EPISODE #087 - BIG PODCAST VS LITTLE PODCAST

If you start to take Vienna, take Vienna. On a very special episode of The Whole Ref'n Show, our heroes Daryn and Perry tackle a sensitive subject in the world of wrestling. How do fans love a form of entertainment that sometimes doesn't love them back? Why would fans continue to be demeaned, bemoaned and on occasion outrightly lambasted by the very figures whom they admire and on whom they expend time, energy and hard-earned cash? And what exists in the mind of any professional, in any business, to look down on the most ardent of supporters and the most fervent of fans? In professional wrestling, there sometimes exists a rather deep and treacherous valley between the fans and the performers. Let there be no doubt that every Hall of Fame speech will thank the fans incessantly for giving the hallowed recipient that extra oomph that propelled them through all the highs and lows of their careers. But this is too often the amorphous "fan," the faceless mob of cheering "marks" (another term fans hate as much as wrestlers hate the word "jobber"). Too often the actual fan, the individual, the admirer, the idolizer is marginalized by the industry and its performers as being nothing more than "marks." These superfans are relegated to the pity pile of botherers, sycophants and even detractors by the very athletes and entertainers they love. And it seems the more devoted the fan, the more involved and engaged the fan, the stronger the effort to close them out becomes. On this episode, Daryn and Perry take the opportunity to shift gears with this program; instead of the usual #wrestlenewsandwrestleviews always received with gleefully open arms by our dear listeners; instead of the boys boosting and boasting all the praise and applause on the performers of the wrestling industry as they typically do, this time our heroes are sticking up for the wrestling fan. In response to a rather condescending address by Paul Lazenby and Don Callis of the "Killing the Town" podcast, directed at The Whole Ref'n Show and our guest last week, John Bring, Daryn and Perry defend this very podcast and the nature of the fan in relationship to the business of professional wrestling. This is a much more focused and refined version of the conversation about wrestling fandom and what is meant by the word "mark" that our heroes have been having throughout the life of this podcast. But having been assailed by Lazenby and Callis for being mere "marks" in a sea of unloved fans of pro-wrestling, The Whole Ref'n Show has decided to hereby draft the declaration of the rights of the wrestling fan! Liberte! Egalite! Fraternite! This is the ONLY wrestling podcast that calls it right down the middle.