10 Times WWE Treated Its Audience Like Children
5. Generally Expecting Us To Forget Everything
WWE's approach to continuity is, in a word, lacklustre.
The constant replays imply that we cannot retain knowledge unless it's drilled directly into our brains, as if Pavlov himself is holding the Black and Decker. Conversely, we're obviously so thick that this technique doesn't work - and so we are doomed to forget everything.
This is why WWE doesn't even bother crediting us with the memories of a dementia-ridden goldfish. Jinder Mahal re-debuted on RAW last year without the ultra-dry physique he sports today. A few freakish trapezoids and bupkis in the way of a push later, he became your reigning WWE Heavyweight Champion. Remember when Finn Bálor defeated Bray Wyatt clean, in the middle of the ring, at No Mercy? That's inconvenient, because we have lots of TV time to fill. Here's some dead air by way of Wyatt dressed up in drag. You know how Bálor is getting treated like a Singh brother by Kane? Forget that in January: he's facing Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble.
We remember these things, and we use them to shape our perception of what follows. This is called memory. Even two year-old children, thwarting this premise, form autobiographical memories and remember them for several months.