WWE: Does the Attitude Era or Being a 'Fake Sport' Taint Them More?

While the WWE obviously has an incredibly large and strong fanbase, there is no question that there are some factors that deter advertisers and mainstream outlets from promoting the company. Two of the biggest are preconceived notions from the Attitude Era as well as professional wrestling's status as a fake sport, but which has a greater effect?

An argument could be made for either, but I feel as though they affect different things. When it comes to advertising, there is no question that the Attitude Era is something that comes into play. The WWE has a good stable of advertisers currently, many of which are geared toward children, but I'm sure there are plenty of companies that have turned the WWE down.

Companies like Mattel clearly understand that the WWE is very kid-friendly and utilizes PG programming, but not everyone is so receptive. The WWE maintains a poor reputation in many circles because of the Attitude Era and some of the outrageous things that took place during that time frame.

Things like guys being hit in the head with chairs, women being put through tables, people being set on fire, Mae Young giving birth to a hand and whatever other crazy stuff you can think of is still shown in highlight packages from time to time, and that causes some to believe that the WWE is still the same as it was 15 years ago.

This is also true from a political point of view as it is well documented that Linda McMahon is running for Senate. Her opponents over her past two campaigns have constantly used the WWE's past against her by showing footage from the Attitude Era.

Wrestling fans understand that it is a thing of the past, but your average person with no knowledge of the business probably feels like it is a true representation.

As far as mainstream media attention goes, WWE's lack of coverage probably is more related to its status as a fake sport. Wrestling fans are fully aware of how much wrestlers put into their performances and how much they put their bodies on the line, but the general feeling is that wrestling is fake and doesn't deserve to be talked about.

The results are predetermined and the feuds are fabricated, but those are the only fake things about wrestling. The wrestlers are performing incredibly athletic feats in the ring on a nightly basis, but because of the "fake" reputation, the general public doesn't view it that way.

With all of that said, the WWE has tried to counteract such preconceived notions. When it comes to the Attitude Era, the WWE is more involved with charitable ventures than it ever has been as it is a major contributor to Make-A-Wish as well as anything involving the American military. On top of that, the WWE has developed the Be-A-Star program to combat childhood bullying.

WWE has also combated the fake-sport stigma by bringing in more star power. With guys like The Rock and Brock Lesnar who originally made a name for themselves in WWE, but went on to greater fame elsewhere, the WWE succeeds in getting media outlets interested.

That is especially true when you talk about someone like Lesnar since he had success as an ultimate fighter.

I don't envision the WWE going to more of a shoot-fighting style in order to pander to those who want more realism, but viewers know that Lesnar is a legitimate tough guy and having a superstar who has proven that he can actually fight certainly helps the WWE in terms of getting media coverage.

Professional wrestling and the WWE are extremely popular and they always will be, but they will also probably always be considered a niche within our society. The WWE is doing the best it can to separate itself from an outrageous past and to transcend the "fake" label, but those two things will continue to be issues moving forward.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter and listen to him on Ring Rust Radio.