Okay, so I'm going to address your points like this:
Everyone thinks the era that happened while they were teenagers were the best. It's the same with music and video games. When you are a teenager you are like a sponge, soaking up everything and investing emotionally in it. Once you hit your mid 20s that vigour is gone.
Now, here’s the flaw in your assertion. Putting everything into perspective, I’m a true 90’s kid (born in the 1980s) who only caught the tail end of The Attitude Era starting in December 1999, which means I was a teenager during The Ruthless Aggression Era. With that said, The AE wins hands down with 1998 and 1999 as the best overall years due to the incredible amount of mainstream appeal, coverage, acceptance, and ratings. Mind you, I wasn’t watching WWF in 1998 and most of 1999, but because of what I was exposed to and because of what I have seen since, I can consider those years to be the true standouts that represent the company when discussing The Attitude Era. Although the WWF in the year 2000 is my personal favorite because it is when I really started to get into the WWF, I understand and impartially accept that quite a bit of its content pales in comparison to that of the previous two years.
You can no longer lose yourself in stuff so easily, you become a bit more cynical as your experience leads you to see behind the facade of things. Then you start to get nostalgic. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug.
Yes, nostalgia is very addictive. And based on my postings, perhaps you can tell that I bask in nostalgia just as others do. However, the difference is that I can objectively separate my opinion regarding content. The newer fans seem to constantly talk about the so-called "[SmackDown Six]" (https://thearmbarexpress.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/ift45n8.png). Please! Give me a break. Yes, I agree that most of them can be considered great stars, but they aren’t SUPERstars. The embellishment of these individuals is ridiculous! In fact, why is Chavo a part of any group that defines The Ruthless Aggression Era? Chavo was, is, and probably will always be a mediocre performer. What singular thing not involving Eddie or his heritage has Chavo been a part of that’s considered historic? Riding a stick horse named Pepe? What other than Los Guerreros and being Cruiserweight Champion has he done to represent The Ruthless Aggression Era? Kerwin White?.
There was plenty wrong with the Attitude Era, from Terri's miscarriage to throwing world titles around to the garbage wrestling. There were also many good parts, just as there are with any era. But all of that is going to be affected by what age you were when it happened.
Yes, there was a lot wrong with The Attitude Era, I never said there wasn’t. But, there’s a lot wrong with each period: Slick and fried chicken (Golden Age), The Gobbledy Gooker (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh00VNHNB7o) (New Generation), drunk Road Warrior Hawk (The Attitude Era), Al Snow vs Big Boss Man in the Kennel from Hell match (The Attitude Era), Mark Henry, & Mae Young, and the hand (The Attitude Era), Triple H-Booker T WrestleMania XIX racial storyline (The Ruthless Aggression Era), Katie Vick (The Ruthless Aggression Era), Trump vs Rosie (The Ruthless Aggression Era), Natalya's flatulence gimmick (PG Era), etc.
1997-2001 was my era too, especially 2001 which is my favourite year. My friends were into it by that time and we used to play the Raw deal CCG and Smackdown! Know Your Role on PS2. I was also into Nu-Metal at the time: Slipknot, KoRn etc. Looking back now, they were terrible but I still have a place in my heart for them because they were a part of my formative years.My friends were into it by that time and we used to play the Raw deal CCG and Smackdown! Know Your Role on PS2.
You and friends had great taste in video games. SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role is my favorite.
Lots of people are embarrassed for having been into Limp Bizkit back in 90s, but I still rock out to this and this (from The Ruthless Aggression Era, by the way). And although I didn’t see the event (regrettably), nothing beats this combination of Limp Bizkit and WWF.
I wasn't wild about the Ruthless Aggression Era, but when I look back at the Attitude Era on the Network, it looked a lot different without the rose-tinted glasses.
Everything looks different through rose-tinted glasses. That’s what I’m trying to address with these Ruthless Aggression fans. I’m giving them some tough love to let them know that their era wasn’t as great as they make it out to be. I listed my reasons above why The Ruthless Aggression Era doesn’t compare to The Attitude Era (mainstream appeal, coverage, acceptance, and ratings) and those reasons alone make AE > RA.
Now, Ruthless Aggression fans might say, “But, match quality was a lot better in The Ruthless Aggression Era and that makes it the better era.” To that, I say yes, technical wrestling was featured a lot more in the Post-War Era, but that alone doesn’t make it better. The Attitude Era witnessed not only the main event, but also the mid-carders and acts in-between getting over. Add that and the fact that the links I just provided show how much more entertaining the product was in the Attitude Era and it’s ridiculous or ignorant to say that The Ruthless Aggression Era was better.
