Sample Consumer-Classification Essay
Note to reader: This draft is re-printed here with the author's permission. These student drafts are provided for a couple of reasons: first, to give you a taste of the variety of topics and approaches students have taken, and second, to provide instructors with readings that might be used in class discussions and activities. These samples are not perfect and represent final grades from across the grade scale (A through F), so please be forgiving, understanding, and respectful if you find errors or problems.
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Chidi Okonkwo
Professor Peterson
English 2010-50
Consumer Classification
June 16, 2015
Fan ‘O’ Mania
As a teenager, I derived joy anytime I got the privilege to tune into a particular channel on TV and find out a wrestling match was aired at that moment. This wasn’t so often because in my home country- Nigeria- we faced untimely challenges when it came to the provision of stable power (presence of electricity). Nevertheless, I still got excited anytime I had the chance to view my favorite wrestling superstar in action. As a result of inconsistent power supply, I was literally ‘left in the dark’ and did not get the chance to discover that there was a yearly event the WWE (world wrestling entertainment) held -which is referred to as wrestlemania. Some fans comment on it as the super bowl of wrestling, others just see it as a super main event the WWE holds yearly to continue a tradition that kicked off in the mid 80’s.
The popularity of wrestlemania continues to grow as more fans unceasingly join the WWE network. In general, they (fans) are all seen as people who love watching wrestling; however, the reasons why they all love this event differs. As I examine the characteristics of these types of fans, my aim isn’t merely to show how they differ but to highlight one important similarity between them: that they all, in their own way, have increased the popularity of the WWE and made the continuous growth of the organization possible.
The Select Men
In my youth days, I was always excited when my favorite wrestler fought in a wrestlemania match. Of course at that time I wasn’t aware it was called wrestlemania; nevertheless, it wouldn’t have changed my love for wrestling, it would only indicate that the event was truly special. Now, the Select Men are fans that watch wrestlemania because of one or two of their favorite wrestlers. These type of fans remain ever loyal to their favorite wrestler whether in defeat or success. In a wrestlemania event, they are the ones who you see holding up design boards, chanting excitedly and making sure in every possible way that everyone associated with the WWE universe knows that they are real fans of their favorite wrestler. These fans in their small way have made it possible for the growth of the WWE by going on the internet and social media to post facts about their favorite wrestlers. Also, they act as wrestlemania promoters of some sort. One could as well insinuate that they perform all these activities to improve their bragging rights.
The Sexists
Aside from the weird label (Sexists) I am giving them, they are a very special type of fans. The Sexists been around for a very long time even without realizing. These are the type of fans that watch the wrestlemania event simply for the “sex sells” that encompasses the sport. The sexist fans are those who watch wrestlemania event for the pleasure they get in admiring the body physique of both male and female wrestlers. Recently, I find myself edging closer to becoming a sexist fan. With the frequent appearance of female wrestlers, I can’t help but admire how “sexy” they look- appearance wise. This wasn’t always the case. Over the past decade or so, the WWE organization has created a special division to give female athletes the opportunity to display the wrestling talent in them. Before the origination of the divas division, the sexist fans were presumed to be females (and maybe some homosexuals) who admired the stature of male wrestlers and comment about them in articles, blogs, or even the news. But with the addition of the divas division, these type of fans are not just seen as females only, but as males who swoon over the ‘sexiness’ of these female wrestlers. With the knowledge that fans do appreciate the physique of wrestlers, the WWE have stepped up their standards in making sure that wrestling athletes are physically more appealing to whichever gender deems them ‘sexy’. In their peculiar way they have helped improved the growth of the WWE organization.
The Costumania’s
As a teen, I never had the chance to be a costumania fan. The costume of my favorite wrestler- Rey Mysterio- was really expensive in my home country and only the ‘rich kids’ had the luxury of putting one on. The high boots, designer masks and boot-cut yoga like pants were all features of the veteran wrestlers’ costume. The costumania fans are the ones that are always trying to let people know about their interest in wrestling generally by wearing costumes of different wrestlers. These are the most favored types of fans of the WWE because they unconsciously make people aware of various wrestling events. For example – wrestlemania, an event that has continuously been held since its manifestation in the WWE. Had it not been for the costumania fans, events like the wrestlemania wouldn’t have been popular (or even known) to the society and wrestling as we see it today wouldn’t be a worldwide recognized sport. In recent times, the responsibility of costumania fans have been pushed over to the teens (age 14 and below). We don’t see lots of adults or even teenagers (15 and above) wearing costumes just for the fun or trying to imitate their favorite wrestlers except maybe for theHalloween season. It wasn’t always the case though. Back in the 90’s WWE fans didn’t care about the role age played in putting on a costume. They just wore it to show support for their favorite wrestlers and to create awareness for different wrestling events that were in motion.
The Enchanted
Enchanted fans are the type of fans the WWE organization wish they could have every day. They are the ones that watch wrestling as a result of influence from their peers, family or romantic partner. I have a friend who loves watching wrestling because her dad used to watch it when she was in her youth. According to her story, she decided to join her dad in the sitting room one faithful evening to watch an event that was being televised and she came to grow fond of it. Ever since then, anytime she had the opportunity to watch a wrestling match, she wouldn’t think twice before doing it. They (The Enchanted) don’t really increase the popularity of the WWE the way other types of fans do, but they certainly add to the growing numbers.
In the end, it is very clear as to what roles the Select Men, Sexist, Costumania and Enchanted type of fans play in the growth and popularity of the WWE organization. Even if one doesn’t fall into any of these categories mentioned above, as long as they are a WWE fans, they are still recognized as fans that have contributed to the success of the WWE.