if you really want to get geeky on, say, star wars, you're digging into some well of intellect about which folks can be somewhat elitist. you buy into the science stuff (even though it's science fiction), and you can write that off as a kind of scholarly pursuit. you see something that other folks don't see when they watch it.

wrestling doesn't give you that ability, for the most part, although i'd argue that the "smarks" or even the "smarts" who are part of the IWC are as big and proud and unabashed geeks as anybody else. within the internet wrestling community, there is certainly cache to be had for breaking down workrate and the like.

for me, pro wrestling is the single most american art form there is, eclipsed only (maybe) by musical theater. it's also the most complicated storytelling form we have right now, although it's really maximized as product even, let alone as art (c) what is that, Mo Betta' Blues?

i like to tell people the randy savage/elizabeth story when they don't get wrestling, because, if savage had actually retired after the warrior beat him at wrestlemania, that would have been the greatest storyline in wrestling history, i think. but pro wrestling gives you the chances to do what great television does, what great sports does, what great theater does, what great stand-up does, what great film does, even what great music does--all during the same show.

i can go deeper with this if we want to have this discussion, but the basic point is this: if a wrestling company had the WWE's resources and then hired really strong writers on top of that (and i'd say a playwright with a knack for story structure, an experienced show runner, and some quality dialogue writers), and they weren't afraid of moving behind lowest common denominator stuff, they could create some of the most complete art in the country.

yes, art.

if wwe were to invest in really truly talented writers