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gumroad · 5 years ago

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Bad*ss product ideas that have turned into giants on Gumroad.

One question we get again and again over here at Gumroad is... What are some product ideas that will make me some moolah?

It is a great question, a lovely question. It is the type of question we like to hear. In fact, we like the question so much that we created this massive article to better answer it.

But, let’s hit pause for a moment.

For those of you who have never heard of Gumroad... we don’t sell bubble gum. But, we can certainly help you sell your bubble gum. That is... if you are a bubble gum craftsman.

We can help you sell anything, actually.

We are a super simple e-commerce and audience building software for creators, educators, writers, designers and influencers looking to make money doing whatever it is they love.

Thus far, we have helped thousands of creators collectively make over $200 million (that is million with an “M”).

Now, where were we?

Oh. Yes. Product ideas to sell on Gumroad.

5 product ideas selling like crazy on Gumroad that you can draw some serious inspiration from.

It doesn’t matter how sweet Gumroad is. If you don’t have a product idea you are crazy about, then our platform isn’t going to do you much good.

Fortunately, we are going to play cupid for the next fifteen minutes and introduce you to a few creators on our platform that have created wildly awesome things that are now selling like hotcakes... Chocolate chip hotcakes.

(Side note: who the hell calls pancakes, hotcakes?)

While we would prefer you don’t just outright steal any of these product ideas –– that’s a big no-no–– we are extremely confident they will spark some serious inspiration in you.

Or, at least we hope so.

Without further ado, here are some product ideas on Gumroad we ourselves are chomping at the bit to buy...

1. A series of illustrated essays about The Office (the TV show not the actual office, that would be boring).

Shea Serrano is a former teacher that today makes his living slinging words as an author and journalist. He is extremely well known for his works over at The Ringer and ESPN’s Grantland (RIP).

In his spare time, he will entertain the Twittersphere with his hilarious thoughts on sports, culture and everything in-between.

And, when he isn’t doing that, he is writing essays about The Office.

In July of last year, Shea chose Gumroad of all places to shower the world with his Dunder Mifflin riffings. We were beyond flattered.

Shea’s ten brilliantly illustrated essays about The Office made its debut with a single tweet...

“we made a thing it’s 10 illustrated essays about The Office and you can pay $20 and then own it and look at it on your phone or computer or whatever it’s beautiful go get it... http://scrantonproject.com”

And, it was all history after that as Conference Room, Five Minutes took Gumroad by storm.

You can buy this digital product for the paperless world, here. Or, you can start selling a digital product (or a paper product), here. Decisions, decisions.

In all seriousness, what product ideas can you pull from Shea Serrano’s recent essay series?

If you have a favorite TV show (and don’t we all have a favorite TV show?)... share your thoughts about it, craft some pretty pictures and illustrations around it and then just make it into a digital downloadable product like an ebook. Chances are if you love the show, others do, too.

And, in Shea’s experience, people will pay a pretty penny to read things about things they love.

2. A comic book about falling in love with a vampire at a blood drive.

Marketing gurus adore firing off phrases like “find your niche”... “niche down”... “there’s money in the niches”.

If you are one of the lucky few that have never heard these phrases, what they mean is to find a small segment of the human population that is willing to cough up their hard-earned money for whatever the heck it is you are selling... and market to them.

The problem many creators run into is attempting to create a product that appeals to everyone. And, in doing so, they end up creating a product that appeals to absolutely no one.

But... but... what if there aren’t enough customers in my niche for me to make a living (or half of a living)?

Our answer to that is... My Very First Vampire Blood Drive... a comic book about a girl that goes to a blood drive and ironically falls in love with a vampire.

Who is the target market?

Folks who enjoy comic books about mortals falling in love with vampires.

This little masterpiece has sold like crazy and it’s proof to the Gumroadsphere, and really the world as a whole, that there is money in the niches.

If comics about vampires make your mouth water, you can get your hands on My Very First Vampire Blood Drive, here. Or you can sell a comic book of your own (or really anything for that matter), by gently rubbing your thumb, here.

Vampires aside, comic books tend to do really really well on Gumroad.

If you tore through comic books as a kid and have a cool niche obsession... create a story around it, turn it into a comic book and sell it on Gumroad. There is a good chance others have that cool niche obsession, too.

As Fred, the serial-entrepreneur, says in the tightly packed coffee shop in Silicon Valley to the young aspiring wide-eyed entrepreneur... “there is money in the niches, young blood.”

3. An alternative indie comedy channel with a cult following.

Sam Hyde is a comedian birthed from the Rhode Island-based comedy group, Million Dollar Extreme or MDE. The three-man comedy squad ignited the web with giggles during the early 2010s as they captured videos of themselves hilariously screwing with random unassuming folks.

Hyde, in particular, gained a cult following as he pulled bigger, badder, much more public facing stunts like his “2070 Paradigm Shift” TEDx Talk speech at Drexel University. Give it a watch. It’s incredibly uncomfortable.

By 2015, Hyde’s career had reached an all-time high after he sold a show to Adult Swim. Unfortunately, what goes up... has a way of eventually coming down. Shortly after it aired, Adult Swim decided to cancel the show due to Hyde’s extremely controversial humor.

Hyde is still chugging, though. The comedian has now thrown a price tag on his giggles and has placed his shows and stunts behind a paywall on Gumroad, charging his fans $5 a month.

While here at Gumroad we certainly don’t support Hyde’s more controversial humor, we do support creative expression.

Regardless of your stance on Hyde’s humor, his success on Gumroad’s platform is hugely inspiring, which we will touch on in greater detail here momentarily.

But, first, if you have a dark twisted sense of humor, Hyde can be found here. And, if you want to create your own comedy show, you can get the ball rolling over on Gumroad, here.

Now, back to the inspiration. Whether you’re the next Kevin Hart or the least funny person in the world, there is one major lesson that can be pulled from Hyde...

Youtube Channels, podcasts and blogs have allowed creators to build large followings... but they have made it very difficult for these creators to monetize these followings.

Whether you’re a comedian creating skits on Youtube or some thinker that is sharing her insight on her blog, why not offer exclusive content to your audience behind a paywall on a platform like Gumroad?

You can still record your regular show or write your weekly blog post... but maybe, in addition to this, you offer exclusive content just to your paid subscribers.

Mark Manson, the author behind the New York Times Best Seller, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, does this on his website.

He has published hundreds of articles for free. But, offers exclusive content to subscribers who are willing to cough up a few extra dollars each month.

It seems to be working well for him. It probably would for you, too.

4. A digital handbook that teaches folks how to sketch like an architect.

Besides having a name right out of a 007 movie, David Drazil knows a thing or two about architecture. And, more specifically, sketching architecture.

Drazil is a budding architect, graphic designer and CG artist from the Czech Republic currently living, working and creating really awesome Gumroad products in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Somewhere on Drazil’s path as an architect, he had a very exciting and lucrative realization... architects can draw really well and there are probably a few people out there that would be willing to pay to learn how to draw like them.

No, we aren’t for certain if his realization was this long-winded nor worded quite like this (we can’t read minds, after all)... but you get the idea.

Ultimately, some thought of Drazil’s led him to create the hugely popular digital handbook, Sketch like an Architect, where he teaches both aspiring architects or just folks looking to draw like them, how to breathe life into beautiful architectural pictures.

What product ideas can be inspired from Drazil’s work?

If you’ve lived on this Earth for at least a decade, there is a good chance you have a hobby or a skill or a passion that you are better at than 99% of people.

So... make a handbook.

If you know how to whittle wood… make a handbook.

If you know how to care for succulents... make a handbook.

If you know how to make delicious homemade ice cream... make a handbook.

If you know how to make backpacks out of recycled cement bags... make a handbook.

Sometimes, the best product ideas are simply sharing what you already know and slapping a price tag on it.

Heck, you don’t even have to slap a price tag on it. Drazil, for example, let’s his customers choose what they want to pay for his Sketch like an Architect handbook.

You’re a good guy, Drazil. And, a gosh darn good architect.

Anyway, if you’re a horrible drawer and want to change that, you can get your hands on Drazil’s handbook here. And, if you have a handbook you want to create yourself, why not sell it on Gumroad?

5. A piece of software that helps writers (and non-writers) write better.

We are sure you have probably heard of the acronym “K.I.S.S.” before... and no, we aren’t talking about the iconic 80s rock band.

It stands for Keep It Simple Stupid. We like to play nice here at Gumroad so we use the word “Silly” rather than “Stupid”. But, you get the idea.

Anyhow, it is advice often given to novices overcomplicating things that don’t need to be complicated.

When it comes to writing, both writers and non-writers tend to struggle with the acronym, using big complex language and jargon that is difficult to understand.

If you are in business, you’ve probably been a victim of this.

Do any of these ring a bell?

Circle the wagons.

Low-hanging fruit.

Move the needle.

Core competency.

Open the kimono.

Put out some feelers.

Thankfully, there is an app for that. Brothers Adam and Ben Long created Hemingway, an application that proofreads writing for wordy sentences, adverbs, passive voice and other horrible lexical atrocities.

In a lovely interview with The New Yorker, the Long brothers shared some of the back story behind their creation…

“After spending our days writing, we realized a common mistake: sentences easily grow to the point that they became difficult to understand. The worst part is we didn’t realize we were doing it. Our text was more clear and persuasive when we kept it simple. While complaining about it on the phone, we decided there should be an easy way to help people realize when their writing was too dense.”

The duo decided to create a product that would scratch their own itch. And, thus, the Hemingway App was born. Obviously, named after Ernest Hemingway, the author known widely for his tremendous brevity.

While not everyone is capable of creating a software application, the Long brothers are certainly not technology whiz kids. Nope. Adam works in marketing in North Carolina and Ben is a copywriter living in the big apple.

A lovely aspect about being alive in 2019 is that it is possible to create a software application... even if you don’t have the chops to built it yourself.

If you have an idea, sites like Toptal, Guru and Upwork allow you to breathe life into that idea... and sites like Gumroad let you sell it.

If you tend to get a bit long-winded with your writing and are guilty of getting a little fancy with your language, you can check out the Hemingway app right here. If, on the other hand, you have an idea you’d like to turn into a piece of software, get set up on Gumroad so you can sell it once it is alive.

Which of these product ideas are right for you?

Gumroad is wonderful in that it offers everything you need from an e-commerce and audience-building standpoint whether you’re selling software or coloring books.

However, this makes coming up with the perfect product idea to sell on the platform, challenging. Hopefully, you were able to draw some serious inspiration from the product ideas we just shared that have turned into giants on Gumroad.

Quickly, let’s do an episode recap before you dive into ideation mode, shall we?

One...

Product ideas don’t always have to be crazy original. They can simply be you sharing your thoughts on a popular TV show, movie, book or sports team in pop culture. That’s what Shea did with Conference Room, Five Minutes.

Two...

Product ideas don’t have to appeal to everyone. In fact, it might be better if they only appealed to a select few people. Niching down (oh lord we hate that word) is good for business. If you’re skeptical, My Very First Vampire Blood Drive should dissolve this skepticism.

Three...

Product ideas can be as simple as offering great exclusive content to the audience you’re already giving away free content to. If you have an audience, be it large or small... there is a good chance you have some super fans existing somewhere in there. Ask those fans to pay for exclusive content... they just might. Ask Sam Hyde.

Four...

If you know how to do something reasonably well, you know how to do that something better than 99% of people in this world. Why not charge to teach that skill by making a handbook like the architect that might be an undercover 007 agent, David Drazil. Better yet, if you don’t know what to charge, just ask customers to pay what they can...

Five...

Scratch your own itch. And, if you don’t know how to make a back scratcher yourself, you can always hire someone else to make it for you. The Hemingway Editor is a great example of a marketer and copywriter deciding they were fed-up and downright tired of long-windedness, jargon and complex language. So, they created a back scratcher. And, if you by chance aren’t technically savvy... find someone who is.

And, once you create a product that just might change the world, don’t forget to sell the damn thing on Gumroad.

By Cole Schafer.

Cole is a marketer and ink-slinger that runs a tiny (but mighty) creative writing shop called Honey Copy that helps brands grow with pretty words.

#gumroad #marketing #design #productdesign

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redcarpetview · 6 years ago

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Hill Harper, Lance Reddick, Kierra Sheard, Deon Taylor, and more, join EMMY-winner Rushion McDonald on Money Making Conversations!

Multiple EMMY Award-winning television/film producer and Atlanta resident Rushion McDonald.

ATLANTA, GA (May 6, 2019) – Multiple EMMY®-winning TV/film producer, social media influencer, entrepreneur, and branding guru Rushion McDonald, celebrates a two-year milestone for the month of May with his hit show “Money Making Conversations.” McDonald shares key insights from a slate of gifted stars on their success in film, television, music, sports, fashion and lifestyle, entrepreneurship, and financial empowerment this month, as well as drawing from his expertise in the corporate and Hollywood business. Since creating “Money Making Conversations,” McDonald has featured a “who’s who” of talent, CEOs, sports and culinary stars, and entrepreneurs, including entertainment power players Patti LaBelle, Cedric The Entertainer, Nick Cannon, Greg Grunberg, Michelle Williams, Pam Grier, La La Anthony, Yolanda Adams, Kirk Franklin, Morris Chestnut, Boris Kodjoe, Reginald Hudlin, Felicia D. Henderson, sports champions Carl Lewis, Deion Sanders, Drew Bledsoe, Laila Ali, Kenny “The Jet” Smith, chefs/TV personalities Anne Burrell, Donatella Arpaia, Jernard Wells, billion and multi-million dollar business leaders Janice Bryant Howroyd, Richelieu Dennis, Tom Bilyeu, Monique Nelson, and more.

Hosted/produced by Rushion McDonald, “Money Making Conversations” can be heard every Monday live on Atlanta’s biz1190-AM from 10AM-Noon ET, with replays on Fridays 10AM ET, and Sundays at 4PM ET. The show can be heard on SiriusXM Channel 141 on Howard University’s Campus and SiriusXM Channel 142 on HBCU Campuses, and can also be accessed via iTunes, iHeartRadio podcast, Amazon Alexa, Stitcher, SoundCloud, and seen live on Rushion McDonald’s Facebook page.

The lineup of talent* expected on “Money Making Conversations” this May includes: Hill Harper, Award-winning Actor (of ABC’s “The Good Doctor,” acclaimed shows “Homeland,” “Covert Affairs,” “CSI:NY”), Experian Boost Ambassador for financial empowerment, Best-selling Author, Entrepreneur (The Architect & Co. natural skincare and haircare line, International House New Orleans hotel co-owner, Roasting Plant Coffee Detroit shop owner), and Philanthropist and Actor Lance Reddick (new movie John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum, Amazon Prime series “Bosch,” acclaimed shows “American Horror Story,” “Fringe,” “Lost,” “The Wire”).

Photo Collage L-R: ESPN host and former NBA player Jay Williams; ABC's "The Good Doctor" Actor Hill Harper; Comedian extraordinaire George Wallace; Chart-topping Gospel Star Kierra Sheard; "John Wick: Chapter 3" Actor Lance Reddick; "Transformers" Actor, and author Remi Adeleke; "The Intruder" Movie Director Deon Taylor; Fashion Designer, influencer Misa Hylton; Food and lifestyle entrepreneur Ginny Ehrhart).

The guest list continues with Kierra Sheard, Chart-topping GRAMMY®-nominee, Stellar Award-winning Artist (new song “Don’t Judge Me”), Fashion Influencer/Entrepreneur (Eleven60 Clothing Line), also starring in “The Clark Sisters” biopic on Lifetime in 2020; Filmmaker Deon Taylor, Director and Producer (new movie The Intruder), Screenwriter, Founder of Hidden Empire Film Group; Comedian Extraordinaire George Wallace; Misa Hylton, Lifestyle Architect, Fashion Designer, Founder of Misa Hylton Fashion Academy, Life Coach & Global Partner for MCM; and Ginny Ehrhart, Georgia State Representative, Business Owner of Southern Sisters Home, a home décor and linens enterprise, Host of Southern Sisters Radio lifestyle show, Food and Lifestyle writer, Philanthropist, former chef and talk show host.

McDonald rounds off his guests list with Jay Williams, ESPN Host, Host of “The Boardroom” on ESPN+, and former NBA player; Remi Adeleke, Author (new memoir: Transformed), Actor (from Transformers: The Last Night), former US Navy Seal, Speaker and Youth Mentor; and Laura Foos, Serial entrepreneur, Owner & Licensed Tax Practitioner of Foos Financial Services, LLC, Co-Owner of Salon Couture Hair Salon, and Financial Manager for Dignity Memorial. “Money Making Conversations” will also have “Best-Of” show replays on May 20th and the Memorial Day holiday on May 27th, featuring entertainment creators and producers Rochelle Brown and Sonia Armstead, Felicia D. Henderson, Bobby Brown and Alicia Etheredge-Brown, Deon Cole, Cedric The Entertainer, Constance Schwartz-Morini, Tracey Edmonds, and entrepreneurial coach Dr. Iris Cooper.

Producing “Money Making Conversations” through his company 3815 Media, Rushion McDonald is a trusted voice for entrepreneurship, presenting entertaining and invaluable conversations with superstars from all industries, which illuminate the triumphs and obstacles that have shaped their own career paths and brands in multiple lanes. Hosting an ongoing dialogue to help listeners create a playbook for success in any field, McDonald shares the secrets of career reinvention and longevity, how to navigate the complexities of personal branding and business globalization today, tips on financial and tech protection, and living a well-balanced life.

A multiple EMMY® and NAACP Image Award winner, Rushion McDonald’s experience as a marketing and entertainment creative dealmaker, writer, producer, business leader includes assembling multi-million dollar deals, and producing national marketing campaigns, blockbuster movies, and programming from sitcoms and reality shows to syndicated television and radio. He’s written and produced for Kevin Hart, Taraji P. Henson, Gabrielle Union, Jamie Foxx, Tia and Tamera Mowry, and noted as the architect of Steve Harvey’s multi-media entertainment career, along with past stints at IBM and owning a comedy club.

*List subject to change

To connect with Rushion McDonald, please visit:

www.RushionMcDonald.com

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: @RushionMcDonald

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theliberaltony · 6 years ago

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via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

Welcome to Pollapalooza, our weekly polling roundup.

Poll of the week

It’s that time of year again. Snow is falling, sleigh bells are ringing and Congress still hasn’t figured out how to fund important parts of the government. In a televised meeting with Democratic leaders at the White House on Tuesday, President Trump said he would be “proud to shut down the government for border security” if Democrats wouldn’t vote to spend $5 billion to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. But that may not be a very popular stance.

According to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, 57 percent of Americans think Trump should “compromise on the border wall to prevent gridlock,” while only 36 percent think he shouldn’t compromise even if that means a government shutdown.

And that reflects a larger trend — in CBS News polls that have been conducted since July 2016,1 Trump’s border wall proposal has generally been unpopular, except among Republicans:

For Republican and Democratic congressional leaders, the public relations game around government shutdowns is usually focused on trying to pin blame on the other side. After the government closed for 16 days in 2013, a Washington Post-ABC News poll found that more Americans placed responsibility for the impasse on Republicans than on President Obama. And nearly 3 in 5 Republicans said they disapproved of how their party handled the shutdown negotiations.

This time around, the prospect of a shutdown seems to have spooked some congressional Republicans. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said that he hopes a partial shutdown can be avoided. And Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, who is expected to be the speaker of the House in the next Congress, reportedly described Trump’s publicly expressed willingness to shut down the government as a political accomplishment.

But Democrats probably shouldn’t celebrate. Even though Americans mostly blamed Republicans in the aftermath of the 2013 shutdown, Obama arguably didn’t escape unscathed: His favorable rating dipped below his unfavorable rating for the first time in his presidency. Government shutdowns can have serious political fallout in the short run for everyone involved.

Holding up budget negotiations over a border wall may seem like a good way for Trump to maintain support from his core followers, but mixing a policy that appeals primarily to his base with a government shutdown could backfire, especially if Trump is ultimately unable to secure funding for the wall. In the new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll, 30 percent of respondents who identified themselves as Trump supporters said they thought he should compromise on the wall. And a CBS News poll from November found that 28 percent of those who favored Trump’s border wall did not believe that it was worth risking a partial government shutdown over.

There will likely be pressure on Trump from both the public and from his own party to avoid shutting down the government. If a government shutdown interrupts the holidays this year, while the political fallout might be a wash in the long run, there could be more lasting consequences for things like economic growth, scientific research and veterans benefits that might leave some people more dissatisfied and angry with government.

Other polling nuggets

A straw poll of the 2020 Democratic primary field among members of the progressive group MoveOn.org found U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas on top, followed by former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders and others. Meanwhile, an Emerson College poll found O’Rourke trailing Biden and Sanders. So what do we make of this? Remember that early polls are useful as an indicator of who is likely to run in a primary election, but they don’t always tell us much about who might win.

44 percent of Americans think comedian Kevin Hart made the right decision to step down as host of next year’s Oscars ceremony, according to a Morning Consult/Hollywood Reporter poll. Twenty-six percent said he made the wrong decision. Hart bowed out after facing criticism over old tweets that contained homophobic remarks.

An analysis of the best places to work in the federal government by the Partnership for Public Service found an overall decline in morale among federal employees. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau posted a whopping 25-point decline in employee satisfaction (on a 100-point scale). The Departments of Education, State and Agriculture had smaller declines. The most improved agency was the Federal Election Commission, which had an increase of 10 points. NASA ranked as the top large federal agency, with a score of 81.

61 percent of Americans say they are concerned that they or a member of their immediate family will have to pay higher health-insurance premiums in the next few years, according to a Gallup poll. Forty-two percent said they were worried about themselves or someone in their family having to go without health insurance.

Wisconsin state lawmakers last week passed a set of bills aimed at curbing the power of newly elected Democrats, including the incoming governor, Tony Evers. According to a nationwide YouGov poll, 61 percent of registered voters said they thought that was inappropriate.

According to a Gallup poll, 23 percent of Americans said they or someone in their household had personal, credit card or financial information stolen by computer hackers in the past 12 months.

39 percent of Americans told YouGov in an online poll that they either “strongly” or “somewhat” agree that there is a “war on Christmas” happening in the U.S. 33 percent said they “strongly” or “somewhat” disagree.

The people of Madagascar will elect their next president in a runoff election on Wednesday. Two former presidents, Marc Ravalomanana and Andry Rajoelina, the latter of which overthrew the former in a military-backed coup in 2009, will be on the ballot. Polling during election campaigns is rare in Madagascar, and in September, the nation banned the publication of an opinion poll of the election, citing a threat to public order. In the first round of voting, Rajoelina won 39.2 percent of the vote, Ravalomanana won 35.4 percent and the incumbent president, who will not be in the runoff, won 8.8 percent.

Trump approval

According to FiveThirtyEight’s presidential approval tracker, 42.4 percent approve of the job Trump is doing as president, while 51.6 percent disapprove (a net approval rating of -9.2 points). At this time last week, 42.1 percent approved and 52.3 percent disapproved, for a net approval rating of -10.2 points. One month ago, Trump had an approval rating of 41.8 percent and a disapproval rating of 52.8 percent, for a net approval rating of -11.0 points.

#IFTTT #Politics – FiveThirtyEight #politics #538 #Dhrumil Mehta

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m-ill-k · 2 years ago

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Watch "The Rock and Kevin Hart doing this challenge is hilarious 😂" on YouTube

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daleisgreat · 6 years ago

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Scott Hall: Living on a Razor’s Edge

After pondering over ideas and looking over my notes the last couple of days, I concluded I had no idea how to go about my entry for today’s blog that is for WWE’s 2016 BluRay release of Scott Hall: Living on a Razor’s Edge (trailer). I am presuming most people reading this probably are well aware of some of Scott Hall’s personal struggles throughout the years. WWE’s documentary on his life and career attempts to cover it all within 81 minutes. If you have not seen it yet, nor have that time to spare then before reading on I encourage you to at least check out ESPN’s much more condensed 18 minute mini-doc they did of Hall on a 2011 edition of E:60. That E:60 piece was where Hall first publicly revealed he inadvertently shot and killed a man during his job as a bouncer when he attempted to grab a gun away from a person who pulled a gun on him. Living on a Razor’s Edge opens with Hall revisiting the scene where it happened and him getting instantly emotional over the memories. Hall’s mother and brother are interviewed throughout and both mentioned how that day forever changed him. It is the first of many dark tales from Hall’s personal life that he reflects on.

From that hook of an opening scene the feature then transitions to Hall’s childhood where he reminisces growing up as a military kid and always being on the move. Hall recalls idolizing Dusty Rhodes in the Florida territory is what convinced him to go into wrestling. I saw Hall interviewed in a few other nWo and Kliq retrospectives released by WWE over the years, but in those I believe he never touches on his early days in the business debuting in the Kansas territory as part of the American Starship tag team and to more success as a tag team champ with Curt Henning in the AWA. Seeing that vintage footage accompanied with Hall elucidating about how Dusty got him his first pair of wrestling boots and how he refused to be AWA champ because he realized the promotion was a sinking ship he wanted to abandon were fun new anecdotes from Hall I never heard before. Seeing Hall talk about his meager success as the Diamond Studd in WCW was another interesting early facet of his career. DDP, Kevin Nash, Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon were all interviewed here about their early memories of Hall and provide extra quotes on why this made Hall more determined to land a job in WWE. Hearing Hall and Vince remember the days of coming up with the Razor Ramon character and brainstorming the ideas of the iconic vignettes introducing Razor to the WWE in 1992 are more noteworthy highlights from the interviews here.

Hall goes into detail of his early WWE years with some key angles such as the first televised WWE ladder match at Wrestlemania 10 and when 1-2-3 Kid got the shocking upset in ’93 that is still an iconic memory of RAW all these years later (it even made WWE’s official list of Top 25 RAW Moments for RAW’s 25th anniversary earlier this year). One early highlight from the Razor run was when Hall discusses appearing on Jerry Springer for a surprise visit to children with AIDS where Hall spontaneously gives his Intercontinental Title to the kids because it felt like the right thing to do and hearing Hall and Springer interviewed here remember that moment along with the footage is pretty powerful stuff. From here the doc then jumps to the controversial time when Hall and Nash left WWE in 1996. Both of them and McMahon break down how it all came to pass, and hearing them all give their side of the story is still fascinating to this day. I say that because I still recall being a huge WWF kid at that time and getting crushed upon hearing both guys were leaving the company to go to the ‘competition.’ Yes, Hall makes sure to address the introduction of the fake Razor and Diesel later on in 1996 too. A part of me wishes WWE would have done a separate deep dive on Hall’s four year run as Razor Ramon. There were so many memorable feuds they did not address in the doc. I would have loved to hear Hall recall feuding with Jeff Jarrett, Diesel and Goldust for the Intercontinental title. Also from watching the bonus matches it brought back memories of how Hall was a master of ring psychology and he perfected the gradual build of a match where there were several times where fans were quiet at the beginning to becoming a hot crowd by the match’s final moments. HBK and Nash both have some interesting quotes about Hall’s wrestling IQ and how they helped him during those old early-to-mid90s years.

WWE has already done a couple nWo biographies so I was curious to how they would cover his career in WCW on Hall’s solo documentary. I like how they went about it as they had Nash, Hall and Waltman all interviewed and they give the abbreviated version of their nWo heydays reigning supreme over the Monday night rating wars. Hall touches on a couple of things he introduced to his solo-act in WCW such as the pre-match ‘survey’ and how Rocky II was the impetus for ‘Hey, Yo.’ Hall and Eric Bishoff both recount the art-imitates-life storyline where WCW brought Hall’s behind-the-scenes drinking problems as a on-screen WCW storyline and hearing Bishoff regret that booking decision is another poignant scene in this feature. Hall essentially admits to those dark days carrying over to his return to the WWE in 2002 and why it did not last that long. There is no mention of Hall’s handful of brief TNA/Impact stints, which is probably for the best. Growing up as a wrestling fan and keeping up with Hall’s struggles over the years made the final chapters of the doc especially powerful. There is a montage of the many arrests and controversies that Hall made news in from 2002-2012. Nash has some key details of Hall at his lowest moments and how he stuck by his side that stuck with me. Triple H, Michaels, and Bishoff also all chime in here about these hard years for Hall. Footage is shown of the 2011 independent wrestling show were Hall appeared heavily intoxicated and hearing Nash, Hunter and Hall all comment on it being a new low for Hall brought back many sad memories. This all was happening during the 2000s when a rapid number of early adult-to-middle aged wrestler deaths were transpiring and I recall wondering countless times during those years how in the heck Scott Hall was still alive.

Thankfully, there is redemption for Hall and it is tastefully covered here where Jake Roberts and DDP are interviewed about taking Scott Hall into DDP’s rehabilitation house and helped Hall kick his addictions. Hearing them and Hall reflect on this was a much needed and gratifying feel-good moment that culminates with Hall being interviewed again at that club where the shooting went down where he owns the guilt he carried all those years in the defining moment of this feature. The doc then winds down with how Hall got inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and now helps coaches at the WWE Performance Center and how he helped got his son Cody started in the business too. Living on a Razor’s Edge is easily one of the best of documentaries WWE has made. There are many gaps they could have filled in on his in-ring career but it feels wrong to ask for that given what Hall has went through and recovered from in his personal life. Since this is a home video release, WWE gave it their usual jam-packed assortment of bonus features with eight minutes of deleted scenes, the entirety of the several introductory Razor Ramon introductory vignettes and 27 matches, five of which that are exclusive to the BluRay.

Deletes scenes highlights have Nash detesting the mask he used for his ‘Oz’ character in WCW, Hall’s memories of wrestling his buddy, Justin Credible on a ECW PPV in 2000 and Michaels recounting Hall giving Nash some great in-ring advice he promptly followed. I have only seen a handful of Hall’s pre-WWF matches before this BluRay so seeing several matches from those days and how fast he evolved in the ring was a treat. I did not know Hall already had the Razor’s Edge perfected as the Diamond Death Drop in WCW. Since that is not addressed in the doc, I will link you to this clip instead where Hall reveals its origins. Other standout matches in the extras include the aforementioned stunning upset at the hands of the 1-2-3 Kid, his ’93 WWE Title match against Bret Hart, a ’93 Coliseum Video bout against Michaels I have long forgotten, his first IC title win over Rick Martel and his still-iconic ladder match against HBK at Wrestlemania X. From 1993 through most of 1995 I fell out of wrestling for a bit due to being on the losing end of sibling wars for control of the television and the only wrestling I had access to during that time was a videotape of SummerSlam ’94 one of my dad’s coworkers taped for me. Razor vs. Diesel on that show was one of my favorite matches for many years (along with the Owen/Bret cage match!), so to see that included in this compilation earns bonus points from me!

Hall’s nWo highlights here contain a bunch of matches that have hokey finishes or disappointing run-ins and the only WCW matches included here that stood out are the Outsiders first tag titles win over Harlem Heat and Hall having an awesome match against Sting for the WCW World Title at Uncensored ’98. Hall’s match against Austin at Wrestlemania X-8 holds up better than I recalled, and it features Hall taking the best Stone Cold Stunner ever. Of the five BluRay exclusive matches I give high nods to check out his SummerSlam ’93 match against Ted Dibiase and a ladder match I completely forgot about that saw Hall square off against Bam Bam Bigelow from a 1999 episode of Nitro. As you can tell by now I am giving Scott Hall: Living on a Razor’s Edge the highest of recommendations. Aside from one of the best documentaries WWE Home Video has produced, it has a ton of bonus matches that proves how Hall was one of the best workers of the ‘90s. Hall’s personal story is one that is a must-see that shows the highest highs and the lowest lows one can achieve, and to see Hall escape from that dark tunnel is a heartwarming tale well worth the viewing for any wrestling fan. Past Wrestling Blogs Best of WCW Clash of Champions Best of WCW Monday Nitro Volume 2 Best of WCW Monday Nitro Volume 3 Biggest Knuckleheads Bobby The Brain Heenan Daniel Bryan: Just Say Yes Yes Yes DDP: Positively Living Dusty Rhodes WWE Network Specials ECW Unreleased: Vol 1 ECW Unreleased: Vol 2 ECW Unreleased: Vol 3 Eric Bishoff: Wrestlings Most Controversial Figure For All Mankind Goldberg: The Ultimate Collection Impact Wresting Presents: Best of Hulk Hogan Its Good to Be the King: The Jerry Lawler Story The Kliq Rules Ladies and Gentlemen My Name is Paul Heyman Legends of Mid South Wrestling Macho Man: The Randy Savage Story Memphis Heat NXT Greatest Matches Vol 1 OMG Vol 2: Top 50 Incidents in WCW History OMG Vol 3: Top 50 Incidents in ECW History Owen: Hart of Gold RoH Supercard of Honor 2010-Present ScoobyDoo Wrestlemania Mystery Sting: Into the Light Straight Outta Dudley-ville: Legacy of the Dudley Boyz Straight to the Top: Money in the Bank Anthology Superstar Collection: Zach Ryder TNA Lockdown 2005-2016 Top 50 Superstars of All Time Tough Enough: Million Dollar Season True Giants Ultimate Fan Pack: Roman Reigns Ultimate Warrior: Always Believe War Games: WCWs Most Notorious Matches Warrior Week on WWE Network Wrestlemania 3: Championship Edition Wrestlemania 28-Present The Wrestler (2008) Wrestling Road Diaries Too Wrestling Road Diaries Three: Funny Equals Money Wrestlings Greatest Factions WWE Network Original Specials First Half 2015 WWE Network Original Specials Second Half 2015 WWE Network Original Specials First Half 2016 WWE Network Original Specials Second Half 2016 WWE Network Original Specials First Half 2017

#Scott Hall #Wrestling #razor ramon #WWE #wcw #nwo #curt hennig #Diamond Dallas Page #Kevin Nash #Sean Waltman #Shawn Michaels #eric bischoff #Vince McMahon

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cyarskj1899 · 3 years ago

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#Youtube #halftime show #halftime #superbowl #super bowl #Sports #NFL Football #Super Bowl LVI #Los Angeles Rams #Cincinnati Bengals

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sfppn · 3 years ago

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QISE Review - Beijing 2: Electric Boogaloo - Day 7

Let's go back to last night--Snowboarding wraps up, and Shaun White passes the torch in his final games. Meanwhile, the analyst explains how to make "hammer soup"--huh?--then berates the judges when they give a great run a "meh" score, calling it "triple-gate".

Off to Women's "Super-G", with NBC cutting away from runs to show Shiffrin and her team (Shiffrin announced yesterday that she will do no media "for the foreseeable future"). That didn't stop the network from pointing a parabolic mike at her to pick up what they could. With breathless anticipation, Shiffrin made her way through her run. Of course, NBC was effusive about this being a "triumph". Well, the media blackout didn't last long--she gave a quick interview after the race.

Prime Time ran late, so there wasn't much recorded on Late Night--did get part of the Freestyle Skiing Team Aerials, with Kornacki narrating an animated spiel of stats about the sport.

Meanwhile, we're getting more details on that Not-Russian "legal issue". Per an ESPN report, it's been confirmed that skater Kamila Valieva was drug tested on Christmas Day, during their national skating championship. However, the results (conveniently?) did not come back until February 8--one day after the QISE team event, saying she tested positive for a substance that could have increased her endurance. At that point, she was "provisionally" suspended, which would prevent her from competing in the individual competition--but this wasn't disclosed, as Valieva is 15, and hence is a "protected person" due to her age. She challenged the decision, and the suspension was lifted. Now, the QISEOC is appealing to reinstate it, and the "Court of Arbitration for Sport", onsite at Beijing, will decide if the suspension should have been lifted. Then, the International Skating Union will make the final call on whether a) Not-Russia will lose the team gold and b) Valieva will be allowed to compete in the individual event. Got all that? Seems like a lot of paperwork for a cheater.

Afternoon coverage--Lowe sends us off to the longest of the long speed skates--the Men's 10,000M. 25 laps around the oval. The Netherlands basically owned this event, but Sweden took it this time. You know it's a long event when they stick a commercial break in the middle of run AND a segment on blade options. We also get a rerun of the post-event Shaun White interview to keep the viewers awake. This was followed by a studio segment with Lowe learning more about the Skeleton event. Then another long event--the Men's 15km Classical Cross Country Ski--before we make it to the Women's Skeleton heats. You are going face-first, lying on your stomach--it's for people who saw the danger of Luge and said "hold my beer."

I switched over to Peacock, and saw that Kevin Hart is doing another QISE show--a "Tailgate Party". He does a stand-up routine in an LA parking lot, swearing up a storm, with people from Central Casting laughing at it all. Pass.

Prime Time kicks off with Torico, now reporting from LA--site of this weekend's Superb Owl and the 2028 QISE games. Off to more Ski Jumping, this time the Men's Large Hill, followed by Short Track 500M heats. These are sprints, which means a lot of crashes and disqualifications. Then it's the medal round for Men's Skeleton, with a teaser of tomorrow's Ice Dancing dropped in.

More to come.

#quadrennial international sporting event #QISE #beijing

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