By John Flickinger
Staff Writer, Coffee Fiend

Nintendo hasn’t been doing well lately. They’ve been reporting losses, and the Wii-U isn’t performing as well as they would like. It’s third party support is also less than impressive at the moment. Still, it’s very early in the hardware cycle, and they might bounce back. But Nintendo has started making some questionable decisions.

They’re claiming ownership over the ad revenue that comes from YouTube videos containing footage of Nintendo’s games. I realize they may be looking for new revenue streams, but the people making these videos are giving Nintendo one of the most valuable forms of advertising possible. If they start going through with thi,s those same people will likely switch over to other platforms and ignore Nintendo’s games altogether.

Most people who post video game-related clips on YouTube do it for fun. But it still takes time, and some people are entertaining enough that they can make a living off of posting video game footage with commentary. Those are the people who rely on monetizing their videos due to the costs involved in making them, and those are also the people who are producing quality content about Nintendo’s products. This is essentially a form of valuable and free advertising.

Modern gamers use YouTube videos to decide whether they want to buy a game or not. When they see a lot of people playing the game and having fun, that footage directly influences their purchasing decisions. Is the ad revenue from those videos really worth the potential loss in sales? These professional commentators won’t be playing their games if they can’t monetize them, and those videos with the quality commentary and in-depth analysis will be going to other games on platforms that let the people creating, recording, editing, and posting those videos to keep their ad revenue. This is a really bad idea.

If the only available video footage for a game consists of a trailer, and some poor quality videos made by non-professionals it’s going to be a lot harder to decide whether or not to make a purchase. It’s showing that the company is out of touch with its consumer base which is sad, because Nintendo should be doing better than this. They’ve been a huge name in the video game industry for so long, yet their future is uncertain.

Front page image/image 1 from nintendo-master.com. Image 2 from cnet.com. 

By Becky Luksa
Contributor

I have never shopped at Abercrombie & Fitch and I never intend to. I had actually decided this before the statement made by their CEO, Mike Jeffries.

As someone who has worn a 14/16 their entire adult life, I was neither shocked nor appalled when Jeffries and the company were recently accused of being exclusionary toward larger body types, and any imagery which isn’t sexy or cool. Specifically, Business Insider quoted retail analyst Robin Lewis, who said: ”[Jeffries] doesn’t want larger people shopping in his store, he wants thin and beautiful people. He doesn’t want his core customers to see people who aren’t as hot as them wearing his clothing. People who wear his clothing should feel like they’re one of the ‘cool kids.’”

Business Insider referred to a 2006 Salon.com interview, in which Jeffries said his business was built on sex appeal. “That’s why we hire good-looking people in our stores,” he said “Because good looking people attract other good looking people, and we want to market to cool, good looking people. We don’t market to anyone other than that. ”

As a 14/16, this is really the way I have subconsciously been made to feel by just about every single clothing store I have walked into my entire life. Even stores that do offer, ummm…extended sizes do not exactly make you feel good about having to shop in that department. Often, the four or five racks that offer larger sized clothes are shoved into the back corner, out of the sight. The clothes are not nearly as cute either. Most of the time, clothing in the plus-sized department is very, very different than what you see offered in smaller sizes. And not in a good way.

Oddly enough, my reaction to Jeffries’ statement more along the lines of, “Well, at least someone admits it.” Was his statement somewhat malicious and uncalled for? Yes. Was it honest? Yes.

Let’s face it, Abercrombie & Fitch is not the only store which offers a limited size range. There are plenty that do exactly the same thing. They may go a little past size 10, but it’s not exactly a wide selection. American Eagle, another store that caters mostly to teenagers, only offers up to size 14. Sure, they offer sixes 16 and 18 online. But that’s it. If you happen to go past that, you can’t buy their clothes. This type of tomfoolery sends the message: “Oh sure, you can wear our clothes. We just don’t want you physically in the store.”

I understand the plight of those who feel hurt by these statements. I’ve been there so many times. There have been times I’ve gone into a store, and their largest size doesn’t fit, and it hurts. I am not a small person. I have had to do some serious body image work over the last several years, especially because I am someone who likes fashion.

But even so, protesting at Abercrombie & Fitch stores is not going to change their minds.

Remember, Jeffries didn’t upset the demographic they are aiming for. If anything, the “cool kids” are going to feel more entitled shopping there, as if they are part of some special club. He did call them the cool kids, after all. He aggravated a demographic that was probably never going to set foot in their stores anyway. Being angry, and focusing all this energy on Abercrombie isn’t going to change anything.

So, instead of attacking one store that participates in many of the same practices as other large chains because their CEO opened his mouth, let’s focuses on trying to fix the problem that his comments bring to light: Body image issues for young girls and boys. Let’s not forget Jefferies wasn’t only talking about women here.

In the end, is what he said going to have any worse effect than all the photoshopping and image distortion done by media outlets and advertising companies to achieve that “perfect” look? No. In fact, what Jefferies said is noise which will be forgotten in a couple of weeks. It’s the subconscious images that really get to you in the long run.

Instead of protesting Abercrombie for Jefferies’ words, they people who are upset should continue not shopping at his stores. They should find stores that make them feel comfortable, and ignore the ones that don’t. They need to talk to their mothers, daughters, sisters, brothers, about body image and educate themselves about warning signs that things may not be right. Support laws that change the ways advertisers can manipulate images. Work for the things that are going to change the way we perceive the human body.

That is far more important than protesting a store you were never going to shop at anyway.

Front page image/image 3 from progressillinois.com. Image 1 from newsoxy.com. Image 2 from the frisky.com. Image 4 from the classyfashion.com.
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By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Thoughts From Raw:

- Nice to see Dean Ambrose rewarded for his work these past few weeks. He had a solid showing with the Undertaker, and then a really good match with Daniel Bryan. And now he’s set to have his first singles match on a pay per view against a star like Kofi Kingston, for the United States Title no less. He’s unquestionably the stand out member of the Shield, not only because of his work in the ring, but his stellar work on the mic.

Meanwhile, we’ve got Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns challenging Bryan and Kane for the tag belts. I had originally pictured Rollins and Ambrose getting the shot, with Reigns acting as the bodyguard/enforcer. But it’s worth it if Ambrose can get a shot as a singles star.

Speaking of which, tonight former WWE writer Seth Mates tweeted: Question for all of you: @drtompritchard & I are making a bet – will Ryback join Shield on Sunday? I say yes, he says no. What should we bet?” Doesn’t seem too far fetched does it? Also, if you’re keeping score at home, hat = heel Ryback, no hat = babyface Ryback.

- Wait, is Triple H not C.O.O. anymore? Michael Cole said the Triple H/Lesnar rivalry began “back when Triple H was C.O.O. of WWE.” When did he stop being C.O.O.? I’m so confused…

What happens to Paul Heyman after Extreme Rules? CM Punk is on break, and Brock Lesnar is probably going away for a little while. So Heyman’s got nobody left to manage unless he takes on a third wrestler, which I don’t see happening. WWE TV is damn sure going to miss Heyman. Without he and Punk, we’ve got nobody to cut those long, masterful heel promos. No offense to Ryback, but I don’t exactly see him stepping up to that plate.

Triple H did a nice job selling the cage match at Extreme Rules with his point about Lesnar’s mystique. That’s actually something the internet wrestling community has done its share of talking about since Lesnar lost to John Cena at Extreme Rules last year. Brock has had three pay per view matches since he’s been back, and has lost two of them. If he loses this one, well…we’ve kind of neutered the beast, haven’t we? Wrestlemania was one thing. But it’s time to give Brock back his status as that spine-chilling killer.

- No Dolph Ziggler at Extreme Rules? Ugh, that sucks. As I said last week, that triple threat ladder match would have been a show stealer. The “I Quit” match between Jack Swagger and Alberto Del Rio could be good, of course. But that ladder match could have been one for the ages. I suppose as long as Ziggler gets better, that’s the important thing. Lord knows after all he’s put in to get that belt, it would be a shame for his run to be cut short.

- That Natalya/A.J. Lee match was the first divas contest in a long time that I’ve had any interest in whatsoever. granted, I had to mute my TV because the Bellas were on commentary. But it was certainly nice to see Nattie get to wrestle on Raw for once. Also, a great maneuver by AJ to end the match. More please.

- I have to say, I was a fan of Fandango’s trippy rainbow-colored attire this week. The best thing about what went down with that whole dance competition between he and Chris Jericho? There was very little actual dancing. #wewantwrestling

- A fairly predictable elimination match featuring John Cena, Team Hell No and the Shield. But it was still well done. There’s always room for great drama in those types of matches, which is part of the reason why the Survivor Series pay per view has stayed alive for so long.

- Hey, did you guys hear WWE has an App? #enoughalready

- Thank you! Finally the Prime Time Players get a win on Raw! From a charisma standpoint, there are few wrestlers I enjoy watching more than Titus O’Neil.

All images from WWE.com.
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By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Thoughts From Raw:

After seeing Raw this week, I’ve got several questions regarding the upcoming steel cage match between Triple H and Brock Lesnar at Extreme Rules…

1. Is there a discernible difference between an “old school” steel cage match and a regular steel cage match? I joked about this a few weeks ago. But as a long time fan it seriously makes me think of those cages with the big blue bars. Remember those?

2. So Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar, two WWE employees, went to WWE headquarters. How is that breaking news? They buried their lead with this one. I would have promoted the destruction of Triple H’s office. Makes for better hype.

3. Was this show the first time we’ve heard the I Dream of Jeannie theme song on Raw? That is what Heyman was whistling in the elevator, right?

4. Furthermore, was this show the first time we’ve referenced Triple H’s full real name (Paul Levesque) on TV?

Thankfully, it all added up to a solid promo by the Game, which is the important thing.

- That ladder match between Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio and Jack Swagger is going to steal the show at Extreme Rules. As evidence, I cite that insane inverted superplex Del Rio gave Ziggler this week. Throw in some ladders, and everybody’s respective entourages, and you’ve got a recipe for a hell of a presentation. Incidentally, it just recently occurred to me that all three of those men have won Money in the Bank ladder matches. There’s an interesting coincidence for ya.

- Ryback vs. Kane in the main event? *snores* You know what the “Ryback rules” catchphrase reminds me of? Billy Madison. “O’Doyle rules!”

- Is Summer Rae not Fandango’s dancing partner anymore? They’d made a point to introduce her… Either way, it seems Fandango is indeed a heel again. They seemed to be pondering turning him face for a few weeks there.

- I’m not sure JBL remarking that Kaitlyn’s admirer “could be Brett Favre” was entirely PG.

- Jeez. As if it wasn’t already obvious the Shield was going to win that six-man tag, they put them against the Uso Bros and Kofi Kingston. #throwaway

- Happy to see Antonio Cesaro ditch the yodeling and get back to business. From my vantage point, he got over with his raw strength and athleticism, as opposed to a gimmick. During the show, renowned comic book artist Jill Thompson actually tweeted “That would have been a perfect moment to debut @KassiusOhno [a.k.a. Chris Hero] and start a feud between him and @AntonioCesaro.” I can’t argue that point.

And A Little Bit About Possible Returns…

- The subject of a Batista return came up in the ol’ rumor mill recently. Personally, I don’t think we’ll be seeing him in a wrestling ring any time soon. Remember, “the Animal” was just cast in Marvel’s upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy movie. I suppose he could make an appearance or two to promote it, but that won’t be until 2015. In all honesty, I could go my entire life without seeing another Batista match and be perfectly fine. Nothing personal, but he never really did it for me. The only match of his I really have any fond memories of is his Wrestlemania 22 match with the Undertaker. The sad thing about Batista is that he seemed to be hitting his stride on the mic just before he left. He was stuck in that bland babyface character for years before he actually got to show a a little charisma. He wasn’t a great heel. But he was a good one. And he was funny! Give me heel Batista, then I might change my tune a little bit…

- Speaking of the Undertaker, rumor has it WWE wants to book the Dead Man at Summerslam this year. Sounds great to me! At this point, more ‘Taker is better than no ‘Taker. At this point, Lord knows the man’s already given us more than we could have reasonably asked for.

All images from WWE.com.
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By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

I’m calling you out, Felicia Day.

Oh, don’t look at me like that. Don’t give me the innocent “Who, me?” look. Don’t try the adorably quirky smile, either. And don’t try to geek your way into my heart like you’ve done to so many others with your work on The Guild. You certainly can’t melt me with your singing, which we saw in Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog. None of that’s going to work this time. It’s time for you to face the music. I’m going to expose you…

What? No. This isn’t a creepy fanboy thing. Just relax, you’re going to be fine. But I am going to expose you for the usurper of justice that you are. I’m going to tell the world about the travesty that you committed in Chicago at C2E2 this weekend. And most importantly, I’m here to tell you how you ruined my life.

It all begins with me and my people skills.

I like to think I’m pretty good with keeping my cool around famous people. Through my jobs, this web site and various comic book conventions, I’ve been fortunate enough to talk to or interview a lot of people with different levels of celebrity. From Justin Timberlake to Ernie Hudson to Peter Mayhew (the guy in the Chewbacca costume) to Jared the Subway guy, I’ve mingled with my share of stars. I even got a quote from President Obama during his senator days.

Then there was the time I made Lance Bass laugh. It was an ‘N Sync meet and greet (Shut up. I was in middle school.), and I said I “did not know there were so many teenage girls in the state of Illinois.” Alright, so it wasn’t brilliant. And it was only later we learned he was gay. But he laughed, so I’m calling it a win!

In essence, I always do my best to keep my cool and not freeze up around famous people. Awkwardness and embarrassment torture me. It’s an anxiety thing I’ve got. So when I get the opportunity to meet somebody famous, I take pride in being able to talk to them like they’re regular people, and not stammer or get star struck. I’d like to think they appreciate that on some level.

But this weekend, my non-awkwardness/embarrassment streak was broken. At C2E2 in Chicago’s McCormick Place convention center, one man finally broke me. He gave me a bumbling fumbling star struck brain freeze, and left me stumbling across my mental landscape to pick up the pieces of my shattered dignity…

It was Burt Ward. Robin from the 1960s Batman show. That’s right, folks. The man who would become America’s first black president didn’t get to me, but the Boy Wonder did. If that doesn’t illustrate what a hopeless fanboy I am, I don’t know what to tell ya.

As most people know, from 1966 to 1968 Adam West and Burt Ward defined the Batman mythos for a generation (for better or worse, depending on who you ask), as they POW, WHAM, and ZAPPED their way through Gotham City’s rogues. In the process, they became American icons and staples of popular culture.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who can cite the Batman TV show as my “gateway drug” into comic books. Burt Ward helped me find something that I’m passionate about, and gives me a lot of joy. Not only that, but his unwavering exuberance in everything he did on that show accounted for much of what made it great. As great as West’s performances as Batman were, he couldn’t have sailed that ship alone. Ward deserves just as much credit for making that show what it was. So imagine my excitement when I heard Ward was attending C2E2, which is practically in my back yard!

I arrived at C2E2, anxiously awaiting the meeting of Boy Wonder and Fanboy Wonder. After combing much of the convention floor, spending way too much money on action figures, and getting autographs from the likes of Brian Wood, Ethan Van Sciver, Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason, the time had arrived. I’d given myself a few hours before approaching the entertainment guest tables, so my subconscious could whip up something charming and witty to say. We were going for another Lance Bass chuckle, ladies and gentlemen. Oh yes, we were.

This is where Felicia Day comes in…

When I reached the guest tables, I saw that Robin had found himself an adversary in none other than Felicia Day. With her two million Twitter followers and uncannily crushable geek goddess appeal, Day had a line that dwarfed our hero’s. That is to say, she had between 50 and 100 people, and Ward had about five. It was still fairly early in the day, but I’d say this was a fair indicator of where the fans were going.

I met Felicia Day at Wizard World Chicago a few years ago. She’s a nice girl. I liked her in Dr Horrible, and I got her autograph for my girlfriend. I’ve got nothing against her. But with that in mind I say…who the hell is Felicia Day??? After all he’s done for our geek subculture, and American culture in general, Burt Ward should be carried into comic book conventions on one of this big…uh, throne thingies. He shouldn’t have to sit there like a chump while fans furiously flock to the fiery follicled Felicia! This was blasphemy! Where was the justice?!? Someone tell me!

So in that moment, I became justice personified. I handed my back pack to my girlfriend, made sure I had my $50 for an autographed 8X10 (I know, it is pretty steep…), and marched my way up to Burt Ward’s table. He and his agent/publicist/handler guy were just finishing up with a fan. I got up there, greeted them both, and happily asked if I could have an autograph.

In response, agent/publicist/handler guy said: “Well gee, there’s a big line right there…”

And suddenly, it was all clear. I’d made a huge mistake. That huge line I’d seen wasn’t for Felicia Day! It was a line of anxious fans waiting to meet the Boy Wonder, and pay tribute to him for his contributions to geek culture! All was right with the world!

There are a great many questions I could have asked myself to avoid what happened next. I’m going to list the top three.

1. This agent/publicist/handler guy seems like a sociable dude. Is it possible he could be joking?
2. There are a lot of 8X10s sitting there at the table. Is it possible they haven’t had many visitors?
3. If the line is for Burt Ward, why are they all standing in front of Felicia Day’s table? (This one probably would have helped the most.)

But no, none of those light bulbs went on. Instead I apologized and walked halfway back the way I came. Then I noticed no one else was stepping forward to take my place. I immediately looked back, and saw Ward and agent/publicist/handler guy laughing and waving me back.

I’d gotten a chuckle, but it certainly wasn’t for my wit.

To his credit, Ward was pretty cool about the whole thing. Agent/publicist/handler guy gave me two signed 8X10s for just $10 more. I think he knew an embarrassed sucker when he saw one, and went for the easy sale. Ward seemed to pick up on it too, and kindly asked me if I had any questions for him. I blurted something out about how it felt for Bat-Mania to have lasted this long, to which he modestly said something about it being “crazy.”

At that point I went into recovery mode. We talked a little bit about how Adam West was supposed to have been there, but pulled out due to some herniated discs in his back (ouch). I was able to stick the ending a little bit, when I told him I was disappointed by West’s absence, but his presence still made the day worth it. Later, I was able to get a photo with him.

It all worked out in the end. But the fact remains, my witty celeb encounter streak is now broken. And it’s all Felicia Day’s fault. Her adorable, geeky, entrepreneurial presence at C2E2 completely threw my game off, and now Burt Ward thinks I’m a gullable sucker. So you live with that Felicia Day. Live with yourself knowing what you did to both the Boy Wonder and the Fanboy Wonder. Think about that the next time you’re on one of your fancy schmancy Hollywood sets.

Then again, Felicia Day’s line would eventually be eclipsed by the line for none other than Jason David Frank, who you might remember as Tommy from Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. Heh. Maybe justice isn’t dead after all…

Front page image from wallpapers.co.uk. Image 1 from last.fm. Image 3 from fuckyeahdickgrayson.tumblr.com. Image 4 from tvsluts.blogspot.com. Image 5 from thebrotherhoodofevilgeeks.com. Images 2 and 6 from author’s collection.
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By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Thoughts From Raw:

- Hey long time fans: Remember after Wrestlemania XX when the Undertaker would appear on Smackdown, and Michael Cole would hype it up as a “rare television appearance,” even though he showed up almost every week? It’s rather surreal that we’ve now reached the point where it actually is rare to see him on television, especially in a wrestling capacity. But tonight we got to see it, and indeed it was a rare treat. It’s also pretty rare that we saw the dead man lose (Daniel Bryan took the fall, but ‘Taker’s name was in the loss column nonetheless). I don’t think that’s happened for at least a few years. That’s a heck of a notch on the Shield’s belt.

- By the way, seeing the fans hold up cell phones as the Undertaker walks to the ring is no where near as cool as back in the ’90s when they held up lighters. These kids today with their newfangled phones…

- WWE.com put an article up today speculating about a fourth member being added to the Shield. Personally, I’m hoping the group stays a triad. Considering this group is supposed to be stealthy and quick-striking, I think it’s best to keep it small. Three is a nice round number. The original incarnation of the n.W.o comes to mind.

- So at this point, can we assume the Shield is going to play some kind of role in the John Cena/Ryback match at Extreme Rules? They’re essentially half the basis for the entire feud. What if we did a lumberjack match where Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns got to beat the crap out of both of them? Come to think of it, that would probably be more entertaining than the actual match we’ll get…

- WWE made good use of Mick Foley this week. Whenever a heel needs a spare good guy to cut a “Look what you’ve become!” promo, Foley’s always a good guy to call. Incidentally, I picked up For All Mankind: The Life and Career of Mick Foley this past week. It’s a good buy, particularly if you dig wrestling documentaries like I do.

- Defeating William Regal in England was probably one of the only sure fire ways for Fandango to gain even a sliver of his heat back. The fans booed him for a solid second or two when he got the three count. That was a cool little moment when Jericho busted out a little of his Dancing With The Stars repertoire. I’m surprised it took this long to reference that. You’d think that could have been the jumping off point for the whole program.

- News broke this week about the divas getting their own reality show on E!, which might be interesting. Natalya, the Bella Twins and the Funkadactyls will star, along with two developmental divas. Though I can honestly say I have no real desire to see Brie and Nikki Bella on my television longer than necessary, a behind-the-scenes view of the business from a woman’s perspective might be interesting. “Smart” fans know that John Cena is actually dating Nikki Bella, Daniel Bryan is dating Brie (Or is it the other way around?), and Tyson Kidd dates Natalya. I’m wondering if any of these real-life relationships will make air. Lord knows Tyson Kidd needs all the screen time he can get.

- “Ziggly Puff.” Was that a Pokemon reference on Monday Night Raw? Kudos for that one AJ.

- So yeah, AJ won the diva battle royal, and is now the number one contender for the oh so prestigious Diva’s Championship. Wow, what a surprise. She’s the only diva left with any kind of presence out there, with Natalya being the one exception. The problem with WWE continuously talking about how AJ and Kaitlyn used to be good friends, is that the majority of that stuff was on C-list shows like NXT. And their relationship wasn’t exactly deep, was it? Granted, I think they’re friends in real life. But on screen they were just sort of put together as the two divas on the undercard. That doesn’t necessarily make for an entertaining angle about former friends.

- Here’s hoping Rosa Mendes is okay, as she was sent home from WWE’s European tour today. I swear, WWE can still do great things with her if they just give her the ball…

- So is “crazy” R-Truth officially a thing of the past? We’re back to that cheesy “What’s up” song? Well that sucks. You know what also sucks? Antonio Cesaro’s yodeling gimmick. But you know what sucks even more than that? Cesaro having to job to Truth.

Images from WWE.com.
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By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Wow. Who’d have thought? Fandango is apparently WWE’s newest breakout star. He won his Wrestlemania match with Chris Jericho, fans were singing his entrance theme at Raw the next night, and Stone Cold Steve Austin boldly predicted on Twitter that he’ll be Intercontinental Champion within six to eight months.

Obviously this is all a very pleasant surprise, considering a lot of fans were rolling their eyes at this character at first. So what’s the secret to Fandango’s success? There’s obviously a lot that factors into it. But in the end it all comes down to one thing: Curtis Hussey.

The man behind Fandango has actually been a WWE contracted wrestler since 2008, though you wouldn’t necessarily know it unless you’ve followed the company’s farm system, and later NXT. Wrestling as Johnny Curtis, Hussey won the big competition on the show’s fourth season, and was to have wrestled alongside R-Truth for the WWE Tag Team Titles. For whatever reason, that never happened.  He eventually popped up on Smackdown, and in his first match was squashed by Mark Henry in less than a minute. He ended up back on NXT, anxiously awaiting an opportunity.

But cream always rises to the top, as they say. Hussey’s charisma, which was clearly visible at least as far back as his NXT days, likely made him a natural choice to play Fandango. When he speaks in that ludicrously throaty “Fahn-dahn-gooooo” voice, I believe it. And I believe it because he believes it. Fans were right to be skeptical about this character, because in the wrong hands it could have been terrible. But Hussey’s portrayal, combined with WWE having just the right idea about how big and bold to make things, has thus far proven to be quite effective.

So…shall we dance?

Thoughts From Raw:

- So it looks like Ryback is officially a heel. I suppose that’s as good a move as any. Obviously John Cena isn’t going to be changing his babyface tune any time soon. And as he needs some heel challengers anyway, a move to the dark side might help Ryback get some more experience under his belt, which will be good if and when he does have to take that top spot some day. That being said, that pre-tape promo was pretty long for my taste. Heck, Cena even brought that up during his promo at the end, where he really tore into Ryback. In any event, I’m interested to see what kind of match these two have at Extreme Rules. It could really go either way in terms of quality.

- That spot where Sheamus put the Big Show on his shoulders was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen in a wrestling ring. How is Sheamus’ spine still intact? That spot deserves to be on highlight reels for months. Come to think of it, Show spent a decent amount of time in the air this week, didn’t he? He took that second rope DDT from Randy Orton, and then got pretty high for the RKO. Show takes a decent amount of flack from fans for being slow in the ring, but never discount how well he gets around for such a huge man.

- Hey, how about that? We get more than one Undertaker match this year! That’s a hell of a treat to look forward to next week.

- So if Triple H and Brock Lesnar are going to have an “old school” cage match at Extreme Rules, does that mean we get the old school blue bars back?

- So Kofi Kingston wins the United States Title from Antonio Cesaro. Why? So he can drop it to a different midcard heel? That’s exactly what happened when he took the Intercontinental belt earlier this year, isn’t it? Kofi’s held both the US and IC title so many times (three and four respectively), there’s not really any new ground to cover, is there? So the question isn’t really about what Kofi’s going to do with the US Title, but who the next champion is going to be.

- King’s right. That title does look good on Dolph Ziggler. And yet, even with the title he’s jobbing to everyone. *sigh*

- The Prime Time Players just can’t get a win. They deserve it so much, but they just can’t get one.

 Front page image, image 1 and image 3 from wwe.com. Image 2 from allwrestlingsuperstars.com.
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By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

I knew Glee was going to do a school shooting episode. I knew it back in season one, and it became more and more evident as the series progressed. Glee just loves to be that show. It’s already dealt with teen pregnancy, LGBTA issues, school bullying, suicide, eating disorders, and even texting while driving. Glee is essentially the after school special of prime time television. So it was only a matter of time before they got around to the issue of guns in schools.

In the middle of last week’s episode, our cast suddenly hears two gunshots. They barricade themselves in the choir room and go into panic mode. They start recording messages to their loved ones, and one boy even fights to get out into the hallways and find his girlfriend. In the end, no one is hurt. We find out that Becky, a recurring character with down’s syndrome played by Lauren Potter, brought the gun into the school to feel strong, as she was feeling anxious about graduating and leaving her comfort zone in the school. The gun accidentally goes off in the office of Jane Lynch’s character, Sue Sylvester. Sue takes the fall for Becky and is fired.

The episode is understandably controversial, coming a mere four months after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, and less than a week after the stabbing at Lone Star College. Some are calling it powerful, moving television. Others have referred to it as exploitative trash.

I like Glee. I’m not exactly its target audience, but the kids on that show have a lot of talent, and it’s a guilty pleasure. Still, this whole thing seems a little too far for my taste. Had it been done on another show, it might have worked. We certainly can’t say school violence isn’t a relevant topic right now, can we? But Glee spends so much time pulling dramatic twists and messages out of the hat, that this very tragic, and at least somewhat true to life story seems like just the next one in line. Keep in mind that in the previous episode, Lea Michele’s character found out her boyfriend is a gigolo. And in this shooting episode a character also dealt with being “catfished” by his online girlfriend. Throw in Sue having to take the fall for it, and the whole thing seems more like a TV stunt than an attempt to start a dialogue about school violence.

Having the Becky character bring the weapon into the school undoubtedly ruffled some feathers as well. I don’t necessarily have a problem with it, though I can see how parents or friends of kids with down’s syndrome might. Granted, a student with down’s syndrome can just as easily get scared and make a bad decision as anyone else. But it doesn’t exactly paint a nice picture for younger viewers, does it? And how many other characters with down’s syndrome are there on network television?

Fox also should have attempted to be a bit more sensitive toward the Sandy Hook community in Newton, Connecticut. Though warnings did air before and during the episode, Newton residents reportedly only found out through a victims’ advocacy group.

Earlier this month, Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy called this episode “the most powerful emotional Glee ever.” Emotional? Sure, I’ll give ‘em that one. It’s a heck of an emotional subject. But powerful? Not really. I’m a Glee fan, but even I have to admit the show jumped the shark awhile ago. It’s been a victim of bad writing for awhile now, and has had to resort to stunts and plots with cheesy after school special messages in attempt to stay fresh. This school shooting story is simply the latest one. That’s sad, as it seems like they actually had good intentions. But it’s just too little, too late.

Front page image/image 1 from zimbio.com. Image 2 from gawker.com. Image 3 from hollywoodreporter.com.
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By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Between Wrestlemania and Raw we had a big week. Let’s dive in with some broad strokes about the big pay per view…

Thoughts From Wrestlemania:

- I’ll echo my old buddy Mike Bessler’s thoughts on Wrestlemania, and say the event was “fine.” If you watch the full event from start to finish, it tends to be exhausting, which it was. I think WWE made a mistake putting our three main events on one after another without any “buffers” in between. I was fading during Brock and Triple H’s fight, and then Cena and Rock turned out to be a snoozefest. Toward the end they just hit their finishes again and again. There’s not much art in that as far as I’m concerned.

- For the fifth year in a row, the Undertaker stole the show at Wrestlemania. His match with CM Punk was epic, and the only match on the card worthy of the name Wrestlemania. There’s a pretty vocal group of fans who don’t take kindly to part-timers (or in ‘Taker’s case, one-nighters) taking up so much space at the big dance. But sadly, I can count the number of full time guys capable of giving us magic like that on one hand. Heck, less than one hand. As if it wasn’t already obvious, the match solidified Punk’s status as the best worker on the full-time roster.

- Chris Jericho and Fandango turned out to be a pleasant surprise. I didn’t expect things to be so one-sided in favor of Jericho, but of course Fandango pulled out the win as expected.

- Ryback had a heck of a Wrestlemania moment. I didn’t think it was humanly possible to hold Mark Henry on one’s shoulders like that. Damn sure one for the books.

Thoughts From Raw:

- Gotta love a night after Wrestlemania crowd. I actually felt a little bad for Randy Orton and Sheamus, having to work through various non sequitor chants of “Randy Savage,” “RVD,” “JBL” and even “Michael Cole!” This show also marked the first time I’ve ever heard a crowd hum a wrestler’s instrumental entrance theme. That’s an interesting little distinction for Fandango.

- Well how about that? Dolph Ziggler cashes in and wins the World Heavyweight Title, perhaps one night later than he should have. Given how Ziggler performs, I think you’d be hard pressed to find someone who thinks he doesn’t deserve it. Did you hear that crowd pop when Ziggler’s music hit? Looks like we can look forward to a Dolph Ziggler/Alberto Del Rio match at Extreme Rules.

- Ryback attacks Cena? Well that’s…unexpected.

- My years as a wrestling fan have prevented me from seeing the Undertaker and Kane together without hearing “Rollin’” by Limp Bizkit in my head.

- I’m terrified Seth Rollins is going to break his neck one day when he dives over that guard rail.

- Not at all surprised to see Miz take the title at Mania, only to drop it back to Wade Barrett on Raw. Miz made his babyface turn work, and he deserved a Wrestlemania win. And heck, this is exactly what they did with Cody Rhodes and the Big Show last year. They just sped up the process this year.

- I wasn’t expecting to be impressed by Big E. Langston. But he seems to have a lot of explosive power, and he seems to move around pretty well. Maybe we’re in luck and he’s not our typical boring, sluggish big man.

Images from WWE.com.
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By Becky Luksa
Contributor

Terrible stories sell. They sell all the time.

The Twilight Saga was a pretty awful story. But it somehow managed to not suck as bad as Stephanie Meyer’s following novel, The Host. The funny thing is, the movie adaptation of the latter is somewhat better than the Twilight adaptation. It’s not exactly good, but it’s better than both the original Host novel and the Twilight movies.

Yet, it failed at the box office. Comparatively, the first Twilight movie grossed around $69 million dollars in its opening weekend. It would seem that the filmmakers were hoping to cash in on the Twilight pandemonium. It’s similar to what happened when the novel The Host was originally released. It did not sell as well as Stephanie Meyer’s other novels and simply didn’t succeed like Twilight.

The Host tells of the story of a somehow non-hostile alien takeover of Earth. Aliens, called “souls,” inhabit human bodies and take over their minds. The story focuses on Melanie Stryder after an alien called Wanderer is inserted into her body. But Melanie fights back and the two eventually come to trust each other, with Melanie leading Wanderer back to her family. Eventually, humans and aliens learn to live together peacefully as one of the humans, Ian, falls in love with the alien co-habituating in Melanie’s body.

One of the reasons that The Host did not rake in the cash that Twilight did is because of the fan base. Twilight had a huge fan base that had been steadily growing since the original novel’s release in 2005. The audience was pre-established by the time the first movie was released in 2008. It was going to draw large crowds because teen girls, and some middle aged women all over the country had gone nuts over the story. The money was simply there. The Host does not have this same type of following. Though the novel was a best seller when it was released in 2008, it never gathered the attention that the Twilight series did.

It was also a misstep to feature Stephanie Meyer’s name so prominently. People like Twilight; they don’t like Stephanie Meyer. There are many people who will read a novel simply because it is written by an author they like. Many novelists typically have a following like this, i.e. Stephen King. and Stephanie Meyer is not Stephen King. It’s why the fans of the series talk about Twilight from a story perspective, and not the fact that it is from Stephanie Meyer.

Another thing that Twilight had on its side was all the negative attention that it received from people. No publicity is bad publicity. For all the people that love Twilight, there are just as many people that hate it. And they hate it with a passion. The hate for Twilight is about as unhealthy as the undying love that some people have for it. It’s an obsession either way. Because of the hate that exists for it, people who have never read the story will go see the movie just to see what all the hype is about. Since The Host never received this type of attention, the curiosity about the story was not there. People who read the novel and liked it will go see the movie, and that’s about it.

The Host‘s biggest problem was the way that it was marketed. Summit produced all five of the Twilight Saga movies and made a killing off it. So much so that they went from having practically unknown actors to being able to afford big names. While the fan base existed for the movie, those at Summit Entertainment understood who that fan base was. The reason that Twilight sells is because it is a romance novel for teenage girls. It has vampires and other mythical creatures, but at heart it’s a romance. They didn’t try to make an epic vampire story.

The Host creates some confusion. Is this a romance or is it a sci-fi story? Stephanie Meyer herself describes the story as a sci-fi novel for people who don’t like sci-fi. Basically, it’s a romance story that wants to be a sci-fi novel. The company that produced The Host, Open Road Films, seemed disoriented about who they were trying to make this movie appeal to. They concentrated on the romance, but also tried to add more sci-fi elements than previously existed in the story. It seems as though they were trying to make it into something that it was not, which is an epic sci-fi story. Ummm…no.  If they wanted to appeal to the same demographic that enjoyed Twilight, than they should have solely focused on the romance element of the story and marketed it that way. Though in this reviewer’s opinion the movie adaptation of The Host told the romance in a better manner, it did not draw an audience because it was unclear who the audience was.

Bad stories always have, and always will, sell. There are letters between Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville complaining about how less superior writers continue to sell while their work is largely ignored. But bad stories also fail. The novel The Host was unsuccessful and the movie adaptation followed in its footsteps. Stephanie Meyer tried to appeal to the same demographic as Twilight but she failed both times. The novel failed because simply it did not appeal to her audience. The movie failed because it was not marketed properly and did not understand the demographic it was trying to appeal to. In this reviewers’ opinion both The Host and Twilight suck, it’s just a matter of whether you prefer shirtless men or non hostile Nazi/Communist aliens.

Images from rottentomatoes.com. 
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