Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Wrestling / TheGobbledyGooker

Go To

1[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gooker.jpg]]
2
3->''"This may have been the single greatest bit of promotion not just by Wrestling/VinceMcMahon and the [[Wrestling/{{WWE}} WWF]], but in the entire storied history of this great business. You may laugh, but I speak in earnest. Think about this: for months, the WWF carted around a giant egg. All the company ever said was that the egg would hatch at Survivor Series. That was it - they didn't say something magical was going to be inside, nor that it would change the course of mankind. Heck, they didn't even say it would impact the show itself. They just said, "We have an egg, it's going to hatch." That's it. Now think about this - '''there were people who were actually intrigued by this and spent money to see an egg - a GIANT EGG! - break open at a wrestling show.''' If that isn't evidence enough that Vince is, in fact, the greatest promoter who ever lived, I don't know what is."''
4-->-- '''RD Reynolds''', ''Website/{{WrestleCrap}}''
5
6->''"Everybody has speculated as to what might be in the egg. Is it a dinosaur? Is it a rabbit? Balloons? Is it the Playmate of the Month? Heh, who knows? Well, the way it sounds to me right now, the speculating is all over! Oop, stand back! I think that egg is ready to blow!!"'' [[labelnote:*]]And blow it did.[[/labelnote]]
7-->-- '''Wrestling/MeanGeneOkerlund''', ''Wrestling/SurvivorSeries 1990''
8
9At ''Wrestling/SurvivorSeries 1990'', out from a gigantic egg that had been carted to WWF events for weeks - which fueled tons of rumors about a new wrestler debuting, or something even bigger - came Hector Guerrero (Wrestling/EddieGuerrero's brother) dressed in a gigantic turkey costume, complete with googly eyes and a muted, garbled speech upon being interviewed by Okerlund. The crowd response was a StunnedSilence, followed swiftly by a section of boos. Okerlund carried on with the segment by dancing in the ring with the Gooker (to "Turkey in the Straw") while Wrestling/GorillaMonsoon and Wrestling/RoddyPiper tried to remain enthusiastic on commentary, which did little to conceal the awkward silence from the Hartford, Connecticut crowd. Perhaps they were expecting the egg to hatch out anything other than a poorly executed segment that was poorly conceived in the first place [[note]](such as, perhaps, items to represent food and other essentials given to the families of servicemen stationed overseas for what was then "Operation: Desert Shield")[[/note]]. Or maybe just anything that was less of a turkey than a dude in a turkey costume coming out of an egg. To the Gooker's credit, some people did join in for Okerlund and Gooker's dance, though that did little to actually improve the situation.
10
11The character was rumored to be something of a mascot for the WWF, and Gooker segments with Wrestling/KokoBWare, [[Wrestling/FredOttman Tugboat]] and Wrestling/TheBushwhackers were taped around the same time. Almost immediately after this reception, however, the Gooker gimmick was canned by the WWF, and not mentioned again except as a bit of SelfDeprecation on the part of the company. The Gooker made a return at ''Wrestling/WrestleMania X-Seven'' for the Gimmick Battle Royal (played once again by Hector, who was the second wrestler eliminated, after [[Wrestling/BarryDarsow Repo Man]].) Website/{{WrestleCrap}}'s yearly award for the worst gimmick/storyline in wrestling [[MedalOfDishonor is referred to as the Gooker Award]], and RD Reynolds made the whole incident the first chapter in the inaugural ''[=WrestleCrap=]'' book.
12
13Through all the {{running gag}}s, [[AnyoneRememberPogs nostalgic chuckles]] and speculation on why it happened or [[WhatCouldHaveBeen where it would have gone]], it remains one of the most infamous moments in WWE history.
14
15During ''Survivor Series 2020'', thirty years after his debut, the Gooker (this time portrayed by Drew Gulak) returned to a much more positive reception, briefly managing to win the 24/7 title from [[Wrestling/RonKillings R-Truth]] during the pre-show before losing it to Wrestling/AkiraTozawa later in the event, who in turn immediately lost it back to R-Truth.
16
17----
18!! Tropes associated with the Gobbledy Gooker include:
19
20* AbortedArc: Whatever was planned for the Gooker, and there was definitely ''something'' planned, it wasn't followed through with.
21* AlliterativeName: '''G'''obbledy '''G'''ooker
22%%* BlatantLies: ''"They didn't know what to think of him at first, but I think he's won the heart of Hartford!"'' Uh... sure, Piper.
23* TheBusCameBack: Given a relatively triumphant return at ''Survivor Series 2020'', where he was able to briefly become the 24/7 champion.
24* DancePartyEnding: Between the Gooker and "Mean" Gene Okerlund at the end of the segment. There were a few audience members who stopped booing and imitated the Gooker's dance before the camera cut off.
25* EggMacGuffin: A giant egg that hatched but ultimately amounted to nothing but material for jokes about how useless it was. One could have replaced it with a giant box, a truck with tinted windows and achieved the same effect.
26* EnemyMine: Was the second wrestler eliminated from the Gimmick Battle Royal at ''Wrestling/WrestleMania X-Seven'', after Repo Man, with the elimination going to Tugboat.
27* EpicFail: Perhaps the most infamous one in ProfessionalWrestling history.
28* {{Expy}}: Wrestling/JackSwagger's Swagger Soaring Eagle, which was [[Wrestling/ChavoGuerreroJr another Guerrero]] in a bird costume.
29* FunPersonified: At least, that's what [=WWF=] brass were hoping, but Hartford didn't see it that way.
30* ItMakesSenseInContext: Sort of... it ''was'' on Thanksgiving.
31* NonActionGuy:
32** Many of the men who have donned the suit in the years afterwards for one-shot gags have been great wrestlers, or at least intimidating ones not afraid to get physical. The Gooker itself has no wrestling ability.
33** [[AvertedTrope Averted]] in his 2020 return, where The Gooker managed to pin R-Truth long enough to get his title.
34* PunnyName: The Gobbledy Gooker's name is a pun on "gobbledygook", a term for unintelligible speech or gibberish, which... really says anything that there is to say about the character.
35* PutOnABus: For over a ''decade.'' After ''Survivor Series,'' the gimmick did not appear again on live television until the Gimmick Battle Royal...in April ''2001.''
36* ShooOutTheNewGuy: Months of build up, seconds to tear down, years before it was ever acknowledged again.
37* TheUnintelligible A Turkey that communicates through sign language, apparently.

Top