Re:The bizarre world of indie wrestling
by HumanDrivenDev on Monday February 12, 2018 @03:43PM
(#16361919)
> It's bizarre because it's the only form of fiction where some people are convinced the fans don't know it's fiction.
A fun way to make sure you aren't invited back to parties is to convince those people that you genuinely believe the UFC is a work while pro-wrestling is a legitimate competition.
Re:The bizarre world of indie wrestling
by InitialLastName on Monday February 12, 2018 @04:13PM
(#16362214)
When I was 10, a classmate hit me over the head with a folding chair in defense of the reality of pro wrestling.
The adult fans might know it's fiction; children are still figuring out where that line sits.
Re:The bizarre world of indie wrestling
by lllr_finger on Monday February 12, 2018 @06:13PM
(#16363258)
Wrestling fans can be broadly defined as "marks" who buy into the illusion, and smart marks who understand the illusion and how it relates to business.
Arguably the largest part of this illusion "kayfabe" has been dead for years and years - everyone knows wins and losses are predetermined. That doesn't stop promotions from using wrestling news and social media to blur the lines of what's real and fake when it comes to contracts, injuries, and alliances.
Re:The bizarre world of indie wrestling
by failrate on Monday February 12, 2018 @06:27PM
(#16363359)
Vince McMahon was required to kill kayfabe to avoid litigation over steroids in sports. By redefining WWE as entertainment, certain anti-doping requirements were lifted.
Nowadays "Reality TV" is in the same position.
Equivalently, it's the only form of fiction which some people think isn't "real". Try this on for size: "You know movies aren't real, right?" Can you seriously imagine anyone saying that? It would be utterly absurd. Yet in discussions of wrestling, it's par for the course.