The Smarter You Are The Dumber You Are
#PWHS #Article #TheSmarterYouAreTheDumberYouAre #Smark #SmartMark #Jobber #JTTS
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The Internet is a wonderful part of our everyday lives. Were it not for the Internet, I never would have discovered pioneers sites like list-serves, and "ScoopsWrestling"©-sites that opened the door for me to fall in love with professional wrestling all over again. But this time, the love came from the perspective of learning about the business side of what existed in the professional wrestling world at the time, rather than the performance side. Learning something about how the business operates and the history of the business became a passion for me that has yet to abate.
In addition to the new wealth of information at my fingertips, I also was fortunate to meet a cadre of people in the world who shared my interest. From Japan, to Germany, to Australia and of course-North America-I met and often became online friends with many who had knowledge to share or memories to recount. Sadly, as the years have passed, I often recall some of these dear friends only in memory: John Paul Volino, Jim "Clawmaster" Zordani, Ken Timbs and Jim Melby are but a few of the people who were kind enough to answer my questions-and in some cases become friends-have all passed away. I miss them, their knowledge and their kindness.
Unfortunately with the good comes the...well...not so good. "Smarks" or "Smart marks" begin to proliferate with the expansion of the Internet. People who, like me, gained some insight into the business-but rather than keep researching and learning, these types immediately brand themselves as experts on everything and anything related to the inside of the business. They enjoy demeaning people who have less inside knowledge than themselves, or-heaven forbid-enjoy wrestling without the need to know who is being pushed and who has heat in the locker room. They tend to subscribe to every dirt sheet and quote verbatim whatever they read as fact. They are, in short, a major pain in the ass.
What these folks forget is that a smart mark is still a mark. I am a mark (and proud to be one). I may have a wider grasp of history than some, but I fully realize that what I know is barely a drop in the proverbial bucket. Compared to people who work in the business, my knowledge is severely limited. I am not an expert-I simply know what I know.
Examples? Sure.
"That guy was nothing but a jobber, or a JTTS!" (Jobber To The Stars).
I read this often about legitimate, skilled professionals like SD Jones, Johnny Rodz, JoJo Andrews, George South, and others. If these guys were "just jobbers"-which implies they were of substandard ability-how does one explain that each of of the above-mentioned people main evented in other territories? If they were substandard, how could they successfully work the top of a card and draw a house? What many folks don't realize (nor care to learn) is that guys who did regular jobs in the New York territory for Vince McMahon, the Elder often made more money per night than they would main eventing in Los Angeles, Calgary, or Orangeburg, SC for a smaller promotion. Dusty Wolfe made more money losing in the WWF than he ever made winning in Southwest, Florida, or Memphis. Wrestling is a business. If you are good in business, you want to make the most money that you can. Makes sense-no? BTW: JTTS and other fan-invented terms simply magnify ignorance.
"Dave Meltzer says..."
Ay Givolt! I could do a series of articles on the harm that Dave Meltzer has done to people who are trying to document the verifiable history of this business. Meltzer was a pioneer of the 'dirt sheet', or insider's news report. He also is the biggest sucker for being worked. Wrestlers constantly fed (and continue to feed) him misinformation so that they can use the "news" to their advantage. I subscribed to Meltzer's report for three months. In that time, he misreported more than 50 events and angles/storylines that were occurring. Not once did he ever print a retraction when he was wrong. So, the person who reads his reports and believes them to be 100% accurate, then spreads that misinformation and it becomes a domino effect. Bottom line: "Dave Meltzer says..." is usually a trigger that should activate skepticism.
"[Insert name of company] misused this guy."
This was not a sentence that was ever uttered until the Internet existed, mainly because very few people were privy to how decisions were made in terms of featuring a wrestler. Trouble is, most people are STILL not privy to this information-they just think that they know.
Territorial wrestling style and Sports Entertainment style have a vast number of differences. But one thing that they share in common is that if someone is "over" (popular with the audience), that person will often be given opportunities to become even more popular, and thus make money for all. But just because opportunities exist (freely or begrudgingly-doesn't really matter), doesn't mean that every performer can take advantage of those opportunities. Cases in point: Daniel Bryan and Damien Sandow.
Neither Bryan nor Sandow were seen by management as top card guys, yet organically, both caught the attention and imagination of the audience. Bryan was able to use his skills to become an A-List performer. Sandow was not able to capitalize on the momentum and eventually dropped off of the collective radar. That was not the fault of management.
What the smart types forget is that working is a two-way street. If creative proposes an idea for a worker and it is a bad idea, the worker does have the ability to say "no". No one ever forced Dusty Rhodes to wear polka dots. He made the decision and got over with it. No one ever forced Fred Ottman to become The Shockmaster. He made the decision and it was a disaster.
Truly good workers/performers can make crap work. Performers who are limited can only succeed within certain boundaries. That is a truth-like it or not.
So what does all of this prove? Simple. Professional wrestling as a business both in its rich past and in its present is a complex, very diverse business. Simply knowing a little of how the business runs (which is where most fans-myself included-would be categorized) doesn't mean that you know how the business works.
The one unbreakable standard that I have learned over the years is that the more I learn-the less I know. The business of wrestling is akin to one of those mazes where you choose one of two doors to open, which leads to another room that now presents you with three doors from which to choose-and so on. Every time that I open a door (of knowledge), I find more questions raised than answered. For me, that is exhilarating, because it means that I have more to learn. I will never, NEVER get to the final level of this "game", and for me-that is great!
Most of the smarks that I have encountered have opened one door and declared the game over. There is something to be said for the humility of ignorance. I may know some things, but I am ignorant of so many more things about wrestling...and I am fine with that.
Warning the below video contains adult language.
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
The Smarter You Are The Dumber You Are
Author: Harry Grover.
Published: July 20, 2020.
Article: #244.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
The Smarter You Are The Dumber You Are
Author: Harry Grover.
Published: July 20, 2020.
Article: #244.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Other articles by Harry can be Read Here.