LionDen
03-17-2015, 10:40 PM
A group of front row fans at last night's Raw taping were asked to remove costumes after they appeared in the opening segment dressed up as a number of 1980s-1990s era WWE characters.
One of the group wrote on Twitter that they were told to take the costumes off or be removed from their seats. The group were walked out and given new WWE shirts before returning. The live crowd in Des Moines booed them when they returned.
WWE policy is to not dissuade fans from dressing up if they want, but to not have them sitting across from the hard camera due to potential distractions to the viewer. I understand that but I think WWE had a strategic error here. In a lot of ways, this was akin to penalizing a football fan who shows up all painted up to support his team because he's paid to sit in the best seats in the house. Anything that shows passion for your product is a good thing. If fans are showing up dressed as characters (something WWE has showcased for years in videos they've produced and aired) and showing how excited they are for WWE, this is a bad thing or distracting, how? Heck, call an audible and have Michael Cole talk about the WWE Hall of Fame while standing in front of the fans and talk about the ravenous nature of the audience for WWE's grand history and how you can see it all on the WWE Network, or something, but don't stamp out fans' passion. The top ticket price is over $100 for Raw.
Twitter:(Link) (https://twitter.com/Laufered/status/577635506306994176)
Butters @Laufered
They made us take the outfits off or give up our front row seats. #TheMan #RAW @aubreysitterson MichelleDBeadle
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CAQsbq3UcAAtQkC.jpg
One of the group wrote on Twitter that they were told to take the costumes off or be removed from their seats. The group were walked out and given new WWE shirts before returning. The live crowd in Des Moines booed them when they returned.
WWE policy is to not dissuade fans from dressing up if they want, but to not have them sitting across from the hard camera due to potential distractions to the viewer. I understand that but I think WWE had a strategic error here. In a lot of ways, this was akin to penalizing a football fan who shows up all painted up to support his team because he's paid to sit in the best seats in the house. Anything that shows passion for your product is a good thing. If fans are showing up dressed as characters (something WWE has showcased for years in videos they've produced and aired) and showing how excited they are for WWE, this is a bad thing or distracting, how? Heck, call an audible and have Michael Cole talk about the WWE Hall of Fame while standing in front of the fans and talk about the ravenous nature of the audience for WWE's grand history and how you can see it all on the WWE Network, or something, but don't stamp out fans' passion. The top ticket price is over $100 for Raw.
Twitter:(Link) (https://twitter.com/Laufered/status/577635506306994176)
Butters @Laufered
They made us take the outfits off or give up our front row seats. #TheMan #RAW @aubreysitterson MichelleDBeadle
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CAQsbq3UcAAtQkC.jpg