Is anyone going to stop watching because of the name change?
Are wrestling fans going to be made fun of more than they already are?
No and NO.
Fer christsakes people it's just a name. I'm not saying don't bitch about it or anything, but I'm more concerned with the wrestlers and storylines than a stupid name change.
To everyone who's asking where the `E' is, it's always been there. WWFE (World Wrestling Federation Entertainment) was the old name. You didn't see the E in the logo then, you don't see it now. Now they're going to take the F out leaving only W and W. They've even got a campy tagline for it.
Makes sense to me (not good sense, but hey, this is marketing...whaddya want?)
Vince signed a `limited use' contract with the World Wildlife Fund eight years ago. Take a look at the World Wrestling Federation and Titan Sports then, then take a look at same now. In the eighties, the WWF marketed their stars. In the nineties, it was the brand itself. The WWF brand, as it pertained to wrestling had grown far larger than the clause allowed for. There's nothing they can do; Vince & Co. have not a legal leg to stand on. This is the best they can do. And, admittedly, I'm rather impressed. I'm not saying I like it, but I'm willing to be it's their absolute best chance for a reasonably smooth transition.
I'd echo Papercuts' sentiments, but those of us who are willing to be pragmatic probably aren't going to convince anyone who's not.
And to think, Hulk Hogan will be remembered forever as the last "WWF Champion." What a shitty way to go out.
Wow, I just realized something ... I was at the house show last night at the Worcester (MA) Centrum, where the main event was Chris Jericho versus Hulk Hogan for the Undisputed Championship.
So, does that mean that I witnessed the final "WWF Championship" match in history?
Cool.
(edited by Alessandro on 6.5.02 1532)
Alessandro "Hercules" Boondy
Say what you will about how we shouldn't be bitching about this all you want, but this truly is fucking stupid. After reading the press release, it's even worse. Sure, it's merely a cosmetic change, but they picked almost the worst possible way of changing it. Actually, I'm shocked they didn't drop the word "Wrestling" altogether and make it the WSEF, World Sports Entertainment Federation, but I guess that just doesn't roll off the toungue like WWE. Honestly, I'd be a lot happier if they just went by WWFE, or maybe WWEF. The word Federation shoulda been kept in there somehow...
"You better get his ass outta here before I get up"- Undertaker
I have a feeling that just changing the name to WWFE wouldn't have been enough to satisfy the World Wildlife Fund, which is one of the main reasons they are changing the name in the first place. It would be stupid to change the name only to end up back at court, so I think the change had to be radical enough to clearly differentiate between the two. WWFE still has WWF in it, so that change may not have been enough.
WWE is good enough, any change is going to take getting used to.
Originally posted by BDCDo they realize how STUPID that looks?
Not any more stupid than repeatedly bitching about a cosmetic name change that you are all powerless to change and effect. Kvetching and carrying on about this won't change anything.
I think you don't understand how this makes some of us feel. As pathetic as it may sound, the WWF as a name is a part of the history of the company and the industry as a whole. It's been ingrained in the minds of those fans who grew up watching wrestling and still do into adulthood. It would be like someone deciding to change Mickey Mouse's name to Rodney the Rodent. It may seem like "a cosmetic name change" to you, but for me and some other fans with a sense of history, this is catostrophic. It's totally like the NWA becoming WCW and look what happened there. 2001-2002, the years everything changed.
I just finished talking to two freinds of mine who aren't wrestling fans. I think they put it best when they said World Wrestling Entertainment sounds like the name of a porno company.
I'm not going to deny that pro-wrestling is entertainment. The results are fixed, the spots are worked out, and the main goal of every wrestler is not to win matches but to put asses in seats. That being said, the concept surrounding the entertainment is that there is this pseudo-fictitious (sp) sports organization where people are competing. If the 'E' stood for something that allowed WWE to imply that, I don't think I'd complain.
If it were me, I'd either go with the idea origianlly posted in this thread and go back to calling it the WWWF, or I'd just rearrange the name to World Federation of Wrestling, or WFW. In the latter case, you'd probably be able to keep the logo as well.
Everyone who has their panties (briefs, undies, knickers, whatever) in a bunch over this name change, think about it for a second. Some of you are so passionate you're making me afraid that the new generation is just as terrified of change in the world as the old fogies; perhaps even more.
Waaaaah! Waaaaah! They changed the name of the company. Is there a good reason? Fuck yeah, they pretty much legally had to do it. Am I personally offended that I was not included in any way in the decision (i.e. through some kind of `fan poll' or other hopelessly doomed and broken enterprise)? Fuck no. It's their company, their money, their future. If this idea is as horrible as the majority here seems to think, they'll have to rename again in six months...
For those with a more philosophic bent, consider this as case in point for why large organizations like the Catholic Church, various Governments, et alia tend to avoid change. Does it make sense to allow women to be priests? Yup. Does it make sense to repeal the Church Laws regarding homosexual practioners? Yup. Does it make sense for the Church to change its stand on condoms given the nature of sexually transmitted disease and the state of human sexuality? Oh yeah. But you won't see a Pope in your lifetime do anything about it. Nor are you going to see the British people ditch the monarchy in the near future (although you might see some of the colonies finally figure it out). People react strongly to change; especially if one is changing things that have stood as they are for years and years.
It's a name change, nobody is trying to rob you of your childhood. Please accept, however, that someone's else's childhood may now turn out different.
I'd hate to be the people who read the World Wildlife Fund's email feedback tomorrow morning. Who wants to start a pool on how many days until there's a news story in the popular press about the ``disgusting redneck wrestling fans'' and the nasty nasty things they wrote to the WWF because the WWFE had to change it's name.
Well, actually as someone who used to watch every hour of wrestling programming the WWF put on TV each week, this little name change is something of a depressing nail into the coffin for my wrestling habit. The shows have been on a very long downward spiral for reasons which have been flogged soundly elsewhere here and this actually seems to greatly weaken if not outright sever the "emotion" loyalty i still felt for the product. In the last 3 months i have gone from taping every Smackdown and RAW for my tape collection to not watching or taping either show because the bloody RECAP humor was more entertainging than actually watching the product. This isn't to say that a dramatic upturn in the quality of programming couldn't bring me back despite the name change, But I have to think that I am far from the only fan whose veiwing habit will in fact change for the worse due to the switch of monikers.
...okay, this is kind of pathetic. One freaking letter is going to stop you guys from being able to enjoy Raw and Smackdown?
I grew up watching wrestling, primarily the WWF. I was a Hulkamaniac, I've been watching my whole LIFE. Yeah, it's a bummer that they had to change the name. Change sucks. But I watched Raw tonight. And you know what? The name change didn't mean squat. Two missteps that I heard by the announcers, a slightly different cadence in Lilian Garcia's intros and whatnot, and the ad spots. Oh, and Jim Ross' shirt.
The WWF changed so many times over the years, I'm surprised they haven't changed it before now during one of their makeovers. Now that there's no major competition, there's no need to worry about brand recognition. Wrestling fans will, with very few exceptions, watch WWE. It still has Steve Austin, the NWO, The Rock, and everybody else.
Hardly the apocalypse.
Change happens. The world moves on. A rose by any other name. If you're *that* hung up on something *that* trivial, I suggest you go right ahead and stop watching. Because you really don't seem to get the point.
Kansas-born and deeply ashamed The last living La Parka Marka: HE raised the briefcase!
Now I'm wondering if they'll do some sort of dubover on Tough Enough since they still have a few episodes left and the company was the WWF at the time it was shot. I'm sure they can get away with WWF until the season ends. But this is the WWE we're talking about.
"Facts are the enemy of truth."
-- Don Quixote in "Man of La Mancha"I think this is great, not that I like WWE, it's just that it's so good to see Vince McMahon not be able to bully/buy his way through anything. Good lord, he bought out WCW, drove ECW out of buisness, has bought up all of the top stars in the buisness just to keep smaller companies from growing. After all of this, who takes him down a peg? A bunch of panda's beat him so bad he had to change the name of his company. Maybe now Mr. McEgo will stop his "McStud scores with Stacy" skits.
Originally posted by Omega RedI think this is great, not that I like WWE, it's just that it's so good to see Vince McMahon not be able to bully/buy his way through anything. Good lord, he bought out WCW, drove ECW out of buisness, has bought up all of the top stars in the buisness just to keep smaller companies from growing. After all of this, who takes him down a peg? A bunch of panda's beat him so bad he had to change the name of his company. Maybe now Mr. McEgo will stop his "McStud scores with Stacy" skits.
You know the only thing that'll stop that crap is the "McStud scores with Lita" skits... isn't she the only one he hasn't tried to get with, aside from Molly?
Pretend the E stands for Extreme. W-W-E, W-W-E, W-W-E!!
Or maybe not. I gotta go with the "who gives a shit?" crowd on this one. The company has some real problems and which three letters it uses isn't one of them.
Let me tell you what I'm gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on me. I'm gonna beat you down like the bitch that you are.
Originally posted by Nate The Snake...okay, this is kind of pathetic. One freaking letter is going to stop you guys from being able to enjoy Raw and Smackdown?
I grew up watching wrestling, primarily the WWF. I was a Hulkamaniac, I've been watching my whole LIFE. Yeah, it's a bummer that they had to change the name. Change sucks. But I watched Raw tonight. And you know what? The name change didn't mean squat. Two missteps that I heard by the announcers, a slightly different cadence in Lilian Garcia's intros and whatnot, and the ad spots. Oh, and Jim Ross' shirt.
The WWF changed so many times over the years, I'm surprised they haven't changed it before now during one of their makeovers. Now that there's no major competition, there's no need to worry about brand recognition. Wrestling fans will, with very few exceptions, watch WWE. It still has Steve Austin, the NWO, The Rock, and everybody else.
Hardly the apocalypse.
Change happens. The world moves on. A rose by any other name. If you're *that* hung up on something *that* trivial, I suggest you go right ahead and stop watching. Because you really don't seem to get the point.
Uh, then what is the point buddy boy? I'm upset about the name so I've stopped watching the show. Am I not allowed to be unhappy? Unless some super hot shit starts to go down I won't watch anymore. It's just not WWEntertaining anymore, for me (key words here). Why get all offended about some people being bummed out? Is it affecting your viewing habits? Or do you just want to be the "dissenting opinion, voice of reason, cool guy"?
I found it interesting that they did play up how strange it was that Matt Striker would essentially cost Big Daddy V the championship, interfering when his man was actually winning. Hopefully they're going somewhere interesting with that.