WWE rejected my storyline

[TLM]

Some of you may know that I am friends with several WWE wrestlers. Well for one of them I came up with a really good angle/character for them to redebut as.
It was a foul mouth character. This character would cuss (or curse) and just be really irritated all the time. Since he would be on smackdown I would see no problem with this. His main catchphrase would be, "Go Fuck Yourself." In real life he has GFY printed on his checks LOL.

This character would be irritated if he was wrestling that night and irritated if he wasn't. He would just be a foul mouthed jerk. Almost as if he was just awakened during a deep sleep, but he acts this way all the time. "Fuck you, you muthafucking douche bag... Go fuck yourself."

Unfortunately, the smackdown writers/office have decided that this angle isn't appropriate because Smackdown is a "family show." Plus it would take too much time in post production to beep everything out.

So having Al Wilson get married in his underwear with a dildo stuffed in there is family oriented? Torrie's Playboy layout is family oriented? Al Wilson dying from too much sex is family oriented? Vince can curse, but that's okay? The WWE is doomed.

For my friend, they have come up with the "brilliant" (note the sarcasm) gimmick that my friend will be loosely based on Michael Jackson, from that special interview he did. He won't be a WWE superstar he'll be a Megastar... or at least in his own mind.

I think it *could* be decent, but I think my idea is much funnier and has more marketing value that my friend acting like a megastar freak.

To the WWE I say GFY!

<img src="http://home.earthlink.net/~tlm378/_uimages/sig.jpg">

[TheGameHHH]

I don't really see that angle going anywhere at all, but hey, stranger things have worked in the WWE. By the way, while smoking a blunt last night I came up with the greatest angle in WWE history, unfortunatly I can not share it because it would take too long to ype and I'm afraid somebody would steal it. Nonetheless it was something that would be so groundbreaking it would literally rock the WWE for years to come.

<img src= http://wwfallon.homestead.com/files/RFnetTheGameHHH2.jpg>

[TLM]

If it's any good, then the WWE won't steal it or use it.

<img src="http://home.earthlink.net/~tlm378/_uimages/sig.jpg">

[Crippler]

Unfortunately, the smackdown writers/office have decided that this angle isn't appropriate because Smackdown is a "family show."

Right...a family show...the kind of show where you promote a PPV all about possibly catching a teenaged, underaged-drunken family member on vacation, spending mom & dad's money & whipping off their top, or worse. The kind of show where on that same night, one of your own family-oriented stars fully flashes a live crowd. Gotcha!

Best of luck to your friends, I hope they make TV & get some cash before Vinny Mac runs the business he created into the ground & right back into a High School gym near you!

SigPic thanks to TenbatsuZen
http://pic5.picturetrail.com/VOL77/857148/1548180/18137301.jpg
...silent, but violent.
[center](Miles)[center]

[TLM]

All of my friends are already on tv, and luckily all have great spots... one just beat the Rock
:-)

But this particular friend has been gone for a year due to injuries and everytime I talk to him the writers have changed what they are going to do with him... First he was supposed to be with Bull Buchanan (months ago). Then he was supposed to come back with a speech impediement... Like a REALLY bad one, because Vince thinks it'll be great.

Then he was going to be with Matt Hardy... Then he was supposed to feud with Matt. Now he's supposed to be the megastar, probably with a speech impediment, because Vince has a hard on for it.

<img src="http://home.earthlink.net/~tlm378/_uimages/sig.jpg">

[Fallon]

one just beat the Rock :)
Hurri-Shane?

Now he's supposed to be the megastar, probably with a speech impediment, because Vince has a hard on for it.
Who betta than Kanyon?

<center><img border=1 src="http://wwfallon.homestead.com/files/RFnet51.jpg"><font color=#0033FF>
"Once it hits your lips it's so good!"</font>
<b>-Frank the Tank</b></center>
<font color=#FFFFFF>

[Crippler]

Well...I, for one, can't wait to see your other friend finally make his real return, reguardless of what horrid gimmick they saddle him with. Though I wish they would have just brought him back as himself & used his really interesting, real life story to support his return...but what do I know, I'm just a fan.

SigPic thanks to TenbatsuZen
http://pic5.picturetrail.com/VOL77/857148/1548180/18137301.jpg
...silent, but violent.
[center](Miles)[center]

[DarkHippie]

I can understand why they nixed your angle. If you look at the demographic for the WWE, there are alot of impressionable minds there. Even with all the bleeping (which will cost a lot in post production, and also negates any live events except for ppvs) the context will still pass through. While the Al Wilson thing was one night, this would be week after week of "Go fuck yourself." UPN would never have gone for it.

I've found myself in a similar position. I've had to edit many of my short stories for sale, because of too much cursing (from NC-17 to R you might say). Its not something that I like to do, but I've realized that the impact that a curse might have on me is not the same as what it would have on some one else.

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[The Nature Boy]

With all due respect, they probably made up that fan-friendly B.S. because they didn't want to say your angle sucks, which it does. Realistically, the Goldust tourette's angle is probably as close as you'd get to a cursing performer. And if I did see it, I'd see it as a rehash of the early Stone Cold days, as his first year of promo's were electric, and featured a quantum leap from the family friendly language to much harsher content for the WWF.

And what you've crafted is a character, not a storyline. These guys do need angles and stories more than anything. They can't work with what they've already introduced, so I don't think they should be adding stuff now.

And that's just my opinion, and I"m trying to be helpful in some regard, but that character wouldn't impress me much, personally. But to each their own, give Vince Russo a call.

Bon Jovi Fan Since Day ONE!

[RF Godfather]

Anyone want a second helping of naked Mideon or Naked Brian? That's family entertainment?

Down the WWE and The Legacy which I created!

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<marquee>"Doesn't matter what you say or do, people can always find a way to call you a dick!" - Dave Attell</marquee>

[TLM]

Even with all the bleeping (which will cost a lot in post production, and also negates any live events except for ppvs) the context will still pass through.

We even thought of ways around that. I thought it'd be funnier to do some pretaped backstage vignettes so they could be played "live" to the smackdown crowd. Also, we were thinking that there could be a mic that he could use to trigger a beep over the PA system. That and substitute the "bad" words with less offensive words, but still beep them out in post production to make it look like he still said them.

And what you've crafted is a character, not a storyline. These guys do need angles and stories more than anything. They can't work with what they've already introduced, so I don't think they should be adding stuff now.


The problem is with Vince. He's not into storylines right now. Everything with him right now is going back to gimmicks. Look at every character that has redebuted recently. Every one of them, unless they are freakishly huge, is a character.

And if I did see it, I'd see it as a rehash of the early Stone Cold days, as his first year of promo's were electric, and featured a quantum leap from the family friendly language to much harsher content for the WWF.
I can see this comparison, but the character is really based off my friend's real personality. He doesn't do things to defy authority... he curses and acts like a dick because he is. He's more like Tazz in ECW than SCSA.

<img src="http://home.earthlink.net/~tlm378/_uimages/sig.jpg">

[TLM]

oh yeah... WWFallon has caught the correct

<img src="http://home.earthlink.net/~tlm378/_uimages/sig.jpg">

[DarkHippie]

The problem is with Vince. He's not into storylines right now. Everything with him right now is going back to gimmicks. Look at every character that has redebuted recently. Every one of them, unless they are freakishly huge, is a character
building character as opposed to storyline isn't necessarily a bad thing. when I was writing for "living theater" I focus on building good, interesting, characters first. Some were gimicky and one dimensional (there were given character roles), others were more in depth, and played a larger role in a story. But what usually happened was a gimmick character caught on and became a more important character.

what I'm trying to say is that character should come first. If you build good characters, storylines naturally flow from that. Character traits, history, quirks, they can all become story line.

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[TLM]

You're correct, but Vince seems to have a habit of making wrestlers less character and more gimmicky.

He seems to be going back to the early 90's gimmicks. Unfortunately most gimmicky characters aren't going to get over like the UT did.

Especially with the writing staff they have now, I fear most will get over as much as Rockabilly, sparky plug or Papa Shango.

<img src="http://home.earthlink.net/~tlm378/_uimages/sig.jpg">

[The Nature Boy]

I do agree with your replies, especially your correct assertion that it rings true of the Fuck the World Champion Taz in ECW.

As for the character vs. Storyline debate, I do agree that strong characters just have stories flow from them and "write themselves"(a favorite writer's cliche that I often employ!). But for my money, the hottest wrestling ever, the wrestling that got me back from the Wrestling oblivion of post Wrestlemania 6 WWF was the 1995-97 ECW. So many great stories going on, between Raven vs. Dreamer, Raven's sideplot with Dancin Stevie Richards and Company, Sabu vs. Taz, Eliminators vs. Pitbulls, Shane Douglas or Sandman vs. anyone, it was so much pure fun to watch every week. I think many people, myself included, watch the WWE out of habit right now, and wishing, hoping and praying that somehow that lightening will get back in the bottle and take us back to when Attitude was fun. The WWE simply is not fun, the WWF was, ECW was, WCW, at it's best, is funner than this crap we've been subjected to since the brand split. I was watching some old unlabled tapes from the last year trying to figure out what's worth saving and dumping, and I stumbled onto the pre-Mania, Vince vs. Flair stuff from last year, and as bad as that felt at the time, it was a hundred times better than what we're watching now. Unfortunately, it's going to get worse before it gets better. That means more runs for Randy Savage and Sting, once the WWE fails to get over Goldberg and Piper. How about we give a new talent a Piper Pit format? The Fed's been missing the boat on that for a while, what better platform for angles than the interview segments.

Here is some free information that I've always harbored to give the WWF for my own financial compensation, but fuck man, I'll put it up here for free and if any of you guys can make a red nickel off it, email me at freakdog654@yahoo.com and give me my 10 percent. But historically, the things that have worked in the business have been a 180 degree turn from present to the future. Race to Flair, the Briscos to the Road Warriors, Backlund to Hogan, Bret Hart to Steve Austin, WCW to NWO, the New Generation to Attitude, and so on and so forth. That's my one biggest issue with the cursing character TLM. It's more of an extension of what we've seen. One small step on the attitude branch. I think the next revoltion that can occur is the format of these television programs. They've been the same since about 1997. Backstage sketches where plots are advanced, but the camera is not acknowledged, Promo's taking the place of interviews, riduclously staged action every few months as the budget allows(this all started going downhill when the "cool" DX bus, an obvious junker, had a steel beam dropped through it). This isn't to mention the complete obliveration of the "rulebook". Now the rulebook is silly, but it sets a parameter of credibility that is important in everything from a children's bedtime story to a 200 million movie. It's constant for stories. You can't tell the Grimm Tales and have the big bad wolf pull out a fucking laser gun. It doesn't fly. That attention to detail, ala countouts, DQ's, 5 counts for illegal moves were great plot devices. Would the Savage taking the ringbell to Steamboat's throat have anywhere near the impact in 2003 that it did in 1986? Ask anyone who watched it, and it's burned in their memory, the, pardon the pun, savage nature of the attack. By God, we were going to pay whatver it took to see Steamboat get his hands on Savage. And Savage was a "cool" heel, but he wasn't cheered vs. Steamboat. And such things would be lost today, because of the lack of respect for order.

My wrestling analogy has never been the soap opera bit, though it rings true. My belief is that wrestling is like a good play or a good lapdance. In my head, I'm constantly aware that it's all fake and all a show, but when it truly works best is when I forget, if only for a moment, that it's all an illusion and it becomes real, if only for a moment. Like Savage/S

[Heather 8]

Anyone want a second helping of ...Naked Brian?

Oh, do NOT tease me, you bastard! :)

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[center]

[TLM]

Open Raw and/or Smackdown(and at the very least Heat) in a pure studio enviorment, ala Sportscenter. Preview it like an NFL or MLB game, give us a rundown of what's to come, and what we can expect.
I don't think they'd do that simply because they make so much off the tickets for the live events. It may save a lot on production costs though.
The other thing is that I think it would take away some of that "live" feeling (for lack of a better term) and some of that, "ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN" atmosphere.

And I'd also put the commentators in UPN and TNN shirts, instead of WWE shirts, so that we might project some objectivitiy in the reporting.
Not bad, but Vince would't go for it... too much free advertising for his product. He seems to insist that WWE be drilled into the viewers head.

I'd also add rankings to all the wrestlers to make every match mean something.

I agree. I've thought that they needed something like this for a while now.

Also, a sidenote on the cursing character... The cursing wasn't going to be used for shock, but more for comedy. There was more to the character, but that was the most unusual part of the character.
The best thing I can tell you is to watch My Blue Heaven with Steve Martin... someone in the grocery store says hi to him and he smiles and says, "Fuck you."
It's supposed to along the lines of that.

<img src="http://home.earthlink.net/~tlm378/_uimages/sig.jpg">

[The Nature Boy]

I think I misrepresented myself, TLM. I wouldn't do the whole show from a anti-septic studio enviorment. But I would do it akin to how ESPN does sportscenter's from big events. An objective crew analyzing the action, inside the arena. I do think that the "anything can happen" vibe has been long gone, ever since the Nitro days. What's the next thing that can happen? HHHIV is going to drone on again, steal someone's heat and still keep the belt? My only thought is to give the casual flipper a reason to stop and check out the Fed again. As it is currently staged, it looks no different from 1998. A shift in the format might bring some new life to the fed. Sports draws rather consistently because of a constant emphasis on ranking and status. It never drew as well as the WWF did hotshotting in 1998, but it might be able to bump the ratings up a few points. The WWF became to concerned with attracting chicks in my book, and really neglected the male audience, and has really softened things up. Now I don't think all the Sexual Chocolates, Choppy-Choppy the Pee-Pee's, cage bumbs, stunners and suck-its in the world can put humpty dumpty back together again. But there is more appeal than is currently being had. Don't forget, between Raw and Nitro, over 10 percent of the Monday Night cable audience was watching Wrestling every Monday night not 4 years ago. Now the WWF is luck to get 4 percent.

And if the WWF is against that direction, that's fine. I didn't get around to it, but I also had this suggestion that I meant to broach earlier. I think there is a certain magic to playing out "real-life" angles, something the WWE has shied away from. Bret vs. Vince(and the acknowledgment of Vince as owner), DX and the Clique, Bret getting booed vs. Stone Cold, Stone Cold back from neck injuries, the nWo's opening invasion, Hogan's turn, Foley's bumps, Foley winning the title, all meant more than the face value of those angles. There was inherent believibility because there were off camera implications to those events. It wasn't as trivial as a faux crusierweight battle, or Booker vs. HHHIV. I suppose the WWE thought they were going down this road with Hogan vs. Vince, but hell, why would there be legit heat there, they both made each other multi-multi millionaires.

In addressing what's really going on right now, how about having RVD cut a promo on HHHIV one night about how bad he sucks, and everyone knows he's sleeping with Stephanie McMahon to protect his spot. How about Beniot calling out Stephanie McMahon to question her "leadership abilities"(and make it thinly veiled reference to the writing committee). I don't know about you, but the reason I popped so big for Austin vs. Vince, is because it felt so real that Vince in charge of the family friendly WWF would have abhored Stone Cold. Logically and intellectually, we all knew he was making money, but there felt to be something behind it all. If HHHIV and Stephie could somehow put their ego's aside, maybe those two stiff's could actually draw money for once. Because when you get down to it, stars create stars, and that's something SMH and HHHIV have NEVER DONE. Vince made Steph, and Foley and the Rock(and Austin to a lesser extent) made HHHIV. If those two practicioners of poor selfimage would let themselves, they could start a new era, and not ride the coattails like a blue whale tethering a gazelle.

Bon Jovi Fan Since Day ONE!

[TLM]

LOL... I had a feeling that after the writers shot the idea down, they'd turn around and use it for someone else... Congratulations Goldust...

P.S. My friend is still being punished for a stupid argument backstage and that's one reason why they wouldn't let him do the storyline.

<img src="http://home.earthlink.net/~tlm378/_uimages/sig.jpg">

[Death Metal Moe]

How about a storyline that involves lettuce. People like lettuce.

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DEATH FACTION/BACON FACTION 4 LIFE!!!
666%

[Teenweek]

Lettuce is good. I like that idea. I think they should use french dressing though. La resistance can do the angle and say how much better french dressing is on lettuce. They can make fun of italian dressing and ranch dressing. And than the fbi can defend italian dressing and can get in a big feud with la resistance to see which dressing is reallly better.

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[Death Metal Moe]

That's the spirit Teenweek! Run with the ball!

Dude, how PISSED would TLM be if I E-mailed this to the WWE and next month The Big Show was doing some retarded lettuce storyline?

I think his whole world would crumble from the inside out.

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[Teenweek]

I think a La Resistance vs FBI lettuce match to finally settle the score of who has the better dressing french or italian would be gold, possibly even better than Austin vs Vince.


Or they could make the Big show, Angle and Brock match a lettuce in the cell match. Or instead of a TLC match, you can now have a BLT match with Bacon lettuce and Tomato.

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[JustJon]

Just as importantly, would that be regular or creamy italian?

<img src="http://www.chaoticconcepts.com/bans/rfjustjon8.jpg"><BR><A href="http://www.chaoticconcepts.com">Chaotic Concepts</a>

[LilLibra]

Moe...TeenWeek, you just might have something here. :)

"Oh, I feel so deliciously white trash. Mummy, I want a mullet!" -Stewie Griffin, Family Guy

[Teenweek]

The possibilities are endless.

You can have a Lettuce on a poll match.

You can have Al Snow carry a head of Lettuce to the ring and talk to it and put makeup on it.

You can have Goldust dress it up with a wig.

HHH can wrestle a head of lettuce and it would put up a better match than Kevin nash.

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[TLM]

Dude, how PISSED would TLM be if I E-mailed this to the WWE and next month The Big Show was doing some retarded lettuce storyline?

I think his whole world would crumble from the inside out.
True, I would be crushed. I would feel worse then sliced and diced lettuce.

<img src="http://home.earthlink.net/~tlm378/_uimages/sig.jpg">

[Death Metal Moe]

Just as importantly, would that be regular or creamy italian?

<img src="http://www.chaoticconcepts.com/bans/rfjustjon8.jpg"><BR><A href="http://www.chaoticconcepts.com">Chaotic Concepts</a>

Now you're just being silly.

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[Death Metal Moe]

Actually to be truthful, I do see a lot of potential in these suggestions we're throwing around.

But I also see an endless stream of 'Toss my Salad' jokes that could be used too!

And if that happens, Rico and Mr. Ass need to be involved.

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[TheTotalOne]

It's too close to Steve Austin's character. The WWE could really use another Abdullah the Butcher. Someone fat enough to tape weapons unders his man-tits, someone who can tell a story through actually wrestling matches rather than vignettes.

[Death Metal Moe]

Someone fat enough to tape weapons unders his man-tits


That's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard.

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[TeRRoR]

yo TLM, get intouch with me... i wonder if we know some of the same dudes.

i was a diehard ECW fan since the beginning and from that i became friends with a shitload of them(aso was featured in a ecw vignette).

but pm me dude. also, you may be able to help me track down an old friend of mine

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The Goon Squad is the underground. Declaring war on everything... Declaring war on nothing.We are your children raised on ritalin and prozac, biting the hand that's reared us... pissing down our heros throats.

All we are is all you have made us...Given nothing. Taking everything. Making this world a place of our own.