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| Da Bad Guy was canvas for Mr. Perfect "seeing the light" Photo Credit: WWE.com |
-- The Velvet Underground, "Beginning to See the Light"
Mere moments into the Coliseum Video version of Survivor Series 1992, we are greeted by the rambling preaching of the Reverend Slick, who tells us of the idea of seeing the light. Obviously, this is a metaphor for Christianity, but it should be noted that Slick never says the word "God" or "Jesus Christ." He merely speaks of the light. This all sounds like hokum until Vince McMahon refers to "the light" as well in the actual broadcast. If a motif is discussed more than once, it is not merely a coincidence. Survivor Series 1992 is a show about us seeing the light.
The Velvet Underground song "Beginning to See the Light," reads as pretty sarcastic simply because Lou Reed isn't known for his positive upbeat vibes. And perhaps that is how we can read Survivor Series 1992, a show where the most prominent event is the team-up of Mr. Perfect and Randy Savage to battle Ric Flair and Razor Ramon. This is where McMahon drops the comment about Perfect "seeing the light." This is the closest to just saying "cheer Mr. Perfect," yet Perfect's mindset doesn't really change. If anything, he is reluctant to see the light, but knows his conflicts are with the forces of darkness.
So then, what is "seeing the light"? Is it a willful naivete about the good of the world? This would certainly explain Sting's entire wrestling career. It would also fit the general blindness to the bad in the world in Lou Reed's lyrics. Maybe it would fit the run of babyface Virgil, who gets pretty much flatlined by Yokozuna. Is seeing the light actually a cloud of ignorance, ironic considering the very definition of the term?
WWE is famous for their methods of trying to define good by the value of their entertainment. This is why John Cena is a snark king instead of a Hogan-esque ranter. This is why Sheamus is known way more for doing dumb things than for fighting. And this is not the case with Survivor Series. It seems like the value of good changed with the dawning of the internet. In a sense, television may have ruined WWE's approach to their characters. Much of television consists of quippy television with a knowledge of pop culture. None of this is present in Survivor Series 1992. McMahon doesn't even make a joke with that knowledge in the backburner.
Naturally, this makes the whole idea of good more confusing than maybe it should be. Because I often find myself at the end of an essay without knowing where to go, I feel a bit like Virgil. He's probably the least notable character on the show, but he at least gives a warning for the future noting that Yokozuna is unstoppable. He did lose in a noble fashion as well. I mean, he got his ass kicked, but he didn't seem like a total dunce, just a man overpowered. Let's pretend that he saw the light and just decided to live with it, despite the negatives it places on his future (negatives as in losing all the time). I guess that's what being a babyface is all about. Maybe that's the light.
Mere moments into the Coliseum Video version of Survivor Series 1992, we are greeted by the rambling preaching of the Reverend Slick, who tells us of the idea of seeing the light. Obviously, this is a metaphor for Christianity, but it should be noted that Slick never says the word "God" or "Jesus Christ." He merely speaks of the light. This all sounds like hokum until Vince McMahon refers to "the light" as well in the actual broadcast. If a motif is discussed more than once, it is not merely a coincidence. Survivor Series 1992 is a show about us seeing the light.
The Velvet Underground song "Beginning to See the Light," reads as pretty sarcastic simply because Lou Reed isn't known for his positive upbeat vibes. And perhaps that is how we can read Survivor Series 1992, a show where the most prominent event is the team-up of Mr. Perfect and Randy Savage to battle Ric Flair and Razor Ramon. This is where McMahon drops the comment about Perfect "seeing the light." This is the closest to just saying "cheer Mr. Perfect," yet Perfect's mindset doesn't really change. If anything, he is reluctant to see the light, but knows his conflicts are with the forces of darkness.
So then, what is "seeing the light"? Is it a willful naivete about the good of the world? This would certainly explain Sting's entire wrestling career. It would also fit the general blindness to the bad in the world in Lou Reed's lyrics. Maybe it would fit the run of babyface Virgil, who gets pretty much flatlined by Yokozuna. Is seeing the light actually a cloud of ignorance, ironic considering the very definition of the term?
WWE is famous for their methods of trying to define good by the value of their entertainment. This is why John Cena is a snark king instead of a Hogan-esque ranter. This is why Sheamus is known way more for doing dumb things than for fighting. And this is not the case with Survivor Series. It seems like the value of good changed with the dawning of the internet. In a sense, television may have ruined WWE's approach to their characters. Much of television consists of quippy television with a knowledge of pop culture. None of this is present in Survivor Series 1992. McMahon doesn't even make a joke with that knowledge in the backburner.
Naturally, this makes the whole idea of good more confusing than maybe it should be. Because I often find myself at the end of an essay without knowing where to go, I feel a bit like Virgil. He's probably the least notable character on the show, but he at least gives a warning for the future noting that Yokozuna is unstoppable. He did lose in a noble fashion as well. I mean, he got his ass kicked, but he didn't seem like a total dunce, just a man overpowered. Let's pretend that he saw the light and just decided to live with it, despite the negatives it places on his future (negatives as in losing all the time). I guess that's what being a babyface is all about. Maybe that's the light.