ? Maybe its just me idk
ReplyDelete