Is it such a bad thing?
We all know what the term “mark” means in relation to wrestling, correct? If by some chance you’ve stumbled on this column and don’t know what this term means then allow me a brief moment to elaborate. “Mark” originally meant a fan that was not aware of the predetermined nature of professional wrestling. As the idea that professional wrestling was pre-determined became more and more well-known among the popular culture the meaning of “mark” changed. It became more of a general term for being a big fan of some aspect of the wrestling business. For example:
“I’m a huge mark for that Eddie Kingston guy” or “I really mark out for matches that involve lots of back and forth action.”
As the internet wrestling community has grown, the term “mark” has begun to take on negative connotations again. It has become a slanderous term implying idiocy. Someone doesn’t like CM Punk's run in WWE? They are just a mark for big men who can’t see real talent, etcetera. Any level of disagreement among fans and it won’t be long before one of them throws out the term “mark” like it’s the highest insult they can think of. My question is: why is being a “mark” such a bad thing?
Think back to the time before you knew wrestling was predetermined (we all had a time like this at some point in our youth). Remember, how invested you became in the action? How thrilling it was when your favorite wrestler pulled off that big win against impossible odds? Remember how much it all mattered to you? You were a “mark” then and didn’t it feel good?
If you go to any wrestling show (independent or otherwise) you’ll undoubtedly see at least a few people there who watch the entire show unfold with hardly anything more that a detached smirk on their faces. These kind of groups never really cheer on the action, they simply comment on it while using as much insider lingo as they can think of in an effort to appear either smart or simply too hip to be at a wrestling show on a Saturday night. I’m reminded of a conversation I overheard while at a WCW house back in the early 2000’s. Diamond Dallas Page had just pinned Scott Hall after a solid 15 minute match in the night’s main event. While the crowd was cheering at the finish, I heard the guy behind me tell his companion, “Wow, management must be pissed at Scott Hall he hardly got in any offense.”
These same guys, earlier in the night, were also quick to yell out terms like” jobber “ to any wrestlers they didn’t like (usually lower card good guys and Mexican luchadors) and never cheered for a single match. They only commented on them with a slightly ironic tone after the matches ended. This kind of behavior can kill a wrestling show’s momentum dead in its tracks. Part of what makes a wrestling show work is the interplay between the wrestlers and the fans. Without it, so much of the joy and magic of wrestling is lost. I mean what is a hero’s comeback without the fans cheering him on? It all becomes just a series of moves lacking any real meaning without the audience investment.
So, I say it’s better and vastly more appropriate at wrestling show to get in touch with that part of you that didn’t know wrestling was planned out ahead of time. When you go to that wrestling show for the next two to three hours just cheer , boo, and clap like it all really matters; because to the wrestlers performing it does. You wouldn’t go to a concert or a comedy club and not applaud, why should a wrestling show be any different? The wrestlers, matchmakers, and promoters need your live feedback to know what work and doesn’t work in the show as well. Without that shows would stagnate as promoters would put on shows based on what they think the fans like instead of what the fans actually like and no one wants that (especially not on the indy scene which is a haven for many fans who are tired of poor booking decisions made by mainstream wrestling companies).
The most important thing about actively engaging in cheering at a show is that most likely after a little while you’ll have tapped into that part of yourself that I mentioned earlier, from when you were young and cared so much about the outcome of every match. You’ll find yourself enjoying wrestling again with the same kind of emotional investment that you may have lost years ago, even if it’s only for a few hours.
It’s okay to be a “mark” because when you boil it down it simply means you care. That is the very essence of “recapturing the magic”.
-Matt
mattessary@cheapheatradio.com
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