7 Massive WWE Changes WresteMania 32 Highlighted

7. There Is No Irony In WWE Anymore

People seem to forget that not all wrestling fans in the past have been in it because they actually love the medium. When wrestlers were featuring on things like talk shows and MTV in the pre-internet 1980s, it wasn't because these people believed in the ‘art of wrestling.' It was because they thought it was incredible that there was an entertainment product that featured bodybuilders dressed as cartoon characters acting out morality tales via scripted sports matches.

Similarly, in the 1990s part of the explosion of wrestling came down to the sheer insanity of the product. It was the ultimate form of trash television, and everyone, including the WWF, knew it. They played upon it, and that was part of what made it so enjoyable.

WrestleMania this year highlighted just how much things have changed. WrestleMania is now meant to be a showpiece of narrative drama, grounded somewhat inexplicably in ‘realism.' Despite the fact that WWE programming is often incredibly childish and whacky, there is no longer any real self-reflexivity in how WWE presents itself on the biggest stage. 

For example, the main event pantomime was truly meant to be epic and was expected to increase the drama of the match. And while Stephanie was willing to ham her role up considerably, it wasn’t played for laughs. She was meant to be the villain presenting herself in melodrama, and her performance was the artistic expression of the evil character she was. The match was then subsequently played as if the entire future of the company indeed rested on its outcome. Which is kind of weird for a show about play fighting.

It's not necessarily a bad change. In fact, plenty of fans like myself have been begging for more grounded storytelling for years. But it's also sad to think that all the fun that made the WWF such a surreal and fun product has all but vanished in the quest to be seen as serious entertainment. I would love to see someone like Rip Taylor come out for WrestleMania again, rather than have to bear another sombre and melodramatic opening sequence voiced by Sideshow Bob.