Robert S Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 6 minutes ago, Go2Sleep said: I think he's mostly just leaning into the "stoic German (Austrian) professional" stereotype. I would agree with this. The funny thing is, that the (eastern-)Austrian stereotype (in the German-speaking countries) is actually much different from that. The classical stereotype of Viennese people is unfriendly (to the point of actively rude), minimalistic in their work effort and through-and-through opportunistic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirSmUgly Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 14 minutes ago, StuntmanCrowley said: I thought of Sturm & Drang by KMFDM because I'm an uncultured swine, lol I'm not really into KMFDM (and I do like "Enjoy the Silence," so maybe I'm the uncultured swine to KMFDM and their fans), but I think this counts as culture, dammit. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuntmanCrowley Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 I love KMFDM, but i completely spaced on Sturm und Drang and Goethe and Mozart, hence my uncultured swine comment, lol. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.H. Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 I hear Sturm and I think the Knights of Solamnia but I'm that kinda nerd James 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eivion Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 23 minutes ago, StuntmanCrowley said: I thought of Sturm & Drang by KMFDM because I'm an uncultured swine, lol Better than me. I mostly think of it from the Destiny 2 gun set. I still don't know how I knew the term before then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infinit Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 Godlike is the only KMFDM song I know...it was pretty dope Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirSmUgly Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 20 minutes ago, odessasteps said: Also, would people be as upset if he had a Prussian Erich von Stroheim type gimmick, which us just as stereotypical, or is "just" the WWII comparisons? IDK, does he shoot strange films? Is he in a tag team with an American with a D.W. Griffith gimmick? If Vince had any culture, he absolutely would create that tag team, btw. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odessasteps Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 I'm pretty sure Vince has seen Sunset Boulevard by now. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLowe Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 2 hours ago, Eivion said: Have to admit I have felt for a while that Imperium is a Japanese wrestler away from being an Axis Powers reference. I only saw NXT a couple of times but the impression I came away with was that it was already a WWII reference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John E. Dynamite Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, odessasteps said: I'm pretty sure Vince has seen Sunset Boulevard by now. Alright, Mr Dunn... I'm ready for my 50 close ups... Edited January 19, 2022 by John E. Dynamite 3 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirSmUgly Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 5 minutes ago, odessasteps said: I'm pretty sure Vince has seen Sunset Boulevard by now. I would assume so considering Goldust existed back in 1995, but when it comes to popular culture with Vince, it's a crapshoot. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Dave Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 46 minutes ago, Go2Sleep said: I think he's mostly just leaning into the "stoic German (Austrian) professional" stereotype. I think a good question to ask here is what would a non-comedic German heel have to do to not draw nazi comparisons from an American audience? Also, all this Imperium talk has reminded me of another question I've been pondering: Is "Dresden Hatchetman" Alexander Wolfe the coolest nickname ever wasted on a jobber? “Dresden Hatchetman” for Wolfe is like when Alex Riley got “Say it to my face” as his theme music… 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shartnado Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 14 minutes ago, just drew said: “Dresden Hatchetman” for Wolfe is like when Alex Riley got “Say it to my face” as his theme music… That's an amazing comparison, but you take that back! You take that back, right now! You hear me?! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Idiot King Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 1 hour ago, Raziel said: People acting like Hanlon's Razor doesn't exist. I think this is genuinely the most likely thing when it comes to the whole Gunther Stark thing. It 'sounded cool' and someone didn't bother to google it. The WWE is too corporate and cautious these days to be out here being like, "Check it out, this guy is a Nazi." 37 minutes ago, Go2Sleep said: I think he's mostly just leaning into the "stoic German (Austrian) professional" stereotype. I think a good question to ask here is what would a non-comedic German heel have to do to not draw nazi comparisons from an American audience? Also, all this Imperium talk has reminded me of another question I've been pondering: Is "Dresden Hatchetman" Alexander Wolfe the coolest nickname ever wasted on a jobber? This is a really fair question and I am not 100% sure. I think because it's wrestling, everything is usually in these broad strokes and often trafficking in stereotypes because of the medium itself and also, hey, it's always worked before, so what conveys a scary German? This stuff. I would say WALTER's gimmick is mostly that -- scary German who chops people. It just has a lot of aesthetic trappings to suggest that a scary German is a Nazi which, I mean, not wrong! I only find it strange that nobody seems to acknowledge this, and will argue very, very loudly (not here, you're all lovely!) about how CLEARLY that's not the case. If you showed 10 non-wrestling fans the Imperium entrance and asked them what they thought their whole deal was, it might be more obvious. That being said, he worked some version of this gimmick IN Germany, so I have no idea how it was received or viewed there vs. how it comes across to an American audience. 1 minute ago, odessasteps said: I'm pretty sure Vince has seen Sunset Boulevard by now. The only time I've ever thought it was a shame that the Fabulous Moolah is dead. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyJ Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 You do have to love that the poor guy has been on US tv for two weeks and somehow ended up in this ridiculous conversation. His assent into a punchline was fast, even for WWE standards. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technico Support Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 (edited) 3 hours ago, odessasteps said: But, because of Zyklon B, there was a stink Simultaneously the best and worst pun Edited January 20, 2022 by Technico Support 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odessasteps Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 (edited) That's what I get for thinking controversy was too strong a word. It cpuld have been worse, pun-wise, had i said furor. Edited January 19, 2022 by odessasteps 1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infinit Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 Prayers going out to Konnan 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sublime Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 I don’t watch WWE but I’m curious, did they explain why WALTER has a new name? He’s been on NXT TV on and off for multiple years so are they explaining this or just treating the audience as dumb? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eivion Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 4 minutes ago, Sublime said: I don’t watch WWE but I’m curious, did they explain why WALTER has a new name? He’s been on NXT TV on and off for multiple years so are they explaining this or just treating the audience as dumb? No though the change only just occurred so maybe we see something in the coming weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Commander Posted January 20, 2022 Share Posted January 20, 2022 The original Sgt. Slaughter heel gimmick in 1990 wasn't exactly gonna propel him to main events, but I kinda love Slaughter doing a Hiroo Onoda "guy refusing to accept that the Cold War is wrapping up" type of gimmick until world events swung that gimmick a bit into left field. I don't think they would have done Hulk Hogan/Sgt. Slaughter matches where Slaughter is calling Hogan a commie pinko but it's a bit of a time capsule for the several months where this gimmick was possible Also, using the phrase "Drill Sargent Slaughter".. was it a weird WWFism or was there some sort of trademark thing that they didn't clear up? because that's a bit too wordy and they dropped it quick. Like we don't need to know what specific type of Sgt he is, guys.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technico Support Posted January 20, 2022 Share Posted January 20, 2022 1 hour ago, Sublime said: I don’t watch WWE but I’m curious, did they explain why WALTER has a new name? He’s been on NXT TV on and off for multiple years so are they explaining this or just treating the audience as dumb? When we’re talking about WWE, betting on the latter will never lose you money. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ka-to Posted January 20, 2022 Share Posted January 20, 2022 20 hours ago, Cobra Commander said: Using recent naming standards, a millionaire character whose real name is Ted would end up with the name "Teddy Money" Extra note: I've heard at least two "wrong" pronounciations of DiBiase from wrestling clips. The well-known "Dibussy", and also clips from early 80s St. Louis where he's "DiBias" I've never heard the Dibussy. Where was that? I remember lots of DiBias. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ka-to Posted January 20, 2022 Share Posted January 20, 2022 Walter was Big Van Walter the first time that I saw him. He won some tournament at Differ Ariake in front of about a hundred people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Commander Posted January 20, 2022 Share Posted January 20, 2022 14 minutes ago, ka-to said: I've never heard the Dibussy. Where was that? I remember lots of DiBias. IIRC, Skandor Akbar might have been the biggest proponent of mangling DiBiase that way? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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