Darby Allin on “too much violence” in AEW
Darby Allin on “too much violence” in AEW via a recent interview:
“If someone thinks we’re too violent, go watch something else, because I would be so bummed if I loved a band or I loved the director, and also that director started making soft movies. Sometimes you just have to live to offend people.
If you watch AEW, homies are getting needles jammed in their face, bricks broken over their heads, and me going through glass. So I’d like to think that we’re kind of drawing the line in the sand where we’re saying we are not for everybody. So we’re passionate to be who we are, even at that risks losing, you know, key like, certain viewers, but it says we’re trying to play for everybody.
We’re kind of staying true to ourselves. And you take a gamble like that, and you know what I mean, it’s not always about, like, how much people are watching. It’s about the people that are watching that are, like, super passionate. And it changes, like the game. You can’t argue we have changed the game. That’s for damn sure.”
(via NYPost)
No, Darby, you haven’t changed crap. People were doing stupid things in wrestling long before you.
And it’s not about what you’re doing. It’s about that none of it means anything and none of you idiots know how to do anything so it does. There’s a reason why rock music isn’t just guitar solos, movies aren’t just explosions, and sex isn’t just orgasms.
You’ve found the best money mark in the history of the business. And then you broke him…
Violence can be effective when used in service of telling and furthering a good story. To AEW’s credit, they’ve been doing that reasonably well with Page and Strickland – as the rivalry gets more personal, the level of violence increases, and the two feed each other. Sadly, moments like that are far outweighed by AEW’s penchant for violence for the sake of violence, which like you said strips it of all its meaning. Mox bleeding every week because he can, Darby in an arms race with himself for crazy/stupid spots to get a rush or prove he’s hardcore or whatever. It’s mostly spectacle, which grabs attention but doesn’t have staying power.
Also, “movies aren’t just explosions” made me think – is AEW the Michael Bay of pro wrestling? 🙂