Written Commentaries – Page 2

Haven’t We Been Here Before? – The Picard Season 3 Pre-Show Ramble

Tonight is the premiere episode of the third season of Star Trek: Picard.

The big TNG reunion season. The final season. The final journey. A clean break from the previous two seasons. That sort of thing. And you know what? Early reviews have been enthusiastic. It’s the best Trek in years. It’s the TNG reunion we should’ve had years. The press has been positive. Perhaps a bit too positive. This shouldn’t be cause for concern. This shouldn’t be raising any red flags. This shouldn’t be raising any shields. But it does on all counts.

The reason being that… I’ve been here before. I’ve seen this all before.

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I Genuinely Don't Care About Ring Of Honor

Your weekly PPV Musings has been put on hiatus because I don’t feel like talking about PPVs anymore. So in its place, I’ll fill the void with some other stuff… such as today’s piece on why I don’t care about Ring Of Honor.

I’m going to clarify that I’m not talking about Ring Of Honor as a whole; my exposure to the promotion during its active years has been minimal, but the few shows that I would watch – be it the Best Of shows that would air on the Fight Network or the rare PPV show – I had enjoyed tremendously. It was never a product that I followed closely, but every so often, I would check out whenever I can.

Ring Of Honor had been around for two decades and when word broke that the promotion would be undergoing a restructuring hiatus, I was somewhat concerned yet unsurprised. The past couple years have been a trying period with the whole pandemic and some companies have struggled to stay afloat while others vanished into the ether. Ring Of Honor plodded along as best as it could, but realized it needed to change. Some assumed that the company would be going out of business. Given that all contracts were null and void – allowing talent to go anywhere else – the possibility was more than likely.

And then one day, on an episode of AEW Dynamite, president and CEO Tony Khan announces that he had acquired Ring Of Honor. Everyone rejoiced. ROH was saved and it was under the ownership of someone who was a fan of the sport and would carry on the legacy of Ring Of Honor. Then the first PPV of the new era, Supercard of Honor, took place and it was a good show. People were hyped and excited.

And then ROH titles and stars started appearing on AEW television. Okay, fine. We need to keep the brand alive until we can get a TV deal. And we can still do the occasional PPV event; Death By Dishonor was the other show they did… didn’t watch it, but I’ve heard good things.

And then ROH titles and stars continued to appear on AEW television… while the guys signed to AEW who were really hot signings that people were excited about seeing was nowhere to be found.

Where the fuck is Miro?

It seems like as time went on, more time was devoted to ROH talent and storylines rather than spotlighting AEW stars on the AEW show that the AEW audience was watching. And the more often I would see ROH on my screen, the more I started to not care about ROH. Because at the end of the day, I watch AEW programming for AEW matches, stars, and stories. That’s the brand I’m interested in, not this half-baked ROH zombie that you’re keeping on life support until you find a TV deal.

Where the fuck is Miro?

So this past weekend, AEW held its final Ring Of Honor PPV of the year. I did not watch it. I’ve heard good things about the show, but I wasn’t interested. (I did see the post-PPV press conference and man, was that a fucking embarrassmentTo be honest with you, I haven’t watched a single AEW PPV since Double Or Nothing. And the funny thing about that is that I not only didn’t watch the shows, but I don’t even know that they’re on until the day of or long after the fact. It’s no secret that AEW is in a bit of a creative lull and there’s a lot of things that needs to be fixed.

This ROH thing is one of them.

Looks like there’s good news on that front; Tony Khan announced that there’s going to be a weekly ROH show… on the ROH Honor Club subscription service and nowhere else. Not exactly sure how that’s a positive in that you have to pay for your weekly fix of ROH, but hey, as long as it gets ROH off my AEW television and we can start bringing back some of that neglected AEW talent, I’ll all for it.

I know I’ve been down on this ROH thing. I’m not the only one, as many people have voiced similar concerns over the overabundance of ROH on AEW. Maybe someday, I’ll be a fan of ROH when it’s its own thing and not something that’s part of the AEW show. I don’t know.

That’s all I’ve got.

Later.

P.S. – Where the fuck is Miro?

Random Thoughts On Vince McMahon’s Retirement

So if you didn’t catch the news this past Friday afternoon – July 22nd, 2022 – Vincent Kennedy McMahon, 77, had announced his retirement from WWE, stepping down from all responsibilities including CEO, Chairman, and head of WWE Creative. The news came amid a series of allegations directed towards McMahon regarding hush money payouts to various female employees regarding personal favors, if you get my drift.

There is a lot to process here and quite frankly, even a couple days after the fact, I’m still trying to find the right words that convey how I feel about this. Regardless of whether the allegations are true or not – and part of me feels that this is Vince making the move to get out of WWE on his terms before external forces would’ve pushed him out if things didn’t go his way – the fact that Vince is actually, honest to god, retiring – as a shoot, brutha – is something that many have thought would never happen. Everyone figured Vince would keep doing this until he very much died… and then found a way to cheat death and run WWE from beyond the grave.

Fact is, if this scandal hadn’t been brought up, he still could very well have been. I say that without a hint of malice or benevolence; just what I believe deep down is the truth. Vince McMahon’s life was WWE, everything he did revolved around WWE, and trying to picture him retired and out of the public eye while WWE is still a thing is almost akin to division by zero; it’s impossible to picture.

And yet, here we are.

There is a lot you can say about Vince McMahon. Some have called him a father figure. Others have called him an asshole. Some have referred to him as a creative genius. Others consider him to be out of touch. Some know him as the man who took his father’s regional wrestling promotion and turned it into a global brand in sports entertainment and beyond. Others have decried him for making a mockery of the sports of professional wrestling. Some will bring up some of the good that he has done over the decades while others will accuse him of things more scandalous than others.

There is, indeed, a lot to say about Vince McMahon. But when all is said and done, one thing remains absolutely crystal clear; there will only ever be one Vincent Kennedy McMahon. Anyone else coming up in the wrestling business will never be able to match up to the incredible life and career that this man has had. They can try, but it’s never going to happen.

One will undoubtedly wonder what WWE will be like now that Vince is gone… and that is another story for another time. For now, all I will say is… Thanks for the memories, Vince. You may have slipped off the wagon in recent years, but it was your product and your performances that made me a regular fan of this genre of entertainment and for that, you have my thanks. Wish all the best in all your future endeavors.

P.S. So now that Vince is gone, does that mean Maria Kanellis is open to coming back to WWE?

P.P.S. Can we start digging up some shit on Kevin Dunn so he can step down and we can have a show that doesn’t look like shit? You can have anybody behind the wheel on creative, but if the camera work and production looks like amateur hour, what does it matter?

P.P.P.S. Congratulations to Tony Khan for being the longest tenured CEO in sports entertainment today. Keep up the good work. (I assume check’s in the mail?)

P.P.P.P.S. Don’t be surprised if this whole thing ultimately blows over and Vince comes back better than ever or however that goes. It’s wrestling, after all. Retirement is another word for extended sabbatical.

P.P.P.P.P.S. I’ve got nothing else. Go away.

The Bore Of Boba Fett

You know, one of these days, I’m going to enjoy the new Star Wars… and not in an ironic way. For example, my favorite part of The Mandalorian is when the Scout Trooper punches Baby Yoda in the face. That was the best piece of Star Wars television I’ve seen. Also, my favorite scene in the newer Star Wars movies is the last third of Rogue One, where all the main heroes die and then Darth Vader kills a bunch of Rebels as they escape for a new hope.

Actually, you know what? I tell a bit of a lie; The Mandalorian was, for better or worse, one of the better pieces of Star Wars visual media that has been produced since the changeover in ownership to Disney. And despite my favorite part being Baby Yoda being punched in the face, I actually don’t mind the little guy. He and Mando (or Din) have a good relationship and I’m happy to see that they were reunited at the end of the Boba Fett show.

Oh yeah, we’re supposed to talk about The Book Of Boba Fett.

Except… the show is so goddamned boring. Basically, it’s like the last bunch of Star Wars movies; a whole lot of nothing happens throughout several episodes. In fact, the only time where things seemed to be picking up is when they bring back the Mandalorian to help boost up interest in this sagging show. The idea of an older Boba Fett trying to be a nicer ganglord and fighting all these other ganglords or whatever… good lord, I never thought I’d find something that put me to sleep faster than the average 20-minute HHH promo, but this might take the fucking cake.

The only time I had a vested interest in what the show offered was when ol’ Mando showed up and we were following along his adventures. And then we see a bit of the Jedi planet where Baby Yoda is being trained by a CG Luke Skywalker… before he decides to fuck off and join up with Mando again. Hell, my favorite moment in the whole show is when Mando is building his new ship; essentially a recycled Naboo starfighter, but made to look cooler and less lame. I liked that show and giving Mando a starfighter as opposed to another gunship is an inspired choice.

Maybe it’s just me not sold on the concept or maybe it’s just me hoping for more of Mando, but with Boba. Or maybe this Star Wars stuff ain’t for me. And that’s fine. If they do another season of Mando, I’ll check that out then, but until then… no buys for the book of Boba.

Why Should I Care About Brand Supremacy?

So, it’s November and we’re closing in on the annual WWE tradition that is Survivor Series.

One of the “Big Four” PPV events that also comprise Summerslam, Royal Rumble, and Wrestlemania, Survivor Series was the show where you had two teams of four or five teammates competing in elimination-style matches. The earliest editions of the event were nothing but these elimination matches and were such a staple of the event, even when they started varying up the card with other matches.

Once upon a time, these sorts of matches were used to pit two rival groups against each other or other special circumstances. In recent years, however, Survivor Series has had only one central theme; brand supremacy. This was the “ONE NIGHT” where superstars from RAW and Smackdown would wear either red RAW shirts or blue Smackdown shirts. And they would compete against one another to see which brand was superior. Never mind the fact that there have been numerous occasions outside of Survivor Series, where RAW and Smackdown talent would interact and compete in matches with each other; particularly during the weeks surrounding the Draft or Superstar Shakeup or whatever venacular they decide to go with that time.

For reasons that escape me, there is an allure in wondering which WWE show is superior and there absolutely needs to be a show based on this concept. Of course, there were other attempts at this. There was the short-lived Bragging Rights show, which built on this premise alone before it was decided to move it to Survivor Series, where it had remained to this day. And this is the thing that is supposed to sell PPVs or Network subscriptions or whatever the case may be.

So I have a honest question; does anybody really care about brand supremacy?

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The Rumored Superman Film And The Trap It Faces

This is a rough transcript of something I talked about on the last episode of the DTM-Cast, but for those who want a more clear descriptor, here it is. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I try my best to explain it, but otherwise, there are places that could bring you up to speed better than I could.

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You’re Getting What You Deserve

No, this is not about the Joker movie. But the header does fit.

Because it’s the truth.

You know… I’m not one to talk politics on this here blog. It’s not a thing I care to comment on and it’s regarding a country that I do not live in. However, in light of the ongoing (as of this writing, at least) counting of the votes that is still ongoing, I feel the need to say this to all my neighbors in the south and I want to emphasize that this is from the bottom of my heart.

You’re getting what you deserve.

I’m not saying this out of malice, because I feel the pain of millions of southern neighbors in anxiety over their uncertain future. The voters who feel their vote to this political process called democracy may or may not be counted. There’s a part of me that feels sorry for the citizens of the nation genuinely concerned about their country’s future, but there’s also a part of me that feels this whole thing is your own damned fault and whatever happens afterwards is of your own doing.

This whole election snafu and the shitstorm that’s going to come afterwards is something that could’ve been prevented had anyone had the foresight to develop a system that would result in a timely and smooth electoral process during a period where such results would be demanded upon. Yes, the world is suffering from prevailing circumstances and we’re developing ways to operate in this pandemic-stricken environment. Don’t you think the means in which you’re determining your next head of state should be one of those things, especially considering the scrutiny and the ballyhoo that is going to be drawn to it?

This is harkening back to Gore vs Bush in 2000, where things turned to shit during that electoral process as well… and then things went to hell for the next eight years. You’d think we would’ve learned something from that, but instead we’re too busy trying to censor history because it might offend someone or hurt their feelings.

To hell with your feelings.

History is not supposed to be pretty. It’s not supposed to be all-inclusive. It is pretty diverse, but not in the way you’d like. You’re not supposed to like history. You’re supposed to learn from it and try to do better than what your predecessors have in the past. And you haven’t done a single thing of it. Hell, none of us have. That’s what so damned frustrating.

Anyone who had a hand in this mess… congratulations, you deserve whatever comes afterwards and the rest of us have to suffer for it by proxy.

Thanks a lot.

Welp… Here We Go Again…

You know… I whipped this banner up a year or so back when an issue of the now-cancelled Go Go Power Rangers comic book teased this image of Lord Drakkon – Boom Studios’ woefully uninspired and hackneyed take on the whole “Evil Tommy” idea that had been the subject matter of most of the wankiest of wankfest fanfiction. My disdain for this worthless character was such that when his presence was teased as such, I ceased giving these people my money and stop reading the comics altogether.

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New Terminator Bombs… Can We Please Stop Making These Movies?

Source: https://panow.com/2019/11/05/terminator-dark-fate-is-no-1-but-its-no-winner-2/
Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/terminator-bombs-at-box-office-1.5346902

Every time there’s a new Terminator movie, the first question I ask is… “Why?”

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Let’s Talk Kofi

So I jumped the gun a bit in posting my musings on the utterly horrific Shit In A Cell PPV event a couple days ago, so in lieu of another PPV musings for the week, I’d figure that I would address on the Kofi Kingston losing to Brock Lesnar in 6 seconds… and why I’m actually okay with it.

Yes, that’s right. I did not have a problem with Kofi losing the title in the manner that he did. I did not throw a fit on Twitter acting like the dumb fuck fan that WWE believes they are catering to (besides the sponsors, of course). I did not go on the radio talking about how much of a complete burial of Kofi this turned out to be. I actually didn’t mind the way this match turned out and thought it was an excellent story told.

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