8. Mark/Smark
Another set of terms you see all the time, "mark" and "smark" are often used as insults lobbed from one side to the other during wars of words. In reality, it doesn't make any sense for both sides to be at war with each other, because... we're all marks in some way. There is no such thing as a "smart mark", ladies and gentlemen. You're still a mark. Reading internet sites and hearing rumors (most of which aren't anywhere near the truth, anyway) doesn't make you "smart". If you aren't working in the industry, and are privy to the type of "dirt sheet" news first-hand, then you're a mark, just like everyone else. That isn't an insult to everyone reading this. That isn't speaking down to anyone. There's nothing wrong with being a mark. It means that we're wrestling fans. We love the product that we watch, and if we can get caught up in things... shocking returns, face/heel turns, title changes, etc... what's the problem? No matter what we might
think we know, we're not
in the know. The term goes back to days when a small percentage of fans were "smartened" to the business by reading and learning about particular information that the average fan might not be privy to. As time went by, and that information became more and more prevalent and easy to find (as well as incorrect, more often than not), the term has lost a lot of its meaning. Being cynical about every little thing that happens in wrestling, all because you read something on the internet with no proof of truth whatsoever, doesn't make any sense. It only hurts your fandom and makes you overly negative. Sit back, relax, and be a mark all over again. You'll find yourself enjoying the product a lot more.