Babyfaces insulting foreign countries in WWE.

[MoS]

I thought of this when I came across this little gem http://www.buzzfeed.com/sahilrizwan/slow-burn#.jxDYJEKOy

Just to be clear, the group which "objected" to the live events is a very fringe, very racist right-wing group that honestly does not deserve any modicum of acknowledgement, much less a genuine response. But clearly, WWE did not want to take the chance. Their show here was a great success, despite the fact that if you account for price differential, the cost of tickets was astronomical.

 

Honestly, forget about being offended, this actually amused me. I genuinely do not remember this happening. I am not even sure if Angle was a babyface or a heel then. But it did make me think of how, until very recently, WWE babyfaces used to freely insult other countries and would get cheered for it. What are the more famous examples of this? I think the most high-profile recent example is La Resistance, but I could be wrong.

 

I am also curious as to when the situation changed. I remember WWE officially apologising after Big Show - inadvertently, I think - sort of disrespected the Russian flag. Old-time promoters, if they were alive, would have probably killed themselves in outrage. I am not sure if this changed when the PG era began; this seems to be a particularly recent occurrence.

[The Chief]

Godfather called England nothing but a place full of fags when he feuded with Regal

 

The French have always been portrayed as pansies by US babyfaces.

 

"I've never seen an attractive Oriental" paraphrasing Jim Ross

 

Lots of strange backhanded jabs at the Japanese by wrestlers and announcers when Yokozuna was champion

[Jingus]

I remember having an old bootleg tape of the uncut satellite feed from a Raw taping, including the announcers warming up over Heat/Shotgun matches. One of them included Jim Ross barely paying attention to a Kaientai match, and at one point he noted "they're applying an Oriental nerve hold... those bastards!" in a moment of deliberate self-parody.

 

Of course, they're still doing this shit TODAY with various heel gimmicks. Rusev, Evil Russian Commie (from Bulgaria) is the obvious one, but there's the League Of (foreign) Nations too. They're much more careful about the specific language they use to describe these villains, but it's still very damn obvious that we're mostly supposed to boo them because they're not 'Muricans.

[MoS]

I love Tiger Ali Singh's name. It shows such a spectacular lack of knowledge about, well, everything.

[Kil]

Lots of strange backhanded jabs at the Japanese by wrestlers and announcers when Yokozuna was champion

 

Nothing strange about it really, as Yoko's entire title run was based on the trend of Japan bashing sparked by this.

[Al]

 

 

Lots of strange backhanded jabs at the Japanese by wrestlers and announcers when Yokozuna was champion

Nothing strange about it really, as Yoko's entire title run was based on the trend of Japan bashing sparked by this.

I'm disappointed that wasn't a link to a movie review of Gung Ho.

[Eduardo]

Bret Hart, who was one of my favorite wrestlers as a child, talking shit about Mexican wrestling and Mexican wrestlers kinda fucked with me as a kid, ha. Seriously.

[C.S.]

I love Tiger Ali Singh's name. It shows such a spectacular lack of knowledge about, well, everything.

 

Unless I'm misunderstanding what you mean, this seems like a severe overreaction IMO.

 

His father was Tiger Jeet Singh, a very famous wrestler. Tiger Ali Singh's name was obviously a reference and tribute to that.

[Jingus]

I think he's talking about the "Ali". That's a Muslim name of Arabic origin, neither one of which even remotely describe the Singhs.

 

the trend of Japan bashing sparked by this.

Twenty years later, the same people who bashed Japan for that are saying precisely the same thing about young people or minorities or whomever else they don't like.

[sek69]

It always cracks me up (in all wrestling, not just WWE) when the All-American babyface stands up for America being the land of free speech by telling the foreign heel to shut up.

[C.S.]

I think he's talking about the "Ali". That's a Muslim name of Arabic origin, neither one of which even remotely describe the Singhs.

 

I have to think he picked it himself, with input from his father, so what's the issue?

 

The name's origins aren't only Muslim and Arabic, although you could hardly be blamed for assuming the worst about wrestling (and you may still be right to do just that).

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_%28name%29

[Infinit]

I'm pretty sure the "Ali" was a Muhammad Ali tribute/reference.

[Zenjo]

So the WWE issued an apology for something that happened 17 years ago. That's a ridiculous modern trend, the idea that people should have to apologise for events that happened in previous centuries. Like when politicians are called on to apologise for slavery or wartime atrocities that occurred before the person in question was even born, much less in power. It may have been a terrible thing at the time but fucking get over it seriously.

[sek69]

I'm sure it had everything to do with India being a large market of a billion+ people where folks give a shit about WWE (as opposed to China) rather than being concerned for any actual offense.

 

Like the wise man says, it's what's best for business.

[Al]

It's a low risk, high reward action. What do they have to lose by apologizing?

[GOTNW]

So the WWE issued an apology for something that happened 17 years ago. That's a ridiculous modern trend, the idea that people should have to apologise for events that happened in previous centuries. Like when politicians are called on to apologise for slavery or wartime atrocities that occurred before the person in question was even born, much less in power. It may have been a terrible thing at the time but fucking get over it seriously.

The people who are in charge now were in charge then though.

[Slasher]

 

I think he's talking about the "Ali". That's a Muslim name of Arabic origin, neither one of which even remotely describe the Singhs.

I have to think he picked it himself, with input from his father, so what's the issue?

 

The name's origins aren't only Muslim and Arabic, although you could hardly be blamed for assuming the worst about wrestling (and you may still be right to do just that).

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_%28name%29

Nah. The WWE is very much a micromanaging company that values names they can market or trademark. No way are they letting a guy of that caliber to pick his name.

[funkdoc]

i'd say Mr. Yamaguchi-San is def more egregious as far as that goes

[MoS]

 

I think he's talking about the "Ali". That's a Muslim name of Arabic origin, neither one of which even remotely describe the Singhs.

 

I have to think he picked it himself, with input from his father, so what's the issue?

 

The name's origins aren't only Muslim and Arabic, although you could hardly be blamed for assuming the worst about wrestling (and you may still be right to do just that).

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_%28name%29

 

 

There is no issue here. I am really, really not offended, and I apologise if I gave that impression. It's wrestling. In terms of ignorant things wrestling promoters have done, this does not crack the top 500.

 

But Jingus is right, except that there is more. "Ali" is a Muslim name, while "Singh" is a Hindu/Sikh name, and in India, there is a lot of bad blood between the communities, and there have been many really horrible riots, murders, violent acts between them. Generally, people who inter-marry are shunned by their respective communities, and often, do their best to not draw attention to that fact, and try not to name themselves that.

 

Again, I am not offended, and I do not support the ostracisation at all. If someone told me this was WWE's way of advocating for religious peace and respect, I would applaud them. But I have a hard time believing that. It sounds more like "Hmm. He is a foreigner, right? Well, Ali sounds like a foreigner, and Singh does as well, so let us give him that name, dammit!", and that makes me laugh, for some reason.

[Johnny Sorrow]

I totally remember that the Ali was in honor of Muhammad Ali.

There was an introductory deal where he said he was honoring his Father with "Tiger" and Muhammad with "Ali."

[MoS]

So the WWE issued an apology for something that happened 17 years ago. That's a ridiculous modern trend, the idea that people should have to apologise for events that happened in previous centuries. Like when politicians are called on to apologise for slavery or wartime atrocities that occurred before the person in question was even born, much less in power. It may have been a terrible thing at the time but fucking get over it seriously.

 

99% of people here did not give a fuck about that, nor did they want an apology. As I said, it was a fringe, right-wing group that did this, and it picked on it because they need molehills to make a mountain of and stay relevant.

[joeg]

The other day I was thinking of something, if a heel either from a coastal city or from the UK, ripped into each city, not at the shallow levels we are used to heels ripping into towns, but at a deeper level. A heel goes in and says your sports team sucks, the crowd might cheer in agreement. But if a heel goes and cuts a promo about local systemic problems of a city or a region and really rips the city and its residents a new asshole it would be interesting... I don't think anybody has ever done that and I think it would get incredible heat. Like if a heel goes to Detroit and cuts a promo saying that 50 years ago the largest employer in the country was Ford paying a livable wage, but now its Wallmart paying a slave wage. And that his german car cost more than the average row home in Detroit. Then went on to talk shit about everything going on with Flint. That could get somebody stabbed on the way out the building. Or if the heel were to come to DC and cut a promo on the gentrification occuring currently in the city and how the city has the greatest income inequality of any city in the country. Those are just examples, but you get the idea

[Jingus]

And then the inevitable media controversy would focus on the promotion rather than the heel. Wrestling used to be able to claim "the views of this person do not reflect the views of the WWF" or whatever, but everyone knows now that these guys are given a script and made to say this stuff. Muhammad Hassan's act didn't generate a great new heel, it ruined that guy's career and created all kinds of PR problems for the company.

[wwxwce]

[Slasher]

The other day I was thinking of something, if a heel either from a coastal city or from the UK, ripped into each city, not at the shallow levels we are used to heels ripping into towns, but at a deeper level. A heel goes in and says your sports team sucks, the crowd might cheer in agreement. But if a heel goes and cuts a promo about local systemic problems of a city or a region and really rips the city and its residents a new asshole it would be interesting... I don't think anybody has ever done that and I think it would get incredible heat. Like if a heel goes to Detroit and cuts a promo saying that 50 years ago the largest employer in the country was Ford paying a livable wage, but now its Wallmart paying a slave wage. And that his german car cost more than the average row home in Detroit. Then went on to talk shit about everything going on with Flint. That could get somebody stabbed on the way out the building. Or if the heel were to come to DC and cut a promo on the gentrification occuring currently in the city and how the city has the greatest income inequality of any city in the country. Those are just examples, but you get the idea

Isn't that what John Rocker basically did back in the late 90s?

 

Jingus- the sad thing about the whole Hassan thing is that his original gimmick was so creative and outside the box type thinking. But the WWE just couldn't stop themselves from going deeper into a rabbit hole and resorting to the shock value.