Ignore that man behind the curtain

[opera142]

In Unscripted there's a blurb by Bubba in which he talks about getting knocked for a loop during a TLC match and that Jericho basically talked him through the match.

Part of me was immediately tempted to scrounge up a copy of the match, and try and see where Jericho was calling the action.

But I doubt I will. It's been a pet a theory of mine that all matches are fundamentally similar: laid out the same way, called the same way, orchestrated the same way. Kinda like computer games; once you figure out the way the computer handles situations, you play against that and win everytime.

Then the game becomes no fun. And I'm not sure if I want that kind of knowledge. As much as I fangirl and get all squeeful over pretty Canadians and moody brunettes and blantent homoerotica and stupidly OOOOH comments like "Folks during the commerical break it was Batista mounting Jericho until HBK came in for some action...", I'm also just a plain ordinary fan who marks over rolling Germans and tilt-a-whirl backbreakers. Knowing when these things are coming would take the wallop away. Ruin the mystery, I guess.

Since wrestling is fixed, a good chunk of the mystery is already ruined. The fan part of me wants the remaining smoke and mirrors. I've often said how much I enjoy it when WWE manages to surprize me; I don't want to make that task harder for them.

I think a lot of people would agree with me. As much as we're obessive, snoop under every rock fangirls/boys, we're also just fans. Fans who adore the product for the smoke and mirrors. We don't go to the circus to learn how to walk on a tightrope; we go to the circus to thrill at seeing others do it.

But... unfortunately, it adds to the blandess of wrestlefic. Wrestlefic is canonically barren. While there are a thousand reasons why canon is hard to sculpt into fiction , and dozens of those reasons are valid, they don't make a good chunk of the lumps of clay stories out there any less flat.

Admittedly, I'm a details whore. Especially for itsy-bitsy, seemingly unimportant stuff. A story that mentions Christian being carsick from being stuck in a teeny rental for 8 hours gets far more points from me than one that simply mentions "being on the road" If someone can create Bubba Ray believably angsting over the 95 degree heat in New Orleans, I'll read that one story a dozen times over reading 12 different stories about Edge pouting in a hotel room.

I read wrestlefic for the situation as much as for the characters. Situation and setting create character, and I think that by ignoring those, a huge part of characterization is lost.

Fan fiction is short, and wrestlefic is usually even shorter. There isn't always room in story for carsickness, cardio routines and should I use steriods to get ahead angst.

I agree not every story would be better for including certain details. But I also think many writers have become dependant on cliches. If two characters are in a bar, drinking beer and mulling over love issues, why can't the setting be switched to those same characters mulling over the same issues, but they're in a GNC, buying protein powder? There's plenty of groping in shower rooms. How about a little pre-match groping under the guise of rubbing baby oil on each other muscles.

Pro-wrestling's wacky universe gives us a TON of gifts that other fandoms don't have. Almost all of our characters are canonically smooth chested and shaved bare. We have the world as a stage. We have characters who were see undressed more often than dressed.

Our canon is also a pain in the ass, and the problem's compounded by a dozen things like one I mentioned up top.

I think stuff can be written that lifts the curtain just enough. Doesn't expose the business but doesn't run shreiking from it. Little details paint better pictures than wide, baldfaced landscapes anyway.

Comments

[devilswolf.livejournal.com]

You know, I think that may be part of the reason I got bored with wrestling--that all the matches are the same. Easy to predict, and therefore not really worth taking the time to watch. The same applies to most of the fanfic out there in the wrestling fandom, actually. With most of it I know within a paragraph what will happen through the rest of the story.

[opera142.livejournal.com]

I think alot of it has to do with authors rewriting fan fiction rather than writing wrestlefic. Pretty character A angsts over Character B, then they have sex make love to reaffirm their love.

It could be any two people doing the same: argue, cry, repent, 1 finger, 2 finger, 3 finger, cock storytelling found in any fandom. Or original fiction for that matter.

[angstbunny.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, I actually *like* it when I can see them calling spots. It gives me a gleeful little thrill. A peek at how the match works, I guess, that derives from the same place inside me where I would like to experience a wrestling move but wouldn't actually wanna LIVE the life 24/7. And it is also the same reason why I go "hee!" when I see wrestlers do discreet little pats after big moves to make sure the other person is okay: to see the working relationship behind the storyline relationship. But, no, I wouldn't want to be able to tell ALL the time, 'cause yes, it would take the fun out of it.

Situation and setting create character, and I think that by ignoring those, a huge part of characterization is lost.

I agree. But at the same time... hmm. Sometimes I wonder if maybe the lack of attention to wrestling reality is because it's considered one of those things that come prepackaged with the fanfic supposition. If that sentence make any sense. What I mean is: fanfic allows you to skip a lot of intermediate steps. Everybody knows who Character A looks like, because of the shared canon. Buffy fanfic doesn't have to explain that Buffy is a Vampire Slayer, doesn't have to explain the mythology of "in every generation, there is a Chosen One." In wrestling, perhaps the whole reality of wrestling is taken for granted. We know this is a hard life: people's backs hurt from sitting in a car for 8 hours, they're frustrated from getting lost, can't find food at 2 in the morning and they're starving. We all just kinda skip all of that and get right into the "good stuff", so to speak.

Not that I'm implying it's acceptable, because sometimes you can get away with it and sometimes you can't. Just because everybody knows what Character A looks like doesn't mean you can't do a good job of describing him anyway. It does make for a bland fic if you leave out the whole reality of wrestling, and I always notice and enjoy a fic more when they add in the little details of wrestling life. But... I'm just speculating another reason why people -- and I'm guilty of these same crimes -- skip the setting and background.

Almost all of our characters are canonically smooth chested and shaved bare.

Oh, my, god. YEAH. For me -- and it could be something that applies to other people too -- it's funny that I don't really notice that until I'm writing AU, and I'm finding myself awake at 3 in the morning wondering how I can keep the character with the same appearance in some other universe. 'Cause there ain't no practical reason why they'd be smooth-skinned and well-muscled in some other universe, unless I make one up for them.

[opera142.livejournal.com]

I agree. But at the same time... hmm. Sometimes I wonder if maybe the lack of attention to wrestling reality is because it's considered one of those things that come prepackaged with the fanfic supposition.

I see the point you're making, and I think it's especially valid within the confines of short fiction--and nobody reads fan fic to have canon reiterated. However, I think the emptiness in some fic isn't from intermediate steps are being skipped, but that they're being ignored or pre-empted by cliches.

I also agree that both writers and readers want to get to angst and sex and other good stuff as quickly as possible. Where I get frustrated is, that tremendous storytime and author energy is put into creating cliche'd angst (OMG!!11, he's losing interest in me! Whatever shall I do) when the very same idea and emotions could be expressed in unique and special to our fandom situations(I know he's losing interest in me, and I've got one 8 hour car ride to change his mind, or I know he's losing interest in me, and this tedious 8 hour car ride is only going hasten that, or I know he's losing interest in me and because of scheduling differences, I'm here in Omaha and he's spending an 8 hour car ride with that slut/politicking bastard Edge)

Your story with Jericho and Bischoff is a perfect example of that. On a universial level, it's a story about maturing. But, it's also a story that's unique to wrestlefic. An original story with the same idea would not have been as powerful... or as succinct.

Fiction is read for the good stuff. It's just my opinion that the good stuff gains x10 power from context, and context usually means canon.

it's funny that I don't really notice that until I'm writing AU, and I'm finding myself awake at 3 in the morning wondering how I can keep the character with the same appearance in some other universe.

Or explaining their names. "Dad, I'd like you to meet the new boy in school. He's name is Rhyno. He's Test's cousin, and lives next door to A-Train. Is it okay if we go hang out at Undertaker's house?"

[angstbunny.livejournal.com]

However, I think the emptiness in some fic isn't from intermediate steps are being skipped, but that they're being ignored or pre-empted by cliches.

Oh, I definitely agree. I think, as always, it's usually a bunch of factors that go into one particular problem. I think the skipping is mostly likely something that happens with a person who is new to a fandom. In wrestling, I think it's typically the appearance of certain wrestlers that draws a person, usually female, into the fandom. So, that person will playing with *that*. "He's pretty, and he's cute, let's see them get together!" Only after that, maybe she'll begin to discover the athletic side of the business, the grind-and-wear life of a wrestler, and maybe begin to *think* about that while writing fiction.

Of course, more often than not, yeah, that process of thought doesn't occur. Which is unfortunate, 'cause some fics *would* be a lot better with context than without.

when the very same idea and emotions could be expressed in unique and special to our fandom situations

*nodsnods* Definitely. Funnily enough, that reminds me of a thread of thought I had awhile ago, about how a fic may be good as a story, but ultimately fails as "fanfic" because it doesn't fulfill the requirements of fitting into canon.

Your story with Jericho and Bischoff is a perfect example of that.

Yay, thanks! =D And I liked that your "Wow and Flutter" mentioned people on different brands, house shows, and named actual cities. While the action ultimately takes place inside the dreaded hotel room of blandness, you laid groundwork for it NOT to be bland and anonymous. A little context goes a long way. Though, I think we've both talked about wariness of setting these details so clearly, because they become outdated very quickly. Edge is no longer on Smackdown, and Lance is basically gone from TV entirely. In a little while, Lance would go from little known to totally obscure to the casual fan.

It's just my opinion that the good stuff gains x10 power from context, and context usually means canon.

Oh for sure. *nods*

"Dad, I'd like you to meet the new boy in school. He's name is Rhyno. He's Test's cousin, and lives next door to A-Train. Is it okay if we go hang out at Undertaker's house?"

*LAUGHS* Yeah, there's definitely that, too. Which is why occasionally I have to resort to using real names, even though I hate doing that.

[redfiona99.livejournal.com]

I have to admit a lot of my characters end up in bars but I suppose that's because that's what me and my friends do to unwind and that's how my brain works. You're right though, I should probably try and expand the places where I put the characters. Well, except Bradshaw, I think the way I right Bradshaw he's permenantly welded to his beer and bars.

Hope you don't mind.

[yesdrizella.livejournal.com]

I can say I agree with you and why, but Twig put it so nicely that I'm afraid I So I'll just say that the ideas you've presented as a way to turn a common occurence into something original are something I'd definitely read. The one with groping via baby oil is especially enchanting. These are things that a lot of people (myself included) don't always think about when writing, but they should.

Re: Hope you don't mind.

[yesdrizella.livejournal.com]

Oy, dork is me, I've just noticed that I cut myself off in that first sentence. -_-

Re: Hope you don't mind.

[opera142.livejournal.com]

Typos happen to the best of us.