With Brock Lesnar having dominated John Cena at SummerSlam 2014 in a way nobody has ever done, and in a championship match no less, it’s only fitting The Art of Gimmickry explores the bad ass character. It’s safe to say that the idea or gimmick came about during the late 90’s, specifically around the Attitude Era. But not because of guys like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, who was more of an anti-hero than a one-man wrecking machine. What really helped inform the creation of the bad ass gimmick was the rise of the UFC.
Tag: WWE
Comedians Who Are Legit Wrestling Fans
Wrestling fans love to know about celebrities who actually enjoy watching wrestling. It makes them more like us! However, we don’t care for the ones that were somehow coerced into being at a WWE event, despite getting awesome front-row seats, for the sole purpose of reminding non-wrestling fans how mainstream and culturally relevant WWE is. Nor do we care for the ones that are guest hosting Raw for the simple reason of pimping out their latest movie/show. No, we like the ones that actually watch on their own accord and are fans of the product. Whether they’ve just gotten on the bandwagon or have been fans for years. It’s even better when those fans happen to be comedians. Especially, when you consider the several parallels between the lives of professional wrestlers and stand-up comedians. Plus, it helps to have a sense of humor and a healthy dose of self-hatred when watching wrestling. Which is why it makes sense that comedians would be legit wrestling fans. And here’s a PWI 500-ish ranking of them.
Wrestlemaniac (2006)
Finally, a wrestling-themed horror film. Minus all the things that make horror films good. Sadly, the wrestling concept is the least campiest thing about this movie. At least it stars a killer in a lucha libre mask! Although to be fair, it’s probably the least intimidating lucha libre mask ever. WCW’s Ciclope had a much scarier mask. Read on if you dare!
“Macho” Mike Haggar
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 309 lbs.
Hometown: Metro City, USA
Finisher: The Pothole Plugger
Video Game: Saturday Night Slam Masters, Ring of Destruction: Slam Masters 2, Final Fight 1-3, Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
I’m not that big a gamer, but being a huge wrestling fan I always made sure to play every wrestling video game I could get my hands on. While this feature won’t go in depth about certain wrestling games, for that you have Joe Gagne’s Funtime Pro Wrestling Arcade, I will highlight some of the more popular fictional wrestling characters in video game culture. First up, the former Mayor of Metro City, “Macho” Mike Haggar.
That 70’s Show
“That Wrestling Show”
Season 1 Episode 15
2/7/1999
As the Attitude Era continued growing in popularity and wrestlers were fast becoming household names once again, it wasn’t strange to see WWE or WCW guys make cameos on other TV shows. One of the better ones involved a few WWE wrestlers showing up on That 70’s Show as old school wrestlers. Most importantly, it had The Rock in his first-ever acting role. He was portraying his dad, Rocky Johnson, a former wrestler, so really there wasn’t a whole lot of acting involved. Still, it’s one of the better wrestling-themed TV episodes out there. Plus, it had Ken Shamrock and The Hardy Boyz in awful wigs.
The Assimilated Foreign Wrestler
Oftentimes, a foreign wrestler who has such a strong hatred for America that it could only be remedied by moving to the U.S., joining the WWE, and fighting American wrestlers in American cities, with the occasional tour to other countries where they’re still booed, will sometimes turn babyface once they realize that America isn’t as bad as some people make it out to be. Usually, the foreigner’s xenophobic stance on American culture is gradually pacified by an American friend. Or, in the case of Tajiri and Kozlov, someone who speaks English better than they do. More often than not, despite how talented the wrestler is, assimilating to American culture means letting your guard down and becoming the comic relief. Because when we Americans aren’t busy trying to run foreign people out of our country, we’re usually laughing at them.
Garfield and Friends
“Canvas Back Cat”
Season 5 Episode 8
10/10/1992
In case you’re wondering if this cartoon still holds up after all these years, the answer is yes. Yes, it does. And the fact that there’s an episode that involves pro wrestling makes it all the better.
Paid for by the Following: Miller Lite
First off, props to Miller Lite for acknowledging that pro wrestling not only appeals to small children but also grown men. Skeptical dads, please be aware that if your child drags you to a wrestling show you’ll at least be able to drown your frustrations in a 20 oz. cup of beer. Shitty beer, but beer nonetheless.
All-American Attire
Two 10 Counts! in two consecutive weeks? 100 views, here I come. Rather than honoring our Independence Day by taking out aliens and dragging their dead carcasses across the desert taking a look at some of the most patriotic moments or wrestlers in the history of wrestling, let’s take a real close look at the clothes they wore while wrestling in the name of the U-S-A. A patriotic close look. Continue reading “All-American Attire”
Ren & Stimpy
“Mad Dog Höek”
Season 2 Episode 5
11/21/1992
Like most of the episodes of Ren & Stimpy, there’s no context given or any kind of a backstory that sets up Ren and Stimpy finding themselves inside a wrestling ring opposite two large, roid-raging freaks. So let’s get right into it.
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