A while back I posted an outline for a wrestling essay from a semiotic perspective. Since then, i've tinkered with the thesis a bit, and i'm now focusing on the effects the internet has had on the business and it's evolution. For topics so far I have:
Marks vs. Smarks
Breaking of Kayfabe/Russo Era/Need to adjust to smarter fans
- Late 90’s, wrestling begins to cater to the IWC in certain storylines, angles (shoots)
- Much of it goes over the fans head
- The days of the 80’s/early 90’s are passé, need to adjust to smarter fans (Attitude era)
- ECW – ‘it’s not for everyone’
Wrestling with Shadows --> Montreal Screwjob
- One of various documentaries to go behind the scenes
- Highlights the infamous “Montreal screwjob” where Vince McMahon alters the outcome of a match unbeknownst to champion Bret Hart , the biggest non-scripted double cross in wrestling history.
By the end I was hoping to tie this into the current deterioration of the business as a whole. What else could I include ?