Now That's Entertainment . . . Volume 2, Issue # 1


	Volume 2 Issue # 1 April 7, 2002 "Wrestling with a Scorpion King"
	I was a wrestling fan before it took on the new 'Attitude.' I was a wrestling fan before the existence of Monday Night Raw and The Rock. People say that wrestling has changed so much since the days of Superfly Jimmy Snuka and Andre the Giant. I disagree. The world of professional wrestling, or 'sports entertainment' as Vince Jr. likes to call it, hasn't changed so much as it has adapted to the times. We demand more blood. We demand more extremes. We demand more T & A. Paul Heyman made a (locally) successful, but ultimately disastrous, promotion called ECW based in Philadelphia that fulfilled these requests. Vince MacMahon, on the other hand, with his business savvy and 'balls the size of grapefruits,' made professional wrestling what it is today: a worldwide phenomenom that far surpasses the vision of his father, Vince Sr.		f Click here to go to the official movie website
	I know, I know. Some of you (most?) are not wrestling fans, and I have no problem with that. But to those of you who see wrestling as 'a bad influence on our children' or 'just a bunch of sweaty guys in their underwear running around,' I have a little something to say. First, it is not up to the censors to do the parenting, it's up to the parents. If you do not want your children watching wrestling, that's fine, don't let them, but don't take that option away from the rest of us. Wrestling should stay on TV. Second, where else can you find a masterful combination (thanks to Vince) of soap opera dramatics, unbridled enthusiasm, incredible acrobatics and athletism but in wrestling? "But it's fake, you know." So are most other TV programs and nearly all movies, and you still watch them. We identify with the characters, seeing a little of ourselves in Chandler Bing or Erin Brokovich. But, you know, some things never change. I grew up idolizing Hulk Hogan, just like anyone else who watched the WWF in the 80s. Today, we see Hulk Hogan back in the limelight again with as strong a fan following as ever. This cult-like following was very apparent in Toronto's Skydome at Wrestlemania X8 when the Hulkster stepped into the squared circle with Dwayne Johnson, otherwise known as the Rock. Well, the Rock won, but that's beside the point. What's interesting to note is that the career path that the Rock is embarking upon very closely resembles the path which Hogan has taken. Hogan achieved his first success in the WWF, becoming the icon for professional wrestling. Ask anyone on the street who Hulk Hogan is, and you can be sure they'd know. Similarly, the Rock is gaining the same mainstream recognition today. Hogan moved onto the silver screen, expanding into greener pastures. What do we see the Rock doing? His two-second role in 'The Mummy Returns' was laughable, with half of his screen time as a CG graphic. But, on April 19th, the Rock will make his leading role debut as 'The Scorpion King.' 'The Scorpion King' acts a prequel to 'The Mummy' series (can I call it a series yet? Maybe I should call it a trilogy?) with 'The Scorpion King' freeing his people from an oppressive government. Almost the same as Hulk Hogan facing his toughest challenge to date in 'Mr. Nanny' (1993). I, obviously, have not seen 'The Scorpion King' yet, so I cannot make any judgement regarding the film's plot or the Rock's acting ability. Sure, he can rip it up on the mic on WWF Smackdown!, but can he play a (tongue-in-cheek) serious role like an ancient Egyptian defender of freedom? I guess we'll find out on April 19th. Looking at Yahoo's movie database, Hulk Hogan, despite nonsensical plots and poor 'real' acting ability, managed to star in 14 Hollywood movies. The Rock is still a young man with many years ahead of him . . . Can he top 14? Hard to say, but he already has two under his belt with another Mummy movie possibly in the works. Well, that does it for Volume 2, Issue # 1 and I've got to say, it's great to be back.

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