The Wisdom of Crowds

For WrestlingMayhemShow.com.

I’m not referring to the highly  recommended social book (that’s on my to read list after a recent Kevin Rose guested TWIT).  I’m talking about having people around you when you watch your wrestling.  Wrestling is something to be watched in crowds of people.  It’s filmed in front of over 10,000 fans each week.  So much is adapted to those reactions.

So what are you missing sitting there alone on Monday Nights?

I’ve experienced that feeling.  Watching any of the shows or pay per views by yourself, or with someone just not that into it because you have it on.  It’s hard to get into as well unless you’re into the mood.  In recent weeks, I found myself watching a paritcular PPV that I just couldn’t get into a little bit.  Then a RAW that was quite fantastic (the Seth Green encounters) that I just phased out and started doing work instead.  Only catching residual information from the show so I know what’s going on the next day when we record the podcast.  But even then, it’s on the outer rims of my memory.  Not that great for discussion.

Lately, I’ve returned to watching Pay Per Views at Fox and Hound, despite the cover charge, and revisited the reaction factor.   For Night of Champions, it was an eye opener.  I never expected the opening tag match, with Big Show revealed as the mystery partner, to get applause.  To see the reactions and heckling of CM Punk’s long winding, but amazing, promo about Jeff Hardy basically being a gateway drug to marajuana, and his “dyabolical” arm bands that the kids wear, all with the undertones of the failure of parenting in America.  The factions of people that were pro Cena, Triple H, and/or Orton, and the reactions to the false tap out, then subsequent dirty win by Legacy.

It’s not just there.  Everytime we go to a live show with our Mayhem Crew, there are groups of chants you don’t hear on television.  Subtle things that just don’t carry over.  Reactions that just surprise us.  Whether it’s small factions of pro Jericho fans chanting when he’s completely heeling out, or the sheer intensity of reaction to a Jeff Hardy or John Cena entrance, those are things you can’t appreciate on television as well.

And on the latter end.  Twitter and chat rooms.  Often, you can find Mayhem Crew and fans gathering in chat rooms on BlogTV, or in the IWC Chat.  You can sometimes see some commentary on the Twitter streams.

So if you find yourself feeling burned out and bored with what you’re watching, invite some friends over, get out to see the show at a bar, or join up with a chat that isn’t full of trolls.  It might change your perspective on what’s going on a bit.