Hardy Boyz: Exist 2 Inspire
Author, Ghost Writer, Editor: Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Michael Krugman
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Released: 3/03
The Good
It's a unique book that gets into aspects of wrestling that we all thought we'd have to wait a while to hear about. The story of being a young guy coming up through the indies, jobbing on TV and working up the card is one will hear in the future and though Foley kind of lived that life, his story is far from typical. As for the dual authors...Jeff is Jeff and that's all that can really be said about that. Matt thankfully has most of the say here and he has many worthwhile comments about learning the craft, the fan-to-worker phenomenon, understanding psychology and some surprising comments about the decline of WWF/WWE. Most comments I've read online have been very positive and I think most people enjoy this book for what it is. I guess some might find it inspirational and others will find it just interesting, but I think this was a decent little book.
The Bad
I started reading this surprisingly shortly after it came out. I got about 1/5 of the way through and was just bored with it. I had other things to do and this book just didn't keep my interest, which is rare. Most people knocked this as WWE trying to cash in on the teeny boppers love of the Hardy Boyz, which it probably was. The format bothers a lot of people and it kind of breaks up the train of thought as there is a looseness to this that you don't really want in a biography because it convinced me this was easy to put down. Their insight is generally good, especially Matt's. The one glaring exception is, "It's a different time now. Jeff and I were part of the last generation to truly pay dues." (pg. 189). This might have been a lash out against Tough Enough, but it seems like a big slap in the face of all the indy talent that work really hard and have probably less chances than the Hardy Boyz did in the 90s.
The Rating: **3/4
Friday, August 6, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Lita: A Less Traveled R.O.A.D. (audiobook)
Author, Ghost Writer, Editor: Amy Dumas, Michael Krugman
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers
Released: 7/04
The Good
Amy Dumas's life story is an interesting one and her character has connected with so many young women and this is the WWE trying to capitalize on all that. Her pre-wrestling life as a punk rock stripper is unique and this audiobook brings that to life. The pro-wrestling stuff is good lip service and most Lita fans will enjoy it for what it is.
The Bad
Lita's story is interesting. This book breaks down into three basic sections: life before pro-wrestling, the pro-wrestling life and her comeback from a broken neck. The first part is glazed over and could definitely be fascinating, but doesn't do what it could. The second part is her running down her four year career from Mexico to indies to ECW to the WWF. It's all very rushed and lacks both depth and the quality anecdotes to make up for that. The third part is her doing the Dark Angel TV show, breaking her neck, the saga afterwards and the surgery and recovery. This has a lot of real emotion and saves this book from being terrible. Then the comeback...oh wait, it doesn't happen. Due to her never really having a quality in-ring comeback, her character never regaining its footing and the hasty release of this book, this story seems so incomplete. It has the potential and maybe future additions can make it a full story, but for now it is just disappointment. This audiobook version probably detracts from the first two parts and adds to the third with mixed results.
The Rating: **
Author, Ghost Writer, Editor: Amy Dumas, Michael Krugman
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers
Released: 7/04
The Good
Amy Dumas's life story is an interesting one and her character has connected with so many young women and this is the WWE trying to capitalize on all that. Her pre-wrestling life as a punk rock stripper is unique and this audiobook brings that to life. The pro-wrestling stuff is good lip service and most Lita fans will enjoy it for what it is.
The Bad
Lita's story is interesting. This book breaks down into three basic sections: life before pro-wrestling, the pro-wrestling life and her comeback from a broken neck. The first part is glazed over and could definitely be fascinating, but doesn't do what it could. The second part is her running down her four year career from Mexico to indies to ECW to the WWF. It's all very rushed and lacks both depth and the quality anecdotes to make up for that. The third part is her doing the Dark Angel TV show, breaking her neck, the saga afterwards and the surgery and recovery. This has a lot of real emotion and saves this book from being terrible. Then the comeback...oh wait, it doesn't happen. Due to her never really having a quality in-ring comeback, her character never regaining its footing and the hasty release of this book, this story seems so incomplete. It has the potential and maybe future additions can make it a full story, but for now it is just disappointment. This audiobook version probably detracts from the first two parts and adds to the third with mixed results.
The Rating: **
Monday, August 2, 2010
Pro-Wrestling Journalism and Ethics: A Conversation with Dave Meltzer
**For my 100th content-oriented post, I thought I'd do something a little different. This is a paper I wrote for a media ethics class as an undergraduate about 10 years ago.**
I will start with a comparison of sorts. Most people like movies; there is such variety that there is always one genre for anyone. I’ll bet you could easily think of ten movies you enjoy. Look at how highly our culture regards actors, we are a people enamored with those who entertain us. Now pretend that only you are a movie-lover and there is an active negative stigma towards Hollywood. What if the majority of the country assumed all movies comprised of pornography, bad sci-fi and horror flicks, cheesy adult thrillers and potty humor comedies. Even if the great actors and movies still existed, no one acknowledged their greatness because the masses assumed the aforementioned garbage was what dominated Hollywood. That is what is like to be a fan of professional wrestling.
I personally do not remember a time in my life I was not a fan. Cartoonish gimmicks drew me in as a little boy and as I grew to understand how the sport worked, I enjoyed it that much more. Yes, I know it’s not “real,” but neither was Braveheart and I still liked that. The fact is pro-wrestling must maintain a certain level of illusion (the insider word for that is “kayfabe”) to keep the fans happy and non-fans just cannot comprehend that necessity. Regardless, pro wrestlers are real people with real lives outside of that “fake” world. When the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) began going into a more mature direction and enjoying great popularity, I began to lose my interest in their product. While I still enjoyed parts of it, I wanted something that was more like a serious sport than a ridiculous soap opera.
Enter Dave Meltzer. I had heard the name here and there, but it was not until I heard his Internet radio show that I discovered the other side of professional wrestling. He talked with the wrestlers, who were not the characters they were on television, instead they were regular guys who played the part. He smartened me up to exactly what I liked about wrestling. Similar to how one might like a certain actor’s movies, but not know why. The little things from facial expressions to believable delivery make actors great – wrestlers are no different. He told me what was going on in other parts of the world, notably Japan, which has the most realistic style of wrestling that I now find the most enjoyable. Dave’s exhaustive study of professional wrestling has been displayed in his successful weekly newsletter, newspaper columns, books, documentaries, TV shows, radio shows and so on. He provides more than just the facts; he gives fascinating insight, critique and analysis. Dave has been quite an inspiration to me in my college years as a student of journalism. So I leaped at the chance of being able to get his insight into media ethics.
Dave Meltzer went to San Jose State University and while he may not have studied ethics, he “absolutely believes in them.” While detractors of wrestling might consider anyone who would cover such a regularly unethical world, unethical by association, Dave is seemingly always the opposite. He understands “some choose to live by them and others choose to live for money or fame.” One who might live for the latter two is Vince MacMahon, the head of the WWF. When covering McMahon’s actions, Meltzer is anything but unfair; he does not avoid criticism when they deserve it or praise when they earn that. “It’s already established WWF will go to any lengths for money.” That sort of scrutiny might be considered harsh, but Dave backs that argument up week after week, showing his not a bandwagon-jumping opponent of the company. While some might believe attacking the most popular wrestling company in the world is career suicide, Dave is so well-respected amongst “insiders” that he does not have to compromise his integrity.
The necessity of “kayfabe” in wrestling makes Dave’s job trickier than in other reporting pursuits. He calls it this the “the biggest challenge [because] it's a world where people are constantly lying and [it is] a profession that considers it honorable to lie.” In spite of this ever-present dilemma, Dave expresses a desire to expose the truth whatever it may be because “it is the most important thing to try your best to do so.”
People who say things with ulterior motives or dodge the truth plague professional wrestling, so Dave’s approach is uplifting and as a result he is highly thought of by many. Since the development of the Internet, less credible “reporters” have been able to elbow in on reporting this other side of wrestling. They may get the scoops, but “it's far more important to get the story right than get it first” and in the end, it is always Dave Meltzer getting all the facts. Dave knows “the nature of all journalism is that sometimes you are going to get things wrong. It's impossible to avoid.” So, in the instances in which he is wrong, he admits his mistakes.
Being so connected to the wrestling community, Dave has his share of friends whose activity he must review. While that seems like a conflict of interest, he remains unwavering in covering their activities. “If someone who I'm friends with has a bad match, I don't have any kind of a problem saying so, and if they get arrested, I haven't had any problem reporting on it.” While his style of reporting has been met with public insults from wrestlers and uncooperative actions from companies, Dave refuses to let it affect his integrity. “I never really worry about how others judge me or will judge me when I'm writing.”
Lastly, he addressed the issue of social responsibility. “It's very important to address social responsibility, but you can only go so far.” Vince McMahon and the WWF are usually at the center of Meltzer’s attacks in this area. They are the ones who push the status quo and catch heat from outsiders and insiders alike. Dave has been featured on documentaries about the negative effects of pro-wrestling and is always quick to set things straight. He does not take the defensive position on McMahon’s side nor the uninformed opposing side that goes with generalizations, but rather raises important questions as to what is really going on because he knows best. When McMahon says the product the WWF produces is no worse than shows on late night cable, Dave always points out how they are in primetime and have a different target audience. “Once you're talking about someone who will peddle softcore porn to a sizeable under-12 audience, you can only say something so many times when nobody cares…you're going to be very disappointed if you expect a wrestling promoter (like McMahon) to be socially responsible.”
Dave Meltzer continues to be an inspiration to me in many ways. I once admired him because he knew so much about such a fascinating and secretive world. Then I saw how much he has done and continues to do as a journalist covering something with such a negative stigma. Now I appreciate his ethical beliefs. He is someone who sincerely believes in being as truthful as possible and does not let anything compromise that belief. People might disagree with his opinions, but no one can question his integrity and for that many people, myself included, are grateful.
**For my 100th content-oriented post, I thought I'd do something a little different. This is a paper I wrote for a media ethics class as an undergraduate about 10 years ago.**
I will start with a comparison of sorts. Most people like movies; there is such variety that there is always one genre for anyone. I’ll bet you could easily think of ten movies you enjoy. Look at how highly our culture regards actors, we are a people enamored with those who entertain us. Now pretend that only you are a movie-lover and there is an active negative stigma towards Hollywood. What if the majority of the country assumed all movies comprised of pornography, bad sci-fi and horror flicks, cheesy adult thrillers and potty humor comedies. Even if the great actors and movies still existed, no one acknowledged their greatness because the masses assumed the aforementioned garbage was what dominated Hollywood. That is what is like to be a fan of professional wrestling.
I personally do not remember a time in my life I was not a fan. Cartoonish gimmicks drew me in as a little boy and as I grew to understand how the sport worked, I enjoyed it that much more. Yes, I know it’s not “real,” but neither was Braveheart and I still liked that. The fact is pro-wrestling must maintain a certain level of illusion (the insider word for that is “kayfabe”) to keep the fans happy and non-fans just cannot comprehend that necessity. Regardless, pro wrestlers are real people with real lives outside of that “fake” world. When the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) began going into a more mature direction and enjoying great popularity, I began to lose my interest in their product. While I still enjoyed parts of it, I wanted something that was more like a serious sport than a ridiculous soap opera.
Enter Dave Meltzer. I had heard the name here and there, but it was not until I heard his Internet radio show that I discovered the other side of professional wrestling. He talked with the wrestlers, who were not the characters they were on television, instead they were regular guys who played the part. He smartened me up to exactly what I liked about wrestling. Similar to how one might like a certain actor’s movies, but not know why. The little things from facial expressions to believable delivery make actors great – wrestlers are no different. He told me what was going on in other parts of the world, notably Japan, which has the most realistic style of wrestling that I now find the most enjoyable. Dave’s exhaustive study of professional wrestling has been displayed in his successful weekly newsletter, newspaper columns, books, documentaries, TV shows, radio shows and so on. He provides more than just the facts; he gives fascinating insight, critique and analysis. Dave has been quite an inspiration to me in my college years as a student of journalism. So I leaped at the chance of being able to get his insight into media ethics.
Dave Meltzer went to San Jose State University and while he may not have studied ethics, he “absolutely believes in them.” While detractors of wrestling might consider anyone who would cover such a regularly unethical world, unethical by association, Dave is seemingly always the opposite. He understands “some choose to live by them and others choose to live for money or fame.” One who might live for the latter two is Vince MacMahon, the head of the WWF. When covering McMahon’s actions, Meltzer is anything but unfair; he does not avoid criticism when they deserve it or praise when they earn that. “It’s already established WWF will go to any lengths for money.” That sort of scrutiny might be considered harsh, but Dave backs that argument up week after week, showing his not a bandwagon-jumping opponent of the company. While some might believe attacking the most popular wrestling company in the world is career suicide, Dave is so well-respected amongst “insiders” that he does not have to compromise his integrity.
The necessity of “kayfabe” in wrestling makes Dave’s job trickier than in other reporting pursuits. He calls it this the “the biggest challenge [because] it's a world where people are constantly lying and [it is] a profession that considers it honorable to lie.” In spite of this ever-present dilemma, Dave expresses a desire to expose the truth whatever it may be because “it is the most important thing to try your best to do so.”
People who say things with ulterior motives or dodge the truth plague professional wrestling, so Dave’s approach is uplifting and as a result he is highly thought of by many. Since the development of the Internet, less credible “reporters” have been able to elbow in on reporting this other side of wrestling. They may get the scoops, but “it's far more important to get the story right than get it first” and in the end, it is always Dave Meltzer getting all the facts. Dave knows “the nature of all journalism is that sometimes you are going to get things wrong. It's impossible to avoid.” So, in the instances in which he is wrong, he admits his mistakes.
Being so connected to the wrestling community, Dave has his share of friends whose activity he must review. While that seems like a conflict of interest, he remains unwavering in covering their activities. “If someone who I'm friends with has a bad match, I don't have any kind of a problem saying so, and if they get arrested, I haven't had any problem reporting on it.” While his style of reporting has been met with public insults from wrestlers and uncooperative actions from companies, Dave refuses to let it affect his integrity. “I never really worry about how others judge me or will judge me when I'm writing.”
Lastly, he addressed the issue of social responsibility. “It's very important to address social responsibility, but you can only go so far.” Vince McMahon and the WWF are usually at the center of Meltzer’s attacks in this area. They are the ones who push the status quo and catch heat from outsiders and insiders alike. Dave has been featured on documentaries about the negative effects of pro-wrestling and is always quick to set things straight. He does not take the defensive position on McMahon’s side nor the uninformed opposing side that goes with generalizations, but rather raises important questions as to what is really going on because he knows best. When McMahon says the product the WWF produces is no worse than shows on late night cable, Dave always points out how they are in primetime and have a different target audience. “Once you're talking about someone who will peddle softcore porn to a sizeable under-12 audience, you can only say something so many times when nobody cares…you're going to be very disappointed if you expect a wrestling promoter (like McMahon) to be socially responsible.”
Dave Meltzer continues to be an inspiration to me in many ways. I once admired him because he knew so much about such a fascinating and secretive world. Then I saw how much he has done and continues to do as a journalist covering something with such a negative stigma. Now I appreciate his ethical beliefs. He is someone who sincerely believes in being as truthful as possible and does not let anything compromise that belief. People might disagree with his opinions, but no one can question his integrity and for that many people, myself included, are grateful.
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