The Wrestling Fan's Manifesto
by Sam Halsall on 2001-08-06

ITEM ONE

Professional wrestling is in a state of flux. The boom has seemingly gone as far as it can, leaving us on the verge of another downturn. The corporate overlord and the scrappy underdog have both fallen to the man who combined the best of both. It is therefore the ideal time to reevaluate our position as fans of the sport.

ITEM TWO

In light of recent events, it is now obvious that the vast majority of "smart wrestling fans" are neither smart nor wrestling fans. Indeed, much like the dim-witted nine-year-old who spends his Decembers telling younger children that there is no Santa Claus, the smart's only apparent interest in wrestling lies in ruining the fun of it for everyone else.

The casual, or "sports-entertainment" fan, on the other hand, has been following wrestling only because it has been dubbed "cool" and "trendy". With boom turning to bust and the only remaining wrestling superpower in constant danger of complacency, these fans are ill equipped to understand or appreciate what wrestling will shortly become. They will leave in droves, and we will be powerless to stop them unless we act soon. The money they take with them will lead to lower pay for talent, lower production values for television shows, and an all-round decrease in the fortunes of the wrestling industry -- and by extension, the fans thereof. We therefore cannot allow the casual fans to remain such.

ITEM THREE

Be it hereby recommended that we abandon the term "smart fan" as a failed experiment. Let us instead begin the cultivation of something seemingly heretofore not considered: a combination of the best properties of both casual ("mark") fan and "smart" fan -- the Intelligent Wrestling Fan.

ITEM FOUR

The IWF shall need to understand not only wrestling, but also his (or her, but work with me here) role as both fan and ambassador to the general public. He will grasp that both wrestling personnel and fellow fans are human beings, and deserve to be treated as such, rather than as abstract objects to be attacked and scorned without consequence.

He will understand that "jobber" and "mark" are not to be used as insults, nor "smart" as a compliment.

He will be tolerant of the tastes of other fans, and make an effort to understand them. He will recognize that both his and their opinions and beliefs are just that, and that, as Bill Hicks observed, "That doesn't make them real." He will understand the concept of "agreeing to disagree".

He will educate himself and others in what wrestlers go through to learn and ply their trade.

He will not be ashamed to be seen - by either smarts or non-fans - in possession of wrestling-related merchandise.

He will make an effort to present rational arguments in favor of his opinions, rather than resorting to personal abuse.

He will understand that wrestling is wrestling, whether it is presented in stadiums with celebrities and original music, or in high school gymnasiums with up-and-coming talent and an Iron Maiden cassette.

He will make an effort to put wrestling in a broader social context without losing sight of the fact that it is entertainment.

ITEM FIVE

The education and cultivation of the IWF will have to come from all levels of the wrestling community. The other fans will need to make it a point to impart these teachings to the casual fans without being overbearing or preachy. Likewise, they will need to hammer these points home to the smarts. With actual hammers, if necessary.

The wrestling media shall have to do the same. In fact, it is more crucial for them, since their word carries more credibility. After paying money to read someone's opinions, one tends to put more stock in them than in the ramblings of a friend.

The WWF has spent the past several years training people to be "WWF fans". With the WWF about to fall out of the media spotlight, those fans will be departing soon unless they are turned into wrestling fans. WWF Home Video is in a unique position to bring old, foreign, and/or extreme wrestling to a mass audience, teaching them the intricacies of each. If taught that there is wrestling outside the WWF, people who watch Vince McMahon's product now will likely continue to do so, since they will see it not as something their friends used to watch on Monday nights, but as part of something greater. A rising tide, in this instance, truly does lift all boats.

ITEM SIX

Realize that if the situation remains unchanged, pro wrestling is about to go into a slump unparalleled in its history. This bodes ill for fans. Anyone who says things are fine and in no need of change is your enemy. Act on what I have told you. Alone, I cannot make a difference. Together, we can keep wrestling profitable for some and enjoyable for all.