Words of wisdom from Eddie Kingston about social media

It’s rare that Eddie Kingston’s take on something doesn’t resonate with me, and the thoughts he shared on Taylor Wilde’s Wilde On podcast about social media are no exception.

The topic came up as Wilde was talking about how Kingston’s promos are proof that to really connect with fans via promos you need to have life experience. Despite that, fans don’t know a lot about Eddie’s personal life. He explained why:

“I was raised like that, I was raised that it is nobody’s business. Nobody gives a fuck. You have your opinion and like my mother would tell me, ‘Opinions are like assholes, everyone got one and they all stink’. I guess the age of social media has made people feel like their opinions matter. Look folks, I’m not gonna lie to you, it doesn’t.”

They’d go on to discuss Kingston leaving Twitter:

“I quit Twitter because I just saw some nasty shit that someone wrote about Riho. I was having a bad day as it was anyway. I got COVID, I was supposed to got to Ireland and I got COVID before going to Ireland.

“So I was already mad, and then I’m just flipping through my phone, I just saw something, it was a guy — it wasn’t even a person, it was a goose gimmick. So they didn’t even have a profile picture, but it was just some nasty shit and I was like, ‘I’m over this. I’m done.’ It just became toxic, it was worse than MySpace. Yeah, I’m dating myself.”

Some thoughts, as soon as I stop laughing about Eddie saying the Riho-hater’s profile pic was “a goose gimmick”...

Okay. Social media is pretty foul, but it’s not without its uses. It can be a really useful tool for wrestlers and other independent artists looking to build their audience. I personally know people who felt isolated and alone until they found friends online who literally changed their lives for the better. It can be a great way to discover new things (Kingston is still on Instagram, and I’ve found out or learned more about Japanese wrestling and wrestlers from things he’s shared there), and there’s a lot of funny stuff out there.

But it is generally toxic, and you need strategies and filters to use social media in beneficial ways without letting the bad shit ruin your day — or worse. When it affects you the way it affected Eddie earlier this year, stepping away like he did is rarely a bad idea.

Remembering that your opinion, especially on something as ultimately trivial as pro wrestling, isn’t some precious thing you have to share with every stranger and defend against everyone who doesn’t agree with it? That’s always a good idea.

There’s other good stuff in Taylor Wilde’s convo with the Mad King, too. Check it out here.

H/t WrestlingMania Fan