Pointless WWE

[IndependentDem]

Run time: 04:49 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7YYzLr87Bw   Posted on YouTube: April 22, 2008 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: April 22, 2008 By DU Member: IndependentDem Views on DU: 1693

 

[rpannier]

1. WWE and pointless are synonymous with each other

They've hated Bill and Hilary since the early 90's.

That jack-ass j.r. ross was given a lot of airtime to bash then-president Bill Clinton.

Let's not forget that Shawn Michaels is a bushie and that ric 'I sexually harass women' flair endorsed mike huckster

[ghostsofgiants]

2. Or that Mick Foley supported John Kerry or that Chris Nowinski gave an anti-war speech on Raw.

But despite all of that, it's mostly apolitical.

[Prophet 451]

15. Ok, first off...

It's not "J.R. Ross", it's Jim Ross. His initials are JR which is how he got the nickname. His middle name is actually William.

Secondly, Ross says what he's told to by Vince. The earpiece he wears is constantly being supplied with lines by Vince from backstage so they may or may not be his actual feelings (although he's proud to be an Oklahoma redneck, so they might be).

Thirdly, how do Flair and Michaels views (and incidently, can you direct me to a link about Michaels? Because I hadn't heard of him backing Bush) reflect on their business? Was OJ an indictment of every guy who plays pro football?

[rpannier]

24. Here's a few things for you...

http://www.bookrags.com/wiki/List_of_celebrities_with_links_to_the_U.S._Republican_Party

Prominent names on the list of republikkan wrestlers
1. Bob Backlund
2. Ted DiBiase
3. Honky Tonk Man
4. Ultimate Warrior,
5. Mark Henry, professional wrestler. Appeared at the 2004 Republican National Convention
6. Big Show, professional wrestler. Attended 2004 Republican National Convention.
7. JBL
8. Shawn Michaels: Attended 2004 Republican National Convention. "JBL, Michaels and Show are all Republicans."
9. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

Although I didn't see his name mentioned -- Ric Flair (Flair campaigned for papa bush and for huckster)

While you are correct that it is not an indictment against the whole industry. The fact is a large majority of wrestlers are republikkans. Mick Foley said that on AAR in 2004.

on edit: For many of them, their allegiance appears to be based on money and some of them are really libertarians, but when pushed support republikkan causes. Michaels does not appear to be one of those.

In 2004, I posted this quote from Shawn Michaels, "I'm supporting George Bush because I support his moral platform."

I am looking for that quote.

I went looking through ask.com to find that quote. There was a link that mentioned val venis as a hard core republikkan who if he wasn't a Canadian, would have voted for scrub -- although according to Venis he supported Ron Paul.

[Prophet 451]

25. Interesting

I know that many wrestlers are Republican although, as you said, much of that is based on money and many are closer to libertarians. I will dispute the Ultimate Steroid though. His ideaology (on his website if you can stomach it) is so extreme that he's been booed offstage at Young Republican events and was actually too extreme for Sean Hannity. Rock genuinely shocks me. Regarding Show though, I have to question how much of his appearence at teh convention was under orders from Vince.

Val Venis, from memory, is a fiscal conservative, social liberal. In other words, closer to libertarian than mainstream Republican.

EDIT: Michaels is less of a surprise. Thinking about it, he's a born-again fundementalist so naturally, he'd support Shrub. Why does every fundementalist abandon their sense of fun?

[Greeby]

3. Who back there gets it into their head....

...that wrestling fans want to see a pair of indy wrestlers dress up as parodies of political figures? They don't. This is just as bad as that Fake Rosie v Fake Trump thing last year, only this time the crowd didn't care enough to verbally crap all over it like they did the first one.

[Prophet 451]

13. Vince

Vince McMahon is the owner, promoter and booker of WWE. Everything on screen has either been scripted by him or scripted by one of his subordinates and approved by him. Vince is a die-hard neo-con, an extreme right-winger (with the exception of the religious part because he has no actual morals). That's why the skit mocked Obama and Clinton but there wasn't a McCain lookalike getting flattened by Eddie Fatu.

[liberal1973]

4. Yeah this is lame.

[Poll_Blind]

5. Wow- that's disgusting. n/t

PB

[Prophet 451]

10. If it helps, they were all trained performers

I'm pretty sure that was Lisa Moretti and Tony Jones under the make-up.

[Hulk]

6. This is "redneck" fact.......morons that we allow to be citizens in this country...

This is representative of the redneck, WWF mentality. Believe me folks, this crap and watching loud fast cars run in circles for days is what keeps about 30% of "Amurikans" entertained. Morons. We are a nation of morons.

NO amount of education can correct this. We have a faulty "information network" in this country, and we are the land of bigots and idiots. And you wonder why the monkey got away with two elections??

Shame on us.

[Prophet 451]

11. I'm starting to see what they mean about "elitism"

Wrestling is a form of entertainment, like any other and the fans cover the usual range of intelligence.

[Hulk]

14. Where do you come up with that interesting fact?

[Prophet 451]

17. Several places

Firstly, it's basic sense that any form of entertainment is going to attract a mixture of fans. Secondly, viewing figures consistently show that wrestling fans come from a wide range of demographics (albeit, there is a concentration in the 15-24 male demographic for WWE). Thirdly, the issue has actually been researched by several people (the one I have to hand is Scott Armstrong's "Death Of WCW"). EDIT: Fourthly, the books about wrestling that sell in massive numbers. Reading for pleasure = not an idiot.

Finally, it says something that you would judge an entire range of people on the basis of their liking one form of entertainment. Do you judge movie buffs purely by fans of the "Saw" movies? You're deciding that an entire portion of people are stupid purely because they like a form of entertainment you dislike OR just possibly, because you think they believe it's "real" (they don't and WWE hasn't pretended to be in years). WWE wouldn't be my preferred choice of wrestling (too much soap opera for my taste) but that doesn't make everyone who watches it or even most people who watch it morons. It's a form of entertainment like any other, a mixture of travelling circus, soap opera and physical theatre.

[JBShakes]

7. Golly, Hulk...how very progressive of you...

To make gigantic social generalizations.

Just FYI - I've been a pro wrestling fan since I was a little kid, and still catch it on TV when I can.

I'm also a Shakespearean-trained professional actor, and teach theater at a University in Philadelphia.

AND I VOTED THIS MORNING. For Barack Obama.

So stick your "redneck moron" crap where the sun doesn't shine, OK?


Oh, and BTW - that sketch last night WAS pointless and stupid. COLOSSALLY pointless and stupid.

Doesn't change the fact that you're an asshat.

[IndependentDem]

9. good for you for voting this morning...

how was the turnout?

[JBShakes]

21. Well, I got to my polling place at 7:01, no line...

But I live in the burbs and work in Philly, so turnout was fairly low that early - I'm going to be interested to see how things are when I get home - my neighborhood is traditionally lower-middle class white, but we're seeing a lot of African Americans moving into the neighborhood from nearby - lots and lots of Obama signs just a few blocks away.

So we'll see. Keeping my fingers crossed for tonight, and all that jazz.

[W T F]

8. What's really sad is the fans in the audience..

think it's real! They probably think Fox News is real news too.:rofl:

I do feel bad about making fun of retarded people though.

[Prophet 451]

12. Behind the times much?

The fans KNOW it's a work (rigged). See this is the basic miscommunication which allows you to stereotype wrestling fans as idiots. You think they're stupid for believing it's real. Problem is, they DON'T believe it's real, they just choose to suspend their disbelief to enjoy the show. Same way you do when you watch a movie.

Outside the context of the TV shows and the "in-character" part of the website, WWE hasn't pretended to be "real" for years. On-air, the pretence has to be maintained for teh same reason Robert DeNiro doesn't start talking about pyro effects during the opening scene of Casino: It would spoil the effect.

And incidently, I'd like a clarification on how we're defining "real" as well. The bumps on my head and damage to my joints is real enough.

[heliarc]

16. As much as I hate it...

This is a pretty solid and time honored way of lampooning political figures the world over. Noted lefty artists like Bread and Puppet, and Brecht do it too. And in this case, I have to say that their caricature of the situation isn't too far off the mark. Although I might have McCain on the sidelines rooting for hillary with Bill. That might make it a more honest critique. Sad that it is so true.

[Prophet 451]

18. They wouldn't have McCain

Everything in WWE is either scripted or approved by Vince McMahon and Vince is very much a right-wing neo-con. That's why there wasn't a parody of McCain out there.

[heliarc]

19. I'm pretty clear on why there wasn't one...

I was just indicating what would make it a better parody. I certainly don't think that quality was really what they were after. Just enough of a likeness to rouse a bloodthirsty crowd.

[Prophet 451]

20. Apologies

Wasn't my intent to patronise you.

[liberal1973]

22. I think that the WWE

has had a real serious drug problems and messed up crap.

So it's no surprise that the lowlife owner of WWE is a far righter.

[Prophet 451]

23. Yes and no

Drug problems are a problem. Up until a couple of years ago, roughly 3/4 of the WWE roster was using steroids. These days, it's down to about 2/3. There's some recreational drugs in there too. The WWE drug policy has loopholes in it a mile wide.

The weird thing is, Vince could and, at one point did, have a completely drug-free locker room. When he was indicted for steroid distribution in 1991, he instituted a real drug-testing program (mainly as damage control) and pretty much eliminated drugs from his locker room which is why the guys who got their big break around then (such as Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels) were much smaller than the previous champions. Vince was aquitted in '92 (and looking at the evidence, rightfully so), carried on testing for another couple of years and then dropped it.

As for messed up stuff, depends what you mean. The Chris Benoit tragedy is an obvious one, that was a very sick man reaching the end of a downward spiral but there are circumstances there which explain what happened (severe brain injury and mental illness). A girlfriend of Jimmy Snuka's died in very questionable circumstances but he was never charged with anything. What you have to remember is that wrestling is closest to a travelling circus, it's populated by mostly young men and eccentricity is considered normal so when someone becomes more eccentric than usual, it's easy to not notice.