The Death Valley Driver Video Review (DVDVR) is an online fanzine

Fanzine

A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...

 dedicated to criticizing, analyzing, and reviewing professional wrestling

Professional wrestling

Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...

. Characterized by its use of parody

Parody

A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...

 and satirical humor

Satire

Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...

, DVDVR has been credited for popularizing certain expressions and slang in internet culture such as the "tilde-bang" (~!) and coining the term "metric assload".

History

The Death Valley Driver Video Review was started in 1995 by Richmond, Virginia

Richmond, Virginia

Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...

-based pro wrestling fan Dean Rasmussen. It began with Rasmussen posting his wrestling review/newsletter to rec.sport.pro-wrestling. He covered a wide spectrum of professional wrestling styles, ranging from basic United States-style to Japanese puroresu organizations to lucha libre

Lucha libre

Lucha libre is a term used in Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, for a form of professional wrestling that has developed within those countries...

. Rasmussen wrote the first 60 issues and eventually compiled a massive video library numbering an estimated 1,500 tapes. He also published weekly "Nitro Workrate" reports, the title and format a deconstruction of the term "workrate" used by internet "dirt sheet" writers, and based on the "Raw Workrate" reports originally created by Oliver Postlethwaite. Eventually, other writers joined the DVDVR team and have since become known as The Death Valley Playboys or The DVDVR PLAYAZ.

The DVDVR 500

Influenced by Pro Wrestling Illustrated

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

Pro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...

s "PWI 500", Rasmussen sought to compile his own online version for DVDVR. Starting in fall 1999 the PLAYAZ made a list of the 500 best wrestlers, based upon workrate and the actual quality of matches wrestled. Every year 2 lists were released (once every 6 months), lasting from November 1999 to May 2003. Chris Benoit

Chris Benoit

Christopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...

 was ranked as the #1 wrestler for three consecutive lists. The majority of the 500 were ranked depending upon workrate in the prior six months, but generally the #500 spot was used as a harmless chide at a wrestler. For example, Shane McMahon

Shane McMahon

Shane Brandon McMahon is an American executive, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of YOU On Demand. A former executive and professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment , he is the son of WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon and former US Senate candidate Linda...

 once got the #500 spot after wrestling less than 5 matches during the time period, due to the dangerous bumps he took in his matches. The DVDVR 500 has since been put on indefinite hiatus, as has the DVDVR Joshi 100, a similar project which ranked the top 100 female wrestlers. Though Lance Storm

Lance Storm

Lance Timothy Evers known professionally by his ring name Lance Storm, is a semi-retired Canadian professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and World Championship Wrestling...

 publicly criticized the list on his website in 2001, it has been recognized by independent promotion the Carolina Wrestling Federation.

Recent years

Rasmussen and DVDVR have had a strong presence in the internet wrestling community over the last decade. They have been acknowledged by several wrestling writers such as Scott Keith and Bryan Alvarez

Bryan Alvarez

Bryan Alki Alvarez is a semi-retired American professional wrestler and the editor and publisher of Figure Four Weekly, a newsletter that has covered professional wrestling since 1995. Alvarez credits a portion of his pro wrestling training to pro wrestler Buddy Wayne, and is credited in training...

as well as Jamsbio Magazine and IGN.com. In 2002, a columnist on 411Mania.com named Rasmussen one of the top 100 influential internet wrestling personalities since 1997. In August 2006, and again in March 2007, he appeared on the internet radio show Joe Versus The World to discuss DVDVR as well as his opinions on wrestling in general. He also appeared with fellow DVDVR writers Phil Schneider and Rob Naylor on the debut episode of the Good Will Wrestling radio show for an in-depth discussion on the downfall of World Championship Wrestling.

DVDVR Foghat vs. DVDVR Hollendaise

In March 1999 on rec.sport.pro-wrestling, Phil Schneider and Rasmussen had a war of words with each other. This led Schneider, Phil Rippa, and Mike Naimark to form the splinter group DVDVR FOGHAT, and Rasmussen to form DVDVR Hollendaise with Ray Duffy and Pete Stein. Sniping continued on both rec.sport.pro-wrestling and on the DVDVR board. Finally it was agreed that both factions would share time on DVDVR by writing alternating issues, starting with FOGHAT's DVDVR #90, which featured a column where Schneider heavily criticized Rasmussen. All parties resolved the conflict just in time for DVDVR #100.

Message board

Over time, DVDVR's message board has changed the website's focus from being strictly about wrestling and mixed martial arts to other areas, such as sports, music, and comic books. Recently, several former members of the message board who were banned for what they consider to be unclear and/or arbitrary reasons, have led storms of criticism about the DVDVR forums's subjective policies on other prominent wrestling message boards that they also post on. Rasmussen defended the website explaining in a 2007 interview "Wrestling fans fall into two categories. Guys who are really cool and neat and complete flaming idiots. (Laughter) You know the cool guys, you need the cool guys to keep the idiots out."

In the summer of 2008, the DVDVR message board produced a ten disk 150 match set after months of match suggestions, committee reviews, and nominations. Those who participated paid a small fee to view the set, chose the top 100 matches, and then ranked them via a ballot.

Writing style and content

Initially, Rasmussen's style was just thoughts on the week's episode of WCW Nitro and other matches he had recently watched, but soon it became match-by-match reviews of entire cards. Rasmussen and company use a variety of methods to get their points and feelings across in their reviews, including enthusiasm, satirical stories, parody, sarcasm, hyperbole, and analysis of everything from the actual in-ring product to a wrestler's fashion and haircuts. Rasmussen gives crazy, complex, long-running, often humorous summaries in the header for each issue. Another feature of the web site is the DVDVR Road Reports. The DVDVR Playaz attend various indy wrestling shows on the East coast Mid-Atlantic area where they meet and commentate on the quality of the show.

In addition to wrestling, DVDVR also hosts interviews with stand up comedians conducted by staff writer Ryan Muldoon including The Onion

The Onion

The Onion is an American news satire organization. It is an entertainment newspaper and a website featuring satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news, in addition to a non-satirical entertainment section known as The A.V. Club...

 editor-in-chief Rob Siegal, Matt Walsh and Amy Poehler

Upright Citizens Brigade

The Upright Citizens Brigade is an improvisational comedy and sketch comedy group that emerged from Chicago's ImprovOlympic in 1990. The most recent incarnation consists of Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh...

, Janeane Garofalo

Janeane Garofalo

Janeane Garofalo is an American stand-up comedian, actress, political activist and writer. She is the former co-host on the now defunct Air America Radio's The Majority Report. Garofalo continues to circulate regularly within New York City's local comedy and performance art scene.-Early...

, David Cross

David Cross

David Cross is an American actor, writer and stand-up comedian perhaps best known for his work on HBO's sketch comedy series Mr...

, Mitch Hedberg

Mitch Hedberg

Mitchell Lee "Mitch" Hedberg was an American stand-up comedian known for his surreal humor and unconventional comedic delivery. His comedy typically featured short, sometimes one-line jokes, mixed with absurd elements and non sequiturs...

, Steven Wright

Steven Wright

Steven Alexander Wright is an American comedian, actor and writer. He is known for his distinctly lethargic voice and slow, deadpan delivery of ironic, philosophical and sometimes nonsensical jokes and one-liners with contrived situations.-Early life and career:Wright was born in Mount Auburn...

, Tenacious D

Tenacious D

Tenacious D is an American rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1994. Composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jack Black and lead guitarist and vocalist Kyle Gass, the band has released two albums – Tenacious D and The Pick of Destiny...

, Frank DeCaro

Frank DeCaro

Frank DeCaro is an American writer, performer and radio show host.The New York-born DeCaro is the author of The Dead Celebrity Cookbook: A Resurrection of Recipes From More Than 145 Stars of Stage and Screen , Unmistakably Mackie: The Fashion and Fantasy of Bob Mackie , and A Boy Named Phyllis: A...

, Lewis Black

Lewis Black

Lewis Niles Black is an American stand-up comedian, author, playwright, social critic and actor. He is known for his comedy style, which often includes simulating a mental breakdown, or an increasingly angry rant, ridiculing history, politics, religion, trends and cultural phenomena...

, Patton Oswalt

Patton Oswalt

Patton Oswalt is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actor and voice actor. He is best known for portraying Spencer Olchin in the popular sitcom The King of Queens, voicing Remy from the film Ratatouille and Thrasher from the Cartoon Network original series Robotomy.-Early life:Oswalt was born...

, Greg Behrendt

Greg Behrendt

Gregory Behrendt is an American stand-up comedian and author. His work as a script consultant to the HBO sitcom Sex and the City, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, paved the way for co-authoring of the New York Times bestseller He's Just Not That into You , later adapted into a film by the same name...

, Todd Barry

Todd Barry

-Biography:Barry was born in The Bronx, New York, and grew up in Florida. In 1999, his Comedy Central Presents aired. He wrote, directed and starred in the short film Borrowing Saffron , which co-starred H. Jon Benjamin. He has made a variety of guest appearances on shows like Dr...

, Doug Benson

Doug Benson

Douglas Steven "Doug" Benson is an American stand-up comedian and actor who has appeared on Comedy Central Presents, Best Week Ever and was a contestant on Last Comic Standing in the show's fifth season....

, Dave Chappelle

Dave Chappelle

David Khari Webber "Dave" Chappelle is an American comedian, screenwriter, television/film producer, actor, and artist. Chappelle began his film career in the film Robin Hood: Men in Tights in 1993 and continued to star in minor roles in the films The Nutty Professor, Con Air, and Blue Streak. His...

 and Marc Maron

Marc Maron

Marc Maron is an American stand-up comedian and podcast host.He has been host of The Marc Maron Show, and co-host of both Morning Sedition, and Breakroom Live, all politically-oriented shows, produced under the auspices of Air America Media. He was also the host of Comedy Central's Short Attention...

.

Writers and contributors

• Dean Rasmussen (Founder)
• Phil Schneider (First appeared in DVDVR #61)
• 'Pogo' Pete Stein (First appeared in DVDVR #75)
• 'Reverend' Ray Duffy (First appeared in DVDVR #66)
• Tom Karro-Gassner (First appeared in DVDVR #129)

• Marcel Hillie (First appeared in DVDVR #129)
• Phil Rippa (First Appeared in DVDVR #76, Last Appeared in DVDVR #146)
• Raven Mack (First appeared in DVDVR #144)
• Ryan (Mul)Doomstone (First Appearance in DVDVR #148)
• Rob Naylor (First appeared in DVDVR #155)

External links

• DVDVR message board