WWE SmackDown 5/31/2024: 3 Things We Hated And 3 Things We Loved

Posted by admin on June 1st, 2024

You’d think that after spending literally the entirety of “WWE SmackDown” covering nearly everything on the new Wyatt 6 teaser site, I’d be ready to fight Uncle Howdy in a New York parking lot myself. However, as I trudged through cryptic video after cryptic video, trying to suss out anything new in the final days of the Wyatt 6’s QR code era, I couldn’t help but have some sort of respect for the entire thing.

Analog horror and alternate reality games exemplify this new generation of horror storytelling, and we are on the ground floor of something really cool.

As someone who’s delved into various anthropological analyses of media, I can say with confidence that the medium of a story is just as important to a story’s overall impact as the story itself. Wrestling is pretty cut-and-dry with its medium — sure, there are promos, video packages, and in-ring storytelling moments that are all fascinating to dissect, but not much else. Professional wrestling doesn’t really delve into the experimental when it comes to storytelling, so when a storytelling opportunity that isn’t a promo, video package, or in-ring moment arises, it is a big deal. When WWE, a company that is distinctly solid in their storytelling formula, takes a risk, it’s an even bigger deal.

Both analog horror and alternate reality games are “new kids” on the proverbial storytelling block. Analog horror is a genre of storytelling that utilizes nostalgic elements of late-twentieth century broadcasting and analog video, and alternate reality games (ARGs) utilize the “real world” — our world — and its physical properties to offer multisensory and tangible storytelling experiences. While ARGs have been used by major movie promotions more recently, analog horror is still in its infancy. WWE has broken nearly all of the conventions of professional wrestling storytelling by going all-in on these two rather unconventional storytelling mediums, and the risk has paid off. There is something just so tangible about this story, and it just makes you want to explore more. Several Reddit threads are committed to discussing the codes and mysteries embedded in every Uncle Howdy drop, and it was so difficult to sift through all the Wyatt 6 theories on our own site in order to find dates for all of these videos. When we crack these small mysteries, and answer these small questions, we simultaneously feel the catharsis and accomplishment from our own effort, and are tempted to continue chasing that high as more questions are asked and more mysteries are unlocked. It is a positive feedback loop, where every code cracked adds onto our appreciation and desire to learn more. This form of interactive storytelling has people talking about the Wyatt 6 faction, and people are incredibly excited. This story is working.

Obviously, there is plenty to be said about the impact of the late Bray Wyatt onto this. It is very clear that even in death, his creative genius still captivates the WWE Universe, and if it weren’t for his creative risk-taking, we wouldn’t have this whole Uncle Howdy saga at all. I do also want to cautiously acknowledge how much production and effort has been put into this by the people in WWE creative who are helping establish Wyatt’s legacy. Putting together all of these ARG elements — from shooting the cryptic videos to editing them to making entire websites that really capture the Wyatt and Uncle Howdy aesthetic — is not cheap, nor is it easy. All of it, though, is paying off in spades. There has never been anything like this in professional wrestling, not on this scale. As an aficionado for analog horror and ARGs, I’m in love with it.

There is some understandable concern for the other side of this hill. Once the Wyatt 6 debut, what comes next? This entire alternatively-told story has been so enriching in its novelty, so after the rush has worn off, how do we continue to break creative barriers and innovate stories, just as Wyatt would? I think that, if Wyatt and his creative innovation are kept at the heart of this whole faction, it will all be alright. He brought us the foundation for this entire innovation in professional wrestling storytelling, and as long as that foundation is honored, then whatever is built on top of it will be alright.

If anything, the wild success of this new form of storytelling is a sign to WWE creative to keep innovating. It is challenging the minds at such an institutional promotion such as World Wrestling Entertainment to not get too comfortable, and to keep pushing the boundaries of storytelling. That innovation alone should excite. We’re on the foundation — Wyatt’s foundation — of something great, and the only way we can go is up.

Written by Angeline Phu