It’s Not The Attitude Era, It’s The Stars
Many people say that we need to bring back the attitude era. But what are we really implying when we say that? In reality do we long for the attitude era or do we long for the wrestling stars from the attitude era? I mean even if they brought back a similar product, could you really see Jeff hardy giving the one finger salute. Could you really see CM Punk putting some sumb***h sideways and sticking his boot up their candy ass.
We have to understand that bringing back the attitude era won’t bring back stars like Austin and the Rock. If it were brought back it won’t be the same thing we saw in the late nineties-early 2000’s. We might get the language and the more outrageous storylines, but it won’t bring back the wrestlers. It would be today’s wrestlers binging the attitude. I’m not sure that would be a bad thing I’m just saying it would be different.
Most of the people who made the attitude era are gone. The Rock and Austin are gone, Shawn Michaels is almost gone, and at his age I don’t think Vince McMahon will be having many more big rivalries. Could another attitude era reach the same heights with newer stars like CM Punk, the Hardy’s, Edge and even Shane McMahon leading the way? Also could the writer’s be once again called on to be as creative as they were back then? They seem to have taken a break from thinking of innovative storylines lately.
It could be accomplished if everyone is willing to try hard and work towards the same goal, but it won’t be a repeat of the last attitude era, because that was a certain place in time and a certain time in society. That being said, in today’s politically correct climate it could be better!
If they really are willing to put so much energy in to their current Kid’s Initiative why not try and use that energy to try and create an entirely new era. The attitude era was exciting and groundbreaking because it was different, it had never really been done that way before. If it is done again will it really be exciting, they are bound to eventually repeat some of the original attitude eras storylines. Then we will have people complaining that they are using old storylines and that they are ruining the history of the attitude era.
So in other words we might end up back at square one with no new storylines or any innovative characters or matches, but with just a lot more bad language. If the attitude era does come back it could once again bring WWE to heights never seen before, or it could fail miserably. I suppose it is up to WWE if they want to take that chance.
Paul McNamara
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I often think we look back at the Attitude Era through rose colored glasses. To be honest I think if it repeated itself I’d be ranting about the disgusting nonsensical content. It was a time and place when people wanted anti-heroes and adolescents wanted to go nuts! I don’t think society is quite the same anymore.
If you look at the actual product during the Attitude Era they had run ins all the time, short crappy matches, and a lot of goofiness. If anything, TNA IS the attitude era, but we’ve already seen it done better so don’t care.
I look at it like a good couple of seasons on a TV show. You can watch the DVD and long for it to be as good, but it never will be.
As I stated in one of my Truth Cast audio shows, I think WWE needs to go the opposite direction, have longer matches, enforce rules and bring back the old school nuances.
I agree the stars made the era at the time, the kids initiative has also been done before in the 80s so aren’t they basically repeating themselves constantly, I feel if wwe want to move are stop having same champions push new talent stop burying them. cena triple h orton always champions and it’s getting old now wwe need to stop using these guys as champions all the time, I’d love to see an attitude era esque return but not entirley the same just stop having same champions like raw constantly has
@sjcrows – the “kids initiative” of the 1980s is absolutely nothing like the current WWE product. At all.
And if you’re looking for new stars, then the current WWE is the wrestling show you want to watch: CM Punk, Miz, Dolph Ziggler, John Morrison, Kofi Kingston, MVP, Jack Swagger, the majority of the ECW brand, etc. You can’t just flip a switch and say “you’re a star now!” but WWE’s been building more new guys right now than they have in years.
I agree with the change needed to the championship holders of Raw. I think a return to the Attitudes Era would show a lack of creativity from WWE writers, but a attitude – esque return, if done right, would be a good step. It was the stars like Rock and Austin that made that era entertaining but if they bring back some things from that era including the more hardcore style matches and some of the storylines it may bring back some fans who are sick and tired of WWE right now with Cena, HHH and Orton always feuding and always wearing the belt. It has gotten stale lately. Maybe if WWE pushes new talent to championship status like Jack Swagger, MVP, Evan Bourne, Kofi Kingston and bring back HBK and Undertaker the ratings will return and maybe people will not crave a return of the attitu era as much. I loved that era but I would like to see something completely fresh instead of redoing that era again
If WWE wants kids to watch, just bring back Rock & ‘Restling on Saturday mornings. Cena is just a big cartoon character anyway!
This Day And And Time Entertanment is SEX,Dugs,Blood Violance, ripping on celbrits. then it was all about attatude. it could never be as good but almost as cool, they have one key thing if they let a certin evil guenus come back to ecw.The NEW TRIBE OF Xtream. i was at a indi show the other day and talked with Chris Hamrick, he saud people liked ecw because it was diffrent. and he was right
I think that you and your work is totally awesome. I am your biggest fan EVER! The stuff that you write is so epic and true. I so want to meet you in person. I wonder what you look like. Paul you rule! See you in another life.
Can’t believe I just approved the above comment LOL. Keep looking over your shoulder Paul.
I dont want The “Att Era” again, I just want something that doesn’t want me to fall asleep, turn it off and eventually get so angry at what WWE are doing that I never want to watch there product again. But… I’m afraid thats going to happen.
So I will bide my time, watch my Dvd collection, watch, hope and pray for TNA and hope WWE regains its composure again in the future. But I’m not holding my breath.
I personally dont want the era back either. Bringing the attitude era back would associate the greatest times of my chilhood (WWF) with the horrid excuse for a show (WWE).
I believe that attitude era is of the WWF a COMPLETELY different company to WWE and would cry to see it return on there perfectic brands.
Another thing i wanted (but didnt get) was the leaving of all the old greats (HHH, Taker, Booker etc). I saw the new era coming after WM21 therefore i wanted all the oldguys to leave cause look at what good staying did for them. They have been ruined.
Undertaker should of been buried alive and never spoke of aagin (that would be funny). HHH should of just left after the Hell in the Cell with Batista (Couldnt care less about HBK) but i wanted the attitude stars to leave.
I don’t believe that the “Attitude Era” will ever make a comeback because sponsers are too afraid to take a chance on ‘offending someone’. That’s the thing that pisses me off about these people; they want all the money, but none of the risk.
what WWE should do just right now is bring some mor hardcreness to t.v and ppv because tell me how many time did we saw blood in attitude era ; every week , and right now ; never .so just think
elimination chambers or steel cage matches are all for blood baths and tearing your opponents but you saw this year there was no blood no extremeness and a steel cage match of 3 min
so the “bottomline” is if WWE will keep going on like this they will be in deeeeep trouble
When people- or at least the majority of knowledgable fans
say that they want to see the attitude era alive again
They mean that the attitude era was what pro wrestling is supposed to embody.
The attitude era involved competition between two promotions and brought out the creative and if you will desperate side of the WWE which is what they DIDN’T but could do with Smackdown and Raw.
Fans would obviously prefer more adult storylines built around characters that embody the actual person,eg. Rock, Jericho, Austin, Hardys and more who debuted at a time when vince tried to give his talent some freedom. But even characters who (i strongly assume) are fiction written by writers or wrestlers such as Goldust, Hurricane and others give amazing and believeable performances that entertain. unlike Festus or Striker
look, i know this will be just another comment from a nobody, but if wwe is reading this just look back at what u guys did in the late 80’s to early 90’s. it was a time when adults and kids could watch. last weeks raw had an interview with maryse that reminded me of the wwf superstars setup and i liked that, keep that up. i seen jericho outside, i seen different camera angels, etc. just keep doing things that will switch it up a little. stop giving us the same shit week after week. add some new elements to the show. bring back the winning formula, so start looking over older films wwe creative. if u have n e wrestling I.Q. at all do the things proven to help make a good traditional show. its not hard!!!
well we all know that the attitude era was the best pro wrestling era of the 90’s and it proof’d its power by demoleshing wcw and bring it out of bussness but right now if they get this era back it wont like the last one because almost all the wreslters that build the attitude era has gone and the new wrestlers just dont get the jop right i mean sure there some wrestlers like the hardys edge and or cristian are still in the company but this era is just to big for them to lead it alone beside who wants to see an an era like the attitude era come back to the wwe it wont be right to do it because it was so big and there is no way they can do it again
my opinion wwe should make a new era more powerfull than the the attitude era if they want there fans to get back ow and they can start this by removing the pg raiting
We don’t need these new shitty stars messing up the best era ever..
but get rid of the pg era and turn y2j as face again so we can have someone funny and good on the mic..cuss cena dont got mic skills..