you know your a mark when......

[alden]

Ok me and my wife were watching raw last night......They just had a interview with the ic champ *still can't remember who it is* and i say.......You know he really dose not belong anywhere near a mic. She was honestly offended by that......... It took me ten minutes to talk her out of being pissed at me. This is from a women who had been around the business for about five years.....later in the night edge comes on and i go......."see that is how a person should sound, it dose not sound like he is reading from a script" and she actully says........Yah but he is a D*** though. Now both me and my wife know adam and have spent alot of time with him *this was ofcourse about four years ago so*.........but she was calling the man a dick because of the edge charactor......for several seconds i did not know what to say.....finally i said........No, edge is a dick, you know darn well adam is a nice enough guy. He responce was......yah but listen to him, he is a D***. THe only responce to her was to laugh and call her a mark which for some reason pissed her off even more So i guess the question is............how do you know when somone else is a mark? *yes i know long story to get to a easy question *

[djthefunkchris]

Ok, this is the weirdest thing.... A Mark is supposedly someone that gets into the character's, and cannot get over the idea they are really like that... My wife always says Orton is in love with himself, I say that is the Adonis gimmick, he's supposed to act that way. She thinks Edge really is a prick, or he wouldn't be able to be one so easily... She used to like HBK, but because of his treatment to Cena, she can't stand to here his voice anymore.. That's what is traditionally known as a mark.. Then there is the Smarks... The one's that think they know what is going on, and yet, they keep screwing up storylines with real life... My first and foremost example will always be Vince McMahan. Most "Smarks" believe that Vince is "writing himself" in as the new ECW champion, just to insult the ECW name.... Ok, that's what I've read anyways, from people that are supposed to be in the "know". Am I happy with him holding the title, NO! I'm not supposed to be, nor is anyone else. The bottum line is, Vince doesn't want the ECW brand to fail, he wants it to shine just as much as Smackdown or Raw... Pluss, It's more then likely that he is doing this becuase someone else wrote it, and someone else believes this will "Help" in the long run, whatever it is they have planned out. Now... Here is my whole point.... Is it better to be a Smark or a Mark? I actually doubt I could watch wrestling with someone that is going to be pointing out flaws in everyone that I like... For example, that Italian guy (yeah, I can't remember his name either). I like the hell out of him though, he might not have any Mic skills, but in TEW terms, He has plenty of Charisma... The same is true about Lashley. My son watch's, he's 16... My wife "can handle it" (the way she puts it), and alot of times we have friends over... Especially for Smackdown. In order.. these are the most liked people: Cena, Lashley, Boogieman (my wife hates him though), Undertaker, Batista... This is in order. Now, if someone were to come here and say that is who they like, they would be so criticized. However, I can't find anyone OUTSIDE of here, in what I think of as the "Real world" (that which I can see and talk to in person), that would think it sane of me to say "Lashley sucks".. Yet, here...... I don't know if I'm making a point or not... But to top off my post... HERE is where I say critical things of the MOST BELOVED characters on WWE..... HOME is where I just root for them with everyone else.

[alden]

i don't think to be honest thier is anything wrong with being a mark at some points.......my kid who is five LOVE the undertaker.......When the lights go off and he hears the gongs he actully will jump and and say look dad the undertaker is coming..........Hell, if they have the druid guys he likes it even more *or the fire guys* as he calls them........I think their is a point where not being a mark takes away the enjoyment.........take raw last night for example......three huge guys layed out..........a "fan" would have enjoyed the night knowing something cool was going to happen....."smarks" most liekly spent the entire night trying to figure out who it was...HHH, foley, jericho......they most likely got thier hopes up so much that anyone other then the rock him self would have been a let down.......kahlie to a "mark" is a good surprise.......he is a huge guy, scary and if you don't say o this guy sucks all the time can be a credible wrestler......Me i fell into the second catagory........i spent the entire time trying to figure out who it was and was let down when it was not somone huge........she on the other hand was legitimity shocked i think.

[djthefunkchris]

Aye, same here.... My son even said "KHALI!!" and I payed him no mind.... I just knew it was going to be someone "good"... but to my Son there was NO ONE ELSE That it could be... It had to be Khali... "LOOK, HE's SOO BIG!!" "Cena should run, I would!!" and then finally.... "If he gets the belt, They're going to have to get Undertaker to get it back off him, He's the only guy that can beat him!" So I know what your talking about big time... That's why I only go so far with the thoughts on the boards (here and elsewhere).... I really don't think the average person watching could care less if Khali EVER says One ELIGIBLE word... To them he's just "BAD NEWS!" for whomever he's coming out to hurt. Only on the boards, and legitimately, probably 95% of the people on the boards are just following someone else's "take" on what they think should be going on... I get caught up watching for mistakes, etc... The funny thing is though, I see ALOT more mistakes on more credible shows then I do WWE wrestling...

[AfRoMaN36]

A mark is a fan who says the WWE rules, yet doesnt mind missing a few weeks. A smark is a fan who says the WWE sucks, yet is ironically glued to the set each week.

[Remianen]

I know I'm a mark when.... - I was literally distressed because I couldn't find a way to get to Japan to see Ibuki's show today (Thursday, May 3rd) due to scheduling conflicts. - I schedule meetings and business trips around when my favorite out of town promotions (like APW) are having shows. - I turn clients on to specific promotions just so I can go to their shows and write them off as business expenses (like one client who is now a diehard CZW fan, which allows me to go to CZW's shows "free"). - I'll buy merchandise of my favorite workers and promotions, site unseen, whether I can use it or not. ("New Shimmer t-shirt? Gimme 50!") - Joshi photobooks + eBay + disposable income = ouch! I don't mark out for characters as much as I do individual workers since, on the indies, the same character a worker uses can be two different dispositions at two different shows since it's likely to be two different promotions. I think about the highlight of any RAW I see is Ron Simmons' cameo but hell if I don't perk up when he pops onscreen. And alden, I disagree with your assertion or insinuation that somehow being a "fan" means you take whatever's dished out to you and like it. I have several people in my social circle who I call "The Prophets of McMahon". The WWE can do no wrong as far as they're concerned. (The new ECW is far superior to the old one, in their eyes, for example.) THEY were disappointed it was Khali. THEY can't stand him ("He can't even make a punch look good. We miss out on Cena-Michaels 3 for THIS guy?!?"). I was absolutely floored to hear these people criticize their beloved WWE but they HATE Khali (and not in the 'heel heat' way. They don't like him or the character). These are the people pining away hoping that Brock Lesnar and Chris Jericho "come to their senses and do the right thing" ("the right thing" being, returning to WWE :rolleyes: ). Why isn't RAW getting better ratings? "Because there are still some people watching redneck rasslin' [what they refer to TNA as]". Hardcore WWE fanbois in the sickest sense. When I heard that Melina had won the Women's title, I said "YAY Sable version 2" and one of them wanted to take my head off. "If she couldn't wrestle, WWE wouldn't put the title on her." ... So I think there are still your casual fans who don't know or care much about wrestling (in the pure sense) who were still disappointed that it was Khali and not someone, I dunno, better?

[DocStevens]

What is someone called who has not watched wrestling in 8 years but plays TEW and makes historical mods? I am neither a mark or a smark...I have no identity!!!

[takerlives77]

I'd like to say i'm a fan who appreciates a good match more then some bodybuilding freak but watching Edge (i love the character btw) and Samoa Joe and The Undertaker and others on occasion i find myself marking out for the things that traditional 'marks' would like. I find i enjoy it more to be this way...i won't be chanting boring! during a good slow technical match but i will enjoy the things that the mainstream fans will like...i think that these two categories don't cancel each other out and you can have a healthy combination of both

[djthefunkchris]

[QUOTE=DocStevens;230988]What is someone called who has not watched wrestling in 8 years but plays TEW and makes historical mods? I am neither a mark or a smark...I have no identity!!![/QUOTE] Nope, Not a Mark... Nope.. Not a Smark... Hmmmm.... I think I'm just going to say your "Smart" Lol.

[djthefunkchris]

[QUOTE=Remianen;230959]I know I'm a mark when.... - I was literally distressed because I couldn't find a way to get to Japan to see Ibuki's show today (Thursday, May 3rd) due to scheduling conflicts. - I schedule meetings and business trips around when my favorite out of town promotions (like APW) are having shows. - I turn clients on to specific promotions just so I can go to their shows and write them off as business expenses (like one client who is now a diehard CZW fan, which allows me to go to CZW's shows "free"). - I'll buy merchandise of my favorite workers and promotions, site unseen, whether I can use it or not. ("New Shimmer t-shirt? Gimme 50!") - Joshi photobooks + eBay + disposable income = ouch! I don't mark out for characters as much as I do individual workers since, on the indies, the same character a worker uses can be two different dispositions at two different shows since it's likely to be two different promotions. I think about the highlight of any RAW I see is Ron Simmons' cameo but hell if I don't perk up when he pops onscreen. And alden, I disagree with your assertion or insinuation that somehow being a "fan" means you take whatever's dished out to you and like it. I have several people in my social circle who I call "The Prophets of McMahon". The WWE can do no wrong as far as they're concerned. (The new ECW is far superior to the old one, in their eyes, for example.) THEY were disappointed it was Khali. THEY can't stand him ("He can't even make a punch look good. We miss out on Cena-Michaels 3 for THIS guy?!?"). I was absolutely floored to hear these people criticize their beloved WWE but they HATE Khali (and not in the 'heel heat' way. They don't like him or the character). These are the people pining away hoping that Brock Lesnar and Chris Jericho "come to their senses and do the right thing" ("the right thing" being, returning to WWE :rolleyes: ). Why isn't RAW getting better ratings? "Because there are still some people watching redneck rasslin' [what they refer to TNA as]". Hardcore WWE fanbois in the sickest sense. When I heard that Melina had won the Women's title, I said "YAY Sable version 2" and one of them wanted to take my head off. "If she couldn't wrestle, WWE wouldn't put the title on her." ... So I think there are still your casual fans who don't know or care much about wrestling (in the pure sense) who were still disappointed that it was Khali and not someone, I dunno, better?[/QUOTE] Yeah, I'm in Florida, and they always talk about TNA wrestlin' as if they come are from "Real deep backwoods somewhere"... Actually, they name a city that bassically says it all, but I won't repeat the city name.. I don't dissagree with him though, I have a whole room for that comes over for WWE, and they all marked out for Khali. I am guessing that you might have informed them a little bit, as I do on occassion myself..........Actually, I do it quite alot. If you point stuff out, sometimes they go "Yeah, I see what your talkin' about."

[Bad Luck Brett]

My opinion on the state of wrestling fans in 2007: A "Smark" is someone who claims to be 'in the know', someone who claims to know all the goings on behind the scene, someone who thinks that more moves = better wrestler, someone who spends too much time analyzing wrestler's work-rates and matches that they don't even get a chance to enjoy the show. Claiming to be a smark just makes one a mark. Face it, wrestling is supposed to be a form of entertainment and whether one is enjoying the hell out of the latest Raw main-event or blogging about it for 7 days until the next Monday, we're all marks.

[Payne]

You guys are forgetting one one major "names". The "Smart Mark". I have been preaching this for years. A "mark" is someone who, yes, "believes" the product. They live for the wrestlers, cry when Cena loses, and thinks that the bleeding is actually from the guy hitting his head on the stairs. In my opinion, a "Smark" is one of those morons, who is never happy, always on the IWC and complaining: "Lashley suxors!!11" and "Benoit nvr gtez a fare match!!111~!!!!" The people are a smarmy as the name sounds. Kind of leaves a bad taste in the mouth when ya say it. Then, there are us. The smart marks. I know the finish is scripted. I know about "angles" and "storylines" and "pushes". That is the "smart" in me. But, I am still a "mark". I freaked when Taker won the title. I still go for my faves, and boo the heels. Yes, I trained to be a pro-wrestler, and a ref. Yes, I still watch Raw, SD, ECW, ROH, TNA..... Yes, I know what a "gig" is, and "Blading" is. But, I still get hyped when HBK gets "busted wide open". I still get emotional at the outcomes.

[djthefunkchris]

Smart Mark = Smark. But the way you put it makes scense... And sounds like me, lol.

[alden]

[QUOTE=Bad Luck Brett;231428]My opinion on the state of wrestling fans in 2007: A "Smark" is someone who claims to be 'in the know', someone who claims to know all the goings on behind the scene, someone who thinks that more moves = better wrestler, someone who spends too much time analyzing wrestler's work-rates and matches that they don't even get a chance to enjoy the show. Claiming to be a smark just makes one a mark. Face it, wrestling is supposed to be a form of entertainment and whether one is enjoying the hell out of the latest Raw main-event or blogging about it for 7 days until the next Monday, we're all marks.[/QUOTE] I think some of the biggest "fans" are wrestlers them selfs...i think it gives you a better respect for what they are doing and the stuff they had to give up to get to the top...lets take shawn for a moment. He has literly busted his ass for 20+ years now but still he can go out there and make somone who knows that it is all fake, who knows that it is a planed out forget all that and think that maybe just maybe it is a legit fight.....now i have been in the business for only about five to six years now..i am in no way a wrestling "expert"....but if you can make one of the boys forget that it is all scripted then yah you are doing good. i respect anyone who has made it to the top *i call anyone in wwe the "top*. They have worked hard to get thier and they deserve it. Is a guy like kahli a great worker? No, but could he destroy any normal fan in a wrestling match? Hell yes, take anyone right out of wrestling school and you can say the same. There is range of talent. There are the american dragon's and the danials but for everyone of them there are jobbers who are busting their ass to make it. It dose not make them any less talented. as for the original subject. I don't think marks are bad, I admit that i am a mark for low ki. I will never miss one of his matches. I have traveld far to see his matches. I still "mark out" for a good bump....

[MrCanada]

[QUOTE=alden;230396]Ok me and my wife were watching raw last night......They just had a interview with the ic champ *still can't remember who it is* and i say.......You know he really dose not belong anywhere near a mic. She was honestly offended by that......... It took me ten minutes to talk her out of being pissed at me. This is from a women who had been around the business for about five years.....later in the night edge comes on and i go......."see that is how a person should sound, it dose not sound like he is reading from a script" and she actully says........Yah but he is a D*** though. Now both me and my wife know adam and have spent alot of time with him *this was ofcourse about four years ago so*.........but she was calling the man a dick because of the edge charactor......for several seconds i did not know what to say.....finally i said........No, edge is a dick, you know darn well adam is a nice enough guy. He responce was......yah but listen to him, he is a D***. THe only responce to her was to laugh and call her a mark which for some reason pissed her off even more So i guess the question is............how do you know when somone else is a mark? *yes i know long story to get to a easy question *[/QUOTE] You know your a mark when, you arnt a wrestler, and even if you think your trained, havnt wrestled on a regular basis or infront of consistent large crowds. You're a ****ing mark. and so am I.

[alden]

intresting concept man....if you don't wrestle for the big e you arn't a wrestler? Or what do you call a large crowd?

[djthefunkchris]

[QUOTE=alden;232054]intresting concept man....if you don't wrestle for the big e you arn't a wrestler? Or what do you call a large crowd?[/QUOTE] I don't think he meant it to be critical or what-ever... He ended with "And so am I". The way I took it is... Alot of people "Think" they know what's going on, or think they have an inside scope of things because they happen to wrestle a couple of Indie's, or have a DVD set, or just find alot of stuff on the internet (and the example's can continue, there is a ton of options for someone to get information from), that you may think you know what's going on, but if your not Actually working with the "big boys", you don't have anymore of a clue then anyone else that realise's it's "fake"... It's like saying you understand how the movie bussiness is done because you made a small documentary, or you were in a "b" movie, etc. They give you an idea, but chance's are, the rest of us have that "idea" as well, but it's nothing like the way you would have done a Megamillion dollar budget movie.

[Jestor]

You know, I started thinking about this whole wrestling thing this morning while I was pondering ODW. And I came to the realization that it doesn't matter that wrestling's fake. Movies, books, television shows, plays... those are all fake, too (Setting aside non-fiction of course). What it's about is the entertainment, creating characters and situations that compel us to watch along, to mark out for a particular character/wrestler/team/stable/etc. Those who cheer for a particular wrestler regardless of character are analogus to one's favorite actors/actresses (Mmmm Liv Tyler). All this claiming of inside knowledge and so on is really little more than speculations and spoiler releases from more traditional forms of entertainment. This is where Vince McMahon (sp) was a genius, in my opinion. He recognized that because the outcomes are pre-determined, because events are controlled, what better way to draw people in than to create a sense of pageantry and epicness about it? Admittedly, I could be off the mark (:D) here. I'll be the first one to admit that Greco-Roman and more pure, traditional (mixing of types I know, but I'm an English major, not a wrestling fan) types of wrestling bore me. I've always had problems viewing wrestling as a sport, even though I paradoxically consider wrestlers to be athletes. But that's just my thoughts on the matter, for whatever they're worth. ;)

[MrCanada]

[QUOTE=djthefunkchris;232070]I don't think he meant it to be critical or what-ever... He ended with "And so am I". The way I took it is... Alot of people "Think" they know what's going on, or think they have an inside scope of things because they happen to wrestle a couple of Indie's, or have a DVD set, or just find alot of stuff on the internet (and the example's can continue, there is a ton of options for someone to get information from), that you may think you know what's going on, but if your not Actually working with the "big boys", you don't have anymore of a clue then anyone else that realise's it's "fake"... It's like saying you understand how the movie bussiness is done because you made a small documentary, or you were in a "b" movie, etc. They give you an idea, but chance's are, the rest of us have that "idea" as well, but it's nothing like the way you would have done a Megamillion dollar budget movie.[/QUOTE] I just get really upset about the word mark. Because people on the internet use the word negativley, and it is a positive word. If you hear workers use it in a bad sense, they are morons (I dont care who they are) because all a "mark" is, is someone who pays money. Buy a DVD, a ticket, an action figure, a wrestling simulator. Your a mark. Your the mark cause your the target. People read the internet, think they are informed, and somehow are no longer a 'mark'. Some people embrace the word and call themselves "smart marks" or "smarks". There is no such thing. We're all stupid. I just get sick of people being no-it-alls because they read something that someone said to someone that heard it while walking through a hallway from someone telling someone that they heard someone say, and that gets on the internet, we (me too) read it, but then someone pretend to understand. I just dont get it. But I dunno, I've seen guys come and go through Ontario and luckily they taught me alot before the WWE snatched them up. Taught me that its fine to be a mark, its about the wrestling and entertainment. Not who knows more about who or thinks they understand psychology or something. I wish I could still mark out on a couch when people come out. Hell the most fun I think we all have is when we "mark out". Which to me isnt negative, its smile and feel happy that the form of entertainment we enjoy is fun.

[djthefunkchris]

[QUOTE=MrCanada;232269]I just get really upset about the word mark. Because people on the internet use the word negativley, and it is a positive word. If you hear workers use it in a bad sense, they are morons (I dont care who they are) because all a "mark" is, is someone who pays money. Buy a DVD, a ticket, an action figure, a wrestling simulator. Your a mark. Your the mark cause your the target. People read the internet, think they are informed, and somehow are no longer a 'mark'. Some people embrace the word and call themselves "smart marks" or "smarks". There is no such thing. We're all stupid. I just get sick of people being no-it-alls because they read something that someone said to someone that heard it while walking through a hallway from someone telling someone that they heard someone say, and that gets on the internet, we (me too) read it, but then someone pretend to understand. I just dont get it. But I dunno, I've seen guys come and go through Ontario and luckily they taught me alot before the WWE snatched them up. Taught me that its fine to be a mark, its about the wrestling and entertainment. Not who knows more about who or thinks they understand psychology or something. I wish I could still mark out on a couch when people come out. Hell the most fun I think we all have is when we "mark out". Which to me isnt negative, its smile and feel happy that the form of entertainment we enjoy is fun.[/QUOTE] Hmm, Very well put:-)

[alden]

maybe that is the mistake i made then. To me a wrestling mark is not in the same as a mark in a card game on the street. To me a mark is when you believe something so much even though you know it is not true or you follow something with a passion. For example, me i am a huge low ki mark, to me that guy can do no wrong......i don't care if he lost every match and droped all his moves i would still think he is great. That makes me a mark because i have bought into him so much. A mark in a card game for example is somone who has no idea they are being cheated. A wrestling mark i think knows they are being lied to and just don't care.

[dvdWarrior]

Wonder if I still qualify as a mark. I usually watch Raw and buy dvds, but I haven't seen an episode of SmackDown! since, like, August, and I can take ECW and iMPACT! or leave them, usually depending on whether or not Law & Order: SVU and CSI, (respectively), are in re-runs or not.

[djthefunkchris]

[QUOTE=dvdWarrior;232372]Wonder if I still qualify as a mark. I usually watch Raw and buy dvds, but I haven't seen an episode of SmackDown! since, like, August, and I can take ECW and iMPACT! or leave them, usually depending on whether or not Law & Order: SVU and CSI, (respectively), are in re-runs or not.[/QUOTE] It depends really... If things went the way you thought were good, and you would start watching again, then I think that qualify's you. If your just bored, and could care less with WRESTLING all together, then Naw, your no longer a mark. That's my opinion anyways.

[dvdWarrior]

I guess technically I'm still a mark then. I just get burned out on it sometimes. My care cup for wrestling is definitely pretty full, especially wrestling in the dvd format. And TEW. :)

[MrCanada]

I think in general 'mark' means alot of different things. I just went off on my tangent because I hate with people use the word in a negative sense, since in all its forms it should never be negative. Really mark is what I said, but by todays standards to be a "mark" is simply to kind of still believe its all real, and if your on the net you dont. That dosnt mean your smarter or someone is dumber, just you look at the business different. But until you are in the business and really somesort of success (and no, succes cant be like wrestling in front of 50 people, so someone like Ransik is still a "mark" to me, but again, that **** aint negative). I dunno. We're all just marks, just seems some people think they are special or something.