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[Deleted member 47027]

New article from the Washington Post about Jinder Mahal's scripted promo on Smackdown this week.

WWE champion Jinder Mahal looked every bit the dastardly pro wrestler Tuesday night, striking an imposing 6-foot-5 figure in a tan suit and black turban and bellowing insults about his rival, fan favorite Shinsuke Nakamura. Smiling slyly, however, the mood changed for some at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., when Mahal, WWE’s first champion of Indian descent, opened his mouth.

“You always ‘rook’ the same,” Mahal said during the live “SmackDown” telecast, mocking his Japanese opponent’s facial expressions and accent.

“They call you Mr. Miyagi,” he later added referring to a Japanese character in “The Karate Kid,” as he and the Singh Brothers, his two lackeys who accompanied him to the ring, mimed martial arts poses.

The audience didn’t know quite how to respond to Mahal, whose real name is Yuvraj Singh Dhesi and whose material is scripted. If this was an attempt to paint the champion as a hypocrite, following months of him courting boos by accusing American audiences of xenophobia jingoism, it didn’t seem to land.

“That’s racist,” spectators could be heard shouting as Mahal delivered the lines. Later in Mahal’s five-minute spiel, fans collaborated to chant, “That’s too far!”

Much more at the link.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...cripted-rant-has-fans-chanting-thats-too-far/

WWE's response:

When reached for comment, WWE said in a statement, “Just like many other TV shows or movies, WWE creates programming with fictional personalities that cover real world issues and sensitive subjects.”

Separating creative from corporate, WWE added, echoing nearly verbatim what it said following the Hogan scandal, “As a producer of such TV shows, WWE Corporate is committed to embracing and celebrating individuals from all backgrounds as demonstrated by the diversity of our employees, performers and fans worldwide.”

WWE has not been promoting Mahal's promo at all on its Youtube page. From a BleacherReport article:

One might argue that Mahal generated genuine heel heat here, but there's a big difference between the crowd booing the material and the crowd booing the performer. The former is happening as of now.

WWE seems to have realized that after the fact.

Dave Meltzer's perspective:
“People are different, the product is different and society is different,” Meltzer said. “You look at stuff that was done even 15-20 years ago, and a large percentage of it, you’d go, you could never do that now.”

“I see this reaction as another example as to why they’ll be very careful not to do it again,” Meltzer added.

Thoughts?

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Nothing will change until Vince dies.

 

[FyreWulff]

Dated pop culture reference? Yep, Vince. Business won't improve until he's gone.

 

[parrotbeak]

Is this what that republican meant when he talked about reds vs yellows?

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/el...didate-says-reds-yellows-are-fighting-n802461

 

[norm9]

I remember WWE having a terrorist angle leading up to 9/11.

 

[Host Samurai]

Can you imagine if the OG Goldust character debuted in todays climate? Watch some WWF circa late 95/ early 96 and I can't believe the shit that they would say.

 

[JeremyEtcetera]

Nothing will change until Vince dies.

Dated pop culture reference? Yep, Vince. Business won't improve until he's gone.

Right as I was about to type Vince's name. He's still booking everything based on hannah barbara cartoons.

 

[Farsi]

Vince's response?

"Bring back Cryme Tyme"

 

[Savitar]

Sounds like something that Vince still gets his yucks about, the guy is known to have a backwards sense of humor.

 

[adj_noun]

I guess we never did go that far from "choppy choppy your pee pee".

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Nothing will change until Vince dies.

and Triple H takes over...oh wait

 

[Indelible]

The segment was so bad, it is sad that this is the best they can come up with for Nakamura.

 

[Puck Beaverton]

Owned by Vince continue giving him money you marks.

 

[Zombie James]

The thing is, the product today is so heavily scripted that you can't blame the wrestler for it at all. It's all on the small army of writers and Vince for rubber-stamping this racist shit.

 

[Shauni]

I remember WWE having a terrorist angle leading up to 9/11.

If you're talking about what I think you're talking about, that was well after 9/11. He was written off TV after a terrorist attack in either France or Britian and I think the guy quit the industry after his experiences. It was 2004 or 2005, I think

 

[legacyzero]

and Triple H takes over...oh wait

Holy shit I remember this. Was sooo long ago. Was this even a contentious subject back then?

 

[Evening Musuko]

Looks like another example of WWE desperately trying to get heat on a cold angle and going way too far.

 

[norm9]

This is the guy that disrespected the legacy of Mae Young and The Fabulous Moolah by calling the women's title, the Diva's title with the shit ass Spencer's Gifts design.

 

[adj_noun]

Holy shit I remember this. Was sooo long ago. Was this even a contentious subject back then?

Not remotely like the reaction it would get today, IIRC.

 

[Deleted member 47027]

This is the guy that disrespected the legacy of Mae Young and The Fabulous Moolah by calling the women's title, the Diva's title with the shit ass Spencer's Gifts design.

Legacy of Moolah? You serious?

LEGACY of Moolah? Legacy of what? After all she did?!

 

[Musolf815]

It was really bad. I seriously can't wait til Jinder's title reign is over, but we still have Road Dogg booking to look forward to afterwards.

 

[Dental Plan]

I'm wondering if it is in the Hulu cut of Smackdown Live. I'm going to watch it tonight since I missed SDL yesterday.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

This is the guy that disrespected the legacy of Mae Young and The Fabulous Moolah by calling the women's title, the Diva's title with the shit ass Spencer's Gifts design.

Moolah shit on her own legacy.

 

[Deleted member 47027]

I'm wondering if it is in the Hulu cut of Smackdown Live. I'm going to watch it tonight since I missed SDL yesterday.

It is, SD doesn't get snipped. Watched it today. I don't watch it live.

 

[Sibersk Esto]

This is the guy that disrespected the legacy of Mae Young and The Fabulous Moolah by calling the women's title, the Diva's title with the shit ass Spencer's Gifts design.

Yeah but...fuck the Fabulous Moolah.

 

[Violence Jack]

Muhammad Hassan got canned because a group called ISIL (wearing black masks spoofing ISIS) attacked the Undertaker, and somehow Vince didn't think that would make viewers upset 3 days after a London bombing attack.

Vince just can't help himself when it comes to approving racist scripted shit.

 

[norm9]

If you're talking about what I think you're talking about, that was well after 9/11. He was written off TV after a terrorist attack in either France or Britian and I think the guy quit the industry after his experiences.

I distinctly recall for weeks on end they'd have the terrorist characters with black masks on running around doing stupid shit like kidnapping wrestlers, and then 9/11 happened and it all stopped the week after. My timeline could be wrong though.

Legacy of Moolah? You serious?

LEGACY of Moolah? Legacy of what? After all she did?!

Moolah shit on her own legacy.

Yeah but...fuck the Fabulous Moolah.

Uh oh, what did I miss?

 

[Sibersk Esto]

Muhammad Hassan got canned because a group called ISIL (wearing black masks spoofing ISIS) attacked the Undertaker, and somehow Vince didn't think that would make viewers upset.

Vince just can't help himself when it comes to approving racist scripted shit.

...This was way before ISIS.

 

[Deleted member 47027]

Muhammad Hassan got canned because a group called ISIL (wearing black masks spoofing ISIS) attacked the Undertaker, and somehow Vince didn't think that would make viewers upset.

Vince just can't help himself when it comes to approving racist scripted shit.

ISIS wasn't around back then, unless there's a serious gap in my knowledge.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

I distinctly recall for weeks on end they'd have the terrorist characters with black masks on running around doing stupid shit like kidnapping wrestlers, and then 9/11 happened and it all stopped the week after. My timeline could be wrong though.

You might be thinking of the Ministry of Darkness, but I don't think that angle ran til 2001. The one with the actual middle eastern terrorists was Muhammad Hassan, and it was happening in like 2005 until the London terrorist bombings when it magically disappeared because sponsors and IIRC the network told Vince to cut the character.

Uh oh, what did I miss?

Moolah would force her wrestling students to prostitute for her.

 

[What did he mean by this?]

Of course Vince gives the nonwhite wrestler the racism "character"

 

[Dental Plan]

It is, SD doesn't get snipped. Watched it today. I don't watch it live.

Ah okay, I guess that's good? I'm really interested to see how it was as I've only read about it online.

 

[hypernima]

If you're talking about what I think you're talking about, that was well after 9/11. He was written off TV after a terrorist attack in either France or Britian and I think the guy quit the industry after his experiences. It was 2004 or 2005, I think

I remember that if it's the same thing. Funny thing is Muhammad Hassan wasn't even Arab.

 

[yanipheonu]

As someone who only occasionally watches WWE with friends, the xenophobia on display in some of the bits always hit me straight in the face. It can be pretty blatant.

 

[Farsi]

Muhammad Hassan got canned because a group called ISIL (wearing black masks spoofing ISIS) attacked the Undertaker, and somehow Vince didn't think that would make viewers upset.

Vince just can't help himself when it comes to approving racist scripted shit.

I remember this. This was during the week of the London attacks I believe. Wasn't Hassan suppose to be their next big thing? I still remember the heat he got whenever he came out.

 

[Archaix]

Huh, so that's what they do when they can't get by on "Be racist towards that guy, he's the bad guy because he's foreign"?

 

[Violence Jack]

ISIS wasn't around back then, unless there's a serious gap in my knowledge.

I swore ISIS has been around since 2003-2004.

 

[JeremyEtcetera]

Muhammad Hassan got canned because a group called ISIL (wearing black masks spoofing ISIS) attacked the Undertaker, and somehow Vince didn't think that would make viewers upset 3 days after a London bombing attack.

Vince just can't help himself when it comes to approving racist scripted shit.

This would make Vince a time traveler.

 

[Heroman]

As someone who only occasionally watches WWE with friends, the xenophobia on display in some of the bits always hit me straight in the face. It can be pretty blatant.

Xenophobia is sadly a staple of the sport across the world.

 

[Dark Ninja]

Of course Vince gives the nonwhite wrestler the racism "character"

I guess you missed JBL kicking out "Illegals" at the Mexican Border.

 

[Shauni]

I distinctly recall for weeks on end they'd have the terrorist characters with black masks on running around doing stupid shit like kidnapping wrestlers, and then 9/11 happened and it all stopped the week after. My timeline could be wrong though

Sure you're not just thinking of Muhammad Hassan? He had henchmen doing that. That was 2004 or 2005. I don't recall anything like that pre-2001, but I could be mistaken

 

[Deleted member 47027]

I swore ISIS had been around since 2003-2004.

Well, the band was, at least. Talk about an unfortunate name.

 

[Striker]

If you're talking about what I think you're talking about, that was well after 9/11. He was written off TV after a terrorist attack in either France or Britian and I think the guy quit the industry after his experiences. It was 2004 or 2005, I think

Their mistake was airing it after the London bombing. Hassan got fucked for no reason.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

They are right in that these are characters, but in any other TV show if a character is racist to another character, it would be addressed, in some way. The age old wrestling trope of using racism to simply draw heat doesn't fly anymore, but Vince and his goons are stuck in 1970 so I'm not surprised they think they can still get away with it.

 

[Deleted member 47027]

They are right in that these are characters, but in any other TV show if a character is racist to another character, it would be addressed, in some way. The age old wrestling trope of using racism to simply draw heat doesn't fly anymore, but Vince and his goons are stuck in 1970 so I'm not surprised they think they can still get away with it.

Well, we haven't seen the 'payoff' yet. But I'm not optimistic, based on WWE's track record.

 

[Fox318]

Vince had the company use the drug overdose of Ric Flair's son in storyline (which is gross enough) and didn't even ask the family about it before hand.

Stephanie McMahon compared 9/11 to her father getting busted for running an illegal steroid ring

The list can go on and on but the bottom line is the family that runs that company is morally corrupt.

 

[norm9]

Sure you're not just thinking of Muhammad Hassan? He had henchmen doing that. That was 2004 or 2005. I don't recall anything like that pre-2001, but I could be mistaken

Others are right. I was thinking of Muhammad Hassan. And I was mistaking 9/11 for the London bombings. That angle was so lame I couldn't believe it.

 

[Finky Spunky]

Orton said it best, "the people don't like you because you're Indian, Jinder. They don't like you because you're a jackass"

Like putting shinsuke nakamura's face on the screen and mocking it? Really!? At least call the dude out to the ring

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

and Triple H takes over...oh wait

Yes, but these days I think he knows the importance of branding and philanthropy.

 

[Sibersk Esto]

Don't worry, I'm sure HHH will never...