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http://jimcornette.com/Commentary.html --

"CHARACTER" ACTORS

Posted July 2, 2009

Nothing gives me the sour belches any quicker than when a performer in the wrestling business, whether a wrestler, manager, referee, or anyone else asks any variation on the question, "What would my character say/do?" It is the most prevalent example of how the ways in which we in the wrestling profession talk both to each other and about our business have changed over the past 20 years. It also illustrates how these terms have changed the way those in wrestling THINK about the business, and as it's happened over time, most people don't even realize what's taken place. But beware--in this commentary, you'll learn things that even some current wrestling stars don't know, but should.

First and foremost is the word "character". It's used constantly today, even by veterans, so much so that many who were around back in the day have to think hard to realize it's a recent term that was NEVER heard in wrestling until the late 80's/early 90's. I worked with and for some pretty major stars, and I NEVER heard "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, "Captain Redneck" Dick Murdoch, Jerry "The King" Lawler, "Handsome" Jimmy Valiant, "Cowboy" Bill Watts, or anyone else ask what their "character" would do. Clearly, by today's definition, they all had one, but back then it was called a "gimmick". If you were from Texas, you wore a Cowboy hat, boots, and used the Bulldog headlock, your "gimmick" was you were a Cowboy. Most wrestlers had a gimmick because it made them different, made them stand out from the pack. Some wrestlers' gimmick was they had no gimmick, they just wrestled. Some were more outlandish than others, and some were downright goofy. Those usually didn't get over or last long. But ALL of them that got over and drew money had one thing in common--legitimacy--that prevented them from being simply a "character".

For the rest of this column go to http://jimcornette.com/Commentary.html

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