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Perhaps one of the biggest arguments which break out among WWE fans today pertains to the Attitude Era.
Many wrestling fans seem to be convinced that WWE's Attitude Era, a period existing between 1997 and 2002, was infinitely superior to the current WWE product. They cite names like Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, and De-Generation X when they extol the virtues of this time period. In the minds of these fans, the Attitude Era was just plain better than what WWE offers today.
But then there are other fans who believe that the Attitude Era was overrated. They point out misogynistic tendencies and characters in poor taste like Val Venis and the Godfather.
So, which of these two disparate groups are right? Perhaps both, and perhaps neither. Here are five reasons why the Attitude Era was better than the modern era in WWE, and five reasons why it was not.
Better #1: An Edgier Product
Perhaps the reason most cited for the Attitude Era being better than the modern era in WWE is the edgier product offered by the company.
1997 was a different time, and pro-wrestling found itself competing with the internet, video games, and extreme sports for attention, as well as the burgeoning Mixed Martial Arts explosion.
In order to compete, the WWE had to find ways to appeal to what was, at the time, the ideal advertising demographic: Males aged 16-36. It was believed that this age group was more willing to spend money and support their favorite entertainment forms than other demographics.
Thus, the WWE during the Attitude Era featured all of the things young men are thought to favor: Scantily clad women, curse words, drinking, and drug references, and breaking the rules.
Many fans believe this programming decision made the Attitude Era more entertaining.
Not Better #1: Pro Wrestling falls into family entertainment
Almost since its inception in the modern sense, pro wrestling has been designed to appeal to the whole family regardless of age.
While there have been exceptions to this rule – both the Attitude Era and the 1970s "grindhouse" bloodbaths featuring men like Abdullah the Butcher – for the most part wrestling has been considered something 'safe' for children.
It is true that pro wrestling is simulated violence, but so are many video games and superhero movies, and those are considered child-appropriate. By creating content which was either inaccessible or not appropriate for younger fans during the Attitude Era, WWE missed the mark by not planning for the future.
After all, today's young wrestling fan becomes tomorrow's adult wrestling fan, who will possibly have children of their own, who will also become wrestling fans.
Snubbing the younger generation was a mistake during the Attitude Era, and is just one example of why the modern era is not inferior to the past.
Better #2: Storylines and angles took longer to unfurl
One of the major criticisms lobbed at the modern WWE era is that many storylines seem to be clipped short, or rushed through.
Part of this is due to the relentless, once per month (at least) PPV schedule that the WWE employs today. With only three to four weeks to build up a potential feud for one of the super shows, the promotion must sometimes make sacrifices in terms of drama to get the match properly marketed.
But there were a lot of PPVs during the Attitude Era, as well, and the company still had longer and more involved storylines and angles. One such angle was the "Higher Power" debacle. Undertaker hinted that he served a greater evil than himself, and speculation ran rampant for months before WWE finally revealed that the higher power was Vince McMahon.
The Attitude Era wasn't afraid to spend months or even a year building up a particular storyline to its ultimate fruition, which is why many fans believe it to be superior to the WWE's modern era.
Not Better #2: Some content was not fit for younger viewers.
One of the major drawbacks of the Attitude Era was the inclusion of content that simply wasn't fit for younger audiences. While this risque content may have catered to the coveted young adult male demographic, it alienated the younger audience.
This poses a problem for several reasons. Firstly, a wrestling promotion needs to not only please its current fan base, but it also needs to entice new fans, and the younger the better. Young fans are often the most fervid, the most likely to have disposable income, and since they need a chaperone their parents are coming along for the ride. This translates into more tickets sold and more advertising dollars earned. Many companies didn't want to associate their product with the WWE during the Attitude Era for this reason.
Second, the tawdry storylines fed into the belief that pro wrestling was low brow entertainment that could be potentially harmful to young viewers.
The WWE realized this, when it switched to a PG programming style. Many of their Attitude Era stars who had the riskier gimmicks had to change, such as the stars in the Right to Censor stable.
Better #3: The Monday Night War created high stakes feel to WWE programming
The Attitude Era happened to be at the exact same time as another major pro wrestling milestone: The Monday Night War.
For over a decade, WWE had provided free wrestling content on the USA network, first with a pre-taped show featuring Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan, and then as the live Raw broadcast.
But their rival WCW developed their own show, Monday Nitro, and put it in the same time slot as Raw. This led to a ratings war that created one of the most intense environments in pro wrestling history.
Because of the rivalry between the two companies, fans tuned in to Raw each week to see how the WWE was going to attempt to top their rivals. This led to a 'high stakes' feel to each and every broadcast, which many fans believe is lacking in the modern WWE product.
Not Better #3: Many of the Monday Night War segments were silly or inconsequential
While the Monday Night War may be fondly remembered by many wrestling fans for its high stakes feel, the fact of the matter is both companies tried to pretend like the other wasn't worthy competition.
Since the WWE couldn't acknowledge their rival WCW as being capable of providing good content, they resorted to using silly antics and parodies to poke fun at the other company while simultaneously trying to make them seem inconsequential.
One of the most famous of these skits involved Triple H and D-Generation X, who would 'invade' Monday Nitro events. While fans may have hoped to see DX actually appear on a Nitro broadcast, the fact of the matter is this was only a tease by WWE. Due to a long list of copyright laws and FCC regulations, the invasion was simply never going to happen.
Another ridiculous item form this time period was Gillberg, who was a parody character of popular WCW star Goldberg. Fans point to this type of silliness as another reason the Attitude Era was not better.
Better #4: Some of WWE's biggest names were active in the Attitude Era
The Rock. Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Undertaker. Chris Jericho.
Many of the most famous, most decorated WWE Superstars were highly active during the Attitude Era. This led to seminal moments like the Hell in a Cell between Undertaker and Mankind, and the infamous 'beer bath' incident involving Stone Cold Steve Austin spraying down the entire corporation stable with a beer truck.
Where else in the WWE timeline can you see men like The Rock and Chris Jericho, masters of the microphone, engage in a verbal duel which delights the fans? Only in the Attitude Era. What about those classic Austin vs. Undertaker matches? You'll find those in the Attitude Era as well.
Not since WWE's classic era had so many major stars been active at the same time, and fans point to this as one of the reasons the Attitude Era was better than today's WWE.
Not Better #4: WWE's modern era also features major stars
While the Attitude Era featured many of the most popular WWE Superstars in wrestling history, that doesn't mean the roster was stacked from top to bottom.
For every Rock, there were a dozen Godwins, Smoking Guns, and Tiger Ali Singhs who just didn't get over with the audience.
During the modern era, however, nearly every member of the WWE roster is tremendously skilled and/or has made a major impact on the wrestling industry, either in WWE or another promotion.
Just look at the current WWE Roster. You have AJ Styles, Ricochet, Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens, The New Day, Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, Charlotte Flair, Asuka, Io Shirai, Adam Cole, and many others who are no questions asked main event talent. The Attitude Era had a handful of big names, but overall the modern WWE roster is much stronger.
Better #5: Zany antics helped tickle the fan's funny bones
For all the talk about the Attitude Era not being 'dumbed down' for a younger audience, the fact remains that some of the silliest, wildest, and most zany antics in WWE history occurred during this time period.
Kaientai was dubbed hilariously wrong into English over the loudspeaker. Stone Cold Steve Austin gave stunners to celebrity guests and Santa Claus. D-Generation X asked everyone to get ready to....do something unmentionable, and Mankind speculated about The Rock's cereal brand choices in a totally non-PG way. Not to mention Mae Young giving birth to a disembodied hand.
While some fans may facepalm at the mere mention of these antics, many enjoyed them thoroughly. A lot of fans point to these fun-loving antics as one of the reasons the Attitude Era was better.
Not Better #5: Women were just eye candy earlier, while today they are treated as serious competitors
During the much-ballyhooed Attitude Era, women's wrestling was at perhaps its lowest point in company history.
On numerous occasions, the WWE Women's title was determined in specialty gimmick matches whose sole purpose seemed to be to titillate male fans with exposed flesh. Evening gown matches and mud wrestling matches were more prevalent than actual wrestling bouts.
In the modern era, women are just as big a draw as the men, and are treated with more dignity and respect. Becky Lynch is the first woman to be featured on the WWE THQ video game series, and is considered by many to be the top star in the company.
By contrast, the Attitude Era pushed stars like Torrie Wilson and Stacy Keibler, neither of whom were formally trained for the ring and lacked the athletic ability to put on convincing matches. Fans point to the women's evolution as another reason the Attitude Era is not superior to modern WWE.
What do you think? Was the Attitude Era really better than the modern WWE, or are fans just falling prey to nostalgia's embrace? Please comment and let us know, and as always thanks for reading!
