Change the Eyes: Examining The ‘Reality Era’

The most important kind of freedom is to be what you really are. You trade in your reality for a role. You give up your ability to feel, and in exchange, put on a mask.
-Jim Morrison

Last Tuesday, the wrestling world went ablaze after a confrontation between The Miz and Daniel Bryan erupted on Talking Smack. Bryan, the current Smackdown General Manager ran down the WWE Intercontinental Champion for his cowardice, claiming that The Miz does not wrestle with the abandon he needs to succeed and gain the support of fans needed to take him to the next level. The Miz fired back with a response that instantly put the industry on notice, stating that he wrestles the “style” he does so he can perform for ten years with his body intact, blasting Bryan for his hypocrisy; Bryan reached the top of the mountain at WrestleMania XXX, winning the WWE World Heavyweight Title, but could not fully defend said title as he relinquished the belt due to injury. To make matters worse, Bryan did not defend his newly won Intercontinental Title he captured at WrestleMania 31, relinquishing the title that The Miz now wears and eventually retiring from in-ring competition. The moment was engrossing, captivating, and from the palpable emotions beaming from both Bryan and Miz…real.

Or was it? Ladies, and gentlemen: Welcome to the Reality Era…but what is that? Is this buzzword-speak? A made up “era” from the high perch of a corporate structure that is out of touch with its fanbase? Or is the Reality Era the most brilliant device from WWE in ages, where they somehow found a way to utilize its own perceptions created from the minds of its own fans and somehow re-built the wall of kayfabe that was shattered during the days of Attitude?

AWAKE AND DREAMING

On the Road to WrestleMania XXX, the C.O.O. of WWE declared that we were in the opening stages of the Reality Era. During an in-ring sitdown interview with Michael Cole on the March 24, 2014 edition of RAW, Triple H took fans to task for their apathy towards the product, going as far as instructing those fans to “send a tweet and express their displeasure.” It was Triple H at his most deliciously heelish, taunting the WWE Universe with fake cries and declaring he was going to end the Yes Movement. Despite the ramblings that Triple H has been known for, there was one particular moment in his promo that stood out:

“The world has changed and I can’t take it anymore, so you know what? Maybe it’s on me to change the future, maybe it’s on me to decide where this whole thing goes…”

Triple H’s final statement before officially declaring the start of the Reality Era seemed strangely out of place for a heel. While, yes, Triple H has always been booked as a different sort of villain, one who seems near invincible, there was something jarring in the tone where he decided to take responsibility for the actions of the fans. Instead of telling them to stick it, instead of declaring his unyielding, unchanging ways, Triple H – as a heel…spoke as an advocate of change in WWE?

If you reviewed the promo in its entirety, one can see the paradigm shift in WWE at that moment, from the seemingly cartoonish antics of the John Cena led PG-Era to the type of product that is presented to fans today. A serious-minded, in-ring sit down interview with the “voice of WWE” was a rarity at that point in time. The concerns that escaped Triple H’s lips about fan apprehension towards WWE was a rundown of every Vince McMahon stereotype that we perceive, and his projected perception of us. The fondness of the glory days during the Attitude Era, the delight of having the fans’ raucous involvement even during some of the most heinous and distasteful acts on television, the generational gap and complacency with the new crop of fans and the admittance that we are more concerned with stating our opinions via social media than engaging ourselves in the moment as the product is delivered to us. The perception is that Vince McMahon is out of touch, old, lives in a bubble and does not understand the new technology that the world has embraced. Not only that, but McMahon has absolutely no clue on how to utilize that technology to engage and grow his audience. It is the perception, and as they say, perception is reality. As they say, anyway.

INCEPTION OF PERCEPTION

Here is the hard truth: Professional wrestling has always been based on our very real, visceral feelings towards the product, and as outsiders looking in, we have no clue, no filter and no discernible way of knowing or understanding the inner-workings of the professional wrestling business, or WWE for that matter. Everything we knew about the WWE juggernaut has been fed via dirtsheets, rumor mills and hearsay…and we have been quick to project our own dis-satisfactions and desires of the product based on that information.

Vince McMahon refuses to turn John Cena heel? It must be true, because it has never happened as of yet. Talents like Daniel Bryan being held back because of their size, grappling style or independent credentials? It must be a fact, because precedence had been set in the past with talents like CM Punk. Brock Lesnar must be a prick of the highest order in real life because that is how he presents himself. The fourth wall has been broken for so long and we have been so focused on the backstage musings and extra-curricular activities of companies and talent that we have been completely unaware of the wall being re-built right before our very eyes. One of the first rules of magic is understanding the importance of misdirection so the audience is not aware of the engineering logic of the trick.

Who knows how long we have been looking the other way? I am not sure myself, but I feel confident I can point to its inspiration: Zack Ryder.

I am not proposing some vast conspiracy theory where WWE has been “working the marks” for the past five years, but there is a distinct correlation between the fans reactions to Long Island Iced Z when his popularity grew out of WWE’s control, WWE’s handling of said popularity and our reaction to said handling. Ryder got buried, we say. Vince McMahon is throwing away guaranteed money. Honestly, our reaction to Ryder’s treatment in WWE itself has become a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts that has bled into the tropes and clichés of wrestling fans ourselves. Of course Ryder was never going to get a chance to shine. Of course as soon as the upper brass discovered his popularity was hijacking moments in WWE programming, they were going to do everything they could to discredit Ryder as a character. Of course John Cena was going to be the one to obliterate casual fan perceptions of The Zack Attack because Cena is not only invulnerable, but as a character, is a bit of a douchebag. We were pissed and we projected everything we could not stand about the WWE product on message boards, forums and comment sections. And we projected HARD. Here we are five years later, Ryder is still with the company and even had an out of nowhere WrestleMania moment, as he won the IC Title during an entertaining ladder match. The question posed from most fans post WM 32 was “Why Ryder?” Why was Ryder chosen to win the title after years of being treated as an afterthought when there were other options that would have made “more sense”?

Reality. Maybe Ryder capturing the title makes the most sense if he is involved in one of the longest cons in WWE history. Ryder is perceived as the face of the superstar screwed over by the machine, who made it on his own and can never catch a break. Just a day later, he lost the IC Title to The Miz, not even allowing himself or his fans ample time to relish in his victory. The evil WWE strikes again! When will Ryder get his due? The aggravation fans of Ryder are feeling are rooted in reality and has effectively made an entire entity a heel onto itself. The New World Order amplified.

Yes, I know what will be said: Ryder is a midcarder at best. Ryder did not hold the support of fans when he needed to when his act was hottest. There will also be rumblings that WWE cut him off at the knees before he could get started. He was “punished” for getting a swell of support that was organic and not part of the WWE machine. WWE may have even taken Ryder’s popularity on the internet and parlayed that into creating the WWE Network. Which of these statements are true? Maybe all of them? Maybe none of them.

PIPE BOMBS AND LEGITIMACY
…I’ve grabbed so many of Vincent K. McMahon’s brass rings that it’s finally dawned on me that they’re just that, they’re completely imaginary. The only thing that’s real is me…
-CM Punk, 2011

On a hot summer night in Las Vegas, CM Punk unleashed the now infamous “Pipe Bomb” and his feelings about WWE to the world. In the lead up to Money in the Bank and the Summer of Punk II, Punk sat at the top of the ramp, cross-legged and voiced the displeasure that a majority of the fans were feeling at the time. What has become lost in the shout outs to Colt Cabana, the microphone cutting off and the historical significance of the promo itself are two key points the Straight-Edge Superstar made that encapsulates and serves as a per-cursor to the Reality Era.

Punk claimed that he did not hate John Cena, instead expressed the notion that John Cena was perceived as “the best”. By this point, the leader of the Cenation had been made to look indestructible during his run at the top of WWE, despite an influx of talent that had been deemed as more “credible” and “talented” according to a contingent of fans. Cena was not heralded as the best because of his in-ring prowess, but instead was thrust into the spotlight as the face of the company for his marketing capabilities, his non-stop charitable work and unwavering support of WWE, making every possible media appearance imaginable. Fans had been conditioned for generations to accept the best, the flag-bearer and champion of any given promotion as the ultimate talent upon the totem pole, and if not that, the best representation of the direction of professional wrestling at the time. Fans had grown tired of John Cena’s act (for a while, now) and Punk had exposed the perception that we supposedly already knew. Reality used and fused to sell a pay per view.

The other point was Punk’s admittance that not only is he a “Paul Heyman Guy”, but name dropped Brock Lesnar, a name that had not been uttered on WWE television for some time. The “breaking of the fourth wall”, as Punk admitted that he was doing was made clear when Punk called out The Beast for leaving WWE. Fans had been conditioned at that point that anything that happened outside of WWE did not exist, and the talents that had burned bridges with WWE were scrubbed from the annals of history. Less than a year later, Lesnar made his return to WWE after a 10 year hiatus. At the same WrestleMania that saw Daniel Bryan victorious, Brock Lesnar ended the streak of The Undertaker’s perfect winning record.

While the reactions were real and visceral from fans who witnessed this earth-shattering event in the wrestling world, the implications were even more substantial. The Undertaker represented the last of the “larger than life characters” that called WWE their home. The supernatural powers, the over the top presentation and motif of mortality (and immortality) that was represented was eviscerated. Taking the Undertaker’s mythical place was a man who was a myth onto himself based on the reality of his own accomplishments. Brock Lesnar is a man…a Beast of a man, but a man nonetheless, and as the new Final Boss of WWE, represents the new reality-based edge of the product.

The Beast is the living embodiment of this new WWE “Reality”, where someone who has credentials from the outside world can step in and, acting as himself can manifest perceptions and projections we fans have of him. Lesnar simply plays off those emotions. Lesnar is bearing the legacy (or burden, depending) of breaking the Undertaker’s Streak and stands as a defiant reminder of the blurred face/heel lines that are blurring more every day, as fans cheer competitors not based on alignments of “good” and “bad” characters, but from performance. Lesnar was hailed as a hero vs. Cena when he demolished him at SummerSlam 2014 for the WWE World Heavyweight Title and against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 31 and booed when he stood toe to toe with The Undertaker for their series of rematches after breaking the Streak. Lesnar changed nothing about his “persona”, only acting how Brock Lesnar acts in the reality we envision him in.

As a performer who is perceived to not care about the industry except for his own gains, Lesnar’s last run with the WWE Title was a hot topic among fans. Should a part-timer be bestowed the honor of champion when he is rarely there to defend it? In those fans eyes, Lesnar is a heel holding the most prestigious title in wrestling hostage. Is that the desired reaction WWE hoped to accomplish? After Lesnar’s destruction of Randy Orton at SummerSlam this year, reports about Chris Jericho questioning the legitimacy of the finish came about and added a new dimension to the Lesnar mystique. What The Beast does seems real, the reactions from backstage must be real…and we act accordingly with our own real emotions and opinions.

THE IMAGE OF DAMAGE

Those real emotions and opinions cater to the shocking storyline in which Shane McMahon returned to WWE. Shane has always been perceived by fans as the “normal McMahon”, the rightful heir to the WWE Empire who went on his own to prove that he did not need his father’s business to be successful. His return opened a floodgate of real emotions from those fans who has hoped against hope that Shane would eventually return and remove the hated Stephanie McMahon from the position of power she enjoys not only on camera, but behind the scenes as well.

Shane’s return may have been the great clue fans need to understand WWE’s new storytelling direction and the techniques they use to get those stories out: how was it that the dirtsheets were able to report pretty much every major spoiler and surprise of nearly every major show and somehow miss something as game-changing as the return of Vince McMahon’s own son? How is nearly everything involving Shane McMahon is so tight-lipped, with wildly conflicting items about his on-screen and behind the scenes roles being reported? WWE is finally figuring out not only what stories get out to the public, but how those stories get out via social media, well-timed “leaks” and the emergence of ESPN’s involvement with WWE.

ESPN themselves are playing their own role in the direction of WWE’s new “reality”, allowing performers to appear on camera as themselves, releasing true-to-life stories (ESPN broke Roman Reigns’ Wellness violation) and covering major WWE events with the pomp and circumstance of the Super Bowl. Jonathan Coachman, who has gone on record to admit his lobbying for this partnership, is no stranger to the presentation of WWE’s image. The ESPN vertical page for WWE that was launched a few weeks ago presents news items and opinion pieces based on the real day-to-day operations of the company, yet those items still somehow tote the line of what fans perceive as the continuous glaring creative and logistical issues the company has faced.

As the newest major story surfaces, fans are now privy to Seth Rollins and his “recklessness”. Rollins’ actions within the ring has broken John Cena’s nose, injured Sting to the point where he had to retire from in-ring competition and was a factor in Finn Balor having to relinquish his newly won WWE Universal Title. The concern over The Architect’s safety within the ring has become a reflection of WWE’s meta-based storytelling. While we as fans are aware of the storyline implications of a vacated title, the underlying real story is that of Seth Rollins himself. Bret Hart, Lance Storm, Tazz and others have all chimed in with opinions, feeding into our own notions of what is “safe” within the ring and has added a new dangerous layer to Rollins’ actions as he performs; but we have played this game before, and recently as well.

At the start of AJ Styles’ run with New Japan, The Phenomenal One found himself as the villain of the wrestling world when a Styles Clash severely injured Yoshitatsu and nearly paralyzed him, after close calls with Roderick Strong and Lionheart earlier in the year. Lionheart took to Facebook to plead with Styles to retire the move. Four days later, a Styles Clash nearly ended the career of Satoshi Kojima. The story gained momentum as fans voiced their opinions to either vilify or defend Styles.

Every New Japan match AJ Styles would have thereafter focused solely on if Styles would injure his next opponent. This was something along the lines of Chris Benoit taking on the “Crippler” moniker in ECW, but amplified for a larger audience. Reality bleeds into fiction and vice-versa. Seth Rollins is now the new “dangerous” heel, and I wonder if WWE in this new “reality” will not only allow Rollins to continue using the Buckle-Bomb, but to play it up as a career-ending move, something that may be hit only rarely like Randy Orton’s Punt or a Piledriver. From a few seemingly fluke occurrences, fans are now more invested in Seth Rollins than ever before because the reality of his in-ring style represents the new direction of WWE and the changing fanbase attempting to adjust to the new era.

HITTING THE MARK

We have viewed WWE through a certain prism and from a certain distance for some time. Before the internet, we were able to examine the company (and other promotions) at an arm’s length only because that is what the promotion allowed. Heels never rode with faces into other towns. Performers did everything they could to continue the mystique that what they were doing was “real” in the eyes of those who enjoyed the artform. This all changed upon Scott Hall hopping the barricade one famous Nitro, shocking and confusing fans who was becoming educated on wrestling “behind the curtain”.

Raven has gone on record to state that smart marks are the easiest fans to fool because they are the most invested in the product and present themselves as all-knowing fans, when they are anything but. The truth is that we don’t know everything, especially the presentation of what is given to us. We only know what we see and what we hear – that does not mean it is an evident truth. Perception is reality, but in wrestling, the projections and opinions of those perceptions is what sells tickets. We still debate over if Daniel Bryan’s rise culminating at WrestleMania XXX was an anomaly of WWE finally listening to fans or if it was one of the greatest worked-shoot storylines in history. We still loathe Stephanie McMahon and are unable to decipher where the real person begins and the character ends.

We read news items about Roman Reigns and from my perspective, WWE has used our speculation of “The Guy” against us. Since Reigns’ arrival as the silent muscle of The Shield, we have been given more than our fill of scoops about his lineage to The Rock, the favoritism shown from Vince McMahon and Reigns’ skyrocket path to the main event of WrestleMania, despite the obvious rejection from a large contingent of the fanbase. John Cena made his career and helped return the McMahon dynasty to the billionaires club off a chorus of boos. It is not unlikely that the expected reaction to Reigns won’t make WWE even more money.

The dislike for Reigns intensified once word got out of his Wellness violation and now we are in the midst of Roman Reigns’ redemption. WWE now has a tangible reason to explain why Reigns is so revered and reviled among the its Universe. It’s the obvious storyline to follow: Roman screwed up, will he make up for it and return to win the fans back, or will he crumble under the pressure of the commitment of being the new face of WWE? Of COURSE he would go after the United States title upon his return; it’s the UNITED STATES Title, it was the last title held by the current Face of the company, and if he wants to get back to World Title status, he needs to prove that he can successfully manage a midcard title. Reigns’ career started out as one of WWE’s Golden Boys and now because of nothing more than the reality of his own personal flaws, The Big Dog is in a true to life underdog story. That’s the “perception” anyway – there are still a vocal lot who believe this whole wellness business with Roman is a work of the highest order, manufactured to evoke that exact type of sympathy in a cynical attempt to re-coronate Reigns as the Face of the Company. Remember, he’s not a “good” Guy or a “bad” Guy, etc. Truth is stranger than fiction…but great fiction is rooted in truth.

CHANGE THE EYES

Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes which see reality.
-Nikos Kazantzakis

If this is what is truly happening, the “Reality Era” is some kind of brilliant social study in fan interaction and marketing. The curtain of kayfabe has been pulled back, so use what we know as the illusion itself. Let’s have an honest conversation: how many of us are truly convinced over the “real” events of Total Divas? We are aware that the social media tweets, posts and even media appearances of superstars are rooted in this environment of instant celebrity. At the same time, the in-ring action has taken a more “realistic” tone, where submissions, strikes and counter wrestling is starting to become the norm of WWE performers, a far cry from the chaotic, weapon-filled antics of Attitude or even the larger than life spectacle of Rock n’ Wrestling.

The presentation of the Cruiserweight Classic is the newest evolution of WWE’s product: a 32-man tournament focusing on a diverse pool of talent from around the globe, competing for no other reason than to be the best. Each performer has their own story about how they reached this level in their career and how they aspire to push their own brand to the apex. No limits are off mentioning rival independent promotions…the performers have arrived using the monikers that demanded WWE’s attention in the first place.

From THE Brian Kendrick’s road to redemption and his connection to commentator Daniel Bryan, to Kota Ibushi making his mark to expand his international fame, to Zack Sabre Jr. looking to prove detractors of his size and grappling ability, each one of these artists are already fully formed personalities, far from the grip of McMahon “re-imagining” talent under his umbrella. These are the real individuals, the only filter between them and us is our own imaginations and perceptions; of the competitors and how WWE views each competitor as a future star. The Cruiserweight Classic is not only a tournament to crown arguably the best grappler under 205lbs, but is also a showcase of overall talent, presented as an introduction of a new style to the mainstream.

Just as we are captivated by the match between Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano, we are just as engrossed to the personal story intertwining the paths of lifelong tag partners and rivals. Kota Ibushi may be the uncrowned king of the CWC, but the fans demand that Triple H sign Cedric Alexander. Our emotional response for Alexander’s was authentic and that authenticity may have discovered a new superstar. The future implications of what kind of performer WWE views as a “Superstar” may be undergoing a shift. The phenomenon that was the YES! Movement in the lead up to WrestleMania XXX compelled fans because it was rooted in the reality to how they felt about WWE itself – but what was booked in advance or on the fly is a mystery in itself.

That is the mystery of pro wrestling. The moment when we are convinced, beyond all disbelief that what we are seeing is real past the thrown punches, botches and stumbling promos. We all saw that moment in that one performer; the hostility surrounding Gorgeous George; Dusty Rhodes talking about “Hard Times” – a cage door slamming against the side of Kerry Von Erich nearly incited a riot.

So we are at a strange CrossRhodes in 2016: we are envisioning an era where the reality of wrestling is no longer bound to the fourth-wall “kayfabe” interaction with its fans. The stories that compel fans are being captured via our own imaginations and perceptions of WWE from real life and real-life gossip. We all have our favorites and are prone to follow their stories. How do we feel when we read tidbits about setbacks in their careers? Whether it is an injury, a freak event or booking decisions that lead us to think sabotage or favoritism is in the air, we have an investment not with only the character of the pro wrestler, but the real person behind the character: some form of Meta-Kayfabe.

Does that really translate into what fans are experiencing since Triple H made his declaration in 2014? We just need to ask ourselves if Seth Rollins’ newfound notoriety of “recklessness” in the ring will cause the audience to turn on him even more as he enters a storyline where he may play the hero against The Game. Maybe Roman Reigns’ return from wellness eventually will serve as a catalyst to turn around fan support and fulfill his destiny of being the next Face of the Company. Was Dean Ambrose’s lax interview with Steve Austin while WWE Champ put him in the bullseye on him from Stanford? How will AJ Styles continue to buck tradition on how WWE treats stars who were not a Vince McMahon creation? Will Cedric Alexander live up to the expectations thrust upon him when fans demanded he be signed?

Zack Ryder’s story can only end in one of two ways for his most ardent followers: he either scratches and claws his way through the path he forged for himself to be viewed with credibility and value by the same company that undercuts him at every turn, or Ryder is finally broken and departs WWE as a man who will only be known for his potential. Fans will tweet about it, comment on news stories concerning it and write entire essays about it on Reddit. We used to get information about wrestling via monthly mags and tape trading. Now we are connected with any performer around the world at all times. It’s a whole new form of perception and deception as performers communicate with the fanbase on podcasts, Instagram posts and YouTube videos.

The Miz is in a way, a face of this new “real” performer. He got his notoriety in “reality television”. He was treated as an afterthought and joke by both the wrestling biz and its fans for years. He toiled and grew as a competitor, gained his credibility among fans organically and reached the pinnacle, main eventing WrestleMania…and won, pinning John Cena in the process and sharing the ring as The Rock. He is the other side of the same coin to Daniel Bryan, whose WrestleMania moment erupted from the reality of the WWE Universe “hijacking” the promotion. Their interactions and the perceptions we have of their interactions evoke genuine emotions whether being offended The Miz was Bryan’s “mentor” in NXT, elation as Bryan finally toppled The A-Lister for the United States Title or a fired up confusion when The Miz successfully debated a philosophical shift in how performers treat their bodies in the new millennium.

And our excitement for compelling moments like those is as real as it gets.

Do you think “kayfabe” is truly dead, or has it been re-defined in the new social media age? Share your thoughts below!

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