The Bubble Vince lives in

[Gary Floyd 0]

I know that it's been mentioned before, but Vince Mchmahon really seems to live in his own little world, with no knowledge of race relations. While racial stereotypes have been in wrestling for God knows how long, it's only recently with things like The Mexicools and most recently, the "terrorist" incident on Smackdown involving Divari, Muhammed Hussan, trhe Undetacker, and five masked guys, that I've begun to worry about this kind of thing in wrestling.

 

What we are seeing right now are the worst in racial stereotyping, especially with the recent "terrorist" incident. This goes beyonf wrestling and playing with fans fears and prejudices, and I think, may very well be a look at Vince's view on Arab American relationships. Granted, the Hassan character didn't really offend me at first (it takes alot to offend me) but this time, I personally feel that they may be going a bit too far.

[nl5xsk1 0]

I hate to say it, but you're probably going to catch shit for referencing something that hasn't happened on TV yet.

[SamoaRowe 0]

Yeah, I hadn't read the Smackdown spoilers for once this week, but I was going to. Hopefully no one who cares will read this.

[claydude14 0]

Would it be too hard to go back and edit your post and spoiler that shit? Hate when this happens.

[Gary Floyd 0]

Sorry guys, anyways, you can respond to it after Smackdown if you want to.

[syxx2001 0]

Not directed to the thread starter, but this is wrestling. If your imaginations are that weak where your experience is destroyed because someone TOLD you something was going to happen, instead of you actually seeing it, then you need to work on it.

[MillenniumMan831 0]

I never find wrestling offensive to me. Stupid, yes. Insulting, yes. Embarassing . . . almost always. Despite being a loyal watcher/follower of wrestling since the 1980s, I just don't emotionally invest myself enough to let something really offend me.

 

However, I wish Vince would have the good sense to tweak these "superstars" to the point that they're a lot more "human" and much less "character"-ish.

[Dangerous A 0]

Konnan on WOL this last sunday had an interesting take on the Mexicools in that he said the only Mexicans who Vince probrably knows are the ones who clean his house and care for his grounds. He probrably doesn't know one Latino person that he truly respects. Also noted how MTV and other media outlets have portrayed Latino and African Americans in positions of power whereas WWE is and always will be 5-6 years behind the times.

 

Sounds pretty spot on as far as an accessment goes. Vince and Co. have shown little to refute what Konnan said.

 

It's more disappointment than flat out offensive now. Kind of goes back to the old story of the snake being nursed back to health, only to bite the person helping them and the person wondering why, well you knew it was a snake. We (hardcore fans) know this and shouldn't be surprised anymore. However, If you don't have to go there (meaning playing the race card for cheap heat) then don't go there. But they do it with glee. I find it funny how there was a thread started a couple of days ago about how come WWE's ad rates are half of what other TV shows are. Well, the Mexicools and anything to do with Hassan sure as hell aren't going to change that for the better. Just because it's not offensive to us (hardcore wrestling fans) doesn't mean advertisers and the public in general are going to "get it".

[Guest Fishyswa]

It's pro wrestling, Vince knows exactly what world he lives in, one where using racial stereotypes as part of a story is controversial. It may not be right or wrong but it sparks interest and get's people talking, and watching.

 

I mean you didn't read the spoilers and give up on the WWE. You didn't leave the section of this folder never to come back. Even offended apparently, you decided to open up a discussion, to make people think about it as a serious issue. No doubt you'll watch SD to see just how it plays out. That's the point. Vince would rather have 20 people offended than 20 people who don't care.

[dubq 0]

None of this shit is new. It's been going on since forever, before Mohammad Hassan came to WWE, before Slaughter sided with Iraq, before Col. Debeers wouldn't wrestle anyone who wasn't white, and before Fritz Von Erich was a goosestepping Nazi character.

 

NOTHING IS SACRED IN WRESTLING. Not necessarily a good thing, but when will people ever learn that simple fact of life?

[Dangerous A 0]

While what you say is true, vivisectvi, it doesn't mean WWE isn't closed to criticism for what they are doing.

[dubq 0]

While what you say is true, vivisectvi, it doesn't mean WWE isn't closed to criticism for what they are doing.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That's fine, too. I'm just saying. I hate it when people act all surprised that something like this could ever happen in wrestling. Like wrestling is some ultra bastion of virtue, or something.

 

Does the genpub even give a shit about what WWE does?

[Guest *KNK*]

It's pro wrestling, Vince knows exactly what world he lives in, one where using racial stereotypes as part of a story is controversial. It may not be right or wrong but it sparks interest and get's people talking, and watching.

 

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That's the problem. No one is tuning into WWE television to catch this scandalous character or any of them.

 

It's ruining the product, shoving the image of the company and its fans down a larger hole and running off viewers and advertisers.

 

Where has the benifit of Necrophilaic angles and negative representiations of stereotypes of Minorities paid off? Where has this "constroversey" worked?

 

The attitude era doesn't count because the characters were complex and had depth, while these characters are mere artifical characters.

[Guest Fishyswa]

The segments aren't getting ridiculously low ratings and the company over all still isn't losing money so as long as that continues why would he think it's hurting anything?

 

Remember, it's the highest rated show on cable tv.

[dubq 0]

The segments aren't getting ridiculously low ratings and the company over all still isn't losing money so as long as that continues why would he think it's hurting anything?

 

Remember, it's the highest rated show on cable tv.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Heh, I thought that was Hell's Kitchen?

[Angelus 0]

What we are seeing right now are the worst in racial stereotyping, especially with the recent "terrorist" incident.

 

He's just a character nothing more, what's the problem ? You see this kind of thing in almost every tv show. Why people are so "shocked" to see something like this happen in wrestling and not in 24 or even Third Watch ? They can go with a character who out of frustration turn to "the dark side of the force" to reach his goals, it can work ( except the fact that the WWE doesn't know how to make an intelligently story but that another thing )

 

And for the Mexicools, in storyline, they use the racial sterotyping to proove there points... To say "we're not what you think we wear, we're not doing the jobs that you think we do"

[Gary Floyd 0]

The more I reads the responses on here, the more I realize how stupid I sounded earlier. Mods, please feel free to delete this thread.

 

(Man, I must be the least confrontational guy who posts here)

[MillenniumMan831 0]

I really don't see the big stink about the Mexicools either. Granted, I missed their debut so I can't speak on that. But the vibe I get from them is that they whomp ass in an attempt to inspire their people to rise above and beyond "the gringos".

[Da Maintenance Man 0]

It's pro wrestling, Vince knows exactly what world he lives in, one where using racial stereotypes as part of a story is controversial. It may not be right or wrong but it sparks interest and get's people talking, and watching.

 

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That's the problem. No one is tuning into WWE television to catch this scandalous character or any of them.

 

It's ruining the product, shoving the image of the company and its fans down a larger hole and running off viewers and advertisers.

 

Where has the benifit of Necrophilaic angles and negative representiations of stereotypes of Minorities paid off? Where has this "constroversey" worked?

 

The attitude era doesn't count because the characters were complex and had depth, while these characters are mere artifical characters.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Don't know if you can really classify this as a racial stereotype or whatnot but the whole Billy & Chuck marriage thing got them a bit of publicity.

[MillenniumMan831 0]

Up until the outcome of the commitment cermony itself that is.

[Guest Fook]

I just want to know who came up with Chavo's...sorry, I meant Kerwin's (seriously WTF? KERWIN?) new gimmick.

[benoit4hor 0]

Where has the benifit of Necrophilaic angles and negative representiations of stereotypes of Minorities paid off? Where has this "constroversey" worked?

 

Eddie Guerrero being a lying, cheating, mexican who steals, worked great.

[Slickster 0]

Yeah, GLAAD supported it until they ran the ceremony angle.

 

And I am sort of offended but I am also amused at how far they are willing to take this cheap heat. People are now less likely to watch the WWE's shows because they are continuing to portray negative stereotypes of minorities. While this has been done before countless times using countless wrestlers, never before has it been done in a publicly held corporation. I think that this will be hard to explain to the shareholders.

[bobobrazil1984 0]

as if this is some big surprise. I'm stil laughing at the people, back when this stuff first started, who insisted that this was going to be some intelligenct angle on race relations with arab americans, or how he was actually gonna be a face and they were gonna make some ambiguity, portrya him being treated unfairly, and all that crap. (laughs very loudly and in an extremely obnoxious manner). Clearly they decided to blatantly ignore 90 percent of all WWE angles and storylines.

 

a "terrorist incident"?

 

Pathetic. Then again, you "find the character to be entertaining" so its all dandy.

[sluggo 0]

The Great AMERICAN Bash is coming up. It's free for Military people. Hassan is the perfect heel for this cause you know Taker was the AMERICAN badass. This angle is the only reason Hassan got traded.

[Slickster 0]

Oh, and don't forget that SummerSlam is in Washington, D.C. this year, which is the capital of the United States as well as Batista's hometown.

 

I expect Hassan to beat Taker via dubious means (via interference from the insurgents), then he will face Batista at SummerSlam (possibly as US Champion) and lose cleanly.

 

As someone on DVDVR pointed out, giving Hassan his own Truth Commission only provides more people to protect Hassan from Batista, stacking the deck against the World Heavyweight Champion only for him to beat the odds and get the hometown win after squashing them all.

[gWIL 0]

Personally I see Hassan pinning Batista in Washington D.C., if they are going to go with this angle they might as well go all the way with it.

[SuperJerk 0]

as if this is some big surprise. I'm stil laughing at the people, back when this stuff first started, who insisted that this was going to be some intelligenct angle on race relations with arab americans, or how he was actually gonna be a face and they were gonna make some ambiguity, portrya him being treated unfairly, and all that crap. (laughs very loudly and in an extremely obnoxious manner). Clearly they decided to blatantly ignore 90 percent of all WWE angles and storylines.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Isn't that also similar to how Eugene was described before he debuted?

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Why not make the Mexicools faces? They're getting pops, they already have an unbeatable Latino heel in Eddie, and the whole Pacific time zone has a large enough Mexican population that they could move some shirts. It would also make the stereotypes a little more tongue-in-cheek than negative.

[SuperJerk 0]

Eddie joined the Mexicools? Did I miss something?

 

 

edit: Reread it.

Edited July 6, 2005 by RobotJerk