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One of the things I appreciate most about our community here at Cageside Seats is the fact that you, dear readers and comment leavers, keep us honest. I can't just write a post and say "I hate this" without an explanation because, well, you won't allow that.
That's a good thing.
That's why Adam Rose has become such a hot topic of discussion around these parts. I'm no big fan of his character but figuring out exactly what it is about him that bothers me has led to some great debate. Fans in London at Monday Night Raw this week were clearly into his song, but were they into him?
My colleague, Hulk Holland, argued the Rosebuds, the band of misfits who travel around with him bouncing about, have become the focal point and that's the big issue. My partner, Sean Rueter, had other ideas after first being exposed to the act, namely that the transition from the smaller venues in NXT to the big arenas of Raw was problematic.
As for me, I've struggled to pinpoint exactly what my issue is with this character beyond the fact that I just can't get into a babyface whose schtick seems to consist of sucking on a blow pop while spouting off uninteresting catchphrases designed as buzzwords for the so-called WWE Universe to parrot and regurgitate at every turn. He "dances" to the ring with a group of oddballs and then crowd surfs. That's about all (so far).
I took to Twitter searching for answers on why exactly I'm supposed to be entertained by all this and ultimately found what I was looking for, both what my issue is with the character and what can be done to help salvage it.
The problem:
@cagesideseats yea I don't think anyone's ever paid money to stand outside a bar and watch what goes on. Not fun if you aren't a part of if.
— Patrick Cusick (@pcusick13) May 21, 2014
Partying is fun if you're involved in it. It's mostly an annoyance if you're not.
The solution:
@cagesideseats He should at least enter from the crowd and jump with them. Make the crowd feel like they're part of the party somewhat.
— Patrick (@Paddy_Panic) May 21, 2014
Now wouldn't that be something? Singing along to the theme song is fine and all, but that will inevitably die out unless the character can make a connection on a deeper level. An easy way to do that is to have him come through the audience so fans can get on camera jumping around with all the wacky characters coming off the Exotic Express. Raw is a touring show and a grand live experience is vital to producing crowds who elicit the proper emotion.
How many fans would buy a ticket to a show just in the hopes of getting to be a part of the Exotic Express during an Adam Rose entrance?
This doesn't solve the issue of his getting in the ring and cutting bizarre promos about cheeseburgers but it's certainly a start. If the idea behind his character is that he's got a deep emotional connection to the Rosebuds, and heels will inevitably attack them, leading to Rose's darker side coming out for his matches, wouldn't it be smart to extend that Rosebud connection to the crowd? That way he's defending more than just one guy in a bunny suit and another wearing a cheeseburger, he's defending all the fans in the building.
Getting crowds to chant along with something is easy. Watch Stephanie McMahon and Triple H troll harder for evidence of this. But doing that little extra like actually interacting with the crowd in a meaningful way may seem like a small step but it will take Rose -- and this gimmick -- an extra mile.