Vince Mcmahon calls TNA programming "Reprehensible"

[MikeJordan23 0]

Vince Mcmahon calls TNA's programming "reprehensible"

 

WWE chairman Vince McMahon says TNA's TV programming is "reprehensible." McMahon also says he doesn't view TNA as competition because their ratings aren't close to WWE's.

 

"I think some of the things they do on television are reprehensible, but it is a TV-14 rating. That's the only bone I have to pick with them," McMahon told the Hollywood Reporter. "Their TV ratings are a fraction of ours."

 

McMahon called on TNA to adjust their TV programming to a PG rating, which is the policy WWE has adopted.

 

"My concern with TNA is not in terms of competition," McMahon said. "My concern with TNA is that they are TV-14, and we are PG. They have to change with the times."

 

The Hollywood Reporter's Georg Szalai then asked a solid follow-up question on WWE recently featuring a home invasion with Triple H and how that differs from TNA's programming. McMahon offered a peculiar response.

 

"What we try to do in situations like that is use things that you can't find around the house. You will never see us use a baseball bat," McMahon said. "You don't find folding metal chairs around the house."

 

McMahon said WWE is "very selective" in picking out weapons and incorporating outside-the-ring elements into storylines. He says they want the audience to care about the welfare of the characters without crossing the line of good taste.

 

"You can go up to the line. It's storytelling; that's how our business thrives," McMahon said. "If you have well-defined characters and put them in the right story line against other characters, people care about their welfare."

 

Caldwell's Analysis: I'm not sure where to start here. I'll get my agreement out of the way that McMahon is right about TNA's programming often being reprehensible and devoid of any redeeming quality. That said, WWE is in absolutely zero position to call out TNA on reprehensible programming after Raw on Monday night. I don't consider PG TV to be a 60-year-old man beaten and bloodied, a top babyface tearing up an enhancement talent with steel chair shots, John Cena verbally degrading a female as part of an adulterous love triangle storyline, or Randy Orton forcing himself onto an unconscious woman.

 

I don't even understand McMahon's logic on the Triple H home invasion storyline. So, it's okay to use weapons as long as they're not something you would find in the home? I'm being facetious here, but I suppose that's how WWE draws the line on not having a character pull out a gun and shoot an opponent. WWE has gone so far out-of-bounds with these wild storylines to create a reaction from the audience that they've lost sight of the internal logic in pro wrestling. Now they're at the point of trying to justify these storylines with puzzling and illogical statements.

 

http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/WWE_New...cle_30939.shtml

[King Cucaracha 0]

I don't even understand McMahon's logic on the Triple H home invasion storyline. So, it's okay to use weapons as long as they're not something you would find in the home?

 

I assume Vince's logic was, if it were weapons that'd be lying around the house being used, children could easily replicate it at home.

 

But my first thought then was 'sledgehammer'.

[PILLS! PILLS! PILLS! 0]

So... a sledgehammer is less violent than a baseball bat?

 

EDIT: Cucaracha was thinking the same thing as me.

[King Cucaracha 0]

To be fair, most children probably couldn't lift a sledgehammer, so I guess it falls somewhere in between obtainable and unobtainable.

 

For what it's worth my grandparents have metal folding chairs ready for extra seating at large family meals. Every year I'm struck with endless temptation to brain myself with one of them. Clearly WWE's reprehensible programming has corrupted me.

[CanadianChris 0]

Why does Vince even bother opening his mouth? He has to know he has zero credibility calling another company's programming reprehensible. Or maybe Vince really is that delusional and self-unaware.

[Star Ocean 3 0]

As dumb as TNA can be I can't stand to support Vince McMahon anymore. At least TNA has people I can like, WWE is just awful.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

Dude, I'm like minutes from West Virginia, If I say the right phrase in certain neighborhoods I'd be up to my eyes in stop signs and cookie sheets. LET ALONE metal trashcans and bowling balls.

[PILLS! PILLS! PILLS! 0]

Why does Vince even bother opening his mouth? He has to know he has zero credibility calling another company's programming reprehensible. Or maybe Vince really is that delusional and self-unaware.

 

It's a little bit of both.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

This is such an odd little piece here. It's like he was asked a question he wasn't prepared for so he decided to use his answer to push the WWE is PG angle. He isn't wrong...what with Joe walking around with knives and hanging people upside down and beating the shit out of them...but you get the impression that he doesn't actually know that those things are happening and just that they are TV-14. The ratings thing is what it is. But that fraction has gotten a little smaller with Smackdown getting a 1.9 and ECW doing around the same numbers as TNA. They do only pull a third of the Raw audience though.

 

The most interesting part has to be him saying that TNA has to adapt to the times and be PG... Basically flat out saying that if they want to succeed they need to be more like WWE...which is what everyone else in the world thinks is TNAs biggest problem.

 

Interesting stuff.

[King Cucaracha 0]

So, how long before TNA come out and say "Hey, Vince is wrong about us being reprehensible, I don't know anyone who's got a Samoan tribal hunting knife or 10,000 laying around their house so what we're doing is a-okay for children!"

[King Cucaracha 0]

In all seriousness, this is just a publicity soundbite rather than a firm statement. I doubt Vince is that up on the current TNA product and if he is, I doubt TNA's TV-14 stance means anything to him at all either way personally.

 

I don't think there's much to read into it besides "Vince uses opposition to put over WWE in interview".

[Chazz 0]

I think this is hilarious given how this past week's Raw ended.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

That's actually pretty funny. I forgot Spike doesn't want them doing violence against women and Raw has Stephanie getting taken out and molested.

[dubq 0]

Why does Vince even bother opening his mouth? He has to know he has zero credibility calling another company's programming reprehensible. Or maybe Vince really is that delusional and self-unaware.

 

It's a little bit of both.

 

Sounds like Vince and Phil Mushnick can finally get along, heh.

[luke-o 0]

Vince is really starting to sound like an old man.

 

"I don't want them kids running around here with baseball bats and hitting each other dagnabit!"

[Black Lushus 0]

Which one of you bozos has a sledgehammer laying around the house and if you do, why?

[Karc 0]

Sadly, Vince will be proven right when TNA responds to this on Impact. Because that will happen. But yeah, this a pot, kettle, black statement, nothing more.

[haws bah gawd 0]

Which one of you bozos has a sledgehammer laying around the house and if you do, why?

 

My Dad has one in his storage shed, for reasons unknown. My Granddad had one in his basement that he bought for crushing asphalt when he was filling-in his driveway.

 

I too find "reprehensible" an odd choice of words. A couple weeks ago on RAW, Triple H broke into Orton's home, tore some stuff up, threatened Orton's "wife", then threw Orton through a window. This past week, Orton DDT'ed Stephanie off the Middle Rope, then kissed her while she was passed out, and hit Triple H with the Sledge. Looks like as usual, he's talking from both sides of his mouth.

 

As others have said, I believe in about 5-6 years, when the current target audience grows up and becomes angst-filled teenagers, we will probably see another Attitude Era of sorts.

[Jingus 0]

Which one of you bozos has a sledgehammer laying around the house and if you do, why?

We've got one in our garage, but mostly only because we've also got every other tool and hardware known to man. Except for a chainsaw. Always wanted a chainsaw, dammit.

 

As for the TV-14 bashing, it's actually just Vince going back to his old argument. Before the Attitude era, the WWF in outside interviews would constantly knock NWA/WCW for being overly violent and adult. This even went so far as to criticize things which weren't violent and adult but just claimed to be, like the first Uncensored ppv.

[Black Lushus 0]

Which one of you bozos has a sledgehammer laying around the house and if you do, why?

 

'Jingus' date='Mar 26 2009, 12:08 PM' post='2876080']

 

figures!

[garfieldsnose 0]

Once one of you run a business, you'll understand. CEO's are always hypocritical. Without hypocrites, big business is dead.

[White Stripes Sabin 0]

TNA programming is pretty bad and I agree with McMahon about them being stuck in the past and need to get with the times. TNA is following the WCW playbook almost to the letter and its pretty scary. Vince, however, should be THE LAST PERSON to talk about taste. TNA deserves Vince's silence.

[haws bah gawd 0]

If anyone is still following this, Dixie Carter shot back at Vince, today:

 

Now, TNA President Dixie Carter is firing back at Vince, claiming that what happens on the PG-rated Monday Night Raw is worse than anything on TNA iMPACT! Carter told the UK Sun:

 

“I think it’s wonderful that Vince watches

TNA iMPACT. “And I agree with him that things such as the brutal beating of a sixty-year-old man [Jericho-Flair], a vicious home invasion [Triple H-Orton] and gratuitous man-on-woman violence [Orton-Stephanie] can be seen as reprehensible – and that’s just the last three Monday nights.”

 

While Vince can make the argument that some of TNA's more outlandish angles (such as Samoa Joe putting a knife to Scott Steiner's throat) are "reprehensible," it's his own WWE product that bears the family-friendly TV-PG rating and is overtly marketed to children.

 

From Rajah

[cabbageboy 0]

On some level I understood what Vince was trying to say here and in various TNA threads I've noted similar aspects of TNA's programs being far over the top with violent threats and acts. Thing is, none of us on this forum are booking a wrestling show with a PG rating that has home invasion, women being attacked and semi molested, etc. It's a pot calling the kettle black deal.

 

 

[JRE 0]

Yeah....Vince picked a really bad week to say that.

[2GOLD 0]

 

Vince picked a bad month to say that. Hell, last month wasn't much better.

[garfieldsnose 0]

Vince didn't pick a bad time because do you really think deep down he cares? He knew a statement like that was going to get a rise out of the people who heard it.

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

Vince forgot that the Attitude years existed. Wait a couple of years before the WWE becomes violent again.

[garfieldsnose 0]

Honestly, he probably does feel that to some extent. I took this as more of a "if I have to go and do that [what TNA is doing], I can and I will win, but family entertainment is where the big bucks come in" and he's been right so far.

[Naked Snake 0]

McMahon saying ratings are close for TNA is a joke. Didn't he freak out a few weeks ago when SmackDown! did a 1.9 rating. Hasn't TNA's highest rating this year been a 1.7/1.8? I'd say that's pretty close McMahon.