If you saw Roman Reigns get beaten within an inch of his life on Monday or have seen Goldust symbolically ejaculate onto a lady with a champagne bottle during R-Truth comedy segments, you may have noticed that the Road to WrestleMania is getting a little edgier.
According to a recent note from Bryan Alvarez, that’s not a coincidence. Alvarez says that WWE is planning an “edgier product” heading into WrestleMania.
“I’ve been told that it’s going to be an edgier product at least from now until Mania, they’re going to be pushing the envelope.”
What this means for the show is up in the air, because it can go in one of two directions.
“Edgy” doesn’t automatically mean good, or that it’s suddenly for mature audiences. Taking the stakes of WWE seriously would be a step forward creatively, and while wrestlers bleeding doesn’t automatically make a situation more important, blood at the right time in the right context can be a tremendous storytelling tool. Pretending objects that aren’t your penis are your penis is … also a tool. We’re not sure a few comedy bits and a bloody nose is the ushering in of a new Attitude Era or anything, but WWE has felt too “safe” for years, and injecting a little unpredictability — mature or not — could be a big help.
What do you think? Are we stepping into the beginnings of a new Attitude Era? SHOULD we?
