WWE's Wrestling Language

Lord TSC

- WWE has an information sheet titled "The Language of WWE" that they send out to people that do international voice-overs for their TV shows in other countries. The sheet includes a list of "Incorrect Terminology" and a list of "Correct Terminology."

“The Language of WWE” reads like this:

“World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is a publicly traded entertainment company (NYSE: WWE) that creates and delivers a weekly action soap opera to its passionate fans.

WWE has been a recognized leader in entertainment for more than 25 years and has developed into one of the most popular and sophisticated forms of global entertainment today.

As a global entertainment brand, the language that we use when communicating on WWE is critical.

Please ensure that you are familiar and employing the below, effective immediately. “

Here’s a look at some of the terms:

* “Wrestling” or “catch” is banned. Some European countries still use the term “catch” to describe pro wrestling and “catchers” to describe wrestlers. “The Language of WWE” states that the following phrases are incorrect: “Wrestling is broadcast in 145 countries,” or “Catch is broadcast in 145 countries.” The correct terminology is: “WWE is broadcast in 145 countries.”

* “Sports” is incorrect. “Entertainment or Action Soap Opera” is allowed. For example, “WWE is exciting entertainment” or “WWE is an exciting action soap opera” is allowed. In the last example, “action soap opera” is printed in bold, presumably to make sure there’s no confusion.

* “Catchers” or “wrestlers” are not allowed. Incorrect examples are “Catchers are unique characters” or “Wrestlers are unique characters.” The term “WWE Superstars” is allowed.

* “Athletes” or “Sportsmen” are now allowed either. WWE gives the following example to use: “WWE Superstars are entertainers with tremendous athletic prowess.”

* The term “fight” is not allowed. Matches must be referred to as “match” or “bout.”

* “Fighting” is also not allowed but the term “action” is.

“The Language of WWE” printout concludes with the following “Key Soundbytes”:

* WWE is pure entertainment

* WWE is an action soap opera

* WWE Superstars are entertainers with tremendous athletic prowess

http://www.pwpix.net/pwpixnews/headlines/304712005.php

D.Q

Teamshadowclan wrote: »

http://www.pwpix.net/pwpixnews/headlines/304712005.php

that completely sickens me to read. They are fucking wrestlers like,

Machismo Fan

D.Q wrote: »

that completely sickens me to read. They are fucking wrestlers like,

I'll never understand why they make such a big deal about this on the wrestling show. Fair enough their an entertainment company but why can't they just call they wrestling aspect wrestling. It's just silly.

mayordenis

When will they rename WrestleMania to SportsEntertainmentMania? Jazuz they're idiots.

Kess73

mayordenis wrote: »

When will they rename WrestleMania to SportsEntertainmentMania? Jazuz they're idiots.

Don't be silly, it will be Action Soap OperaMania:D

grames_bond

I genuinely believe next year will just be called "Mania 28"

jaykhunter

Kess73 wrote: »

Don't be silly, it will be Action Soap OperaMania:D

ha ha. Rest assured it'll be ok.....Entertainia 28

gimmick

Split from the "chat" thread. People may not see its glory in there.

partyndbs

dear oh dear, no matter how bad tna is it has to be a million times better than this ****e!!!!!

MitchKoobski

That has to be absolute bull****.

"Action Soap Opera", no use of the word "Wrestling", "Athletes" not allowed?

I'm already after seeing the majority of this broken in the last week.

krudler

Is anyone else kinda hoping Vince retires soon and Kevin "I dont work for a wrestling company" Dunn is sacked by Triple H? as much as people loathe the thought of Trippers inheriting the company, it'd be the best thing for it at this point. Vince has lost hte plot surrounded by these lackies who wont challenge him on descisions and just move the company further away from what it is.

krudler

Does this mean Big Show will now be billed as "the largest action soap opera star in the world?"

gimmick

One other that springs to mind as well is they are not allowed use the world title ie its a CHAMPIONSHIP belt (though I think the word belt may not be allowed either).

dlofnep

Sure we knew this already. They always use the term "superstars" instead of wrestlers. I'd love to understand the logic behind this, as it's baffling. I suppose they'll have to rename the WWE to World Entertainment.

gimmick

^ I think it is so people can use it more easily in the mainstream. They look at themselves as an entertainment company, not "just a" wrestling company.

Whatever it is, it is beyond silly.

partyndbs

its just called wwe now man, the letters stand for nothin in wwes eyes

jaykhunter

I feel that this "Language of WWE" decree is so preposterous, such wretch-inducing troll-script, that my brain's just simply dismissing it.

A few points about World Wrestling Entertainment becoming WWE :

- It doesn't change the product at all. We'll still get the same awful comedy vignettes that keeps Gerwitz in a job as before.

- Not one Kentuckian boycotted Kentucky Fried Chicken when they changed to KFC. Same thing here. Who really cares?

- No wrestlers actually say "World Wrestling Entertainment". Like Miz never refers to himself as the World Wrestling Entertainment champion (he says 'WWE Champion') and I actually find it comically offensive if someone were to say "I'm the Entertainment Champion".....like they're the king of Entertainment. It's much goofier than saying "WWE Champion".

- Crazy Vince McMahon has these moods and ideas and makes these sweeping changes only to quietly rescind them down the line. A few years ago there was about a week where McMahon decreed that wrestlers/superstars are now "entertainers". It failed miserably and went back to superstars. We might not get the "E" back but I really doubt we've seen the end of the "W"...

I personally can't imagine Cole or any commentator spouting "WWE is pure entertainment, an action soap opera" ....I'll have to hear it to believe it. I hope he does try it, so this silly new 'bylaw' will go away, and it'll be another notch in the "Triple H can't take over soon enough" post.

Gerard.C

This is the kinda stuff that bothers me about Internet Wrestling to be honest. Like, in my eyes anyway, this doesnt matter in the slightest. If I hadnt read this here, I wouldnt know the difference. The fact that Michael Cole cant say Athlete isnt going to, for example, fight the Undertaker at Wrestlemania. Wrestling is fake at the end of the day, who cares if the commentators cant say Athlete?

Penn

In a way, I see why they're doing it. I'd say people are constantly being turned off because "It's fake" etc. This is WWE's way of trying to say "We know it's fake, but it's not real wrestling. It's an entertainment programme".

With phrases such as Action Soap Opera, they've probably gone a bit overboard. But as Ger said, it really doesn't make that much of a difference

jaykhunter

I guess the only problem I have with wrestling --sorry sports entertainment -- ..... --sorry, action soap opera-- is that Vince is successfully lobbying to have wrestling classed as a TV show - and be exempt from legitimate outside drug testing, and continuing to class his employees as independent contractors, so he doesn't have to foot the medical bills caused directly from working for WWE.

He saves a few bucks (so he can piss it away on, say, his zombie wife's political 'career') by fostering an insecure environment that promotes lifelong bad habits - drug use/abuse/painkiller abuse/life-long injuries and unfortunately death.

Vince is undoubtedly making some effort to clean it up, but certainly not for main-eventers, and certainly not to the standard of government-regulated testing. Vince/WWE is only as good as they are forced to be. I'm sure it was outside pressure that instituted the Wellness Policy after Eddie's death, not from his own volition.

Has anything changed since Benoit's death? No.

In short, WWE are trying to hoodwink the rest of the world with this "entertainment soap opera" crap. It's still a dirty, back-breaking, life-shortening business with ill-compensation for the extreme majority. More Chris Jerichos and less Chris Benoits please.

parker kent

The new language is forced, but calling them athletes is a bit cringeworthy as it leads to the typical "Sure it's fake" people. As if wrestling hasn't been openly fake for a long, long time.

krudler

parker kent wrote: »

The new language is forced, but calling them athletes is a bit cringeworthy as it leads to the typical "Sure it's fake" people. As if wrestling hasn't been openly fake for a long, long time.

But they are athletes, just because its not actual competition doesnt take away from the athletic ability needed to be a wrestler.

Charisteas

Has anyone contemplated the fact that this story might be a load of bull$hit?

First of all; the second paragraph states, and I quote; "World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is a publicly traded entertainment company (NYSE: WWE) that creates and delivers a weekly action soap opera to its passionate fans."

Yet, WWE have changed their name to simply WWE, dropping the World Wrestling Entertainment label.

Secondly, I can't see the WWE marketing department promoting the term "Action Soap Opera" out of fear of driving away the main demographic fanbase (which I believe is male 18-35). These fans, whether it be us IWC or the casual guys who tune in most Monday nights, basically just want to watch two guys talking crap to each other, and then kicking the crap out of each other, not a soap opera which sounds way too feminine to me.

And the word 'athlete' is banned now? I don't buy it. Vince was always proud of the fact that his guys are both athletes and actors. Why dismiss the athletic fact?

Jerichoholic

If Sheamus has to stick to this on the LLS tonight, it's going to become very confusing to Bridey from Ballinspittle.

GTR63

Jerichoholic wrote: »

If Sheamus has to stick to this on the LLS tonight, it's going to become very confusing to Bridey from Ballinspittle.

Yeah if I was to say that i'm going to the Sports Entertainment Soap Opera event tonite people would think I was mentaly deranged.Sorry Vince Wrestling is Wrestling no matter how much you wan't it to be considered a Soap,a entertainment show or whatever.

drayme

They have been sports entertainment since 1989. Just saying.

jaykhunter

drayme wrote: »

They have been sports entertainment since 1989. Just saying.

What happened in 1989? I always thought it was 1992 when Vince wanted to avoid taxation/regulation for being a sport.

drayme

jaykhunter wrote: »

What happened in 1989? I always thought it was 1992 when Vince wanted to avoid taxation/regulation for being a sport.

Half right:

The World Wrestling Federation lobbied various states to decouple the "sport" from state athletic regulations. The McMahons argued that wrestling was a scripted entertainment and convinced lawmakers that it was really not much different from entertainment shows.

There was a reason that the McMahons wanted to get away from state athletic regulators. Wrestling resides in a murky area in sports and entertainment. The genre has some athleticism but in 1989 Vince McMahon testified before the New Jersey State Senate that his product was not a bona fide competition and that wrestling matches were staged events. McMahon was trying to catch some tax breaks from the state of New Jersey for his live shows and his pay-per-view TV offerings by claiming his genre was not a sport.

http://www.examiner.com/business-of-sports-in-national/linda-mcmahon-wrestlers-deaths-and-head-injuries

WWE also quickly lamented the hasty change from from World Wrestling Federation to World Wrestling Entertainment. As it lacked what they wanted to convey then and in the future.

This isnt a massive change like some people feel it is. It has been a gradual change most of which has already been implemented years ago.

jaykhunter

Cool! Thanks for that. Is there a review article on the 92/93 steroid trial?

drayme

jaykhunter wrote: »

Cool! Thanks for that. Is there a review article on the 92/93 steroid trial?

Probably best to sign up for the Torch or the Observer for the most detail. Wade Keller was there everyday for it.

There is a book called Sex, Lies and Headlocks that covers it too. But this is the condensed version:

http://espn.go.com/page2/s/assael/020730.html

Jay Pentatonic

I absolutely can't stand the "wwe universe" term. I think it's just so stupid, especially when a wrestler is doing an interview outside of wwe, no one knows what they mean, and whoever the wrestler is has to say "wwe universe, that's what we call our fans". You wonder what's the point.

Maybe it's because Vince thinks the word "fan" is linked with "sports" and not "entertainment" or maybe it's simply meant to appeal to kids.
Whatever the reason, it's pretty cringeworthy in my opinion.

drayme

Jay1989 wrote: »

I absolutely can't stand the "wwe universe" term. I think it's just so stupid, especially when a wrestler is doing an interview outside of wwe, no one knows what they mean, and whoever the wrestler is has to say "wwe universe, that's what we call our fans". You wonder what's the point.

Maybe it's because Vince thinks the word "fan" is linked with "sports" and not "entertainment" or maybe it's simply meant to appeal to kids.
Whatever the reason, it's pretty cringeworthy in my opinion.

Vince thinks "fans" is patronising.

davrho

Meh. I still pine for the 12.30 "Good afternoon grappling fans" from the 80's:(

parker kent

krudler wrote: »

But they are athletes, just because its not actual competition doesnt take away from the athletic ability needed to be a wrestler.

That wasn't my point. Actors are great athletes too in many cases. But you don't watch a film and call an actor an athlete. I never took away from from their athletic ability. I think anybody on here regularly should know how high I value what they all do week in, week out. Well other than Kevin Nash :pac:

jaykhunter

parker kent wrote: »

That wasn't my point. Actors are great athletes too in many cases. But you don't watch a film and call an actor an athlete. I never took away from from their athletic ability. I think anybody on here regularly should know how high I value what they all do week in, week out. Well other than Kevin Nash :pac:

That's quite interesting. Although not all athletes are wrestlers, practically every wrestler is an athlete. Like unless you're a 40+ bollox that clogs up TV time you're a tremendously fit, legitimate athlete.

parker kent

jaykhunter wrote: »

That's quite interesting. Although not all athletes are wrestlers, practically every wrestler is an athlete. Like unless you're a 40+ bollox that clogs up TV time you're a tremendously fit, legitimate athlete.

To me the word athlete refers to somebody who is both trained to compete in and actually competes in athletic competition. Wrestlers are not competing. Many are extremely fit and athletic (and many have been athletes before), but they are not athletes in the strictest sense of the word. They are just fit people taking part in a physically demanding form of entertainment.

Which goes back to my original point, any use of athlete, sports etc seems a little cringeworthy to me when wrestling has been out for a long time. Such as when they called the Big Show the largest athlete in the world. He's not an athlete, he is not taking part in athletic competition. It goes back to the old kayfabe routines.