Just ready a different thread on how Vince is a genius for targeting women and children. That made me think that this of course is no real difference from the WWE business model of 1984 - 1995. So I have the following question:
In late 1993 there was a real worry within WCW that Ted Turner would finally throw in the towel and elect to shutter the wrestling division. WCW had not turned a profit, and Bischoff was desperate to at least break even. However in December 1993 Ted Turner held a meeting with talent and answered that he would not be shutting WCW down (in response to a question fielded to him by Vader). But let's suppose that he said yes. That in the beginning of 1994 World Championship Wrestling was no more.
This immediately frees up some talent that would go to WWE - Brian Pillman, Steve Austin, and Johnny B Badd. Perhaps Max Payne, Dave Sullivan, and Mick Foley would end up in there well. But other talents such as HHH or Vader may not get there at all, or far later. And more importantly, without the competition of WCW there would be no impetus to skew towards an older audience. So Steve Austin would remain a Ring Master, and Pillman would be some variant of "Flyin' Brian".
In the other thread that I mentioned at the beginning it is cited that older males are the primary audience of WWE. But my question is this - would those older males be there if not for an Attitude Era? If WWE had muddled along with The Ringmaster, Flyin Brian, and Rocky Miavia in the main event mix along with Bret Hart and Undertaker in the late 90s, the company would have continued to retain only a child audience. The company still would have been a shadow of what was considered the Golden Era of WWE, pre-steroid trial. Without the Attitude Era to draw back in the lapsed fans, would we not have seen WWE's audience dwindle to a state even worse than present (but perhaps the future), where the company only has young fans? A state where they desperately have to churn out new younger viewers to replace those who have aged out and will never come back?
As the Attitude Era stars fade away and there are no more nostalgia acts to bring back for the older fans, is this WWE's fate in next decade?
In late 1993 there was a real worry within WCW that Ted Turner would finally throw in the towel and elect to shutter the wrestling division. WCW had not turned a profit, and Bischoff was desperate to at least break even. However in December 1993 Ted Turner held a meeting with talent and answered that he would not be shutting WCW down (in response to a question fielded to him by Vader). But let's suppose that he said yes. That in the beginning of 1994 World Championship Wrestling was no more.
This immediately frees up some talent that would go to WWE - Brian Pillman, Steve Austin, and Johnny B Badd. Perhaps Max Payne, Dave Sullivan, and Mick Foley would end up in there well. But other talents such as HHH or Vader may not get there at all, or far later. And more importantly, without the competition of WCW there would be no impetus to skew towards an older audience. So Steve Austin would remain a Ring Master, and Pillman would be some variant of "Flyin' Brian".
In the other thread that I mentioned at the beginning it is cited that older males are the primary audience of WWE. But my question is this - would those older males be there if not for an Attitude Era? If WWE had muddled along with The Ringmaster, Flyin Brian, and Rocky Miavia in the main event mix along with Bret Hart and Undertaker in the late 90s, the company would have continued to retain only a child audience. The company still would have been a shadow of what was considered the Golden Era of WWE, pre-steroid trial. Without the Attitude Era to draw back in the lapsed fans, would we not have seen WWE's audience dwindle to a state even worse than present (but perhaps the future), where the company only has young fans? A state where they desperately have to churn out new younger viewers to replace those who have aged out and will never come back?
As the Attitude Era stars fade away and there are no more nostalgia acts to bring back for the older fans, is this WWE's fate in next decade?