WWE's "PG-Era"...is it really all that bad?

If the TV networks did not put the rating before the shows, there would not BE this huge point of contention among so many fans. That "PG" icon is misunderstood and vastly overrated. For some reason far too many fans have equated "PG" to "Mr Rogers' Neighborhood" and seeing that icon before a WWE show just gives them a target to complain about.

I have written here, more times than I can count, the reasons for the WWE reverting back to a family show, after that "shock TV" spectacle that was the "Attitude Era". Either I'm "talkin' out the side of my neck" (all of you younger fans, go watch Ernie Ladd in the 60's and 70's and see a wrestling promo done RIGHT), nobody reads what I write, or nobody LIKES what I write about this subject.

To summarize: The "Attitude Era" didn't end, and the "PG Era" didn't start, to irritate the fans. The shift back to a "safer" family-oriented show was out of necessity for the WWE's survival. Rampant drug and alcohol abuse among the wrestlers, steroid use and abuse, wrestler after wrestler being crippled by the dangerous stunts, wrestlers dying from drug abuse, governmental scrutiny (that means the Feds, people), and every media known to man out to crucify pro wrestling in general and the WWE in particular. That meant big-money advertisers pulling out, as well. Had the WWE kept on with the "Attitude Era's" "shock TV" the WWE would have gone out of business years ago. Either by killing off (literally) all of it's best workers and entertainers, or by the U.S. Government shutting it down BECAUSE of more wrestler deaths. And no big-money advertisers lining up to air their products during a WWE show as there are now.

1. The "Attitude Era" was NOT known for it's wrestling matches. Outside of that barbaric spectacle between the Undertaker and Mick Foley in Hell In A Cell, how many wrestling matches can anybody cite for it's merits AS a good wrestling match? The "Attitude Era" was full of over-the-top CHARACTERS talking and doing skits. They didn't wrestle much at all. Today, they do. Nobody is going to mistake the WWE as ROH or New Japan, but there are quite a few very talented workers in the WWE. The fans need to put their focus back on the wrestling matches, instead of waiting around, hoping for The Rock to come out, raise his eyebrow, and talk about monkey anuses.

2. Blood in wrestling matches got so out-of-hand in the 90's that it lost all meaning and became nothing more than cartoon bloodletting. The same for the ridiculous overuse of "weapons". Wrestling became nothing more than a live version of a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Wrestlers don't bleed because they CAN, they bleed to add drama to the story they're trying to tell. The fans lost sight of that, and came to expect bloodbaths in every match. The guys were killing themselves (sometimes literally) only to be booed if they didn't bleed enough. Jeez.

The 90's completely destroyed what credibility women in wrestling had. They went from being respected workers and entertaining valets and managers, to little more than porn extras. For the most part, the fans still see women in wrestling as porn extras, fake boobs and big hair, catfighting for our amusement. The other promotions respect their female wrestlers and market them as such. Vince turned his female wrestlers into Divas (porn extras) in the 90's and he's finding it VERY difficult to change his audience's minds now that his Divas Division is looked upon as a joke by just about everybody. His efforts to put some credibility and respectability back into the Divas isn't going so well, as the constant and frequent "who's hotter?" questions can testify.

3. This one always falls on deaf ears. The "WWE fans" have such a strong (misguided) loyalty to Vince and the WWE that they refuse to even consider watching anything but the WWE, no matter how often they complain about it. There is such a wide variety of wrestling promotions and wrestling shows out there, that those "WWE fans" are really short-changing themselves by whining about the WWE but continue to watch it. You want Vince to change various things about the WWE? Hit him where it hurts: his wallet. Just stop watching the WWE, and better yet, watch other promotions. As long as more fans watch the WWE, no matter what Vince puts on, he'll keep doing what he's doing. You have nobody to blame but yourselves. Complaining in this section won't make any difference. Either watch the WWE and accept what Vince puts on TV, or watch other promotions.

4. Exactly. The WWE has done a remarkable turnaround. The WWE is seen (again) by the mainstream as family entertainment. Big-money advertisers are lining up, the Government isn't hounding them anymore, the media has stopped digging around WWE trash cans looking for scandals, WWE performers (especially John Cena) are in demand in other forms of entertainment and make frequent appearances on other TV shows. The WWE is "cool" again to paren

Good things so far: The wrestling it's self has been far better The story line's haven't been too bad, like them or not you are talking about them and watching to see what happens next and that makes them good! just has a more grown up feel to it, Jericho's heel persona would not have gone over during the Attitude era. Bad things: Taking away gimmicks and brawling with a lot of DQ finishes and you are left with painfully obvious limiting of move sets which do give many matches a similar feel. Fan's blaming the rating for something which isn't really a rating thing, you can do a brilliant show with any rating wrestling isn't about swearing and fart jokes! The lack of blood in feuds and matchs that need it, HiTC and Y2J/HBK could have done with it but that's a small thing for me.

Its not the PG era thats the problem. If you remember, it was PG before the Attitude Era, and was still much more interesting back then. The problem I think lays within the creative team. They have no more originality, and back in the day, wrestlers would come up with their own promos and learned how to get over through hard work and years traveling the territories. Now, in WWE, you have Hollywood script writers who have never been in the biz before telling these guys what to say word for word. It comes off as so phony and forced. Another thing is the way they're pushing some of there babyfaces. None of them have an edge to them anymore, and are very cookie cutter. Instead of moving forward, WWE is moving backward. Thats just one of many problems that make the old PG differ from the current PG.

The problem is they are only thinking about the money,how,who sells their shirts & stuff like that. Their not thinking on the real talent & how good they could be with new stars & storylines.

We were also use to the bad words,curses whatever which was funny now you don't see that you just see hornwoogle,golddust,santino.

Blood is NOT needed in a match to be great but it was nice to see it. I mean is not like the kids wont see blood on a movie or when they have a little accident.

When the rock turned heel his merchandice didn't stop being sold so whats the fear of making cena heel or benjamin a main eventor?

1. I agree completely the wrestling has definitely improved in the Attitude Era it was just mostly vulgar promos and never any great wrestling matches and even the WWE superstars agreed that Attitude Era wasn't a wrestling era. The PG era has brought more pure wrestling there are still fans who want to see more violence but i m content with the current product of wrestling.

2. Sometimes blood makes it realistic like when you slam someone's head through a cage or hitting them with a weapon in that case blood makes it more realistic i mean you can get a paper cut and blood comes out so why not for steel objects? However blood isn't needed sure it adds intensity but wrestling is still wrestling regardless of the blood involved in it. We have seen amazing wrestling matches without blood so i don't think using blood as an excuse to hate wrestling is exactly wise.

3. I always try to watch the other promotions when i can like TNA and ROH and some other indy wrestling promotion. WWE isn't the best wrestling company out there other promotions give plenty of wrestling and other companies give a huge amount of blood and violence. We don't have to stick with WWE all the time we need to branch out and reach out to more wrestling promotions than just one company. Watching WWE only means your a WWE fan not a true wrestling fan in my view.

4. Yeah the relations has helped ever since they turned PG in the Attitude Era it was chaotic. Also it brings more viewers than the same fans who will one day get bored of watching wrestling. WWE is just trying to widen their views i don't blame them in this economy WWE needs to try to get as much viewers as possible.

5. Yes the wrestling has tremendously improved we see actual wrestling matches out of ECW Smackdown and occasionally Raw. True Raw sometimes does too much promos with Randy orton and other superstars but it has reduced in recent years and now we see pure wrestling out of ECW and great matches on Smackdown. WWE PG has granted us wrestling fans more wrestling now and i m pretty happy with that. True Attitude Era is memorable but i think its time the fans move on and just enjoy the current quality.

WWE booking is pretty horrible now some superstars look so weak and meaningless and they have no original storylines anymore. We see the same people in the main event constantly and we see the same boring repetitive storylines over and over. WWE needs to create something different from what they always do many superstars have been treated like crap and we don't see any talented young superstars stepping up to carry the company. The problem is how the writers book the superstars it's not PG it's how unoriginal the writers are. Superstars don't get any creative freedom WWE tells them all the directions and they're forced to follow. WWE needs to realize that giving superstars some space is necessary to the success of the company and its usually the wrestlers that created great promos and matches not always the company.

Thats why their ratings are a huge 5 points lower than todays ratings.

The fact is we dont like it because they made it into a show instead of a sporting event. They took away the unlimited time aspect and then made it into a 2 hour show. I remember when wcw went 3 hours instead of 2 because they werent done and TnT let them do it .

also where the hell did back stage go and outside as well.

They closed off everything.

The one thing im thankful for is that because of the wwes lackluster shows , other promotions are rising and gaining on wwes ratings. we just might have another war on our hands.

then you can kiss your pg goodbye.Tell me how you think ratings being down 5 points is a good thing ?

Awesome answers given

the only thing bad about it is the horrible feuds, the lesbian santina, no blood or extreme, and ecw should be extreme because it is Extreme Championship Wrestling.

PGis crap now thanks to vince.Paul heyman is still sitting at home.Every match in ecw is meant to be extreme.The administators in wwe have been talking about cutting the hardcore matches out,because of PG era.so i'm sorry ecw can never be normal again.ECW's areana's used to be better you could have hardcore stuff,everwhere you see in the areana.The hardcore guy's left because it's a 1 hour show with just 3 matches.Terry funk,rvd,sandman,sabu all quit ecw because no more hardcore in every match.

wwe needs blood it need better weapons in last man standing matches.it needs fire.It needs wickedm hardcore match types back.

original ECW had weapons that you never see in hardcore matches like monstertruck wheels,baths,kitchen sinks,statues and fridges.wwe should be like this.hardcore title should be back.

yes, it might be true but it depends