I thought I would just post an email I sent this morning. In case many people aren't aware, the WWE recently started an angle where Vince McMahon was getting into his limo when it exploded. This was to get him off televsion for a while - and of course, boost ratings - but they are playing it up that he died in real life (which he didn't) and are just consuming the show with all sorts of tributes to the guy.
Personally, I find the entire angle distasteful. Getting someone off televison is one thing, but killing him off in such a violent way? And treating every show like a memorial service?
And to make matters worse, Sensational Sherri - a former WWF star - tragically passed away last week, and yet they can't seem to find time in their show to do anything to remember her. And so for this, I am changing my long time saying to this:
F*** You, WWE!©
So, a guy had this column on it (he's a cool guy - we've emailed a few times about various wrestling things) and I emailed him. And then I sent it to the feedback section at WWE.com.
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Just read your latest column on Wrestleview and I couldn’t agree more. This last week of programming has only served to gain more media attention for the McMahon family and belittle the REAL deaths of former wrestlers like Owen Hart, Eddie Guerrero and, most recently, Sherri Martel
Firstly, I have to say that with the lack of guys like Shawn Michaels and Triple H on the roster, I have actually been excited to see what WWE were going to do; I’ve been pretty sick of seeing these guys hog the main event spotlight (totally reminds me of WCW when Hogan reigned), and without them around WWE were finally going to have to start giving other people a real push in the main event scene. And you want to get Vince McMahon of television? You won’t hear any complaints from me – I’ve been hoping for that for years!
But I’m just so offended by the way they have gone about this angle. The whole thing smacks of the Vince Russo approach to wrestling; if it’s terrible, it will get people’s attention. Blowing up a limo and having him presumed dead? Just a little over the top… and completely ludicrous! And honestly, I could almost handle that… but then on the following 3 shows not only do we have to sit through a ten bell salute for someone who is NOT dead, we also get subjected to guys like Mick Foley coming out to pay tribute to Vince and all he has done. And don’t even get me started on the whole ‘Whodunit?’ crap we are going to have to put up with for the next year or so, only for Vince to come back on TV and confront the person responsible, and then fight them at Wrestlemania where he wins every belt in the company and inducts himself into the WWE Hall of Fame, alongside Dennis Rodman and Cyndi Lauper. Or will it be a repeat of that whole "Higher Power" angle, where despite logic it’s revealed it was Vince all along?
Personally, I couldn’t care less. The last ten years have shown me something truly awful about Vince McMahon and the WWE Creative team; if it happens to a wrestler, we can make it part of the story. First we had the Montreal Screwjob, which seems to get up brought up at least once a year as a finish to a match. Seriously, how many times have we now seen a repeat of that as part of the story? Then you get Raw is Owen after he falls to his death in the middle of the freakin’ ring; you can’t stop an event after it happens, but you can exploit it the next night on TV? And we are only just getting a break from the 18 months of exploitation of Eddie Guerrero – I honestly don’t know how these people can justify anything that has gone on with that. Heck, even Steve Austin’s broken neck got glorified – remember Owen 3:16? And now next week, we get a special 3 hour tribute show to Vince McMahon...
Shoot me now.
And yet, when a former WWE Superstar – and recent Hall of Fame inductee – dies tragically, what do they get? A moment of silence. I even just looked at WWE.com and under the 117 stories about Vince McMahon, there is finally some mention of Sensational Sherri right at the bottom of the page. So while the WWE makes the most they can out of pretending someone was killed on their show, they continue to ignore the real-life tragedy of someone that gave their all to the business that WWE claims to be. Way to show proper respect to your former employees who made your company what it is today.
I must add, that I’ve lost respect for Mick Foley over this too. For a guy who was so close to Owen Hart and Eddie Guerrero, and felt the pain of their tragic deaths, to play a part in this angle is not something I understand at all. I know people will say that "It’s his job" and "He still has to feed his family" and while I totally agree, you can’t tell me that a guy like Mick Foley can’t afford to say "NO" to this.
For me, this is the absolute final straw; after 18 months of watching Eddie Guerrero’s name being splattered all over the screen just to further Rey Mysterio’s career, after watching Vince McMahon call for a bell during a submission maneuver for ten years, and after watching countless legends get passed over so Vince can induct pointless celebrities into the WWE Hall of Fame, this story and it’s execution has just really bothered me far too much. Giving Vince McMahon even more airtime after his fake death is one thing, but to then place so little worth on the passing of a former superstar – a Hall of Famer, no less – is inexcusable. So, I am hereby boycotting WWE programming for the rest of my life. No longer will I spend money on Pay-per View events, live shows, DVDs or any other merchandise – I refuse to support and contribute to a company that shows again and again that human life is nothing they respect. To me, they are making a mockery of those that lose loved ones everyday, while continuing to ignore the contributions of Superstars of the past. If I get curious about what’s happening, I can always find results online – and at least then I don’t have to sit through all the crap they put on TV. But WWE are certainly not getting a single dime out of me again.
Its times like this I miss WCW even more. They may have done some stupid stories, but I know they would never have gone this low.
As far as I’m concerned, Vince McMahon, the Creative team and everyone at WWE involved in this angle can go to hell.
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