[1997-10-06-WWF-Raw] Interview: Melanie Pillman

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

After milking this for ratings all night, Vince interviews -- on live television -- the wife of a wrestler who died two days earlier. She confirms that Brian had a heart attack. Vince acknowledges the rumors that Brian overdosed on pain pills. They zoom in on her crying as Vince asks about Brian's children and Vince asks her how as a single parent she's going to support her five children. If this wasn't most disgusting promotional tactic of 1997, it should have been, even though I acknowledge that the competition is tough in this particular year. Melanie closes by saying that Pillman lived and died for wrestling, and that she hopes no one else has to die.

 

This is closed out with a video narrated by Jim Ross.

 

A bitter dose of reality during the height of wrestling fandom.

 

Oh well, back to business, right?

[Robert S]

If this wasn't most disgusting promotional tactic of 1997, it should have been, even though I acknowledge that the competition is tough in this particular year.

This did "win" the WON award for most disgusting promotional tactic.

[Kevin Ridge]

Hate, hate, hate this interview and just days after his death.

[Zenjo]

There were probably some people expecting Brian Pillman to return on Raw the following week. It's hard to believe this was reality and they actually did this interview.

[soup23]

Few things left in wrestling floor me at how tone deaf they are. I hadn't seen this in many years and when it happened live, I wasn't able to fully understand the ramifications of how tasteless it was. watching this segment 17 years later, and on a day that Vince lost 350 million dollars felt fitting. The psychological brain of Vince had to be a mess around this time but that gives no excuse to this travesty of exploitation and the way he asked the terrible questions. I honestly don't know if any promotional tactic done before or after this sits as badly for me as this segment does.

[Robert S]

Just watched this again (for the first time in 17 years). I am really not sure what to say. I am torn between "there is some special place in hell for Vince" and "how was nobody able to talk Vince out this". People were talking boycot after the Montreal screwjob, but they should have definitely gone home after this interview, at least the people who had any connection to Pillman. Somehow Fritz von Erich does not look that bad anymore earning money using the deaths of his kids, at least it was his own family.

[PeteF3]

This is--incredibly--tone-deaf in more ways than I can even remember--asking Melanie to do a fucking on-the-spot PSA to aspiring wrestlers for not taking too many pain pills?? Jesus God. And then he asks her about the status of their children as the camera zooms in on Melanie's face. "What will you do now as a single parent?" I really hope she wasn't coached on some of these talking points about WWF support and Pillman and living and dying for the business.

 

Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic of the Decade, not year, as if it was even a debate.

[flyonthewall2983]

Listening to the recent episode of the Bruce Prichard show about Pillman's time in the WWF, and I gather that there was somewhat of a good reason for doing this. I guess she was being bombarded by requests for interviews from other media outlets but gave it to Vince because she knew he'd pay her back for it. Still doesn't make it any less disgusting on Vince's part, he could have given her a couple weeks to grieve to do it at least.

[Exposer]

This is awful. I don't like this at all. There is some interesting conversation to be had about painkillers in sports, but this isn't the setting or the time for that conversation. One of the most tasteless things WWE has ever done.