If/When you have kids will you keep the pretense up that it is real?

rovert

Kinda inspired by the PW fail thread.

With Wrestling being Sports Entertainment, promotions being addicted breaking kayfabe etc is the pressure still there to "Santa" and "Tooth Fairy" it?

When I was a nipper being told it was fake was kind of a traumatic thing and I refused to believe it fully for ages.

Dunno maybe Ive lost perspective but the pretense of it being real seems far, far less important in 2011.

jaykhunter

Oh, definitely. Although personally i never really had a kayfabe era (since i watched wrestling with my older brothers from the mid 80s) i imagine it'd be the happiest time in everyone's wrestling life. I'd just teach him to hate the wrestlers I hate, love the wrestlers I love lol. I think i'd drop hints here and there and when the time comes I'll let him know it's a tv show.

and then he'll be jaded beyond his years

i think this is how i'll end up being able to game and watching wrestling; under the pretense of family bonding time

Vince135792003

When I was young, most of my relatives hated wrestling and spent most of the time telling me it was fake and it either didn't bother me or else my brain trusted what I saw on tv over what people were telling me.

From my experience in a senior infant and 1st classes, reality comes secondary to imagination.

glenjamin

Next you"ll be telling me Santas not real either. You and your shenanigans rovert :rolleyes:

rovert

glenjamin wrote: »

Next you"ll be telling me Santas not real either. You and your shenanigans rovert :rolleyes:

Vince McMahon cleared that up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c1XxpqEMf4

Pentecost

I remember being told, and believing, at school when I was about 9 or 10 that WCW was fake but WWF was real! Such innocence.

flahavaj

I will definitely keep the pretence up for as long as possible. Its never really the same afterwards.

Ridley

jaykhunter wrote: »

I'd just teach him to hate the wrestlers I hate, love the wrestlers I love lol. I think i'd drop hints here and there and when the time comes I'll let him know it's a tv show.

and then he'll be jaded beyond his years

Not accounting for the possibility of a baby Liz then?

jaykhunter

HA AH AH AH HA HAH HAHA

Lord TSC

Definitly let them believe it's real for a while, but also stress how they are trained professionals who should not be intimidated (all the while having matches with them in the sitting room with my beautiful supermodel of a wife acting as a referee <_____<).

Hangballlouie

It's funny that this has come up as I was gonna post something similar. I've only posted a couple of times here but have been floating for a while. I have two young sons who are crazy about wrestling and it has renewed my love of the sport/entertainment. I honestly believe that they should find out for themselves, as the joy it brings them at the moment is huge, and it would be cruel to take it from them. Plus it makes me enjoy it more, as I can tell them about PIper, Roberts and Hart, while watching the new generation. Finding out when I was young didn't take my love of wrestling away, but it did diminish that love to an extent. Sorry if this is all over the place as I'm writing this on my phone.:)

Diabhal Beag

Get them a Wrestling Observer subscription from an early age and beat them if they don't know the exact dates for every ROH show ever.

rovert

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Get them a Wrestling Observer subscription from an early age and beat them if they don't know the exact dates for every ROH show ever.

^ Will name his first son "Chris Hero"

flahavaj

Can't be any worse than the lad I met at the ROH shows a few years ago who had gotten the ROH logo tattooed on his arm.

*cringes.*:o

GTR63

flahavaj wrote: »

Can't be any worse than the lad I met at the ROH shows a few years ago who had gotten the ROH logo tattooed on his arm.

*cringes.*:o

Didn't they change the ROH logo recently too hope nobody told him. If he was to tell any woman about why he got that he may have a problem getting to the having kids stage.

geeky

I'd naturally incline towards keeping up the pretense, for the reasons many people have stated above, but it's like santa - if your kids' peers stop believing and they still do, your kids become easy pickings for bullies. And may resent you for holding the truth from them.

So I'd also listen out to the stuff other kids are telling them - tbh, by the time they turn around and say 'is it real', they know it's not really.

On a side note, when I was young, I so fervently believed it was all real that I actually convinced my mum of it too.

sunbabe08

i think i always believe it wasn't real. now the santa issue was a whole different kettle of fish altogether.


you just have to warn the kids not to do the moves, just explain the guys and girls train and work at that for years. of course there eventually going to have to be told it's not real. that it's just there for entertainment.

grames_bond

Make them watch alot of wwe - then bring them to a live show, they will realise they have seen these "live" matches before and figure it out for themselves!

That's how I found out!! The day my childhood died!!

Degag

I'll just say what my father used to say...

"Don't tell me you're watching this shíte again!!"

DM_7

I will let my Kids watch Wrestling only when they are old enough to boo Cena and cheer Heels.

Insect Overlord

Degag wrote: »

I'll just say what my father used to say...

"Don't tell me you're watching this shíte again!!"

My dad still says that to me. I'll be 23 next week.

jaykhunter

Yeah, put on Antiques Roadshow instead, much more entertaining. I wonder how much this rusty kettle is worth?

MitchKoobski

My parents still give me the usual "You still watch that?" "You stayed up until 4am!?".

I'll keep it up as long as possible. Let them figure it out for themselves. Being honest, I only came around to 100% understanding it wasn't real when I saw someone completely miss a punch and he still went flying.

thebostoncrab

I have four nephews, two who are old enough to watch wrestling. One believes its real and the other recently became wise and, while I enjoy the backstage talk etc. with the older one, I love seeing the younger nephews reaction to everything that happens during the week since he thinks it's all real and it makes watching shows with him very enjoyable.

So I'll gladly tell my kids that Santa isn't real before telling them that wreslting isn't real

flahavaj

Degag wrote: »

I'll just say what my father used to say...

"Don't tell me you're watching this shíte again!!"

My aul lad would bayte me if he thought I was still interested in PW. He's probably right too.:pac:

CMpunked

Wrestling stories are a lot different than they were years ago, well, the 90s.

I remember watching the horrific moment when Big Boss Man chained the Big Shows coffin to his car and big show piling ontop of it.
It was 'Real' moments like that where my belief was completely suspended.
It was easier to realise that wrestling wasnt as honest as i believed when i also seen stuff like the undertaker causing lightning bolts and those sort of 'magical' moments.

But in todays world of sports entertainment, the characters and stories are a lot less exaggerated. With such you no longer have the outcast kid who still believes it in 3rd class, getting bullied for still watching.
A few weeks ago i brought my 10 year old nephew to summer camp in his school and i was amazed at the amount of kids that were wearing john cena, rey mysterio and even cm punk gear on them.

Will i let my kids believe its real? Definitely.
Its more fun to engross yourself with full emotion in those years.
But as soon as they get a peek at the man behind the curtain i will not discourage them from watching, but will encourage them to appreciate the athleticism and performance and not dwell on the fact that so and so is not actually someone elses brother.

GTR63

Degag wrote: »

I'll just say what my father used to say...

"Don't tell me you're watching this shíte again!!"

Never forget the first & last time my dad watched Wrestling. Fully Loaded 98 it had that painted on Bra on Sable & a Stu Harts Basement match which Shamrock put Owens head though a low roof and Owen knocked out Shamrock with a weight dumbbell. My dad called it quote a bunch of Fùcking Eejits trying to Kill one another. Maybe he was just trying to make me believe its real & not break Kayfabe

parker kent

flahavaj wrote: »

My aul lad would bayte me if he thought I was still interested in PW. He's probably right too.:pac:

I'd sooner tell people in real life that I smeared myself in mustard and was tickled by a midget every Tuesday than tell most people that I know that I am actually watching Raw :pac:

steelcityblues

BTW, did anyone else who was old enough to be watching when Vince was still a dorky commentator, get a shock when they found out he ran the Federation?

Before my cousin told me one day, I thought 'the boss' was Jack Tunney.

MitchKoobski

I used to fully believe the Commisioner and GM roles. I remember when The Rock was suspended indefinitely by Vince on Smackdown one saturday morning, I had to leg it into my mam to ask her what indefinitely meant.

CMpunked

Did anyone used to think it was "Paper View"?

Eire-Dearg

CMpunked wrote: »

Did anyone used to think it was "Paper View"?

No.

Pentecost

I think I did, if that makes any sense!

MitchKoobski

My grandad used to record all the PPV's for my on Sky Sports so I never understood why it was called PAY Per View until I had to order Wrestlemania one year.