Arab gimmick praised by Mensa member

[Guest Fook_Theta]

I was at the gym doing cardio on Monday and I flipped channels and I caught the interview with the Arab guys. I don't care what anybody says, I love that gimmick. It's tremendous because they have a point. That's what makes great heels; when they have a valid point and then they take it too far. It reminds me of Bret Hart's last heel run in New York as far as having a point of view. Whether they have the goods to back it up, who knows? I don't watch the show. but I'm glad I caught that couple of minutes. I really don't see what all the fuss is about, I don't see how they're being insensitive because I know Arab people that feel they're being persecuted and all wrestling does is reflect the culture. If CSI did it, everyone would say, "ooh, how timely," but since wrestling did it, "shame on you!"

 

 

Raven does bring up a fairly good point, at the same time he is sadly lacking context. I'm sure in his mind the wrestling business is all-encompassing, when in reality it isn't. In the future, it would be highly interesting to mark and the more knowledgable fan alike, but as it stands the gimmick went from 'Hopeful they get cheered by a smart crowd making the rest of the countries' crowds cheer them' to 'They're getting booed no matter what.'

 

 

PS: I'm posting this over at General Wrestling as well since he went on to talk about a several meta-subjects within the wrestling business. Dirt sheets, Ultimo Dragon cannot draw ever, idiot smart mark fantasy bookers, talking into the seats is basicly the only way of drawing money.

[NoCalMike 0]

Umm, the problem though is that prowrestling is not a good forum to bring to light social issues in society. I mean we all know what is going to happen, they will come out, rant, while the crowd missing the entire point that it is an "AMERICAN-arab" gimmick, will blindlessly chant "USA USA USA" and that will go on for a week or two, until some FACE becomes the "american hero" wins the feud, and either the gimmick will be changed due to the hallowness of it, or we will never see these arab guys again......I mean sure they have "a point" but so did La Resitence, Ludvig Borga, Sgt. Slaughter(heel) and so on, and so on, and so on.....it doesn't matter.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Holy Crap,

 

Someone other than the WWE busted out "If CSI did it". I don't think anyone in wrestling watches CSI. Really, they couldn't be further off the mark.

 

The Hassan gimmick has potential, and the WWE has done 90% of it really well, but his reason sucks. He's going to "beat tolerance" into everyone? Blech. He's another hypocritical heel, yippee. They are editorializing too much, not letting the fans make up their mind. The problem here is no one has seen this guy wronged, so his motivation is just told rather than shown. So people can't identify with him, they can't invest in him, so he won't last. The potential will be lost.

[Guest JMA]

I have a feeling that if this gimmick bombs then they'll just have Mohamed Hassan/Mark Magnus reveal that he's not really Arab and then beat up Khosrow Davari. Heck, they'll probably eventually do this any way.

[Guest JMA]

The problem here is no one has seen this guy wronged, so his motivation is just told rather than shown. So people can't identify with him, they can't invest in him, so he won't last. The potential will be lost.

They could always show a cab driver refuse to pick him up. That might make his point more valid in the eyes of the fans.

[Tawren 0]

The problem here is no one has seen this guy wronged, so his motivation is just told rather than shown.  So people can't identify with him, they can't invest in him, so he won't last.  The potential will be lost.

They could always show a cab driver refuse to pick him up. That might make his point more valid in the eyes of the fans.

I would think more along the lines of put him in the ring, wrestle a match, win the crowd over, and then post-match gets jumped by a couple faces and a couple heels because they don't like Arabs. That would show his point and make the crowd think about who they want to cheer and who to boo, rather than "Arab fag! USA! USA! USA!"

[Guest I *Heart* Jeff Weaver]

The problem here is no one has seen this guy wronged, so his motivation is just told rather than shown.  So people can't identify with him, they can't invest in him, so he won't last.  The potential will be lost.

They could always show a cab driver refuse to pick him up. That might make his point more valid in the eyes of the fans.

That wouldn't confuse the hell out of the fans.

[The Mandarin 0]

The problem here is no one has seen this guy wronged, so his motivation is just told rather than shown.  So people can't identify with him, they can't invest in him, so he won't last.  The potential will be lost.

They could always show a cab driver refuse to pick him up. That might make his point more valid in the eyes of the fans.

"Dad! Stop the taxi! Dad! Dad!"

[Guest I *Heart* Jeff Weaver]

Holy Crap,

 

Someone other than the WWE busted out "If CSI did it". I don't think anyone in wrestling watches CSI. Really, they couldn't be further off the mark.

They actually, unless they TiVo it, can't watch both.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Oh, silly me. I can't believe I forgot the only time CSI is on is during WWE programming and not through syndication or anything like that.

 

Oh wait, it is very much possible to watch CSI; be it through syndication, DVD's, or just by switching channels during commercial breaks.

 

But don't let that stop you from being contradictory or missing my point entirely. It's fun.

[ChrisMWaters 0]

And of course, CSI re-runs DO air back to back from 7-9.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Up here, CSI airs more than The Simpsons and Seinfeld reruns.

[Ted the Poster 0]

You lucky bastard. That's not fair.

[SuperJerk 0]

Holy Crap,

 

Someone other than the WWE busted out "If CSI did it".  I don't think anyone in wrestling watches CSI.  Really, they couldn't be further off the mark.

They actually, unless they TiVo it, can't watch both.

There's actually 3 CSIs, and so there's new episodes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

 

 

BTW, before TiVo, there were these things called VCRs. They work kind of like TiVo, except you didn't have to pay a stupid monthly fee and you could actually eject the cassette and take it to other rooms (or even other houses) and watch them.

 

Ask your parents about them.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Dude, you don't want this...

 

There are no more CSI episodes that I can watch besides the new ones. It's a blessing. It's a curse. Before, before the oversaturation of CSI, every episode I was like "YEAH! CSI!", now it's like "Oh, look, CSI..." It's too much. No man should be able to watch 4 seasons in 1 month.

[SuperJerk 0]

Dude, you don't want this...

 

There are no more CSI episodes that I can watch besides the new ones. It's a blessing. It's a curse. Before, before the oversaturation of CSI, every episode I was like "YEAH! CSI!", now it's like "Oh, look, CSI..." It's too much. No man should be able to watch 4 seasons in 1 month.

The other problem with CSI is that they ran out of Who songs that made sense as theme music.

 

"Who Are You" and "Won't Get Fooled Again" fit the context of the show...but "Baba O'Riley"? Makes no sense.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

I don't watch either other show. FUCK YEAH! CHRIS won Survivor!

 

WHOOOO HOOOOOOOO~

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

I wonder if Anthony Zuiker or William Peterson, when confronted by the sting of controversy, say to the press "You know, if the WWE did this, you'd all be cool with it..." as a way of putting things into perspective. For some strange reason, I don't think they would, have, or will ever do.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Raven "doing cardio" makes this story absolutely make no sense.

[Guest TheLastBoyscout]

Holy Crap,

 

Someone other than the WWE busted out "If CSI did it". I don't think anyone in wrestling watches CSI. Really, they couldn't be further off the mark.

 

The Hassan gimmick has potential, and the WWE has done 90% of it really well, but his reason sucks. He's going to "beat tolerance" into everyone? Blech. He's another hypocritical heel, yippee. They are editorializing too much, not letting the fans make up their mind. The problem here is no one has seen this guy wronged, so his motivation is just told rather than shown. So people can't identify with him, they can't invest in him, so he won't last. The potential will be lost.

90% of fictional antagonists are hypocrites to some degree.

[Enigma 0]

The problem here is no one has seen this guy wronged, so his motivation is just told rather than shown.

I think that was the point of Ivory's comment on Heat.

[SuperJerk 0]

Raven "doing cardio" makes this story absolutely make no sense.

[Mecha Mummy 0]

I think that was the point of Ivory's comment on Heat.

 

But nothing came out of that, did it? She made that comment and that was just sort of it. I mean, nobody watches Heat to begin with.

[2GOLD 0]

I'm just glad Alabama was smart enough to no-sell the gimmick and angle. It was funny till Foley started talking again, then the angle died the horribe death it deserved.

 

The only positive was the crowd bringing back "WHAT", hopefully for one night only.

 

Now time to see which crowd is stupid enough to bite into this gimmick and angle.

[Guest Jack Potts]

I would have preferred if the WWE had maintained the same tone of Hassan's first promo of the "heel with a point."

 

I believe the WWE missed a great opportunity to make him a more complex character. Alabama is the home of Judge Roy Moore, who was the central character in the Ten Commandments monument dustup earlier this year, or late last year. (Quick synopsis- Roy Moore was a judge in Alabama. I believe he was the chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Moore had a multi-ton, stone depiction of the 10 Commandments erected in the main entrance of an Alabama courthouse in the dead of night. He refused to take it down, even after he was ordered to by a court of law. [A judge who doesn't obey the law?] Finally, against Moore's will, and to the consternation of many conservative Christians, the monument was removed. I remember seeing one Christian protester on TV, apparently ignoring the Commandments' admonition against idolatry, bleating like a wounded sheep, "Keep your hands off our Gooodddd!")

 

Anyway, since they were in Huntsville last night, Hassan should have come out and cut a promo in complete support of Judge Roy Moore. He should have said that the government has no business interfering in the practice of religion. The founders of this nation were men of profound, deep faith and they would be appalled at how Hollywood and elitists undercut worship and spirituality at every turn. Really get the crowd on his side, as much as possible.

 

Then he could have said, Judge Moore has the right to excercise his religion, in public, however he wants...even if its the wrong religion, even if it involves false idols. Finally, he could have brought out a prayer mat, faced East, and started praying, while his manager played the part of imam, chanting in English that there is no God but Allah. Then we could have heard the Huntsville crowd hypocritally howl.

[Vern Gagne 0]

The crowd wouldn't remember who Roy Moore was.

[Guest JMA]

I would have preferred if the WWE had maintained the same tone of Hassan's first promo of the "heel with a point."

 

I believe the WWE missed a great opportunity to make him a more complex character. Alabama is the home of Judge Roy Moore, who was the central character in the Ten Commandments monument dustup earlier this year, or late last year. (Quick synopsis- Roy Moore was a judge in Alabama. I believe he was the chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Moore had a multi-ton, stone depiction of the 10 Commandments erected in the main entrance of an Alabama courthouse in the dead of night. He refused to take it down, even after he was ordered to by a court of law. [A judge who doesn't obey the law?] Finally, against Moore's will, and to the consternation of many conservative Christians, the monument was removed. I remember seeing one Christian protester on TV, apparently ignoring the Commandments' admonition against idolatry, bleating like a wounded sheep, "Keep your hands off our Gooodddd!")

 

Anyway, since they were in Huntsville last night, Hassan should have come out and cut a promo in complete support of Judge Roy Moore. He should have said that the government has no business interfering in the practice of religion. The founders of this nation were men of profound, deep faith and they would be appalled at how Hollywood and elitists undercut worship and spirituality at every turn. Really get the crowd on his side, as much as possible.

 

Then he could have said, Judge Moore has the right to excercise his religion, in public, however he wants...even if its the wrong religion, even if it involves false idols. Finally, he could have brought out a prayer mat, faced East, and started praying, while his manager played the part of imam, chanting in English that there is no God but Allah. Then we could have heard the Huntsville crowd hypocritally howl.

Speaking as an Alabamian, I would've LOVED to see that. Instead they went with the same old "evil foreigners" routine (even though they're NOT foreigners).

 

As for Roy Moore, people here do still remember him. He's a huge embarrassment to our state.

[Guest Jason]

Only thing that wouldn't work, is that their God, Allah, is the same as "God" to Christians, it's just a different name. Not a half bad story though. I think they wanted him to seem as bad as possible though.

[Guest I *Heart* Jeff Weaver]

(even though they're NOT foreigners).

I think one thing they did correctly was to make sure Hassan didn't have an accent. This isn't Dupree or Kenzo. If they can drill into the crowd that he's not an "evil foreigner" it can work. As for the promo itself, it was going pretty well until it turned into that overly dramatic screamfest.

[Myxamatosis 0]

It's interesting to hear the opinions that smarks have of marks.

 

This character is a smarks dream: a heel wrestler with the capabilities and personality to get his points across. But marks just don't buy the character.

 

We get it, but they don't. Interesting.