Post by Matthew on May 2, 2010 9:54:46 GMT -5
This logic always baffles me. If the WWE truly believes that this PG era attracts the kids, and that it is the only thing that attracts the kids...then they are extremely extremely skewed. First off, I can vouch for this because I was a kid during the attitude era, just as I was a kid who watched wrestling during the attitude era, as well as half of my fellow students and friends. I remember both promotions, WWF and WCW having an extremely extremely large youth audience. I remember all of the little kids walking around with Austin 3:16 shirts and NWO Wolfpac shirts on. I also remember the parents and adults in an uproar over how the wrestling business was brainwashing these kids. I remember the big thing back in the late 90's, "Oh my god! My son just pointed at his crotch and yelled Suck It! Oh my gosh! No! It just can't be! Wrestling is ruining our younger generation!" I'm sure just as many kids watched wrestling at that time, as they do now. Trust me, I've witnessed both eras. And you know why? Because no matter what direction wrestling is going in, no matter how risque or suggestive the themes are, no matter what is happening on the show...kids are always going to watch wrestling. Whether it's the Hulkamania era or the Doink The Clown era or the Bret Hart/Shawn Michaels era or the Steve Austin era or the John Cena era...kids will always watch wrestling, just because it is wrestling. The same reason why kids will always watch and idolize super heroes like Batman and Spiderman. So, whether the product is PG or not...they will still bring in a huge youth demographic. But you know what the PG era is hurting? It's hurting the demographic that the WWF used to care so much about, and seem not to give two shits about now...and that is the 18-35 audience. It is no coincidence that this demographic has stooped to an all time low for WWE programming, and pulled in higher numbers than ever before, during the attitude era. That didn't just happen, there is a reason. If you don't believe me, just listen to the pops during those 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 years. Compare even the most over guy in the company right now, John Cena...with two mid carders like The New Age Outlaws. Cena can't even compare to their pops...do you really think that he could compare to the pops that the main event guys got back then? The guys like Austin and Rock and Goldberg? Nah not even close. I remember a time when people would literally be in such an upheaval at the shows that you could barely hear the guy in the ring with the microphone. Watch when Austin got arrested after attacking Mcmahon. Watch when Goldberg beat Hogan on Nitro. Watch when Mankind beat The Rock on RAW. Watch any of those, and it will further prove my point. Until the WWE starts focusing on that 18-35 demographic, they can expect to never reach those 6.0 television ratings again. So, I hope they are content with bringing in 3's and selling half the house at live events, because until they go back to the attitude era....they'll never come close to what they were doing in 1998.
