Hype (or, more accurately, over-hype) is an integral part of the business of professional wrestling. Perhaps a nod to its carnival roots, the overzealous promotion of the next top talent, important card, or story development is the lifeblood of the industry.
So, when the WWE proclaimed a few weeks ago that a “major” announcement would “change the WWE forever,” you can forgive me if my expectations were, uh, measured.
But the announcement delivered exactly what was promised. And then some.
Technology has already fundamentally transformed the music industry in less than a generation, technology is in the process of quietly killing the movie industry (or at least the movie theater industry), and technology’s revolutionary impact on the television industry is inevitable.
It’s that latter point that has caused me to wonder for the past several years what the next “version” of television is going to look like. It is a foregone conclusion that TV is about to change on a fundamental level. But what will that change look like? What will rise from the ashes of the broadcast / cable model that has existed in some form since the 1970s?
Last week may have provided our first glimpse of it.
My argument has been that television as we know it will cease to exist inside of a decade or so. Why? Because instant, on-demand content is now a cultural expectation of the generation that will make up the bulk of the core entertainment demo for the foreseeable future.
The internet, DVR, and Netflix have all conspired to alter the desires of consumers irrevocably, such that antiquated notions like “lead-ins,” “network cross-overs,” or even “commercials” start to seem obsolete.
The exception to that rule is live television. Live events (particularly sports programming) still command large audiences. Those audiences don’t have the ability to fast-forward through advertising so long as they’re watching live. As such, my contention for the last several years has been that everything that isn’t news or live programming will shift to an on-demand model, and all that will remain for traditional television would be live programming.
What I didn’t know was who would be the first network or entity to commit fully to such a model. To do so would require a loyal fanbase that would be dedicated enough to accept programming in a new format, probably via a new delivery system.
It turns out that trailblazer will be World Wrestling Entertainment.
I wasn’t quite as prolific in 2013 as I was in 2012, as this will be “only” the 72nd post on this blog this year. However, part of that had to do with the fact that I’ve been writing for three other outlets on a regular basis (Cover 32, Hogs Haven, and A New Voice), plus some occasional work elsewhere (Uproxx).
As something of an 80s music aficionado (for better and for worse), I have probably heard Chicago’s “If She Would Have Been Faithful” at least 100 times in my life. I’m not bragging about that. Just stating it as a fact. Yet, it was only recently, after not hearing the song for some time, that I detected a rather . . . unique lyrical style.
But Blockbuster was the most successful national company by far, thanks to a business model that included tailoring a store’s selection to fit local demographics, as well as a breakthrough in the form of video game rentals, something that became possible (and lucrative) after Blockbuster won a 
I’ve talked before about how I enjoy writing for a bunch of different outlets, because doing so allows me to write about such varying topics. One of the things that burned me out on being full-time at VirginiaPreps was writing the same four articles every week for over a decade. I liked it, but, eventually, it got to be too repetitive to do full-time.
Breaking Bad is finished, and what an ending it was. The short version is that I thought it was excellent, and totally appropriate for that show. To be fair, I should note that I absolutely adored the same Lost finale that a good chunk of Lost fans hated, so I have no way to gauge what the reaction will be to the Breaking Bad ending.
Lucky
As I was doing my grocery shopping in
Ukrop’sMartin’s two weeks ago, I noticed an elderly woman in the produce department who seemed to be struggling. What caught my attention was the fact that she looked like she was trying her hardest to stand on her tip-toes, an unusual set of movements for a woman over 70.I quickly realized that she was attempting in vain to reach something. I couldn’t see what it was from the side of the aisle in which I stood. I hastily made my way around to where she was, and said “Ma’am, do you need help with something?”
She seemed very happy and relieved someone had stopped. She chuckled and said “I want that right there,” extending a bony finger in the direction of an onion that had rolled to the back of the very top of the display. I retrieved it for her, she thanked me profusely, and I said I was happy to assist.
The very next week, I was pushing my cart near the front of the store when I passed the canned goods aisle and an even older woman caught my attention with a telltale tip-toe attempt.
I hurried over to her and asked if she needed anything, just as she was precariously stepping up onto the bottom shelf to try to get to the top row of items. She said she had had tried three times to get the last can of succotash, but hadn’t been able to obtain it. I was able to grab it fairly easily, although even I had to stretch a bit to snag it.
As the can passed from my hand to hers, I spotted a now-slightly-too-big wedding band. I thought about the fact that her husband was probably deceased, and how there were so many little, everyday things in her life that were increasingly difficult to do. Especially alone. I thought about my own mom, and how she’s been without my dad now for over 11 years.
Then I thought about how, no matter how trying my week had been, no matter how disappointingly selfish my friends’ and acquaintances’ behavior is, and no matter how unsatisfying certain aspects of my life may be, in the final analysis, I am very lucky.
To have the good fortune to be in a position to help two elderly women in consecutive weeks, just by sheer happenstance, is truly a blessing for which I am incredibly grateful.
None of the other things matter much compared to that.
Share this: