There was a time not too long ago when it was next to impossible to tell reality from fiction when it came to wrestling because the lines were so well blurred.
Sure, it was easy to tell the action in the ring wasn’t real to an extent, but the antics backstage, gestures, and so on added a whole other layer.
In fact, it wasn’t uncommon for heels to upset fans to the point they rioted and tried to attack and kill the heels while they were in the ring or arena.
Jim Cornette talked about this a couple of years ago on his podcast and mentioned how he was taught to take out eyes and go for the groin if a riot happened.
Bret Hart talked about fans rioting it in his book Hitman, and there have been numerous accounts of heels receiving death threats over the years for stirring things up.
It’s the mark of great storytelling when we’re so drawn in we can’t stand a character, but after the WWE pulled back the kayfabe curtain in the 90s and now with social media, there’s no mystique anymore.
Breaking the myth
That suspension of disbelief is key for many fans to fully buy in, and social media has weakened the art for many. It’s something JBL recently talked about on the After the Bell Podcast.
Special thanks to @Thewrestling_news_2 for the transcript.
“I have seen guys do some type of dastardly heel tactic or whatever it is. And then they put on their social media their kids and a bible scripture. Like, dude, there’s nothing wrong with your kids and a bible scripture, that’s wonderful. But not if you want to be a heel, you’ve got to stay in character. This social media kills a lot of these guys. Because they just expose the fact that what they’re doing is a work.”
He makes a great point, but there are also fans that know all of that and can still get lost in the character if it’s done right.
Of course, there are plenty that stay in character, or make it very difficult to figure out of they’re in character or not, and that helps keep the illusion for our benefit.
When it comes to heels, we love to hate them and the louder our boos the better they’re doing at putting their opponents over. It’s great to see it worked to a true art.
What do you think? Is social media ruining heels? Let us know in the comments below.
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