2007-02-24
dissing free speech, sanctioning torture
WWE Impressario Vince McMahon crossed the line last night from gruesome entertainment to violence porn.
I find the abusive beating that popular wrestler Rey Mysterio received at McMahon's instruction totally "...without any socially redeeming value..."
Even worse, the rationale for McMahon's ordering the assault was because Rey Mysterio disagreed with McMahon's opinion. "I know ~ you can say your opinion, there's freedom of speech here..." baited McMahon to an obviously skeptical Rey Mysterio. And when Mysterio disagreed, McMahon ordered Umaga, a massive Samoan wrestler to trounce on him. Some respect for freedom of speech.
Before I go any further on my rant, let me make it clear that I throughly enjoy wrestling matches. For that matter, I find the matches erotic ~ I know I'm not alone on this one.
I have watched WWF/WWE matches for close to a couple of decades. I regularly tune in to WWE Smackdown on UPN Friday nights and try to check
out Spike-TV's Thursday night lineup of Ultimate Fight Competitions and Total Action Wrestling. Hell, I've even watched Fight Club twice.
Frankly, I find Ultimate Fight Competitions more exciting than RAW or Smackdown. There's more focus on fighting and no wasted time devoted to pseudo-psychodrama or contender-preening sideshows.
I also recognize that the guys [and gals, what there are of them] who sign into the WWE empire do so of their own free will.
As combatants, they are fully aware that they may get injured in the process, even seriously. As entertainers when they go into the ring they often play out a role, and that could include acting as though they are injured.
That, in essence, is what is Kayfabe is all about. I know that a good part of what I see is replete with such as feuds, storylines, and gimmicks, rather like soap opera, and made to appear as if something is worse than it appears. ...so I'm not beyond thinking that what I saw might not have been real ...the seriousness of the injuries sustained by Rey Mysterio.
Having said that, I return to what was shown on Friday night. First there's the build-up. It comes in a couple of parts:
• Rey Mysterio enters the ring to cheers from his fans and a home town crowd. He's been out of the ringa few months, after his leg was broken by another challenger in a gruesome match. I can deal with that.
• McMahon comes in full bore bully [playing the role of heel to Mysterio's crowd pleasing face, has the ring surrounded by a phalanx of beefy henchmen, effectively banning anyone from entering or leaving the ring without his say-so;
• McMahon then challenges Rey Mysterio to disagree with him on his choice of a wrestler against one that Billionaire egotist Donald Trump will select; Okay, so it's a big stunt designed to promote a bet between two rich boors; No problem with that either.
• But then the problems begin...
• After bringing the Samoan into the ring, who lurks thretening in the background McMahon asks Rey's opinion, "It's a free country. You have freeom of speech..."
• When Mysterior disagrees with McMahon, first showing him disdain, then outright disagreeing with him, McMahon sics the big wrestler on a man using a cane, obviously still physically disabled, attacks the injured leg with vigor and slams him down to the point that Rey appears to be unconscious.
• McMahon, clearly undisturbed at the actions he has put forward, leaves the ring, smirking, giving yet another plug about his challenge to Trump. Meanwhile, a team of EMTs rushes in to cart newly re-injured Rey out of the arena.
• The inherent messages?
• As I said at the top of this screed It's perfectly acceptable to beat the crap out of a disabled person in front of an international audience ~ and ~ this kind of treatment is an acceptable response when dealing with someone you disagree with ~ if ~ you are rich and powerful enough to get away with it.
For the rest of us, there is no freedom of speech.
It's not clear to me that McMahon has violated WWE Corporate's code of business conduct, but then it's McMahon's name on the front page of the Corporate Governance website, so perhaps he can change the rules as he pleases.
As I said above, it may have all been an act. But in the television drenched brains of many, the act was real. The audience at the San Diego area remained in stunned silence as McMahon strutted out.
The actions, even if faked, were disgusting. McMahon should apologize for violating another person's freedom of speech, and maybe publically set up a foundation ~ over which no one at WWE has any control ~ to promote the free discourse of opinion, as well as to establish a fund to aid disabled persons who have been assaulted by thugs.
What do you think, reader?
If you let WWE's Corporate Board of Directors know, will McMahon send a thug to trash your house, too? Here's the phone numbers and addresses to reach the WWE corporate offices.
This time WWE and McMahon personally went over the top. Return to entertaining us, Vince. Step back on the weird not so crypto-fascist politics.
Apparently it's perfectly acceptable to beat the crap out of a disabled person in front of an international audience ~ and ~ this kind of treatment is an acceptable response when dealing with someone you disagree with ~ if ~ you are rich and powerful enough to get away with it.
WWE Impressario Vince McMahon crossed the line last night from gruesome entertainment to violence porn. I find the abusive beating that popular wrestler Rey Mysterio received at McMahon's instruction totally "...without any socially redeeming value..."
Even worse, the rationale for McMahon's ordering the assault was because Rey Mysterio disagreed with McMahon's opinion. "I know ~ you can say your opinion, there's freedom of speech here..." baited McMahon to an obviously skeptical Rey Mysterio. And when Mysterio disagreed, McMahon ordered Umaga, a massive Samoan wrestler to trounce on him. Some respect for freedom of speech.
Before I go any further on my rant, let me make it clear that I throughly enjoy wrestling matches. For that matter, I find the matches erotic ~ I know I'm not alone on this one.
I have watched WWF/WWE matches for close to a couple of decades. I regularly tune in to WWE Smackdown on UPN Friday nights and try to check
out Spike-TV's Thursday night lineup of Ultimate Fight Competitions and Total Action Wrestling. Hell, I've even watched Fight Club twice. Frankly, I find Ultimate Fight Competitions more exciting than RAW or Smackdown. There's more focus on fighting and no wasted time devoted to pseudo-psychodrama or contender-preening sideshows.
I also recognize that the guys [and gals, what there are of them] who sign into the WWE empire do so of their own free will.
As combatants, they are fully aware that they may get injured in the process, even seriously. As entertainers when they go into the ring they often play out a role, and that could include acting as though they are injured.
That, in essence, is what is Kayfabe is all about. I know that a good part of what I see is replete with such as feuds, storylines, and gimmicks, rather like soap opera, and made to appear as if something is worse than it appears. ...so I'm not beyond thinking that what I saw might not have been real ...the seriousness of the injuries sustained by Rey Mysterio.
Having said that, I return to what was shown on Friday night. First there's the build-up. It comes in a couple of parts:
• Rey Mysterio enters the ring to cheers from his fans and a home town crowd. He's been out of the ringa few months, after his leg was broken by another challenger in a gruesome match. I can deal with that.• McMahon comes in full bore bully [playing the role of heel to Mysterio's crowd pleasing face, has the ring surrounded by a phalanx of beefy henchmen, effectively banning anyone from entering or leaving the ring without his say-so;
• McMahon then challenges Rey Mysterio to disagree with him on his choice of a wrestler against one that Billionaire egotist Donald Trump will select; Okay, so it's a big stunt designed to promote a bet between two rich boors; No problem with that either.
• But then the problems begin...
• After bringing the Samoan into the ring, who lurks thretening in the background McMahon asks Rey's opinion, "It's a free country. You have freeom of speech..."
• When Mysterior disagrees with McMahon, first showing him disdain, then outright disagreeing with him, McMahon sics the big wrestler on a man using a cane, obviously still physically disabled, attacks the injured leg with vigor and slams him down to the point that Rey appears to be unconscious.
• McMahon, clearly undisturbed at the actions he has put forward, leaves the ring, smirking, giving yet another plug about his challenge to Trump. Meanwhile, a team of EMTs rushes in to cart newly re-injured Rey out of the arena.
• The inherent messages?
• As I said at the top of this screed It's perfectly acceptable to beat the crap out of a disabled person in front of an international audience ~ and ~ this kind of treatment is an acceptable response when dealing with someone you disagree with ~ if ~ you are rich and powerful enough to get away with it.
For the rest of us, there is no freedom of speech.
It's not clear to me that McMahon has violated WWE Corporate's code of business conduct, but then it's McMahon's name on the front page of the Corporate Governance website, so perhaps he can change the rules as he pleases.
Examples of prohibited conduct include, without limitation:But Greenwich, Connecticut-based WWE and Mr. McMahon are still technically bound by laws that govern all American citizens, and aggrievated assault is a crime in my book, a serious one. Arrogantly beating another person into submission [or instructing some lackey to do so at your bidding] is evil, pure and simple.
* Interfering with a person’s ability to perform his/her job, or creating an offensive work environment through insulting or degrading remarks, gestures, propositions, jokes, tricks, displays of ...offensive symbols, objects or pictures or similar conduct related to a legally protected basis...
* Any threat of, or actual, retaliation against any person for reporting or filing claims of unlawful harassment.
As I said above, it may have all been an act. But in the television drenched brains of many, the act was real. The audience at the San Diego area remained in stunned silence as McMahon strutted out.
The actions, even if faked, were disgusting. McMahon should apologize for violating another person's freedom of speech, and maybe publically set up a foundation ~ over which no one at WWE has any control ~ to promote the free discourse of opinion, as well as to establish a fund to aid disabled persons who have been assaulted by thugs.
What do you think, reader?
If you let WWE's Corporate Board of Directors know, will McMahon send a thug to trash your house, too? Here's the phone numbers and addresses to reach the WWE corporate offices.
This time WWE and McMahon personally went over the top. Return to entertaining us, Vince. Step back on the weird not so crypto-fascist politics.
Labels: abuse, censorship, criminal acts, torture, Vince McMahon, violence porn, wrestling
¶ 10:37
