WWE: Is Michael Cole a Great Heel or an Annoying Distraction?

You hate him, don’t you?

Michael Cole is loud, obnoxious and completely self-absorbed.  He flat-out ignores most of the good intentions shown by fan favorites on Monday Night Raw, blasting them for their efforts at every turn.  Yet for the hated wrestlers, he has all the love and respect in the world, chumming it up with Alberto Del Rio and The Miz, among others.

He’s insanely frustrating, and most fans would love for someone to come along and shut him up, once and for all.

In other words, he’s a heel, and he’s doing his job.

When WWE first began the process of developing Cole’s heel persona, I have to admit, I was taken aback.  After all, how many times have we ever seen a heel play-by-play man?

Seriously, I can’t think of once.  At least, not on this level.

Historically, it’s always been the color commentator who plays the role of heel at the table.  The main guy acts as the voice of reason, the one who calls it right down the middle, but is sympathetic to the plight of the baby faces who are constantly getting screwed by the heels.

He represents the average fan watching the program.

The color man, however, is the one who just lets it fly.  He says whatever is on his mind, justifying what the heels do on a regular basis.  He supports them, understands them, and would much rather have their respect than that of the wrestlers he feels are phony, and just playing up to the crowd.

He makes the commentary fun at times, and infuriating and others.

Be honest, how many times can a grown man with two working eyes sitting 20 feet from the ring, with monitors in front of him and a clear view of the action, not see the cheap shot that everyone else just saw?  Unbelievable!

But hey, that’s his shtick.  That’s what he does.

Michael Cole is that heel color guy.  The problem is, he’s in the wrong chair.

So, now, we have the man who is presumably the voice of WWE for this generation, excusing every foul deed perpetrated by every heel who hit’s the ramp.  

Meanwhile, Jerry Lawler, who has almost always been the color commentator, is forced to play the part of the face, a guy who is using the crowd’s respect to get over, and in the process defend every fan favorite who is attacked by Cole.

I’m getting a headache from all of this.

WWE has always been known for trying new angles, using different ways of thinking to sell their product, and the fact is, this has been going on for a while now.  So, perhaps I should just accept it, and stop losing sleep over it.

But, I keep coming back to one very important question, one that I just cannot ignore.
Is Cole too big of a distraction?

I have to hand it to the guy for doing his part, he’s very good at being very excruciatingly annoying. But, perhaps that’s the problem.

He’s annoying.  But, does annoying equal being hated?

Are fans booing him because he’s over as a heel, or because they’re just sick of listening to him?

Sick of him constantly berating Jim Ross, the most beloved WWE announcer of all-time.  Sick of him sticking out his chest and acting like he’s someone when he’s so obviously over the top, and more of a silly forced character than a viable heel.

Maybe the more important question is: Does it really even make a difference anymore?  Is the heat that Michael Cole is getting “good” heat, despite how he’s getting it?  At least the crowd is reacting, right?

Isn’t that what matters?

The best example of Cole’s problematic character can be found right across the locker room from him. Her name is Vickie Guerrero, and she’s in the same boat.

She’s hated.  She’s despised.  When fans see her, they see red.  Right?  

But, is she really hated?  Or is the crowd just fed up with her?

Vickie is accused of being a distraction more than anything else.  She’s not helping Dolph Ziggler, her critics say, she’s overshadowing him.  Only now is Dolph actually getting more mic time in order to flesh out his character, and that’s a good thing.  Why?  

Because if it didn’t happen, then he would be buried by the woman who makes fans immediately want to turn the channel every time she opens her mouth.  Is that indeed the case?

Michael Cole’s unlikely push as a heel play by play man does not seem to be losing steam anytime soon.  And as WWE continues to push him down the throat of fans, the question of whether or not it’s working, or if it’s worth all the effort that the company is putting into it, will also continue.

Is he a distraction?  Or is he contributing to the overall product?  Only the fans can answer that one, and only time will tell.

In the meantime, we will all go on hating him.  Or being annoyed by him.  Or whatever.