WWE Kinda Wastes a Potential Great Appearance By The Incredible Cyndi Lauper(and after she lent HER credibility so many years ago helping get them over) or Lano’s Not Necessarily The News
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By Mike Lano, wrestling’s photojournalist globally since 1966
While it was good to see superstar Lauper last night back on a Whiff program, one thinks of how much more they could’ve done with someone of her stature. After all, without her, they probably would NOT have gotten on MTV or had the media success they did in 1985, helping get their first ppv off the ground. Lauper having Hogan as her faux “bodyguard” at the Grammy’s and a few other media events prior to The War To Settle The Score and finally appearing on Piper’s Pit after all the tremendous buildup by Piper and Albano.
Cyndi Lauper - photo by Dr. Mike Lano
It began sort of promising when she and Wendy skipped to the ring as if it was mid-80′s all over again. But then very little interaction between the two, and Heath Slater was interjected. Then Piper. I don’t know really what purpose Leila served other than properly saying the Divas division (what there remains of it) wouldn’t have been (at least in WWE) if not for Cyndi (and her then fiance Dave Wolff, who was the wrestling fan). Mr T was Mr T and had peaked already within television, but non fans and pop culture MTV kids watched because of Lauper. Mind you, both were hot, but Lauper was at Madonna’s level at the time, and for once wrestling tapped into something right as it had peaked, and not months later. Most in the music industry say they respect Lauper far more as an artist, and that they lament she didn’t make the worldwide money Madonna glommed to date, or more currently, what a Lady Gaga makes. In fact, Lauper is good friends with Gaga. So you have this total, total international celebrity and female artistic icon on, and that’s the best you can do with her? Could some thought not have been put into this for a change, rather than throwing all participants out there with a rudimentary script and left to wing it?
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Why not let her hype a bit all the AIDS, HIV cure work she’s done for years for example. All her anti-bullying, LBGT assistance work and none of it mentioned.
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Even all that she’s accomplished as a respected artist in all areas of music by her peers, tackling many music genres, creating tours and appearing on various Lillith Fair global tours typifying an amazing human being. Last year, she had a celebrated blues/torch record and toured around the world with a dedicated r and b band. And then to recreate (for no apparent reason) the Piper breaking the glass trophy over Heath’s head? Why? Lauper isn’t a violent person in the real, non-fake world. Just me or did it make little sense?
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Personally, I filmed an interview with her for my old tv show back when she did a rooftop concert to open the then Virgin Megastore in downtown San Francisco at Powell and Market Streets about a dozen years ago. One of the nicest, nicest celeb legends I’d ever met. Very genuine and real. And she talked at length about Albano doing so much for M.S. research(one of Lauper’s big charities for so many years) which is more topical than ever with Jack Ozborne revealing he’s the latest to have it(and a disease I’m in remission with).
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Not that there was anything really wrong with last night’s little Raw segment, but again, very little interaction with her and Wendy R for example (how did Piper mispronounce Wendy’s name?), and it would’ve been nice to have Richter say more. About how Lauper got her, Moolah, Piper, Lou and the wrestling company over, which ultimately helped Vince bigtime. Nice touch though with Piper and Lauper paying brief tribute to the late, great Captain Lou who was one of a kind.
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Was the whole point of this last night just a quick return to nostalgia (what did the Rock and W Connection have with the first or 1000th ep of RAW anyway?), was it a “a quickie transitional crowd pleaser,” to put over Heath Slater who no one cares about in the usual tired retreaded way, or WTF? In any case, it paled in comparison I’m sure to the “end” of the John Laryngitis era at show’s end. 4 AA’s by Cena on him? That’s the usual way one goes (see Johnny V, Brother Love, Heenan shown the door by Monsoon, etc).
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Now that was fairly well done in comparison.
Don’t blame me. I could be wrong on this.
– Article & photo by Dr. Mike Lano
