So, what do you guys think?
Did it first was directed to the young audience, or to the adult audience?
Did it first was directed to the young audience, or to the adult audience?
Professional Wrestling: Originally meant for children or adults?
- Thread starter PSachkovsky
- Start date
-
Welcome to "The New" Wrestling Smarks Forum!
I see that you are not currently registered on our forum. It only takes a second, and you can even login with your Facebook! If you would like to register now, pease click here: Register
Once registered please introduce yourself in our introduction thread which can be found here: Introduction Board
Originally it was directed at adults cause it was a shoot. I'd say it changed to being kid friendly in the 80s, shifted back to adults in the mid-late 90s, then back to kids again in the modern Cena era.
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2012
- Messages
- 6,691
- Reaction score
- 1,927
- Points
- 0
- Age
- 37
- Location
- Union City, Tennessee
It wasn't really originally intended towards anyone in particular. It started out as a carnival attraction, where a guy would challenge anyone at a carnival to fight him and see if he could beat him and the guy who stepped to him would be a paid off guy. The audience was basically anyone who would buy into this and would bother to show up, hence why the term "mark" has/had such a negative connotation to it. Later on, things like blood and such would make it's way into the product when wrestling largely evolved (territory days) so it was more adult-oriented then. But then Vince McMahon came in and changed it's history forever by promoting shows all over the country and marketing it as something that could be acceptable mainstream entertainment, hence where the term "sports entertainment" came from. (He also invented the term to get out of having to pay certain taxes.) It reverted back to adults in the Attitude Era (though that's largely overstated, because several kids - my ten year old self included - watched during this time) but has now reverted back to being kid friendly again. Most of the time, it's always been mostly acceptable to all age demographics, though.
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2012
- Messages
- 10,893
- Reaction score
- 1,241
- Points
- 0
- Location
- United Scotland of Ambrose
Kevin's most likely right, but I got told differently. Apparently back in the early-mid 1900s guys used to go around and fight in front of people to earn money. They then decided one day that they could work more often if they faked the moves, and scripted the entire thing. At first it was done to make people actually believe it was happening, but then over the years in became more about producing a show rather than realism with faces and heels being introduced eventually.
As I say, Kevin's is probably more likely to be true but I'd say adults going on the above story^
As I say, Kevin's is probably more likely to be true but I'd say adults going on the above story^
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2012
- Messages
- 6,691
- Reaction score
- 1,927
- Points
- 0
- Age
- 37
- Location
- Union City, Tennessee
R'Albin said:
It might have been adults more interested in that sort of thing, but I always assumed on my own that kids and teenagers might have had an interest in it as well. I mean, it wouldn't really be any different than watching a real fight like a boxing match, which teenagers certainly do and kids as well.
I believe that there isn't a requirement or isn't aimed at anyone in particular such as adults, children, etc, it's aimed at those who are willing to watch it and make the company money. Adults are the one's that earn money so people could say it's aimed at them however children can ask their parents for certain things e.g, merchandise, ordering a PPV, etc. It's a mixture really, no one's a target, just whoever is seen to draw the most money for the companies. It's all strictly business and it shall remain like that till the end of the world.