10 WWE Ideas So Awful Even Legends Couldn't Get Them Over
7. The Gobbledy Gooker
Gorilla Monsoon hadn't ever struggled so hard to mask contempt with a chuckle. Mean Gene Okerlund hadn't worked as hard since Hulk Hogan had him necking eggs and offering piggy-backs in training for their 1984 clash with George 'The Animal' Steele and Mr Fuji. Roddy Piper didn't work as hard putting 'The Hulkster' over as he did the creature that emerged from the 1990 Survivor Series' giant egg.
Indeed, three icons of the industry tried their absolute best to make it seem like the Thanksgiving attendees were having a whale of a time watching a man in a giant turkey suit literally dance and celebrate the worst time of year for his creed.
Time has covered The Gobbledy Gooker in something of a nostalgic warmth, and various insiders have reported that the gimmick was designed to be a travelling mascot of sorts akin to those popularised in soccer and baseball. Ordinarily, those characters are in some way supposed to be linked to the teams they're stirring up encouragement for. Did WWE want audiences to cry fowl at the roster then? It may also explain why Gooker shared the screen with fellow turkeys Tugboat, The Bushwhackers and Saba Simba before his rapid exit just weeks later.