Catfightreport:
As a businessman, I think the first questions that must be asked are how does the money flow in this industry, and what product or service am I providing that will allow me to tap into that flow?
As a long time enthusiast but still a devoted outsider, it would seem to me that the product offered, that which drives the cash flow, are videos. Female fighting videos of many, many genres and dispositions. The visual impact, privacy, vibrancy and the “you are there and watching” quality of videos have largely eliminated the market for still photos, and there never has been a real market for fiction. The marketplace is all about videos, the marketing and selling of videos. Coverage of anything else is ancillary at best, nonsensical fluff at worst.
So, your focus, as a businessman, should be all female fighting videos. Basically a “trees and forest” approach to your coverage. You look at each company individually: how they are made, how they are marketed, how they are selling. How a production company “brands” its products. How it fits into the industry as a whole while attempting to distinguish itself in a crowded field. And you also look at that industry, who’s moving ahead, who is falling behind.
Catfightreport, your product should not be just so much fluff and silly polls. You need to get in there and be critical, or at least think critically.
I’ll sketch out a quick idea for you. I started out buying the old “Golden Girls” videos in the early 80’s. Watching such beauties as Kim, Elsa and Stevie in admittedly less than compelling action. But I say without equivocation that the women were knockouts. In the last 25 years, the content has evolved wonderfully, thanks to such companies as Joan Wise, California Wildcats and Academy. But I would argue that the attractive quality of the women has gone downhill in equal proportion to the increase in quality of that content. Kind of like a teeter-totter. Which American company today has women even approaching those women of a quarter century ago? Which American company features women who have both an active gym membership and are not disfigured by tattoos? Watching American products is about as arousing as watching the Discovery Channel.
What has caused this steep decline? I would argue Ultimate Surrender. You might want to do something of an expose, or at least an honest piece, about how this company and its deep pockets porn conglomerate Mother Ship has taken the American industry and run it through the mud. Look into how much they are paying their models, and how this has caused that awful decline in attractiveness, and the ripple effect this has caused throughout the American arm of this industry.
To do so may well be biting the hand that feeds you, but such an article, or any number of others like it, just might give you the credibility to do great things.
As to the writing, there are a lot of people who can help you with that. But its really important. What good writing can do is to make something that is seemingly dull come alive, or interest you in something you never thought you would find so. Thats why I used Sketch Artiste as an example. There is a long thread questioning the gender of "female" posters, what were called "ladyboys" when I used to post here a few years ago. The outing of "ladyboys" is of very little interest to me, but Sketch, and before him Dionysus, are still "must reads."
In closing, I have to disagree with you as to the merit of “covering” l’affaire Givens-Peete.” I dug up an old Sports Illustrated article from October 24th 1988 that describes an altercation that took place between Holly Robinson Peete and Robin Givens.” is not reporting. You devote a remarkably large space on your site to something with ZERO payoff. You feature something that happened nearly a quarter century ago and goes nowhere. The embedded videos are off-point, to put it mildly, or downright inappropriate. That video of Peete is about the autism of her child and her charitable work in that area. The end result is a cheapening of your product.
Videos certainly drive cash flow. No question. Remember that I've given about a 10 to 20 percent effort here. I am my own worse critic. So much of what you say I agree with, but in the pie of time in a given day, one can only do so much, especially when you are only 1 person.
And, I like the producers in this industry. Most of them anyway. Some things I want to do, and some things I don't. Some do it so well there is no reason to venture there. Some I want to promote and bring more fans to. Others I do not.
But that which you deem nonsensical fluff is simply 1 opinion. If you have noticed or learned anything in this industry, it is that the things that people like and dislike are actually quite different in proportion to one another.
Some like fat girls, some like skinny girls, some like winners, some like losers, some like nudity, some like hints of nudity, and the variations run on and on and on and on.
Back to nonsensical fluff. There is a method to my madness, but I simply cannot reveal all here. I'm sorry.
You say my polls are fluff. Yes, some are. But my latest one is not fluff at all. But, polls are unscientific, as you well know, and there is only so much we can base on them. However, it does provide information, and if you are smart, you know that information is quite valuable.
And again, I have been critical. Again, I don't think you have visited my site much. Check the archives. You will find critical material there. But, again, 1 can only be so critical when you only have 10 to 20 percent time to work on something.
The Catfight Report is and was an experiment, I've gathered information, learned, and now I'm making moves. As you well know, I can't reveal all those moves. However, critical thinkers should be able to figure things out.
And what is there to be critical about Ultimate Surrender? Many people love Ultimate Surrender. Nobody held a gun to any of the girl's head to accept the money to wrestle nor did anyone hold a gun to a customer's head to purchase their product. In a free market, of which I wish was much more free, this is how things should and must work.
Do I think I think they could have more attractive girls? Sure. But those are my tastes. They have the right to put any woman they want out there. If people don't buy their videos, hopefully they will change course.
I read an old post at the Naked Wrestling Forum where Academy Bruce even admitted that companies like Ultimate Surrender have ultimately "probably" brought him more visits and customers. You deem this a bad thing?
How about all the people that I have added on myspace, facebook, youtube, and other places? What about the fans that I have brought to this industry? I've had more than a few thank me for turning them on to this stuff. Since I'm not a producer, SOMEONE is most likely benefiting from this, and that brings me joy.
But again, even with the Golden Girls analogy, you insert your own biases and act as if that is what the industry craves. In most regards
I agree. However, I actually run a website in this industry, and I've learned that the tastes are WIDELY varied. I don't like tattooed girls much myself either, but there are those who do, let's not forget.
I totally agree with you on the writing being important and that is a criticism I do take to heart and seek to improve upon. On the Holly Peete vs Robin Givens example, there was a reason I posted youtube videos rather than their pictures, but I will not go into that here. But, I agree, it was sloppy, and those were not the best videos to post. I agree completely there.
And I do want to say that I GREATLY appreciate you taking the time to let me know your opinions, and I hope you offer up more, and I hope others will take time out of their day to do the same.
