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From what I gathered over the years, a lot of the writers are Hollywood types who usually work on soap operas and late-night shows, and mostly just use WWE as a transition gig in between "real writing jobs." So there is insanely high turnover even if you discount the Vince factor and the horror stories. Very few people take those jobs because they are genuinely invested in the WWE product.
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Apr 3, 2020 05:18
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Real writers see wwe as a joke and laugh at pro wrestling so when they slum it and take a job there and try to apply actual Hollywood practices, WWE laughs at them so it all evens out
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Apr 3, 2020 05:22
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WSAENOTSOCK posted:I don't think people even hated this at the time. Nobody's been able to light a fire under Paul Wight like Paul Heyman, and Big Show was working his rear end off, doing moves he hadn't done in years, and following through more on the ones he usually did. I definitely hated it outside of the Flair match. Show's health was really bad and he'd wanted to take time off for months, but they kept sending him out there despite being immobile and in terrible shape.
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Apr 3, 2020 05:28
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Wasn't there actually a writer in WWE years ago that kept close track of all the storylines and character stuff he worked on, and was routinely roundly mocked in the writers room for it? I seem to recall hearing something about Stephanie McMahon being especially derisive, but I might have mixed stories together or something on that.
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Apr 3, 2020 07:50
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Ivypls posted:Wasn't there actually a writer in WWE years ago that kept close track of all the storylines and character stuff he worked on, and was routinely roundly mocked in the writers room for it? I seem to recall hearing something about Stephanie McMahon being especially derisive, but I might have mixed stories together or something on that. Chris Kreski. Head writer from October 1999 to November 2000. Storyboarded events, tried to push long term storytelling, cared about continuity. Forced out by Stephanie who replaced him.
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Apr 3, 2020 08:05
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Somebody please explain Lex Luger’s career trajectory to me. He seems like the prototypical WWE guy (giant muscle man etc) yet he came from the Crockett/NWA promotions and while he worked for WWE for a bit he never won a single title there. Seems very odd.
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Apr 3, 2020 08:10
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For some reason bookers *really* liked having Lex almost kinda sorta win the big one, the crowd would be super into him, and then he'd never actually win the belt. Or at least not until all the momentum was dead.
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Apr 3, 2020 08:17
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DeathChicken posted:For some reason bookers *really* liked having Lex almost kinda sorta win the big one, the crowd would be super into him, and then he'd never actually win the belt. Or at least not until all the momentum was dead. Then Lex would realize the bookers don't like him, so he'd stop caring about busting his rear end for a company that doesn't like him, and bookers would be shocked that the guy they screwed with isn't working hard for them.
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Apr 3, 2020 08:20
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Benne posted:Very few people take those jobs because they are genuinely invested in the WWE product. There's also the story that WWE actually wants people who aren't wrestling fans to write for them.
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Apr 3, 2020 08:25
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lex luger was the same thing as when you would see a third party video game controller on sale for cheaper than the official ones, and it looked cooler, but then you got it home and tried to use it and the buttons felt really weird and mushy and eventually one of the plastic triggers snapped and fell inside of the controller shell.
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Apr 3, 2020 08:26
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Lamuella posted:Chris Kreski. Head writer from October 1999 to November 2000. Storyboarded events, tried to push long term storytelling, cared about continuity. Forced out by Stephanie who replaced him. Right! Chris Kreski. It really is funny how much they balked at his methods when they try so hard now to distance themselves from professional wrestling culture and try to fashion themselves as an 'entertainment' entity.
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Apr 3, 2020 08:30
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MadCatz Hulk Hogan
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Apr 3, 2020 08:30
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Davros1 posted:There's also the story that WWE actually wants people who aren't wrestling fans to write for them. I mean, in theory this could be a good idea. New and different ways of storytelling, won't play favorites with people they are/were a fan of, a new perspective on the industry etc. But of course practice is far from theory, and instead we get failed screenwriters baffled when a physical performer can't memorize their exact words of genius and/or recite them "properly".
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Apr 3, 2020 08:30
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WWE wants the prestige of having "good" writers but they don't listen to any of their ideas, routinely jerk them around at all hours day and night on Vince's maniacal whims, and let them go when they need a scapegoat for an angle not working that they had no input on. And if they luck into a fan of the product they just call them marks and humiliate them or make them big fat oiled up joke characters on screen or whatever.
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Apr 3, 2020 09:30
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bebaloorpabopalo posted:Pelican Hulk Hogan
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Apr 3, 2020 09:39
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I think this is a good time to remind people that AEW's creative process is "we have a small group of producers/consultants who collaborate with the wrestlers and help them flesh out their ideas, maybe script their promos if they need help with it, but a lot of stuff you see on TV comes straight from the wrestlers because we encourage them to express themselves in their own unique ways to come off as unique stars." Much like everything else in US wrestling, promo scripting is only a problem because WWE made it a problem.
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Apr 3, 2020 09:59
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There's also the story of Stephanie firing Patrice O'Neal as a writer after a couple weeks. She apparently got pissed that he basically laughed it off so she called him at home to make sure he knew he had been fired.
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Apr 3, 2020 13:48
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Benne posted:I think this is a good time to remind people that AEW's creative process is "we have a small group of producers/consultants who collaborate with the wrestlers and help them flesh out their ideas, maybe script their promos if they need help with it, but a lot of stuff you see on TV comes straight from the wrestlers because we encourage them to express themselves in their own unique ways to come off as unique stars." And that’s why AEW is what I watch and financially support, and WWE is not.
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Apr 3, 2020 13:58
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Pope Corky the IX posted:There's also the story of Stephanie firing Patrice O'Neal as a writer after a couple weeks. She apparently got pissed that he basically laughed it off so she called him at home to make sure he knew he had been fired. Apart from the odd exception like Brock I guess but that’s more of a specific muscly bear findom fetish Vince has
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Apr 3, 2020 14:05
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I know I've told this story before, but this time I'm hoping someone knows what I'm talking about: I seem to remember that at one point WWE was in talks to get a fairly well-known writer on board, and he plotted up flowcharts keeping track of the wrestlers' relationships with each other--rivalries, who'd gotten the better of who, etc. so that angles would make sense. And the higher-ups laughed it off, and he backed out when it was made plain that he'd have no real creative control.
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Apr 3, 2020 14:19
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I'd imagine writing for wrestling is right below writing for soap operas in prestige so honestly I'd be surprised if any writer cares about their ideas being steamrolled.
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Apr 3, 2020 14:41
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Halloween Jack posted:I know I've told this story before, but this time I'm hoping someone knows what I'm talking about : I seem to remember that at one point WWE was in talks to get a fairly well-known writer on board, and he plotted up flowcharts keeping track of the wrestlers' relationships with each other--rivalries, who'd gotten the better of who, etc. so that angles would make sense. And the higher-ups laughed it off, and he backed out when it was made plain that he'd have no real creative control. I heard a similar story, only the one I heard was about a "proper" writer who once he was in the tried to storyboard feuds and storylines, (very simply, as in first he does this, then he does that back, and this makes the first guy feel angry and betrayed etc.), and he was laughed at, specifically by Stephanie. But I could be half-remembering.
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Apr 3, 2020 14:45
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Those were both kreski
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Apr 3, 2020 14:56
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RenegadeStyle1 posted:I'd imagine writing for wrestling is right below writing for soap operas in prestige so honestly I'd be surprised if any writer cares about their ideas being steamrolled. OFFICER LIGER posted:Those were both kreski
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Apr 3, 2020 15:01
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Ivypls posted:Right! Chris Kreski. It really is funny how much they balked at his methods when they try so hard now to distance themselves from professional wrestling culture and try to fashion themselves as an 'entertainment' entity. I love how in WWE's revisionist history they have recently gone out of their way to downplay Chris Kreski's importance during the post-Russo Attitude Era. Helps that Kreski passed away from cancer in 2005 so he can't give his side of the story.
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Apr 3, 2020 15:06
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Yes, of course...... “Cancer”
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Apr 3, 2020 15:20
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oldpainless posted:Yes, of course...... “Cancer” pretend I posted a pic of rikishi looking out the car window
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Apr 3, 2020 16:43
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Which reminds me of the story of Vince challenging Dave Lagana to an impromptu drag race down the highway. Lagana was winning, so Vince tried to run him off the road to his death
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Apr 3, 2020 16:48
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have we ever heard anything about why the AEW/AAA partnership seems to have stalled? i've never understood why we don't get AAA guys on Dynamite. they have a lot of fun talent with significant television experience (Demon Jr, Aero Star, Psycho Clown, Big Mami) and the So-Cal indie style of AEW meshes well with lucha. its too bad he left because I would love a big Wagner Jr. match in AEW
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Apr 3, 2020 20:41
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it didn't stall so much as aew got what they wanted from it (the lucha bros). in exchange kenny defends the belt every couple of months to establish it as a workrate title. maybe there will be more down the line but tv time is already at a premium
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Apr 3, 2020 21:11
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Super No Vacancy posted:it didn't stall so much as aew got what they wanted from it (the lucha bros). in exchange kenny defends the belt every couple of months to establish it as a workrate title. maybe there will be more down the line but tv time is already at a premium I have to think immigration being, uh, altered and COVID certainly play a role
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Apr 3, 2020 23:31
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The point about the roster is true though. In a world where everything gets back to normal I'd love to see AEW working with AAA or NJPW or whoever to bring in people for special events or individual programs but I wouldn't want them bringing in a bunch of talent that would just cause the AEW talent already competing for time to fall further down the ladder. AEW's got a great young core of future stars, a bunch of potential main eventers not in the main event, a thriving tag division, and ideally a functioning woman's division. It doesn't actually need an influx of talent from AAA and that could be counter productive. Its why I loved TNA's World X Cup. Doing something that showcased talent from other promotions/countries against your own in special events would be fun and wouldn't take away from the overall roster management.
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Apr 4, 2020 00:08
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I want to say both Joe Lanza and Meltzer have suggested the best use of any sort of AEW partnerships would be to run an old-school super show event every so often (as in maybe a couple of years apart to maintain the specialness), and they’re honestly probably right on that account.
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Apr 4, 2020 00:25
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Completely unrelated, and possibly stupid, thought: Given how many ex-wrestlers become commentators, (Ventura, Heenan, Graves, Zybysko, Taz, Excalibur etc.), to various degrees of success. Of current wrestlers, who do people think would make good commentators post retirement? Would they be able to use their wrestling characters/personae, or would they change? Or maybe use their real life personalities? I would posit Cody Rhodes, Big E, MJF as obvious ones. A left field option would be Zack Ryder. I reckon his boyish enthusiasm, and obvious charisma would go well as a babyface colour commentator.
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Apr 4, 2020 03:26
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BrigadierSensible posted:Completely unrelated, and possibly stupid, thought: Chuck Taylor. Chris Hero. Samoa Joe.
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Apr 4, 2020 03:37
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BrigadierSensible posted:Completely unrelated, and possibly stupid, thought: If they work for Vince? None of them.
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Apr 4, 2020 03:50
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BrigadierSensible posted:Completely unrelated, and possibly stupid, thought: Nick Gage, Joey Janela
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Apr 4, 2020 04:54
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It feels like cheating since they're still active wrestlers, but Rocky Romero and Colt Cabana are really good on commentary
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Apr 4, 2020 05:08
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Xavier Woods
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Apr 4, 2020 07:55
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Chuckie T and Chase Owens are great fun on commentary, i've no doubt they'd still be post retirement
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Apr 4, 2020 10:53
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