Monday, October 4, 2010

Something With Which I'm Wrestling

After all the heavy posts about the dog and about my ill health (and please, people, I want your comments!) I have decided to tackle briefly a topic with which I have been wrestling in my own mind for some time:  When in the name of all that we hold dear did the Sci-Fi Channel (excuse me, "SyFy") become the home of the World Wrestling Federation??!?

I'm deadly serious.  This bothers me.  A whole lot.

If we accept the definition of science fiction ("syence fyction?") as "literary fantasy involving the imagined impact of science on society" then we accept, I think, the idea that this is a pretty intellectual exercise.  To extrapolate the impact of certain possible, or even purely speculative, developments in science and technology requires a certain amount of, oh, I don't know, intelligence on our part.  Professional wrestling, however, does not.

Don't get me wrong.  I'm all for the broadest possible definition of what qualifies as appropriate for a television channel devoted to science fiction.  It doesn't all have to be Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica reruns.  I love the cheesy movies, like Megashark Vs. Giant Octopus.  (I swear I am not making that up.)  I love that they also show fantasy and horror and everything from Bruce Campbell B-movies to vampire romance.  But wrestling??!?  Seriously?

I just cannot get my mind around whatever Venn diagram they are using that shows a significant enough overlap between sci-fi fans and wrestling fans to make somebody think this is a good idea.

Surely there is no shortage of appropriate programming for a science fiction channel.  Surely there are enough wrestling fans out there to warrant a separate wrestling channel, or at least to devoting part of an existing sports channel's programming time to wrestling.  Does somebody -- somebody who I'm sure makes way more money than I do, somebody with a ton of responsibility at the network -- honestly think that the folks watching Stargate: Universe are going to stick around to see who the Undertaker is going up against this week?  Or conversely, that the wrestling fans are going to stay tuned for Sanctuary?  Really?

Get wrestling off of my science fiction venue and onto the Nascar channel where it belongs.  Give that time back for something I will actually enjoy watching instead of steroid abusers badly acting out juvenile scripted adventures.  If I wanted to watch that, I'd tune in to Supercroc.

Yes, I'm an elitist snob.  So sue me.

1 comment:

  1. I am with you whole heartedly on this one Thomas. I just don't get it. The ONLY connection I can see is that it is fiction, but what in the name of Thor's hammer does wrestling (wrastling?) have to do with sci fi? And it seems to be taking over. Although that may be perception, even a 5 minute bout once a week would be far too much air time dedicated to this spectacle on this venue.
    If it is a marketing move I can not see the connection. Well, I did give them this, if you take enough illicit substances, squint just right and throw all logic out it may be construed in some small way that they are similar to super heroes, but there really isn't enough peyote for me to allow any more then a hairs comparison.

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