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Post by 5th Horsewoman on Aug 3, 2017 2:54:10 GMT -5
I honestly thought this was common knowledge. I've only seen internet fan's assume but never heard anyone in wrestling confirm it.
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Post by ahunter8056 on Aug 3, 2017 4:06:01 GMT -5
This is NOT news. I remember seeing job postings on WWE's website back in 2009 looking for writers and they had a list of qualifications they were looking for, most notably 5-7 years experience writing for a drama or sitcom. At the end of that list, it said "Not a fan".That's just....just....WHY?! On what planet does it make any sense to NOT want someone with knowledge of how wrestling works, to write wrestling? Sure, you need someone with writing skills, but if they don't really know wrestling, then they're probably not going to write a decent product. Writing for drama or comedy is completely different from writing for pro wrestling. And it definitely shows in the quality of today's product. It just baffles me by how unremittingly stupid WWE and Vince McMahon can be.
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Post by bababooey on Aug 3, 2017 8:47:52 GMT -5
What Cody said is common knowledge and I do agree with him for the most part. Where I disagree is where he said wrestling is not episodic television. Wrestling on TV IS episodic television. It's not just hours of random matches. There are stories that we follow from episode to episode.
There is some upside to using some TV writers in that they can help format the shows for timing or they can come up with a storyline premise or write a basic script. Then it should be up to the people that understand wrestling to flesh it out. They understand the moment to moment changes and drama and psychology for a live crowd.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2017 9:04:07 GMT -5
I forget how long, but comedian Patrice O'Neal was a writer for some time.
Fredie Prince Jr. was a writer as well in 2008-2009.
Doesn't mean they weren't into wrestling, but if you gave me a decade I wouldn't have guessed those two.
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Post by punksnotdead on Aug 3, 2017 9:37:50 GMT -5
I forget how long, but comedian Patrice O'Neal was a writer for some time. Fredie Prince Jr. was a writer as well in 2008-2009. Doesn't mean they weren't into wrestling, but if you gave me a decade I wouldn't have guessed those two. Patrice worked there for like 3 hours and then quit. Both were/are very big wrestling fans. Sam Roberts has talked with them both on his podcast. Freddie was apparently the guy integral in getting Jeff Hardy the WWE Title. I don't understand why you would want writers who don't respect or have a passion for wrestling. Like in any profession, if you don't care about something then you're going to just treat it like work. Pat Patterson, Bruce Prichard, Vince Russo, these are guys who breathe the wrestling business. That's why they've had legendary, infamous, success. The entire show has no soul. WWE thinking they can use sitcom people to trick fans into thinking wrestling should just be a formula of words and matches is idiotic. Just like pushing Roman Reigns beyond reason, it's not authentic, and the audience is always going to be able to tell. Also, it's important to remember that WWE is still one man's sandbox. A 70 year old egomaniac no less. When it's good the credit goes to Vince but when it's bad, and it has been for a long time now, that's on Vince too.
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Post by Glorydaysofwrestling on Aug 3, 2017 9:54:58 GMT -5
Has wwe always had a group of writers? Was there ever a time where it was one or two people? For the longest time it was Vince, Pat Patterson,& Bruce Pritchard. Vince Russo & Ed Fererra were eventually added to the team. Word is when Stephanie took over that's when they started having "teams" and hiring more writers
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2017 10:04:11 GMT -5
Hollywood produces so much crap now that I'd be actively avoiding hiring anyone who claims to be a movie or tv writer.
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Post by TurboEddie on Aug 3, 2017 11:07:36 GMT -5
Only confirms our suspicions.
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Post by marino13 on Aug 3, 2017 11:23:46 GMT -5
I honestly thought this was common knowledge. I've only seen internet fan's assume but never heard anyone in wrestling confirm it. Few years ago it was reported that WWE had a job opening for a writer. I believe you had to have at least 2 years of writing soap opera experience. So many years of writing education. And no knowledge of wrestling or it's talents. It's odd cause you'd think they'd want people who understand wrestling.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2017 12:50:35 GMT -5
Bruce Prichard was asked in an interview why wwe hires sitcom writers who don't anything about wrestling and he said because "you have to grow from the outside in"
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Post by Bandalero on Aug 3, 2017 13:44:47 GMT -5
Not exactly surprising... This reminds me. Did Mick Foley's son ever get the job? Yes. He was supposedly the one writing the Alexa/Bayley angle a couple months ago... gosh if I was tasked to write that storyline...it wouldn't be PG-era worthy.
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Post by Yayo on Aug 3, 2017 16:25:42 GMT -5
Guys like Jimmy Jacobs and Mick Foley's son know wrestling.. doesn't mean they're doing anything to help the product.
I think the problem isn't even the writers so much as the fact that every idea they come up with is probably so butchered/neutered before it ever makes its way to television, especially when it's being run by Vince. Vince had proven for decades now that when there's not someone on the team who actually has some say above the average writer, the product tends to suffer because McMahon is too obsessed with gross out humor/Superman tales/racial and ethnic stereotypes/trash men that wrestle. Vince is a damn carny and always will be
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Post by TheLastDude on Aug 3, 2017 20:30:59 GMT -5
At the end of that list, it said "Not a fan". I get what they were going for. They wanted impartiality, not fanboys who would make sure to push their favorites. Unfortunately, they forgot that it's difficult to write something you know nothing about with any kind of passion.
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Post by Nivro™ on Aug 3, 2017 23:17:44 GMT -5
Ive seen better booking on the pic fed board.
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Post by kingnothing ~ Hardwired... on Aug 4, 2017 6:36:26 GMT -5
This is NOT news. I remember seeing job postings on WWE's website back in 2009 looking for writers and they had a list of qualifications they were looking for, most notably 5-7 years experience writing for a drama or sitcom. At the end of that list, it said "Not a fan".That's just....just....WHY?! On what planet does it make any sense to NOT want someone with knowledge of how wrestling works, to write wrestling? Sure, you need someone with writing skills, but if they don't really know wrestling, then they're probably not going to write a decent product. Writing for drama or comedy is completely different from writing for pro wrestling. And it definitely shows in the quality of today's product. It just baffles me by how unremittingly stupid WWE and Vince McMahon can be. I do agree with you, but if I had to guess a reason they wanted someone without wrestling knowledge I would say so they could get some fresh ideas put in front of Vince. I remember Kevin Nash once saying there were really only 3 or 4 reasons to have a wrestling match, just hundreds of slight variations on those reasons, which makes sense. Maybe Vince and company were trying to come up with something he and the rest of us wouldn't watch and say "this angle again?" Yet, with all that, we still regularly end up with foreigners that hate America, love interests gone wrong, tag team/ best friend betrayals, etc. And why? Probably because "there are really only 3 or 4 reasons to have a wrestling match."
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Post by TheSystem 1.5 on Aug 4, 2017 7:19:34 GMT -5
No crap Sherlock, I mean, they had soap opera writers for a while there. Off topic your sig says Becky over a pic of Bayley
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Post by TheSystem 1.5 on Aug 4, 2017 7:22:05 GMT -5
Knowing who Lou Thesz and Bruno Sammartino are will help when doing Sporcle quizzes on former world champions, but it isn't going to make anyone write a great episode of Raw. Cody's dad knew who those guys were and he booked the Florida territory into the ground a few decades ago. The Road Doggy Doggy Doggy is one of the head writers currently and he's seen plenty of wrestling, yet WWE is not going through a creative high point. While Road Dogg can't book worth a damn, its still fun to see him get pissy with people on twitter who tear apart the current product. Anyone trying to defend the Battleground PPV as a success clearly doesn't have a grasp on what todays fan is looking for. ...I liked Battleground
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Post by alanpartridge on Aug 4, 2017 7:33:13 GMT -5
wwe creative writers
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Post by blissfan4life on Aug 4, 2017 7:54:53 GMT -5
No crap Sherlock, I mean, they had soap opera writers for a while there. Off topic your sig says Becky over a pic of Bayley Off topic: Bit of a goof. it happens.
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Post by Stuart? on Aug 4, 2017 7:56:06 GMT -5
Ive seen better booking on the pic fed board. On behalf of the board, thanks! I just don't get why they would rather have someone with zero knowledge of the industry writing the shows. If you don't have passion for the business, that's gonna translate on TV and as we've seen over the last load of years, with a couple of exceptions, the storylines have been consistently bad as a result.
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