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Vince McMahon is paying his viewers to watch WWE programs.
I’ll repeat that, if for no other reason other than to let it fully sink in. Vince McMahon is paying people to tune into WWE TV.
Well, in a sense. According to a preliminary plan briefly discussed at the conclusion of WWE Raw on Monday, Vince McMahon is planning on giving away the sum of $1 million over an unspecified period of time, once a week, to his dedicated WWE fans. Or something to that effect.
All we as potential big earners have to do is one simple thing: watch WWE programming. More specifically, WWE Raw.
My God.
But wait, let’s back up a bit. This isn’t the first time WWE has promised (or delivered) cash and prizes as rewards to those loyal hanger-ons during the rockier roads the company found itself on. Sure, those previous attempts at establishing viewership and loyalty felt at least partially desperate, but they were ultimately harmless. No harm, no foul. It wasn’t like said attempts were the sole practice during the hard times. Surely it wasn’t the only creative idea they could muster up while under the gun. Take Summerslam 1997, for instance, where WWE granted three lucky fans the opportunity to win $1 million during the pay-per-view if they successfully collected all the keywords presented during their flagship program, Raw is War. The idea may have been extreme (and no one ended up winning), but the company was also engaging in tactics that, you know, mattered, namely pushing new stars, establishing new directions, spicing up programming, and writing more interesting storylines.
You know, the little stuff. They were making the effort.
And one certainly can’t forget the initial In Your House project, the establishing of B-level PPV shows that began with WWE giving away a luxury home during its first event in 1995. The idea may have been extreme (and someone actually DID win that contest), but the company was also engaging in tactics that, you know, mattered, namely pushing new stars, establishing new directions, sp….
Bad example.
But they were making the effort.
WWE has been in a particularly interesting situation since its taking of the official place as the one-and-only in the wrestling business in 2001. Unlike previous times WWE has, for nearly a decade, found itself unopposed directly by any mainstream rival company. With the exception of the occasional holiday or significant sporting event, its only competition has been the remote control in the hands of the causal viewer not digging what Vince and Co. happen to present on its shows at any given time. The company has, for all intents and proposes, had it made. It’s been far too easy for them for far too long. Nearly any and all recent criticism of WWE can be traced back to that fact. Their biggest gain has become the fans’ biggest loss.
It’s been described time and time again. But it’s true.
And that’s fine. In fact, to a certain extent it’s understandable. How can one expect more? The Golden Ages of wrestling may have produced arguably the best television and PPV product imaginable, but it came at both a unique price and circumstance. Simply put, things were different. Competition was white hot, company futures were threatened, entertainment eras altered, writers and producers averaged 2 hours of sleep on a given night…things were different. Unless the sun, moon and stars align under specific and strict circumstances again, those days are gone, and they cannot be expected.
All a modern fan can hope for now is effort. Not the reinvention of the wrestling wheel. Just pure, red-blooded American, sweat-off-my-brow effort. A new star here or there. Coherent, engaging storylines. Consistency. Some good wrestling matches. Logic. Looking forward to a Monday or Friday night. A PPV worth opening your wallet for, maybe even worth getting a little excited about.
Effort.
That’s all we really want. But for far too long, it has NOT been what’s offered. And people are tired of it.
On Monday night, WWE has made it loud and clear: effort is not what they are willing or planning on giving out for the future. Vince McMahon has something better in mind, far more lucrative and enticing. And best yet, it’s easier to accomplish. Quicker, too. To hell with effort. Nevermind the quality writing. Shoo to your consistency or star-building. Look forward to Monday or Friday night for football games.
Watch our show, and we will pay you.
You know what, Vince? I don’t want your money. I’ve been a fan of professional wrestling for 20 years. You owe me nothing for the years of great entertainment you have provided me for much of that time, just the same as I owe you nothing for being such a loyal fan for all of that time. For that relationship, we “owe” each other zilch. I am not going to sit here and lecture you or anyone else within the wrestling industry about how I am “owed” anything as a result of any mileage on our figurative engines.
But please, just the same, don’t insult my intelligence. I don’t want your money, Vince.
In 2002 you encouraged your company as well as its fans to “get the ‘f’ out.” You know what? Put the ‘f’ back in. Put two of them in. And keep the ‘e’ as well. Add a few more letters and your almost there. THAT I’ll take, and I’m almost certain millions more will as well. Because at this rate, sir, if and when a small handful of fans achieve the unlikely and win some of your money, and you continue down this road of merely throwing cash at a problem to make it go away, you won’t see any of that money back any time soon.
That might take a little effort. And that’s all we really want.
