Frustrations: Movies & Wrestling.

I have a few things to get rid of. Trival matters, but I've got to get rid of them.

I severely loathe when movies kill off characters just to add to the body count, or to "tie up loose ends." (Oh and there will be SPOILERS for a few films in this. You've been warned.) I watched two movies over the weekend, "2012" (which I'd seen a few months ago but didn't get to see the ending) and "Piranha" (which was in theaters as a 3D film). I like horror films and disaster films (such as "2012", "Deep Impact", etc.) are a guilty pleasure of mine. However, in both you have a cluster of people that you sorta get to know, and either get attached to or utterly despise. "Piranha" had both. It featured the protagonist, his family, the girl he liked and 3 people a part of a rip off of the "Girls Gone Wild" thing. The guy who was the owner and two girls, one of which we meet early on, a nice red head who actually is friendly and likeable. She's more than just a pair of tits, she's got a personality. The other, a blonde, is there only as piranha food and masturbation fodder.

So you get down to the last 30 minutes of the film and the two kids and the redhead had to shimmy across a rope from one boat to another to get to safety. The water underneath is infested with piranhas. Of course, they leap up, snag the redhead and eventually she gets freaked out enough that she falls into the water and is eaten. TOTALLY UNNECESSARY. But it's like the writers thought, "Hey, we're getting down to the end and we need to wrap this up. We can't kill off the mom, the kids, the protagnoist or his crush - lets kill the redhead!" So even though there'd been far enough gore to satisfy folks, she was the next to last kill. And there was no reason! She was a perfectly likable girl with a personality and a good heart it seemed, so it wasn't as though anyone was rooting for her to die (unlike the asshole owner of the company).

Same thing in "2012", there's a core group of folks who make it into the ark. The mom, dad (who're divorced), mom's boyfriend, 2 kids, a family of 4 Tibetians, and lastly a nice Russian girl who'd been another Russian man's girlfriend but he left her behind (long story). Anyways they all make it into the ark but because the door can't close all the way, water starts flooding in and water tight walls start closing off the compartments. They all get separated - in the first is the Tibetian family, the mom, dad and brother. In the middle is the Russian girl who gets her dog and the little sister to safety in the third compartment. She's trapped by herself. Mind, water is flooding into the first and middle compartments equally.

What happens? The family in the first compartment is saved when the dad gets the door to close and the compartment walls open back up. The nice Russian girl in the middle compartment? DROWNS. EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE BOTH FLOODING EQUALLY. Now this girl really had no reason to die, she could've been a foster mom to the Russian man's kids after he dies getting them onto the ark (again, long story). And the death makes no sense since water should've been coming into both compartments at an equal rate! Her death was stupid and senseless, another one that fits into the catagory of "Killing to even things out."

There's a lot of deaths that fall into this catagory. It's as if the writers have to get in every last kill they can, every last death, even if it means only having one or two people out of the group left alive at the end. Nevermind it would be more satisfying to have a few more survive.

Like in Freddy vs. Jason. The last two kills are Linderman and Kia (who's African-American - never a good thing in horror films..), who sorta have a connection between each other. Or they start to before Linderman, then Kia dies. They could've survived along with Lori and Will but noooo...bigger the body count, the better apparently. Which, normally I agree with, but when you get a connection with people you know aren't going to survive, it's a huge let down. When shit started going down, I knew Kia and Linderman wouldn't make it. It's the nature of horror films.

Doesn't make it easier or less frustrating though.

Which leads to my second frustration - wrestling. I've been a fan for 12 years now, since 1999. Started with the WWF, now I'm more of a fan of independent companies yet I still watch WWE. I keep an eye on it because there's still a few people I support, every once in awhile there's good matches, and there are only 3 women I really support. Beth Phoenix, Nattie Neidhart and AJ. And right now there's a program going on that is pitting Beth & Nattie versus everyone else for the most part. They're calling themselves the "Divas of Doom" and claim they're tired of the models. Over this past weekend, there was a whole lot of nonsense that happened online with an article and some of the Divas overreacting. Some people are saying that this should all be put on television and made part of the storyline. Let me make this really clear...

NONE. OF. THIS. MATTERS. You dig? Number one, it happened ONLINE. On twitter, which your basic wrestling watcher doesn't follow, and on wwe.com which doesn't get near the hits or the attention it did back in the attitude era where everyone and their mother had a website. Do you think the average person, who tunes in to see Cena or Orton actually knows or cares what's going on on Twitter? Take Zack Ryder, for instance. He has a very popular youtube show every week and has tried to get himself over, thinking it'll translate into something he can do on television. But he barely gets a crowd response. Sure there's always those few who follow his twitter and YT show who cheer, but otherwise? No. So for the Divas, who have for years been a filler segment or the victim of people that were pushed yet killed the crowd or the victim of stupid storylines, how much less attention does that translate into? You try putting any of this shit on television and you'll only confuse people who weren't paying attention, or bore the crowds - or both. Basically it boils down to this - if it doesn't happen on tv, it doesn't happen at all.

Number two - trying to get yourself over online does not translate into a tv push. Take Zack Ryder again. Sure he's on SD and has a bit of attention but it's nowhere near what people thought he would get. WWE does not like people trying to get over on their own. Vince is a jealous asshole with a very narrow focus. If you aren't Cena/Punk/HHH/Orton or one of those upper tier people, he DOES NOT CARE. Look at the Tag Team Division. Been dead for a few years now. You know it's dead when teams that are just thrown together have the belts - who remembered Otunga and McGillicutty had the straps until Kofi & Evan won them? They haven't had a "cruiserweight" division for years since Hornswoggle had the belt then it disappeared. Their IC title (supposed to be the number two belt, underneath the big one) has been on people that didn't deserve to carry Piper or Bret Hart's jock strap. Let alone hold a so-called prestigous title like the Intercontinental Championship. And the US title? Pfff. They only brought it back for the brand split. And their WWE/World Heavyweight Championship title mix has been stale for years. The only surprises were Christian holding the WHC to begin with and CM Punk 'leaving' with the WWE title.

(Edit - I wrote this before Raw on 9/5. Tonight Zack Ryder had a video package featuring clips from his YT stuff, was teamed with a WWF HOF and actually won a match with Lawler {against Otunga & McGillicutty, but still}, then had a cameo backstage with Cena. So I'm amending my example. If Zack's 'push', if it is a push, goes nowhere and next week he's nowhere to be found, then my point still stands and it's another indication of Vince jacking off the small percentage of internet fans who like Ryder & want him to succeed. And my point still stands.

HOWEVER...if his push continues, then it's worse: it's a case of double standards. Because some of the women have tried to get things going for themselves on the internet and hope it'll translate to TV time. If Ryder gets pushed while the women get punished, then it's sexism and my point will still stand, due to Vince not giving a shit still about the women. I felt in the face of what happened tonight I should amend this blog.)

So in the face of all that, I'll ask again - with the narrow focus Vince has, why on God's green earth would he care about the women? HE. DOES. NOT. CARE. And I'll wager dollars to donuts that the Bellas get punished for overreacting (because for God's sake, if you're going to react, do it in character. Don't drag your MOM or your BROTHER into it). Why? Because Brie brought up 3 people who left or were fired by the company, 3 people that are not in WWE's good graces. Melina & Gail Kim tried to get over using twitter and other online medias and look what happened to them.

No matter what articles are written in support of Beth & Nattie, no matter the calls for change, no matter what the wrestlers themselves think - it does not matter. When all this is over, things will go back to normal. Kelly will go over both of them to face the next model-turned-wrestler. They will hire more useless women like Ariane who have no history, no prior knowledge and no prior training, and put them in FCW where they'll continue to learn how to incorrectly run the ropes and do other things the wrong way. Only to put them on tv in 2 minute matches and pray to God they don't injure themselves.

People, WWE isn't going to hire Sara Del Rey, Mercedes Martinez, Jessicka Havok or anyone else with actual, solid skills. Not unless the women are willing to radically change their appearances to fit the Diva Standard (TM). Look at Tenille. She's decent in the ring but she didn't have a prayer until she changed her hair colour and got breast implants. Gone are the days of Alundra Blayze, Bull Nakano, Luna Vachon, Aja Kong, Wendy Richter and Sherri Martel. GONE. Now you have to have the looks. Not the talent. I get so tired of people asking why WWE doesn't hire such and such. BECAUSE THEY DON'T LOOK THE WAY VINCE WANTS THEM TO LOOK! Is it that hard of a concept to figure out???

If you like these women, if you prefer skill over looks, then for fuck's sake, support independent promotions that feature these women!!! It isn't hard! Buy the DVDs, buy their t-shirts, go to the shows when you can! Send them messages of support! With all the social media there is nowadays, it isn't hard to get in touch with the women you admire. Don't send them messages asking why they don't go to WWE or TNA - do you realise how many times they've gotten that question? Sometimes, just sometimes, it's their own choice to NOT go. Like MsChif, she said flat out when talking to Stew & Lee that she didn't want to change the character that she'd crafted over the years. She didn't want to compromise herself - and I'll wager there's a lot of other women that don't want to compromise their characters, their values or theirselves to fit a Diva Standard (TM).

Would it be great to see your favourites every week? Sure - and you can if you buy their DVDs and pop them in and see them at their best instead of seeing them maybe once a week in a watered down form. And make no mistake, they would water down even the best, to fit them into the 2 - 3 minutes the Divas nowadays get. Divas fit in a box. THIS WILL NOT CHANGE.

Support the women who give you the wrestling you want. You want Divas? Watch WWE. You want Knockouts? Watch TNA. You want more female wrestling? Watch independents. It's that simple. Whatever floats your boat.

And while I'm at it, this shit with wrestling fandoms is fucking ridiculous. One fan thinks they're better because they watch WWE. One fan thinks they're better because they watch Joshi. One fan thinks everyone else is stupid for not watching TNA. One site thinks they're the best because they cover everything equally, one site thinks they're the best because they cover only independents, one site boasts "We're the greatest" because of the interviews they get.

If I may quote Holden from "Chasing Amy"..."AW COME ON, ITS ALL A BUNCH OF HORSE SHIT!"

What, watching one promotion, prefering one promotion over another makes you a BETTER fan, a better person?? Your shit stinks just like everyone else's my friend. While I fly my indy flag proudly, I don't look down on anyone else for watching WWE or TNA. (Although I hate TNA's management for what they did to Daffney, and how they continue to run their company, I don't look down on folks who watch it still.)

Why? Because I still watch WWE. It's what got me into wrestling. And there's still a few people I support and like to watch. And although I would love for things to change, I'm realistic enough to know that they won't. At least, not until Vince is dead or something. So I save my money to support promotions that satisfy me as a fan and as a woman. And I watch YT clips of WWE or the program itself if I feel like it.

Just because you watch only independent wrestling doesn't make you better than me or anyone else. Just because you watch only WWE or TNA doesn't make you better than me or anyone else.

And these sites that say "We're the best!" - are you out to promote yourselves or the women & men who need all the exposure and support they can get? If you're out to promote yourselves, then at least be honest about your goals. Don't brag then say, oh it's all about the people/the business. No, it's about YOU. Most of us don't get paid for writing/contributing to websites, we do it because we love the business, we want to make it better, we want to repay it somehow for the years of great memories it's given us, and we want to support the hard working women and men who don't get enough money or exposure that they deserve.

If people like what we do, then that's great. They'll say so. But it'll be THEM saying that we're good, we won't say it ourselves. Confidence in your work is key, but bragging isn't.

And as long as what we do benefits the women & men that actually wrestle and bust their asses for our entertainment, that is the ONLY thing that matters. If any wrestling website that covers independent promotions exposes it to one new fan, shows them that there's more out there than what's on tv, then the work is worth it. If it causes one new fan to shell out the money for a DVD from SHIMMER, WSU, nCw FF, ACW, EVE, PWWA, then the work is worth it.

But belittling people just because they have a personal preference as to what they watch? That helps nothing and no one. It just makes you look like a douchebag. And wrestling has enough of those. That is abundantly clear.