Like many in the pro-wrestling community the first time I ever saw Bray Wyatt was when he debuted on the main roster, Luke Harper and Erik Rowan at his side. I then watched, over the next several months, as this transfixing character grabbed hold of the hearts and minds of the audience. Everything he did intoxicated us. I particularly remember his unnerving renditions of “He’s got the whole world in his hands…” and the crowd singing it back in unison. Bray’s entrance music was distinct and eerie in a mediocre soup of rock riffs. He seemed to glide to the ring as his fireflies - wrestling fans with their cell phone flashlights turned on in the dark - guided him toward the ring. That use of technology, the natural evolution of holding a lighter up, was a literal manifestation of the metaphorical relationship between character and fan.
Read MoreNine.
That’s the number of times the word “respect” was used in the final RAW interview segment featuring Paul Heyman, Brock Lesnar, and the 2015 Royal Rumble winner, Roman Reigns.
“Respect”, the word of the snow-day, slithered into your subconscious thanks to the oratory stylings and the storytelling savvy of Paul Heyman (and anyone else who may have contributed to the structure of that interview). That word was purposefully planted in the back of your brain, and there that word remained throughout this interview.
Read MoreOne. Two. Three.
Happiness.
For a brief, beautiful moment, I experienced genuine happiness at the end of Monday Night Raw.
My viewing of RAW last week was slightly similar.
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