Backlash on Terrorist Angle

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Statement on Last Thursday's WWE SmackDown!

(http://corporate.wwe.com/parents/overview.jsp)

 

The acts of terrorism that occurred in London last week are untenable, and all freedom-loving people around the world have joined together to condemn them.

 

It would have been better if this segment did not coincide with the events in London last week. Putting timing aside, we believe the segment added an interesting dimension to our exploration of the Mohammed Hassan character and the plight of Arab-Americans in this country.

 

Essentially, Hassan called in some additional muscle in last week's

SmackDown! to beat on the Undertaker to give him an advantage in their #1 Contender match at the Great American Bash, a tactic used by other Superstars to gain a competitive advantage before a crucial match.

 

Because these henchmen wore masks and camouflage pants, and because Hassan is of Arab descent, some viewers may have leapt to the conclusion that these henchmen are terrorists. They are not, as our viewers will learn in future episodes.

 

Anyone who has followed the story of Mohammed Hassan knows that he is an American, born in Detroit, of Arab descent. He believes that since 9/11, he is being treated differently by his fellow Americans because of his Arab background. This has driven him to embrace his Arab roots, further estranging him from his fellow Americans. Many of the points Hassan raises have relevance to the prejudice of our society today. However, the way he goes about expressing these arguments is what turns people against him.

 

Hassan is not a terrorist. Because he is dissatisfied with some aspects of

America, and expresses those opinions, does not make him a terrorist.

Because he chooses to wear some Arab clothing does not make him a terrorist.

 

The men who assisted him last week may share the same feelings of

disenfranchisement experienced by Hassan, they may wear masks, but that also does not make them terrorists. Who and what they are will be revealed in the near future.

 

It is these stereotypical images that many people hold that we hope to

debunk as part of Hassan's story.

 

Ultimately, our focus is to entertain our viewers by telling compelling

stories with interesting characters who catch the public's imagination. When we can, we believe it adds to the characters and storylines to connect with topical issues. If, through Hassan's story, we raise the level of discussion on how Americans view their peers of Arab descent, than that is a welcome additional outcome.

 

Suffice it to say that WWE believes that in America, no matter what our

race, religious creed, ethnic backgrounds or opinions, we all share the

common bond of being Americans. We should all be open to the beliefs of individual Americans, recognizing that it is this diversity upon which

America is based. Through this storyline, we urge our viewers to keep an

open mind on these issues and issues expressed by other Americans with which they might not agree.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

That says it better then I ever could. Nicely written

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Yeah, I doubt you could come up with bullshit this good.

[RedJed 0]

Had to post another gem of a newsbit that is continuing to make WWE look even worse report after report and article after article. They would be best to not look at this as any sort of positive press and stop making quotes to these reporters!! It's just digging them deeper into a bad PR hole.

 

--The WWE terrorism storyline is currently the lead story on TVGuide.com. The main headline at the moment on the site is a picture of Muhammad Hassan with the headline, "Breaking News: UPN comes under fire for terror-like Smackdown stunt." The highlight of the story is this line: "Meanwhile, WWE spokesman Gary Davis is urging viewers to tune in this Thursday to see how the plot 'gets straightened out.' If you don't, then the terrorists will have won."

 

From pwtorch.com

[Guest Fishyswa]

What makes it bullshit?

[Dangerous A 0]

It is these stereotypical images that many people hold that we hope to

debunk as part of Hassan's story.

 

 

Through this storyline, we urge our viewers to keep an

open mind on these issues and issues expressed by other Americans with which they might not agree.

 

 

So let me get this straight, WWE makes the Hassan character do stereotypical things and imagines him as such in hope to debunk part of Hassan's story?

 

And WWE asking me to keep and open mind? I can't write stuff this funny.

 

Excuse me while I tell Vince and WWE Corperate to kiss my ass.

[RedJed 0]

Wow yeah that "statement" by WWE is a complete contradiction of terms when you think about it.

[Guest Fishyswa]

"WWE makes the Hassan character do stereotypical things and imagines him as such in hope to debunk part of Hassan's story?"

 

That's not what they said at all. The made it clear the point is to do things with him everyone else does, only in his own fashion, and from there if people make the leap to terrorism it's on them. It's just exposing people's own bias. It's brilliant really.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

What makes it bullshit?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Well, the whole "WWE is a racist company" thingy kinda debunks it. Dangerous A makes it clear for us all.

[Guest Fishyswa]

So a perfect explination of the angle is bullshit because the WWE's racist? Whaaaa?

[Lord of The Curry 0]

No, it's bullshit because if they had cared at all about properly doing this angle and presenting Hassan in a neutral light they wouldn't have slapped him with such a blatantly stereotypical gimmick.

[Guest Fishyswa]

They didn't, they put him out there as is to see how they would react. They did NOTHING to make him a heel right off the bat. They put the character out there and let the fans decide, they decided to hate him.

 

What's so stereotypical? The turban? That's called culture. Diavari translating? Yes how evil of him to want his foreign fans to understand too. Honestly, what's "stereotypical" about him? He's an arab american who resents america for not recognizing him as an american simply because he appreciates and celebrates his culture. Not that hard to wrap your head around.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

The turban is there for fans who otherwise didn't know, not for cultural reasons. Despite what WWE point out in their memo, Hassan didn't embrace his Arab roots from the start.

[Dangerous A 0]

I hate to bring up the Sonjay Dutt bit again, but when he was introduced in TNA, he was just out there. No turban. No Arab music. Just Sonjay and his work. Now, I haven't seen every single episode of TNA, but I don't recall "USA" chants at him or signs in the crowd reading Sonjay 7:11. The reason he didn't get the reaction Hassan got was because it's not the reaction TNA wanted. Hell, when Sonjay debuted, it was when TNA was still running Nashville and I'm banking Nashville isn't the most progressive city in terms of race relations in the U.S.

 

Sabu, even with the Turban, didn't get the reaction Hassan got because it's not what ECW/whatever indie he's working wanted. They wanted the crazy, spotfest wrestler who scares people. If they wanted, they could get that reaction, but they didn't go there.

 

Everything about Hassan has been to build him up as a race baiting heel that plays off of Americans xenophobia. Now, if WWE were to have presented Hassan like Sonjay Dutt, just out there with no references to his race, and then he got the "USA" chants and signs reaction and such, then went on to don the Turban and come out to Arab music to "embrace" his culture because the fans aren't going to accept him anyways, then your argument would hold water. Not only that, Hassan's character would have the ultimate reason to be heel. However, that wasn't the case because WWE's intent was for Hassan to be a race baiting heel FROM THE GET GO.

[BruiserKC 0]

Gotta love how people wanted a compelling storyline to get back into watching Smackdown since the last few weeks it got robbed of some top talent in the draft. Suddenly now that we have it, people are up in arms.

 

Seriously...it's a shame that this angle is about to get killed for political correctness. OK...I know the timing and everything is bad...but WWE is not the bastion of political correctness and purity in this world. Those that feel that need to put down the Kool-Aid. I saw this with the Un-American angle...which as a patriotic American I had no problem with...it had the potential to be a great angle. In the end...people got bent out of shape and killed it.

 

I have to wonder...if at the height of the Persian Gulf War I we had the Internet...and PC killed the Sgt. Slaughter Iraqi sympathizer bit...especially when he burned the American flag on Superstars?

[Guest Fishyswa]

Intention isn't the point, it's what they did. Of course the intent is to have a heel that can do something insanely outrageous and borderline offensive than justify it next week with a solid promo, but that doesn't mean they've done something wrong or fucked anything up.

 

"The turban is there for fans who otherwise didn't know, not for cultural reasons. Despite what WWE point out in their memo, Hassan didn't embrace his Arab roots from the start. "

 

How didn't he? The first thing brought up was his decent. He said he was an arab american. I'm almost entirely irish, I don't call myself an irish american.

 

He doesn't do stereotypical things, he does things other wrestlers do and because he's arab they become stereotypical. It's like seeing a black guy in a fubu logo t-shirt, normal size, a baseball cap and jeans enjoying rap music and saying "thug". The thought process is no different.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

I think its funny that, in the last week we've learned that it probably wasn't terrorists who were behind the London bombings to start with, and yet everyone assumed from the start that it was those pesky terrorists up to their evil no good ways again.

 

Why this has anything to do with the Hassan situation..

 

Well..if everyone hadn't cried TERRORIST! at the first sign of something bad happening..because logically now in the post 9-11 age, terrorists are the only ones capable of doing anything as bad as blowing up London, then no one would have cared what Hassan did on Smackdown.

[DokDoyle 0]

x-posted for the most part on my blog

 

One of the main things that I've been discussing has been the way that Hassan has been portrayed, the main knock against it being that there was no reason for his Arab heritage to be brought up, with the example of TNA's Sonjay Dutt being used to show that an Arab looking person can be used in wrestling without it becoming an issue. I think that is a case of apple's and oranges

 

Sonjay is a wrestler who is a member of the TNA X devision, who comes out and does some flips, Don West calls him the “playa from the Himalaya's” then he usually loses to a mid-card heel

 

Muhammad Hassan is a character who was born and raised in Detroit, who had a fairly normal life up until 9/11. After 9/11, he began to see that he was being treated differently, due to his looks and heritage. This pushed him deeper into his heritage, hence the wearing of the headdress and robes, along with his entrance music. He feels that he has been discriminated against due to people's fears of Arab's , when he was as victimized by 9/11 as much as they were.

 

See, there is no reason for TNA to bring up Sonjay's heritage, as it's not central to the character, such as it is, that he plays. As a matter of fact, I would be more offended if TNA out of nowhere, said “This is Sonjay Dutt, a great X division wrestler, oh and by the way, he's an Arab.”

 

I love the character that Hassan plays. I liked it when it came in as it was different from what a lot of people were playing. A character with convictions like he has, there are really good story lines that could last years, if written correctly. The best part of it is that he looks like he really believes what he says.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Gotta love how people wanted a compelling storyline to get back into watching Smackdown since the last few weeks it got robbed of some top talent in the draft.  Suddenly now that we have it, people are up in arms. 

 

Seriously...it's a shame that this angle is about to get killed for political correctness.  OK...I know the timing and everything is bad...but WWE is not the bastion of political correctness and purity in this world.  Those that feel that need to put down the Kool-Aid.  I saw this with the Un-American angle...which as a patriotic American I had no problem with...it had the potential to be a great angle.  In the end...people got bent out of shape and killed it. 

 

I have to wonder...if at the height of the Persian Gulf War I we had the Internet...and PC killed the Sgt. Slaughter Iraqi sympathizer bit...especially when he burned the American flag on Superstars?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The Un-American angle was killed due to the WWE not having any balls. That and the fact that when Kane returned he ran over the entire stable in a few weeks.

[Guest Ransome]

Statement on Last Thursday's WWE SmackDown!

(http://corporate.wwe.com/parents/overview.jsp)

 

Because these henchmen wore masks and camouflage pants, and because Hassan is of Arab descent, some viewers may have leapt to the conclusion that these henchmen are terrorists. They are not, as our viewers will learn in future episodes.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

They're falling upon this weak defense? They give us something looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, and then wonder why people assume it's a duck?

 

Ultimately, our focus is to entertain our viewers by telling compelling

stories with interesting characters who catch the public's imagination. When we can, we believe it adds to the characters and storylines to connect with topical issues. If, through Hassan's story, we raise the level of discussion on how Americans view their peers of Arab descent, than that is a welcome additional outcome.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I eagerly await this serious, progressive social commentary of which they're promising to give us, since they have given no indication it whatsoever in the past 9 months that the Muhammad Hassan character has existed. It would be different if Hassan had said "I'm from the USA" even once instead of soaking up "USA" chants. They're neglecting, of course, that the only reason they're using Hassan is because playing the 'race card' is the most derivative, uncreative opposition and that they can't write anything deeper.

[Guest Brian]

I think its funny that, in the last week we've learned that it probably wasn't terrorists who were behind the London bombings to start with, and yet everyone assumed from the start that it was those pesky terrorists up to their evil no good ways again.

 

Why this has anything to do with the Hassan situation..

 

Well..if everyone hadn't cried TERRORIST! at the first sign of something bad happening..because logically now in the post 9-11 age, terrorists are the only ones capable of doing anything as bad as blowing up London, then no one would have cared what Hassan did on Smackdown.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

That's not true. It wouldn't have garnered the media attention, but because the implication of the act had nothing to do with the London bombing and more to do with mirroring a beheading video sans the actual head falling off, we'd still be talking up a storm here.

[KingPK 0]

I read Hassan's promo and it wasn't bad; it was something they should have been doing from the start instead of degrading the character into the typical anti-American heel. Still, it was complete spin control from WWE. I mean, Hassan dropping to his knees and looking towards the sky, the masked men dropping to their knees as Hassan put the Camel Clutch on Taker, carrying Daivari out like they did.....what the hell did WWE THINK people were going to connect that with?

[Guest Brian]

This is like one of those Truth commercials.

 

"On July 7, 2005, a secret memo from Vince McMahon stated that he was going to see just how far he could push the limits of his audience and have them still eating out of their hand."

[zyn081 0]

I was going to stay replying to those posters here who still havent got the point that London has amplified this debate 10-fold. If you cant see that, I hate to think how you see other things.

 

I eagerly await this serious, progressive social commentary of which they're promising to give us, since they have given no indication it whatsoever in the past 9 months that the Muhammad Hassan character has existed.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I read Hassan's promo and it wasn't bad; it was something they should have been doing from the start instead of degrading the character into the typical anti-American heel. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hassan should have been portrayed from the start by saying that I love America and am against what Arabs did to this great country, but I am being stereotyped because of it and discriminated against due to my Arab descent. Have him debut, no turban, no Arab music, no Davairi spouting off. Have him show up on RAW and face Bischoff, who says, o god, I got you. Let Bischoff lay down the law saying he wants no monkey business from him. Dont have The King and JR playing as faces against him. Have him appear on the Highlight Reel and Jericho make fun of him. Hassan then says typical. Get Jericho start up a US chant. Hassan shouting I am American too, I wear American designer labels and shoes, what makes you different from me. Have Hassan trying to open Americas and the worlds eyes to what it is doing (for peoples information here, 1 of the 1st things Blair was that he didnt want London being taken out on innocent mulsims in the UK). Have Hassan wrestle against a non-US wrestler on RAW. The crowd starts to chant USA, USA, USA. Hassan thinks hes getting through to people. Then have somebody say they were chanting for you, ya sandman, they were chanting against you. Hassan states whats wrong with you people, Im more American than that other guy. Then have King and JR go heelish on him. Have Hassan collect evidence of how he is being mistreated, like a mid-card heel telling Hassan to get lost, we dont want your kind on RAW or in the locker room. Show Hassan driving alone, always alone backstage, or getting foord and another mid-card heel look at him with disgust and say Ive just lost my apetite. Trade him to SD, and have him go after the US Title. Not a draft or a lottery exchange, but Bischoff offloading him. Thats the way it should have been done. But its pretty pointless saying how it should have been 9 months or so down the line.

[Crimson Platypus 0]

I read Hassan's promo and it wasn't bad; it was something they should have been doing from the start instead of degrading the character into the typical anti-American heel.  Still, it was complete spin control from WWE.  I mean, Hassan dropping to his knees and looking towards the sky, the masked men dropping to their knees as Hassan put the Camel Clutch on Taker, carrying Daivari out like they did.....what the hell did WWE THINK people were going to connect that with?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

With him being an Arab-American Muslim? What's so hard about the concept that not all Arab Americans or Muslims are terrorists? THAT is what people have been missing about the segment the whole fucking time.

[Special K 0]

Also that destroying his enemies filed him with religious zeal. And all Muslims incidentally love ski-masks and camo, right?

Fucking please.

[krease 0]

Full transcript: Muhammad Hassan responds to the media

Submitted by Brian Cantor on Wednesday, July 13, 2005 at 1:46 PM EST

 

 

Because UPN refused to allow Hassan to appear on Thursday's SmackDown, the following response was taped for WWE.com:

 

I stand here tonight the only patriot left in America. I stand here tonight

perhaps even a martyr against tyranny and injustice. Because the fact is I am an AMERICAN professional wrestler, but because of my heritage, because of my background, because of who my ancestors were, I'm labeled - we're labeled terrorists. Terrorists; I'm a terrorist! Well it must be true - it's gotta be true - because it's right here in black and white, in a reputable source, like the New York Post.

 

What, you don't believe me? Here it is: "Terrorist Wrestles After Bombing." I'm a terrorist - we're terrorists. We wrestled after a bombing. Well, Mr. Don Kaplan, (to Daivari) have you ever met Don Kaplan? Have you ever spoken to Don Kaplan? Have you ever called Don Kaplan on the phone? Well, I never have either. So, if Don Kaplan of the New York Post has never met us, how does Don Kaplan know we're terrorists? Don Kaplan also wrote that "Arabs in ski-masks carried Daivari out as a sacrifice last week." Arabs in SKI-MASKS...in SKI-MASKS...in a ski-mask. How does he know that they were Arabs?

 

The point is, because of articles like this, because of the fear that the

media has put in all of you people, I have been denied my God-given right to pursue the profession of my choosing...to pursue the American Dream. I have been denied my basic rights as an American citizen. You know, as I look around this crowd and I look at all these faces looking at me in disgust, I think a lot of you have forgotten what this country was founded on. I think you have forgotten that your ancestors fought for their freedom. They gave their lives for their freedom - whether they be black, Irish-American, Italian-American, Jewish-American, Asian-American, they gave their lives for their freedom.

 

What's next? What's next? Because anytime anything goes wrong in this

country, it's the Arabs. When a plane crashes, it's the Arabs. When a bomb goes off, it's the Arabs. The blackout two summers ago - it was the Arabs. Hurricane Dennis must be the Arabs.

 

You people say what you want. Because I have a right to be in here. I have a right to say what I want. And what I'm going to say, my name is Muhammad Hassan. I am an Arab-American and I am very proud of my heritage. But, as an American, my first amendment rights have been trampled. And, I stand here before all of you ashamed of my country.

 

(Hassan rips the NYPost article as Daivari translates the speech)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I think this points out the general sentiment. A man decides to embrace his cultural roots. Because of a few terrorists sensationalized by the media happen to be of the same culture, this man is prejudiced against because "he could be a terrorist too!"

 

Because of his culture, if he comes out with a group of thugs to beat on someone, everyone is shouting "Oh no! It's a terrorist!". He's not a terrorist, he's an Arab-American who has embraced his culture.

 

What if, instead of Hussan, it was...say...Matt Hardy who came out with a group of thugs to do that to Edge? Would he be labelled a terrorist? What about if RVD came out with a group of thugs to choke out someone. Terrorist? How about Sabu?

 

Not all terrorists are of Arab culture. Just because he comes out with a group of thugs to choke out someone doesn't make him a terrorist. It makes him a "thug"; we have those all over the place - Cena is proud to call himself a "thug".

 

If you saw a group of Arabs walking down the street, would you call them terrorists? What if they were beating up someone? Are they terrorists yet? What if they weren't Arab? We wouldn't even be having this discussion.

[Special K 0]

Well, the terrorists who have been threatening the civilized world ARE muslim extremists. Obviously that doesn't make all Muslims terrorists, but there IS a link, and to completely dismiss it is ignorant.

[Guest Brian]

What if, instead of Hussan, it was...say...Matt Hardy who came out with a group of thugs to do that to Edge? Would he be labelled a terrorist? What about if RVD came out with a group of thugs to choke out someone. Terrorist? How about Sabu?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Can we stop playing the "what if" game yet, because this is a consequence of the circumstances surrounding Hassan's character and how the WWE wants to portray him apart from everyone e;se. They wanted to invoke a certain imagery that they just wouldn't pull of with others.

[Guest Tjhe CyNick]

I'm just looking forward to every show that ever uses anything related to terroris banned from UPN.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

POLITICAL FUELED ANGLES SUCK.

 

 

Politics and religion are two things you never discuss at a dinner party. Why? Because many people see the issues as important, life-or-death, with-us-or-against-us quality stuff, and it doesn't make any friends to just turn off the people who will inevitably disagree with what you say.

 

 

Ditto to wrestling. POLITICAL ANGLES SUCK. They sucked with the sympathizer angle, they sucked when Test and Christian were trying to burn flags, they sucked with La Resistance and the expanded "omg neone who doesn't want us to kick ass in Iraq is an enemy" message, and they sucked with JBL calling people tree-huggers who will be responsible for us all speaking Spanish in 25 years. They've even sucked with the "queers should be made fun of at all times" angles that go all the way back to the days of black & white wrestling telecasts.

 

POLITICAL.

 

ANGLES.

 

 

SUCK.

 

Especially since half the country has gotten more progressive over the past 30 years and most of Vince's political opinions still resonate with the trailer trash crowd. I think he's somewhere between Mississippi and Alabama when it comes to politics.

 

No tears will be shed when this one is put to bed for costing Vince viewership and/or advertising dollars.

[Guest Tjhe CyNick]

Worked with Hogan against Volkoff and Shiek.

 

Worked with the Harts vs Austin and co.

 

There are a lot of cases where it didn't work, but its not crazy to try it when its worked in the past.