Sympathy heat: It never works

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Okay, so Rhyno vs Grenier is on and I need something to talk about in the meantime. Plus the Toronto crowd thread got me thinking....

 

We're about one year out from the date WWE released Zach Gowan after a fairly unsucessful run a novelty attraction in the upper card. Gowan was played out as a guy who got a bad break in life but still wanted to play on the same field that the regular guys do. Almost everything Gowan was involved with revolved around his handicap and the issue of getting accepted by others.

 

So now we have Eugene, who mysteriously got somewhat over on a combination of some decent chemistry with William Regal, and a whole ton of nostalgia imitating wrestlers of the past. He's currently been a novelty attraction in the upper card, arguably the top-booked character on the show, not involved in any real angles that don't immediately revolve around his "handicap" and acceptance.

 

The problem I think is that someone at WWE (Vince?) seems to be stuck in the 80s mentality when the company was primarily marketing to children. Hacksaw Duggan was a weird guy who walked funny and didn't look too bright, but he was Hulk's friend and carried an American flag around so crowds cheered him on.

 

Probably the most successful retard angle of all time goes to George Steele and his infatuation with Liz. Instead of completely focusing on Steele, viewers were shown what an ass Macho Man is, that we can presume he's pretty abusive, and at least the ugly unintelligent ape-man seems to show genuine compassion for her. Both gimmicks above are the center focus and get at least as much camera time as whom they're running against.

 

(looks at TV, sees Gail vs Victoria, continues on)

 

However, crowds have grown up. While children may feel sorry for these characters, as adults we see less fortunate people in real life all the time. Although most of us still are willing to help that develomentally disabled child across the street, we've grown that darker, morbid side that would like to pull out a bag of popcorn and watch that kid dodge traffic himself.

 

We, hopefully, don't listen to this darker side in public, and instead use mediums like televised entertainment as an escapist route. A place where we can laugh at Rosie smashing the dog against the tree and chucking it a few houses away. Where we can heckle the rich and powerful only on the virtue of their being rich and powerful. Just because we cheer at Bubba putting a woman through a table doesn't mean we approve of Stone Cold beating a woman in real life, and just because we don't approve of the latter doesn't mean that the former isn't entertaining.

 

This is why I believe sympathy heat doesn't work in wrestling. Nobody wants to feel sympathetic for someone with a handicap because this is our escapist zone where the handicapped aren't helped but exploited and taken advantage of.

 

Which brings me to the people who couldn't understand the negative reaction to Eugene. They're an inevitability, and it's only a matter of time before they become a regular occurance. The question is, how quickly will booking react and move Dinsmore onto the next step in his WWE history before the crowds want to drive him out of town?

 

If crowds aren't going to show sympathy to Gowan and his real-life problem, why in the hell are they going to pity a grown matured man pretending to be mentally handicapped?

 

And that is what I mean when I talk about a dead-end gimmick

 

(looks at TV, sees Kane vs Edge)

 

Well, okay, guess this went just about the right amount of time.

[Guest fanofcoils]

They never made the fans care about Eugene but they did make the fans like Eugene. He was entertaining but interest was lost when he was made to be a sympathetic character. They did not establish Eugene's character so he could be cared about. I doubt we will ever see him again on TV.

[Guest Astro]

You think Eugene's done as a TV guy? *slaps head*

[Jobber of the Week 0]

And since I just saw the post-match promo, I'll say this for more pleas for sympathy that never work:

 

We have JR talking about how just how wrong it is that Lita is marrying Kane. Uh, presumably she agreed to marry the winner, which is why we had the match, and Kane won. He didn't even cheat to win, but won fair and square. So why are we supposed to feel sorry for Lita for having to live the consequences of her decision?

[Guest GreatOne]

Well technically since a few people (pats self on back) don't get Smackdown and he could turn up there, he WOULD be off TV for the time being (other than PPV and perhaps Velocity)

[Slickster 0]

And since I just saw the post-match promo, I'll say this for more pleas for sympathy that never work:

 

We have JR talking about how just how wrong it is that Lita is marrying Kane. Uh, presumably she agreed to marry the winner, which is why we had the match, and Kane won. He didn't even cheat to win, but won fair and square. So why are we supposed to feel sorry for Lita for having to live the consequences of her decision?

Because she was strongarmed into having sex with Kane, then she agreed to the stip as the last possible way to get away from him. She made the choice to sign the contract because there was no alternative.

 

Basically, the sympathy for Lita is based on the fact that the last two or three months she has been controlled by a hulking monster whose physical strength and brutish singlemindedness render her helpless.

[Guest Staravenger]

Lita should've backed a stronger horse than Matt friggin Hardy. Maybe a one night return of The Hulkster squashing Random Giant Freak would've been cooler.

[Guest subliminal_animal]

I find it disgraceful that the late Jim Duggan's entire career was summed up as "retard angle."

[BorneAgain 0]

I find it disgraceful that the late Jim Duggan's entire career was summed up as "retard angle."

Jim Duggan isn't dead, but your point is taken.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

I find it disgraceful that the late Jim Duggan's entire career was summed up as "retard angle."

It wasn't a retard angle, but he seemed a like a kind of dopey guy who had his heart in the right place, so people liked him. That's what I'm saying. There was a lot more compassion from the crowd in those days since the audience consisted of a lot of kids who were taught to be nice, respect people, and if you can't say anything nice then not to say anything at all.

 

Today's wrestling was all about pissing on these concepts, but they've been making some kind of comeback since 2002.

[Guest Loss]

Um, Mick Foley hit his career peak as a sympathetic babyface.

[Guest Dynamite Kido]

When people know how to correctly garner sympathy heat....it works.

 

Shawn Michaels has made a career on it.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

When people know how to correctly garner sympathy heat....it works.

 

Shawn Michaels has made a career on it.

Not really. He's tried, but it hasn't always worked.

 

Shawn is popular because he's talented, but he's not particularly sympathetic. He has always been more known as the obnoxious asshole. Mick Foley is the better example.

[Guest Staravenger]

Shawn Michaels "black out" the night after Survivor Series '95 was nothing but sympathy heat. Otherwise I really can't think of anything that has worked for him.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

Shawn Michaels "black out" the night after Survivor Series '95 was nothing but sympathy heat. Otherwise I really can't think of anything that has worked for him.

Well, Royal Rumble 1995 worked too, but it wasn't the intention since he was supposed to be the heel. You are right in that the only time it truly was effective was the marine beatdown and eventual collapse on RAW.

[razazteca 0]

Austin breaking his neck in the match vs Owen Hart got sympathy heat? Kurt Angle saying "I won the Olympics with a broken neck" got sympathy heat?

[Guest Staravenger]

Austin breaking his neck in the match vs Owen Hart got sympathy heat? Kurt Angle saying "I won the Olympics with a broken neck" got sympathy heat?

Austin was a well established fan favorite, so sympathy heat wasn't needed.

 

Angle usually did that shtick as a heel, so that is also canceled out. Plus he was a very weak babyface, so that didn't work either.

[razazteca 0]

What kind of heat did Randy Orton on the recent Raw?

 

A) Sympathy heat

B) Honky Tonk Man heat

C) Xpac heat

D) No heat

[Guest Staravenger]

E.) None of the Above

 

Orton is actually quite over, and it's not a once in a while thing. Every week he gets face pops even against Canadian hero Chris Benoit at Summerslam...of course the crowd was probably collectively high, so that might not count.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

Tommy Dreamer's entire ECW career was built off sympathy heat, as he always got treated like shit by the heels. So that's one example of it actually working.

[Guest Dynamite Kido]

Shawn Michaels "black out" the night after Survivor Series '95 was nothing but sympathy heat. Otherwise I really can't think of anything that has worked for him.

Well for another example, the night after Wrestlemania XI. If you watch the Sid attack on HBK, the announcers were trying to look at Sid as the face......the crowds didn't follow and they ended up making Shawn a face.

 

 

p.s. - I can't believe I forgot about Foley the first time I posted in this thread.

[jester 0]

I think sympathy heats works as long as the wrestler doesn't look like a total idiot, and can't be blamed for their situation. Example, who can really feel for Lita when she made the most idiotic and worst possible decision at every turn?

 

I also think it's important for the wrestler to have some balls. Meaning yes, we sympathize with them when they're down, but we know they have the guts, determination and brains to make a comeback, or get revenge.

 

If they don't get that revenge (Test vs HHH, anyone?) we stop giving a shit.

[Black Lushus 0]

What kind of heat did Randy Orton on the recent Raw?

 

A) Sympathy heat

B) Honky Tonk Man heat

C) Xpac heat

D) No heat

isn't Honky Tonk Man Heat and X-Pac Heat basically the same?

[Guest JoeyStyles]

E.) None of the Above

 

Orton is actually quite over, and it's not a once in a while thing. Every week he gets face pops even against Canadian hero Chris Benoit at Summerslam...of course the crowd was probably collectively high, so that might not count.

What do you expect after being put over by everybody on RAW except for Trips, but anyway the guy just got over as a heel thanks to Cactus and I think is too soon to make him the #1 babyface from one day to the other since it takes time for the fans to start caring for Orton as a good guy.

[Guest Dazed]

isn't Honky Tonk Man Heat and X-Pac Heat basically the same?

 

HTM heat is "boo, you bad man we want you to lose ". X-Pac heat is "fuck you and die".