For newcomers to WWE's product, folks with short memories or a really good ability to block things out, you may not understand the internet's reaction to the return of the anonymous general manager concept last night (November 24, 2014) on Raw.
In July of 2010, Vince McMahon removed Bret Hart from the job - a position that he had only held for a few weeks. In the Hitman's place was a laptop, an annoying sound and Michael Cole.
Well, not really. It was supposed to be an anonymous authority figure, protected from intimidation or manipulation by virtue of their concealed identity. His or her edicts were handed down by email, thus the laptop and the annoying sound. The emails were read on air from a podium next to the announce desk, usually by Cole, but occasionally by others - Jerry Lawler or Josh Mathews, most often.
If it sounds like an okay concept, it mostly was. It resulted in some memorable moments with Y2J and Edge basically feuding with the laptop and podium, and wore out its welcome more due to Cole's heel run than anything else.
The end came when Triple H took over as on-screen Chief Operating Office (COO) in about a year, soon replaced by the People Power era of John Laurinaitis after the roster walked out on The Game for running an unsafe workplace (don't ask). But Santino Marella wouldn't leave it alone, and he picked up Jericho's old quest to unearth the person behind the emails. That person was revealed to be Hornswoggle, as you can see in the ass-biting piece of comedy above.
This is the kind of stuff that makes me question what I'm doing with my life, but last night's reveal does make one wonder if WWE intends to have a character we've most recently seen dressed up as a small alligator running Raw next week.
Or do they just think we're going to forget that it was Hornswoggle in the first place, just as we're supposed to forget that in kayfabe he's Finlay's son? Will they bother to explain that it's not Hornswoggle and emphasize that it's a new person in the role?
It's picking nits, and just moving forward is probably the best thing for all involved. But the anonymous Raw GM is the perfect storm of WWE Creative's intelligence insulting foibles - banal comedy, even for a show allegedly aimed at kids, combined with a refusal to build on continuity that would reward the portion of the audience that sticks with the show week-in and week-out throughout its long run.
Can I have your attention, please?
Sometimes, WWE, you really can't. Instances like this are usually ones that make me say "no".