BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
(FOUR) THE LINGO
A “work” is when something is fake or scripted. A “shoot” is when something is real or unscripted. A “mark” is a fan. A “squash” is when a wrestler beats another wrestler really easily and timely. A “promo” is when a wrestler talks. “Selling” is what a wrestler does to make his pain seem more real. A “bump” is what it’s called when someone takes a fall. The lingo goes on and on. It’s fun stuff. All this is “insider talk”, but pretty much anyone who follows wrestling can tell you a good chunk of the lingo. It’s just kind of cool that we have our own language.
(THREE) THE WOMEN
This is something a lot of us don’t talk about. Most of us started watching as children. The “lifers” will literally grow up watching wrestling. There’s that certain age when boys start their journey to become men. We notice women. With wrestling we get it all. We get the same wrestling we always enjoyed AND we get a lot of really attractive women. I have no problem admitting that my first “celebrity crush” was Sunny. She provided many uncomfortable moments as a young man. There is just something about a hot chick who’s into the same stuff you are. Obviously if they’re on the show then they’re into wrestling. Sunny, Trish, Lita, etc. etc. etc. Grrrar!
(TWO) REBELLION
With the rise of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, DX, and nWo rebellion became awesome. That’s what people LOVED about Austin beating up Vince McMahon all through the late 90’s. Vince represented the authority, the asshole boss, the dick head teacher, and everything a normal person dislikes. It’s basically someone who’ll shit on you and you just mutter to yourself because you don’t want to get fired or in trouble. Austin didn’t mutter to himself and he didn’t care about any trouble. He did what all of us wanted to do. With DX and nWo it was more sophomoric, but rebellious all the same.
(ONE) INTERNET FANS
Most wrestling purists HATE “internet fans”. These are the fans who read “dirt sheets”, know SOME business back story, have strong opinions, and don’t automatically buy into whatever the shows spew at us. I’ve realized those in wrestling who shit on these fans do so because they themselves aren’t as smart as the fan. Just because you’re behind the curtain at your local bingo hall and put in a few months of training doesn’t make you a “worker”. You have to pay your dues and earn that right. These are the REAL fans. They’re the ones who take their passion to a whole different level. They’ll do what they do because they have something inside them that forces them to care on a whole different level. There will always be a sense of “work” to wrestling that fans won’t get, but kayfabe died years ago. The 80’s are over. I’d rather have the support of EDUCATED passionate fans than fans who’ll buy into whatever.
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