now hear me out. I know we still had cartoony gimmicks in 1996 and the storylines weren't as big and exciting as the AE in it's peak, but do you think that 1996 brought a level or maturity and adult content that the AE never went to? yes we had Mankind almost killing himself in a HIAC, yes we had beer drinking, yes we had a crucifixion but look at 1996:
The Goldust character being far ahead of his time. he was bringing eroticism into his angles and would kiss his opponents. he was so controversial that the WWE had to kill the angle. Goldust was sexually harassing Razor Ramon and Rowdy Piper, he would constantly make subtle references to ejaculation and other sexual activities. he and Piper fought in a backlot brawl that was parodying OJ Simpson who was on trial for killing his wife
The Mankind character was schizophrenia and psychopathic to an artform. bringing up his tragic past with so much believability that it made you question if he was actually sick. he was a character right out of Silence of the Lambs
(this video aired in early 1997 but was filmed in 1996 and Mankind was doing this character incarnation since early 1996)
BRIAN PILLMAN HAS A GUN. Pillman threatened to murder SCSA on live television right when his home was being invaded
Livewire. this is a show before the internet took off where the WWF was interacting live with it's fan. in this episode alone Paul Heyman calls and accuses Vince of stealing his talent, swears at him, Russo makes fun of JR's Bells Palsy and tells Vince that his product sucks to his face, they reference WCW, Cornette references Vince's problems with the federal government. I never seen anything this unfiltered in the AE
and here's one with SCSA cursing out callers and even threatening to "hinder" a caller's life if she were to show up (at 6 07)
JR shoots on live television. it might've been a worked shoot, but there was so much truth in what he was saying
HBK had an angle with British Bulldog and his wife that started off lightly but ended with Shawn being accused of sexually harassing her
The NOD debuted in 1996 as a racist faction, and they were obviously modeled after islamic groups and the black panther. The angle cooled down by 1997 but it started out very controversial
Jake the Snake started an angle with Jerry Lawler in the middle of his alcohol problem. Jerry wouldn't stop making fun of it on live tv. even going so far as to pour booze all over him
there are many other examples but what do you guys think? was 1996 "edgier" than the AE?
The Goldust character being far ahead of his time. he was bringing eroticism into his angles and would kiss his opponents. he was so controversial that the WWE had to kill the angle. Goldust was sexually harassing Razor Ramon and Rowdy Piper, he would constantly make subtle references to ejaculation and other sexual activities. he and Piper fought in a backlot brawl that was parodying OJ Simpson who was on trial for killing his wife
The Mankind character was schizophrenia and psychopathic to an artform. bringing up his tragic past with so much believability that it made you question if he was actually sick. he was a character right out of Silence of the Lambs
(this video aired in early 1997 but was filmed in 1996 and Mankind was doing this character incarnation since early 1996)
BRIAN PILLMAN HAS A GUN. Pillman threatened to murder SCSA on live television right when his home was being invaded
Livewire. this is a show before the internet took off where the WWF was interacting live with it's fan. in this episode alone Paul Heyman calls and accuses Vince of stealing his talent, swears at him, Russo makes fun of JR's Bells Palsy and tells Vince that his product sucks to his face, they reference WCW, Cornette references Vince's problems with the federal government. I never seen anything this unfiltered in the AE
and here's one with SCSA cursing out callers and even threatening to "hinder" a caller's life if she were to show up (at 6 07)
JR shoots on live television. it might've been a worked shoot, but there was so much truth in what he was saying
HBK had an angle with British Bulldog and his wife that started off lightly but ended with Shawn being accused of sexually harassing her
The NOD debuted in 1996 as a racist faction, and they were obviously modeled after islamic groups and the black panther. The angle cooled down by 1997 but it started out very controversial
Jake the Snake started an angle with Jerry Lawler in the middle of his alcohol problem. Jerry wouldn't stop making fun of it on live tv. even going so far as to pour booze all over him
there are many other examples but what do you guys think? was 1996 "edgier" than the AE?