Sherri Martel Passes Away

[Downhome 0]

To be fair, this isn't the first time that WWE has used a "fake" 10-bell salute. It's been a long time, and when they did it they were doing it to pretty much mock someone, not pretending that someone really died, but it's not the first time they've done the 10-bell deal.

[Hawk 34 0]

WWE is fictional reality. WWE isn't obligated to even acknowledge the death of a former employee but they usually do.

 

If someone from the "ER" alumni that isn't on the show anymore dies, is ER supposed to halt all the storylines and pay a tribute show to that fallen former cast member? Of course not. Sherri was a sad lost and will be missed but expect and even want WWE to abort a storyline for her is dumbfounded. They aren't ignoring her death. It's covered on the site and it'll be mentioned on Raw.

[Mecca 0]

WWE is fictional reality. WWE isn't obligated to even acknowledge the death of a former employee but they usually do.

 

If someone from the "ER" alumni that isn't on the show anymore dies, is ER supposed to halt all the storylines and pay a tribute show to that fallen former cast member? Of course not. Sherri was a sad lost and will be missed but expect and even want WWE to abort a storyline for her is dumbfounded. They aren't ignoring her death. It's covered on the site and it'll be mentioned on Raw.

 

Some wrestling fans have a really hard time with what is real and what is a fictional story line......then they'll argue wrestling is different and yadda yadda....

 

The WWE is a TV show, it's a storyline plenty of TV shows have run, I don't get why wrestling is looked at in this different vacuum.

[Taker666 0]

This news really shocked me. at last years Hall of Fame ceromony she looked healthy and really great. I don't think theres been any reports of her having any kind of illness.

 

I will never forget when her and Kurt Angle sang Kurt's version of "Sexy Boy" on SmackDown 2 years ago. one of the most funniest moments ever.

 

RIP Sherri. you will be missed.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

If Shane/Steph/Linda or even Vince were to die while they're still running the Vince is dead thing, they'd almost have to admit its a storyline (OMG Shocker). Itd be something if one of them actually did die and they announced it on TV and it got the response from the crowd as Vince's did on SD, cause I think the fans would be "what do you think I am, stupid? They aren't really dead either."

 

Im sure if any current wrestlers died, or someone like Hogan that it would probably cause them to admit the storyline of Vince as well.

[TheFranchise 0]

I was saddened to see they used a ten bell salute, and even more than they had wrestlers talk about his death.

 

I was disappointed that Chavo had to speak on it.

 

I bet the wrestlers felt like dicks.

 

I don't know how Batista (or Benoit or Chavo if they were out there) could stand there during the bells after being there for Eddie's.

 

I know a lot of people get embarressed by wrestling, but to be honest, I very rarely don't.

 

But this was the first time i've truly felt uneasy or disillusioned by something WWE has done.

[Hasbeen1 0]

They're actors in a storyline. I said something similar in the smackdown post so I'll make this one brief, if an actress on Grey's Anatomy or whatever show loses a loved one to disease, should that show ban any disease storylines? Or murder on CSI?

[iliketurtles 0]

--There was serious talk within WWE yesterday regarding the McMahon angle due to the timing of the death of Sherri Martel. There was a significant push to drop the angle as quickly as possible, citing taste and timing, and another school of thought (that most expect would win out) to keep going

[UZI Suicide 0]

WWE is fictional reality. WWE isn't obligated to even acknowledge the death of a former employee but they usually do.

 

If someone from the "ER" alumni that isn't on the show anymore dies, is ER supposed to halt all the storylines and pay a tribute show to that fallen former cast member? Of course not. Sherri was a sad lost and will be missed but expect and even want WWE to abort a storyline for her is dumbfounded. They aren't ignoring her death. It's covered on the site and it'll be mentioned on Raw.

 

Let's be real, there is a clearly defined line between what is real and what is not on sitcom TV. When you see James Gandolfini on HBO you know he's Tony Soprano, when you see him at an awards show he's just regular old James Gandolfini, not looking to put a "hit" on anyone.

 

It's like on Fresh Prince of Bel Air, when Will Smith would randomly break the "fourth wall" and talk directly to the audience/camera during a scene.

 

WWE is not like this. They don't want to be a scripted soap opera TV show. They want to be viewed as a real sport. That is why they make Eugene act like a retard 24/7, even when he's just traveling in the airport. There is no clearly defined line between what the WWE wants you to believe is real and what isn't.

[Mike wanna be 0]

They're actors in a storyline. I said something similar in the smackdown post so I'll make this one brief, if an actress on Grey's Anatomy or whatever show loses a loved one to disease, should that show ban any disease storylines? Or murder on CSI?

There are several TV shows that won't touch on subjects due to their nature. In the WWE alone, Akeem & the Boss Man aren't "The Twin Towers" since 9/11. I can all but guarantee we'll never see Hassan's insurgent assault on the Undertaker shown the day of the London terror attacks. Several stations wouldn't show the Simpsons episode involving the towers until months, years after 9/11. It's certainly not unprecedented to change plans due to real-world circumstances.

 

Where the main problem comes in is that a real person died, and she would be LUCKY to get a sixty-second vignette to open RAW.

Meanwhile, a man that's not really dead will undoubtedly be receiving his fourth and fifth memorial HOURS on that same show (and the storyline itself will most likely carry throughout the summer, if not longer); and for what? Is Vince going to hide in his mansion until he dies, have a hearse sneak in the back, take him to a cemetery at 3 in the morning and bury him when no one's watching so kayfabe is preserved?

 

Face facts, sooner or later (either through booking or botch) it's going to be televised on WWE programming that he's not really dead. Anyone with two brain cells can do enough Google searches (one) to find out that it was a stunt and he's not really dead, because WWE.com is the only site out there saying he is.

 

The only, ONLY way this is remotely redeemable is if it turns into a parody; and it would have to be one hell of a parody, because otherwise WWE is basically saying "Our fanbase is too ignorant and stupid to believe real-world reports, and will buy into whatever we tell them regardless of who says otherwise."

[Atticus Chaos 0]

Face facts, sooner or later (either through booking or botch) it's going to be televised on WWE programming that he's not really dead. Anyone with two brain cells can do enough Google searches (one) to find out that it was a stunt and he's not really dead, because WWE.com is the only site out there saying he is.

 

The only, ONLY way this is remotely redeemable is if it turns into a parody; and it would have to be one hell of a parody, because otherwise WWE is basically saying "Our fanbase is too ignorant and stupid to believe real-world reports, and will buy into whatever we tell them regardless of who says otherwise."

 

 

If you look at all the stuff on wwe.com it's very tongue in cheek: talking about office workers sobbing into their coffee, selling bits of the limo on auction...etc They aren't actually trying to convince anyone he's dead, it's just stuff to push the storyline.

[Jingus 0]

WWE is not like this. They don't want to be a scripted soap opera TV show. They want to be viewed as a real sport. That is why they make Eugene act like a retard 24/7, even when he's just traveling in the airport. There is no clearly defined line between what the WWE wants you to believe is real and what isn't.

Exactly. Wrestling IS different. John Cena is playing John Cena. Vickie Guerrero is playing Eddie Guerrero's widow. Half the roster goes by their real, shoot names. And the other half are required to pretend that they really ARE 50's greasers or whatever whenever they're out in public. And let's not forget their recent decision to stop putting anything resembling a shoot story on WWE.com, for fear that it would expose the business or whatever.

 

 

But the Sherri debate misses the point. The WWE knew that someone could've died while they were running this storyline, yet they did it anyway. This company is run by horrible, tasteless people who have NEVER had any class. Why demand that they stop and and pretend that they give a shit about ethics and morality now?

[Mecca 0]

Vince McMahon himself said he doesn't believe more than 2% of the audience believe it's real.....When you make that argument that is more your thought than the WWE thought.......

 

How many times have you heard them say they are a action adventure series? Or in Beyond the Mat when Vince said "what we really do is make movies"

 

Because you perceive wrestling as different doesn't mean everyone does....or even them they're story lines are getting away from kayfabe wrestling and more toward TV series and have been for quite awhile.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

When it comes to wrestling, for those running the company, the line isn't a moral one it's a business one. If a storyline offends more people than it brings in, then it was too far. Personal ethics aside, you know that some storylines that don't offend you will offend others, and if you're running the show you've got to think about whether it's worth the potential risk, when it comes to turning off people than you make tune in or offending sponsors or something of that nature.

 

As a fan, I think the Vince storyline is going too far, as much for credibility as for taste. Even for wrestling, faking a death in this manner is just so nonsensical that, as amusing as has been to some people, there's nowhere to go with it that can make for any kind of acceptable payoff. As much as Vince wants to portray WWE as some 'action adventure' series, and as much as some people are using the 'it's just another TV show' to defend the angle's nonsensical nature, there are some things that just make no sense within the framework of a wrestling program. Assume the storyline ends up with it being revealed that Person X planted the bomb in the car and that Vince also, somehow, survived. How then do you logically explain that person not being arrested on charges of attempted murder? At least when the Horseman beat up Dusty Rhodes in the parking lot, you could, albeit at a bit of a stretch, accept that idea that Dusty didn''t want the police involved because he wants to get his revenge on the Horsemen in the ring. For the storyline to maintain whatever credibility it may have, even within the context of the show, you can't just have Vince ask for charges not to be pressed because he wants Person X to get beaten up in the ring. Even for wrestling, that would be stretching things too far. And if they decide to have it revealed that Vince faked the whole thing, for whatever reason, how do you deal with the fact that, presumably, the entire locker room and his whole family will hate his guts for putting them through the ordeal of thinking he's dead? Does it end up like every other angle involving Vince screwing people over and someone beats the shit out of him? That would be a letdown given how big the angle started and the fact that beating Vince up isn't that big of a deal anymore.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

There's another angle to it HTQ. Beyond the angle itself, this allows them to change the on-screen power structure of the company, at least temporarily. I think that's the immediate direction they'll take this.

[UZI Suicide 0]

Vince McMahon himself said he doesn't believe more than 2% of the audience believe it's real.....When you make that argument that is more your thought than the WWE thought.......

 

It's not a question of what is real, it's a question of what the WWE wants you to believe is real. They call themselves a "soap opera" or "movie" to try to defend the ridiculous storylines they put on TV, like Vince being "dead" or a corpse getting fucked. If the WWE really fancied itself a soap opera and didn't want people to believe kayfabe was still alive then they wouldn't, like I said, have Eugene be a retard 24/7 (basically, having people "live" their characters).

[The Truthiness 0]

It's funny how "fans" takes a thread paying respect to a great perfomer, turn in to a WWE smear campaign, and in the same breath say WWE is distasteful.

[Downhome 0]

The point of this thread being in the WWE folder is to discuss how it relates to WWE right now. If you only want to pay respects to her great career, go to the other thread in the General Wrestling folder.

[dubq 0]

There’s no sense harping on Vince for being tasteless - EVER. It’s pretty much an accepted fact. His mindset is that if any other TV Drama can do it.. then why not his? I’m actually inclined to agree with him in most cases. But I don’t watch anything they put on TV so who am I to talk?

[Jingus 0]

Vince McMahon himself said he doesn't believe more than 2% of the audience believe it's real.....When you make that argument that is more your thought than the WWE thought.......

 

How many times have you heard them say they are a action adventure series? Or in Beyond the Mat when Vince said "what we really do is make movies"

 

Because you perceive wrestling as different doesn't mean everyone does....or even them they're story lines are getting away from kayfabe wrestling and more toward TV series and have been for quite awhile.

Then stop calling the wrestlers by their real names. Stop using their real families in angles. And while we're at it, stop breaking their real backs in the rings. Get some stuntmen to do that crap, and mix it all together with CGI, just like the movies.

 

Wrestling IS different. There's no other show in the world where people pretend to be themselves on live TV. If everyone knows it's fake and doesn't care, like you say, why is the company worried that HDTV will show the missed punches in clearer detail? Why did they clamp down on WWE.com every time they started doing real behind-the-scenes stories? Why do the talent do kayfabed interviews to the press? Why do they never show Undertaker out of character, or Misterio out of mask? Even though they technically admit it's fake, they sure as hell still act like it's real.

 

 

It's been a long time, and when they did it they were doing it to pretty much mock someone, not pretending that someone really died, but it's not the first time they've done the 10-bell deal.

Nope. Remember the 10-bell for the death of Big Show's "father"? I think they did one for Al Wilson, too.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Well, I believe the storyline is going to play out as Vince faked the bombing himself because he was going nuts and needed to get away, or he found out about the planned bombing and then pretended to get killed in it, basically also to get away. I could be completely wrong, but either of those explanations would explain the police not arresting anyone (and who says they won't, on TV at least?)

[David Blazenwing 0]

I'm still waiting for him to randomly reappear on TV and say "ha, you all hated me before, but when you thought I died, your tune changed, guess you really do appreciate me after all" or some BS that leads to one or two wrestlers still hating Vince after he'd died, and creating a storyline/angle.

 

My best guess, the storyline will replace the figurehead of the company, slowly dissipate until it's forgotten, then Vince will show up on TV a year and a half from now and everyone will act like nothing had happened.

 

(Another thought I had while typing this, who's to say this isn't some stupid ego thing for McMahon either, ala "not even death itself can stop me!" or some more BS like that...)

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

My best guess, the storyline will replace the figurehead of the company, slowly dissipate until it's forgotten, then Vince will show up on TV a year and a half from now and everyone will act like nothing

 

I have this feeling that this angle is going to end up like something from Dallas. In other words the angle is going to get really out there, a bunch of crazy shit is going to happen then all of a sudden Linda wakes up in bed and then finds Vince in the shower and the whole death thing was all a dream.

[milliondollarchamp 0]

My best guess, the storyline will replace the figurehead of the company, slowly dissipate until it's forgotten, then Vince will show up on TV a year and a half from now and everyone will act like nothing

 

I have this feeling that this angle is going to end up like something from Dallas. In other words the angle is going to get really out there, a bunch of crazy shit is going to happen then all of a sudden Linda wakes up in bed and then finds Vince in the shower and the whole death thing was all a dream.

 

This could work only if things happen that you wouldnt expect like Sandman winning the WWE title and then when Linda wakes up and sees Vince everything goes back to normal and cena is still champ.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

Screw Sandman.... give the belt to Matt Hardy...or Candice. Let everything get REALLY out there. Turn Jim Ross heel again, CM Punk does the Pepsi Plunge, Kevin Thorn somehow becomes European Champion... The Rockers win the tag team titles after a nasty blood feud with the Highlanders and the Samoan Swat Team... Shane goes to the Lodge and Big Show and Hornswoggle talk backwards to him...Kane doesn't throw fire, he throws kittens...

 

 

THEN Linda wakes up.

[Mike wanna be 0]

My best guess, the storyline will replace the figurehead of the company, slowly dissipate until it's forgotten, then Vince will show up on TV a year and a half from now and everyone will act like nothing

 

I have this feeling that this angle is going to end up like something from Dallas. In other words the angle is going to get really out there, a bunch of crazy shit is going to happen then all of a sudden Linda wakes up in bed and then finds Vince in the shower and the whole death thing was all a dream.

I hope we don't get her finding Vince in the shower. If he wanted Kane to have three feet of junk between his legs in See No Evil, I shudder to think how much the Genetic Jackhammer would have dangling over his grapefruits.

[JimmyHendricks 0]

You know, I've been reading some in depth (and sometimes tongue in cheek) ideas for this angle not only here, but elsewhere. Scott Keith even broke out of his shell and posted a great big theory of how it could play out.

 

But this will end up exactly like all the other big angles the company has done in the last 10 years. Vince will probably re-appear on TV in a week or so, pull a "higher power" type of bait and switch to put himself over as such an evil bastard ("I did it MYSELF! Even my own FAMILY bought it!") and we'll be right back where we started. I really am starting to think that this is just a way to get him off of TV for about 2 or 3 weeks so his hair can finish growing back, or something dumb. It won't impact the ratings like they hope, so they'll end it quickly. It won't last the whole summer, maybe a month. I can remember reading that Lita was supposed to be pregnant for 9 entire months, and a week later Snitsky showed up.

 

They don't have the patience to let this play out. It was probably thought up in the limo on the way to RAW about 2 weeks ago.

 

As far as it relates to Sherri, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't mention her death at all. It will probably be regulated to A.M Raw or some show no one watches. I mean, as much as Sherri did for them, she wasn't Bret Hart or anyone.

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

My best guess, the storyline will replace the figurehead of the company, slowly dissipate until it's forgotten, then Vince will show up on TV a year and a half from now and everyone will act like nothing

 

I have this feeling that this angle is going to end up like something from Dallas. In other words the angle is going to get really out there, a bunch of crazy shit is going to happen then all of a sudden Linda wakes up in bed and then finds Vince in the shower and the whole death thing was all a dream.

I hope we don't get her finding Vince in the shower. If he wanted Kane to have three feet of junk between his legs in See No Evil, I shudder to think how much the Genetic Jackhammer would have dangling over his grapefruits.

 

For some reason I keep thinking of Kevin Bacon's shower scene in Wild Things when I read that.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Heck, why not show JR in the shower as a wink to the audience if we're going this route?

[Nate 0]

regardless of the storyline i am lookin forward to Raw tonight