I don't think I'm inside my own mind today... there has been a tried and true argument the opposite sex employs in contrarian fashion to the art that is Professional Wrestling. That argument is "Well... it's just like a Soap Opera."
Bullshit!
Here are the realms which Wrestling and Soaps are comparable:
- They both have ridiculous "plots"
- They both involve overacting
- The quality of both products is questionable
This is where the similarities end. Let me take a moment to debunk these comparisons.
1) The Plots:
In wrestling there are really only so many realms which these plots which are used to give the actual WRESTLING more drama and supposed meaning actually work. Usually you have to try and make the plots unfold in a way that the viewers can relate to so of course the drama is going to be comparable to Soaps. There are really only so many ways that drama can be convened in a realistic manner and Wrestling is especially restricted in this. I mean when you're having a bunch of dudes fighting each other as the vocal point of your entertainment, the plots should work around that and that's not how it really works anymore which is a shame. That's another rant for another day. Wrestling is more limited than Soap Operas in the realm of what can actually be done.
2) Overacting:
This is an easy debunk. Actors are trained professionals, acting is their skill. They are paid to overact. Wrestlers are not trained actors, some are much better actors than others but really they aren't paid to act. They're paid to wrestle. As a result, the 'acting' portrayed by many professional wrestlers is bad simply because they are not good actors, not because they're over acting on purpose.
You get a rare gem like The Rock who was an excellent entertainer and could hold his own next to most any actor, in my opinion then you get guys like Hulk Hogan who's fame got him movie roles but his acting skills left much to be desired.
3) Questionable Product:
Soap Operas suck, I don't care who you are. Thing is, Wrestling sucks too. It has for the better part of a decade now. It just doesn't have the same spirit it once did. The characters aren't as interesting as they used to be and even the in-ring wrestling product is a pale force of what it once was. Soap Operas, I don't need to go there. If you like seeing the same plots re-enacted over and over again, with the same characters than clearly Wrestling and Soap Operas are for you.
Outside of these three elements, they are not even close to being similar. Soap Operas are daytime drams. Wrestling is just that. WRESTLING. It's about two dudes who have been professionally trained to fight each other without hurting each other and yet make it brutal as hell. There's a certain art to Wrestling that's always intrigued me and in my teen years I even wanted to BE a wrestler.
Mick Foley got thrown off a steel cage over ten feet high and crashed through an announcers table. Nothing fake or overacted about that. His teeth went through his face, it was something he would never do again to that extent but it looked awesome and is the kind of moment that wrestling fans will always remember. Mick Foley, and all other wrestlers put their bodies and sometimes their very lives on the line to entertain people. Do Soap Opera actors do that? Fuck no!
So yeah, it's a mute argument for the most part and I can already sense those soap fans sneering at the mere assertion that their cherished actors are insignificant in comparison to some buff dudes with a shaved chests pretending to beat the crap out of each other. Wrestling was something I grew up watching and something I will probably always love, no matter how crappy it is.
