Tell me. Why is the WWE so popular in America? Is it the atmosphere it created, or the entertainment? Maybe it's the feeling it indoctrinates their viewers with. Notice the international issues like the war in Iraq, which is treated like a 'good' thing in their shows.

I for one truly like their programs, and with me are a fair share of Americans, those who 'invented' the 'sport'. But in my region, it nearly seems I'm the only one... People in my country think they're too smart for such low-life form of entertainment. It's fake they say, false, utterly stupid...

Yet, in the end, it has nothing to do with it being fake and all. It's just entertainment. Why is it so popular in America?

Think of it as a living comic book. Larger than life characters with larger than life - almost cartoonish - appearances performing dangerous stunts and fighting to the finish. Mean, tough, gigantic men with bulging muscles, hot superficial women with big jugs. Lots of drama, lots of stunts, lots of spectacle. Good guys versus bad guys. Betrayal. Heroes and villains. Epic weekly battles for the fans who look past the fakeness of it and enjoy it for what it is.

Not my cup of tea personally, but I understand the appeal. I would brush it off as just "white trash TV," if not for some of my most educated friends who watch it regularly and have a grand old time doing it. Sometimes a little mindless entertainment is good for you.

It is funny you put it that way.

When I was in high school (20 years ago) there was one Saturday in which some friends and I went into Boston for a huge comic book convention. Afterwards we went to the Boston Garden for a WWF (pre WWE) show. Only one of my friends thought it was stupid and was reluctant to go in. By the end of the night he was hoarse from screaming and yelling along with the crowd. A great time was had by all. By the way this group of friends turned out a CPA, two engineers, a lawyer, and a surgeon.

RIP Andre the Giant.

You're right. It's mindless, you really have to put your mind on 0 to like it like I do. My friends think too much. I respect WWE for providing such entertainment. For all I know it might have helped people advance in a difficult life. Perhaps it made them smile, made them happy. Left them with American pride, which is so often used as an argument shared by each American. Notice the recent 'Great American Award' introduced, the overuse of the expression 'all-American'. Respect it, even if you don't like it.

I do not watch the WWE yet I would if I had the TV capabilities to do so (I live in the UK and don't have Sky). I was introduced to wrestling through wrestling games (which I have far too many of lol) and I have a collection of wrestling clips on computer.

Basically for me the draw of 'real' wrestling (as in WWE (and the former WWF, WCW, ECW, NWA:TNA etc) was a mix of the late 80's, early 90's over the top characters, there was so much more atmosphere behind simple moves like clotheslines and scoop slams (i.e the ultimate warrior vs hogan, or luger vs hogan. Technically well 'poo' but the atmosphere made it an entertainment spectacle. The far bigger draw is cruiserweights, and light heavyweights. The heavyweight matches haven't moved on much over the years, new match gimmicks but the actual wrestling is just one big move after another. The lighter wrestlers on the other hand get the crowd going with a build up of technically brilliant moves and any big moves (slams, bombs, drivers) are rarely employed (they look like they hurt too due to the smaller stature of the reciever).

^This probably makes little sense to anyone who isn't a wrestling fan btw.

I used to enjoy this sort of thing a couple of years ago, but its lost its appeal for me. It seems like an early teen thing to me, as seeing folk in there 20's plus, wearing T-shirts, waving foam hands (gotta love em' ;) ) as if the whole things real, when its been thought up in a back room is really quite sad. Note, I'm reffering more to the storylines they think up, rather than the old fisticuffs.

I can't watch as well, have to get it through internet. (mainly through KaZaA) The cruiser are of course the warm-ups, they're such troopers! And of course the intros, my friends see them as plain stupid but I think there's much charm involved. You gotta have charisma...

I watched it a lot in the days of Hulk Hogan and Ultimate warrior. Those days it seemed like a lot of fun. Great moves, great atmosphere. Then I stopped watching it. I think because sky got it or some such. Anyway I got into it again for a while a couple of years ago, and it was fairly entertaining, but had gone a little downhill. Now, though, I guess I dont really care. I think That the combination of sky and the loss of its "fun" has driven me off. When I say fun, that excitment that it used to have. Now it's big moves and not much else. I guess I dont see the warm ups, so maybe it's still there.

I used to watch it whenever it was on. And then I got a job that made me work on most of the nights. It was entertaining, but I just didn't have the 2 hours a show to devote anymore, not to mention the cash for the monthly pay per view action.

Back when it was one night a week, with maybe 2 pay per view events a year, that is when it was good.

BTW, did anyone else have the Hulk Hogan colouring book? The merchandise kicked arse.

Well, I've been a fan since sometime in the '80s. I can remember going to Sydney for Christmas with the grandparents and sitting in my great-grandmothers room watching Shawn Michaels as he Superkicked Marty Janetty through a fake window. I did miss a few years in there somewhere though but 6 years ago I got Pay TV and it was on regularly as well as the PPV events and I've got about 2 years worth of PPV's on tape. Lost it aqgain last year though.

Anyway, for me the attraction is the sheer athleticism of a lot of what they do combined with some of the OTT storylines/characters and (since I bought and read Mick Foley's autobiographies as well as the biographies of Chyna, The Rock and Goldberg) the achievements of these people, some of whom overcame major obstacles such as abuse and near-crippling injuries. It also helped that a homegrown powerhouse was joining in the form of former World's Strongest Man and bonafide criminal Nathan Jones. Basically it's just a damn good package all around.