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MCNEILL'S TAKE
MCNEILL CLASSIC (5 yrs. ago): Raw Factor: Your New Top Babyface and Hot Lesbian Action Sep 11, 2007 - 2:41:35 PM
Desperate People Do Desperate Things
-Eric Bischoff, 1995.
Welcome to the Raw Factor. My name is Pat McNeill. Today is September 11, 2002. While we plan to honor the victims of 9-11, we're not going to give anyone the satisfaction of behaving like victims. Let's roll.
The Louisville Factor: Did Jim Ross really say on OVW television, that nobody would be able to go to WrestleMania without a stopover in Ohio Valley first? That doesn't say a whole lot for the chances of Scott Steiner or Bill Goldberg coming in soon.
The HLA Factor: Congratulations to WWE for working the phrase "hot lesbian action" into Monday's episode of Raw. With each passing week, we're getting a better line on exactly which wrestling websites and message boards WWE writers are stealing their ideas from.
Since Brian Gewirtz and the writers spent all that time trying to get the "HLA" letters and concept over, maybe they should continue this story for another few weeks. Sure, the "smart" fans were complaining about Monday's episode of Raw, but what do they know? It's not like their disapproval translates into actual ratings numbers or anything.
Chris Nowinski can bring out a couple of brainy Harvard girl tutors for some "Harvard Learning Action." Jeff Hardy can offer to participate in some "Hot Ladder Action." Angry female viewers can picket the arena, engaging in some "Hate Lawler Action." And, when Jim Ross calls up the next piece of talent from OVW, it'll be time for some "Hot Louisville Action." Hey, as long as there's "action", the fans will be there in droves.
Three Point Four: Those of you who have been complaining about the "negativity" here on the Torch site of late should probably check out the ratings for this past Monday's episode of Raw - a 3.4 rating, the lowest in over four years. WWE is in bad shape.
Impact Segment of the Night: WWE doesn't get enough credit when they do something right, so let's rectify that situation now. For months, there have been complaints that WWE hasn't been building up new top stars. But, over the post couple of months, WWE has stealthily been creating a new top babyface. A lot of folks thought this guy would never make it in the WWE. After he arrived, others predicted that his "bush league" style would never catch on in the show. But he has persevered, and become the biggest babyface on the WWE Raw brand, showing the value of putting fresh talent on top.
Congratulations to Eric Bischoff, for providing what's left of the WWE television audience with the lesbianism, attitude and violence that they all adore.
Talking Points Memo: Believe it or not, I wasn't all that offended by the lesbian segment on WWE Raw. As a stand alone bit, it was part of the simple Raw formula of late. Bischoff brings out suckers, crowd responds, Bischoff hooks the fans like fish, and here come the Island Boys. Sure, there was a lesbian kiss between two scantily-clad women, and the women were the recipients of the beating. But this shouldn't be anything new for longtime WWE viewers. You all had about an hour's warning to change the channel.
What was really offensive on Raw? How about the fact that the whole show was built around Bischoff's ridiculous lesbian angle? The WWE forgot that, in the words of Jim Cornette, people watch wrestling shows to see wrestlers wrestle. Building the show around that little publicity stunt is a vote of no confidence in your wrestlers, your booking, and your ability to hold people's attention with your own storyline. That's why Monday's episode of Raw got the rating it deserved.
Pat McNeill of Fairfax, Va. has been a Torch columnist since February 2001. His next online column probably won't contain any hot lesbian action. His PWTorch.com column appears two or three times a week. The McNeill Factor column appears in almost every edition of PWTorch Newsletter.
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