Home ▸ That Wednesday Show ▸ Why Hash Could Do The One Thing Eric Bischoff Couldn’t

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I bet you thinking the other kind of hash weren’t you? However, that symbol. You can find it on a phone to the right of the 0, and yet it is the one symbol that could destroy the foundations on which we stand. The one symbol that could do more damage than Eric Bischoff’s WCW ever could. The one symbol, that means more than the sign of the Wolfpac, the middle finger, and whatever it was Jimmy Snuka used to do combined. But how can a simple number sign be so powerful and deadly?

Ever since the E started becoming romantically obsessed with Twitter, the number sign has been plastered on every single item they can possibly put it on. It even sits in the top left corner of every show. I agree you need to expose yourself with social media outlets to get your name around, but you don’t need to do it like your life depends on it.

Around about 2000/01, the F started putting websites underneath the nameplates of wrestlers as they came to the ring, to promote newly created websites. For example, for a time when The Rock would come to the ring, it would say wwftherock.com (not a real website now), underneath ‘The Rock’ to show that he had his own website, much like it did for Triple H, Stone Cold and Chris Jericho, as shown in the following clip.

Much the same would occur for when the WWF had a new CD that was coming out. They would show a little icon saying that this theme was on the CD, that corresponded with the wrestler’s entrance.  Like in this clip of Triple H’s entrance at Wrestlemania X-Seven. It comes up for about 10-15 seconds to give the viewer a chance to see it and read it, before it went off screen. Nowhere near overkill, and a subtle way or promoting a product.

These products were only mentioned sparingly by the commentators, as another quick shill to get the viewer’s attention, but it never went on and on every single show, like they were extremely desperate that you buy this CD or go to this website like your life depended on it. However, these days.. it’s a lot different.

Twitter gets mentioned. A lot. I haven’t watched since Shawn Michaels’ retirement and even I know that. I can just be checking my twitter (@ThatDamnDoubleC), and there it is, something to do with the E is trending. Since when did ‘trending’ become the new ratings? I didn’t realize that it’s better to have something trending worldwide on a social media website, than it is to have more than 5 million people watching your program. I also noticed during a quick flick of the channel the other day, that #wwe sits constantly in the top corner, and it’s mentioned by the commentary at every opportunity.

During an interview with Mr. Game, he stated that the E needs to jump aboard the social media train, as that’s the it thing, and it is. That’s why pretty much everyone has either Facebook or Twitter or Google Plus or MySpace (does anyone even use MySpace?) or all of them, in order to get whatever it is they want to get across, across, because they know that’s where the majority of the people will see it. So what does all this have to do with the number sign killing the E?

What happens if Twitter becomes unpopular? Sooner rather than later, the next big thing is going to come along and sweep everything else aside. What if people get sick of the shameless self plugging on every single program that they just don’t bother or ‘follow’ you anymore? Then what happens. People get driven away because of this obsession of getting people to like them. It’s like the E are that one kid in school that nobody liked and tried to do stupid shit in order to get their attention. I’m not saying they should stop mentioning it all together, but just a simple (@whatevertheirnameis) underneath their name plate as they come to wrestle is enough. People can see it, and it’s not drowning out your entire program.

If the E continues to drown out their programs with their shameless promotion of what they’re doing on Twitter, then sooner, rather than later, everyone will get sick of it, and just not give a damn, no matter how many times you give Hulk Cena the title. Self promotion is a good thing, and a small ad on a TV show can work well.. but drowning out your program with an advertisement for what you’re doing on a social media site? If you were putting out a decent product, then you wouldn’t need to shamelessly plug yourself to Twitter. Everyone else would be doing it for you.

I freelance write for both BoredWrestlingFan.com and WonderpodOnline.com. So read their websites and enjoy their content. Especially the stuff I put there.. it’s awesome. For those who want to follow yours truly on Twitter for some unknown reason, it’s @ThatDamnDoubleC

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