Thoughts on WWE and the Culture of Complacency

The build-up and culmination of WrestleMania 42 confirmed many beliefs and suspicions, but none more important than this: World Wrestling Entertainment serves as a perfect reflection of modern times, particularly in the United States. 

The company is an avatar for what this great country is all about: greed, contempt, and unwavering support and devotion from a cult-like fanbase, who are far too stupid and proud to admit they've been duped by a collection of selfish, predatory ghouls. 

Sounds familiar, alright.

WrestleMania 42 was a soulless cash grab, a two-night event filled with nonsensical drivel that would make Vince Russo blush with embarrassment. I took immense delight in seeing it all unfold, and it only hardened my belief that this company should die an unceremonious death. It's extremely difficult to feel sorry for anyone who supports this gutless company; in fact, I sincerely believe they deserve it and more. 

It's a harsh but reasonable sentiment, at least from my point of view. The WWE Universe has continuously regressed, comprised of sports entertainment's version of Disney Adults and their broccoli-haired children. They are not fans, but brainwashed fools with the biggest victim complex you've ever seen. They believe they are part of an army that is fighting back against unfair criticism from bitter AEW fans - or anyone who dares criticize the company Vince McMahon built. 

WWE president Nick Khan is well aware of their unflinching devotion. The evil Khan was asked about WrestleMania 42 ticket prices during an appearance at the SBJ CAA World Congress of Sports convention and had this to say, "We're feeling good. Last year, we set records, which we set the year prior to that. So this year we think it's going to get close to that record, but fingers crossed." He would ominously continue with, "The marketplace dictates the ticket prices." 

In other words, it simply does not matter what WWE produces because there's a large core audience that will stick with them to the bitter end. I've already written my feelings about these mutants, so I'll keep this point short: you are suckers. Period. You are being used and abused by wealthy assholes who wouldn't piss on you if you were on fire - and that extends to some of their talent, as well. You are a dollar sign to them, nothing more. WWE is acting like any large, unregulated corporation: they look down on their customers with contempt and are annoyed that they have to go through you to get your cash. 

Still, WWE would make several attempts to increase ticket sales: they begged recently retired John Cena to make time in his busy Hollywood schedule and serve as the event's host. I never understood why anyone would purchase a ticket to see someone fucking hosting an event, but it seems popular with the Fedcels.

But it was interference from TKO's CEO and Executive Chairman, Ari Emanuel, that really highlighted how creatively bankrupt this company actually is: the inclusion of Pat McAfee as a central figure in the Night One main event of Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton.

Orton had been teasing a mystery ally in another effort to move tickets, and online speculation had predictably grown rampant. WrestleMania 42 could be saved if Orton aligned himself with a recently departed AEW star, or perhaps someone being brought up from NXT. Hell, the idea of a returning Ted DiBiase Jr. was consistently being retweeted to my timeline. 

Instead, it was McAfee. Color commentator, ex-NFL punter, and the current face of ESPN. Emanuel is evidently a big fan of his work, and reportedly wants to build the entire WWE around him. 

What followed was an utterly confusing and stupid storyline in which McAfee consistently criticized WWE's current state. McAfee made sure to hit the typical talking points: expensive ticket prices, disappointing sales, and a slip in ratings. He was interested in a WRESTLEMANIA MAIN EVENT ANGLE by someone who doesn't know dick about pro wrestling.

Still, two things have become crystal clear: 1. TKO does have total control over WWE creative; 2. Paul Levesque and his entire creative team are frauds. They were given a task by their boss, and they couldn't have failed harder had they tried. There was an air of defeat and contempt for their new corporate overload. Khan and Emanuel care about one thing: making a lot of money, no matter how it's accomplished, so long as the fans are happy.

Big Nose and his team of moronic bootlickers simply failed at getting the job done. They failed during the initial build to 'Mania, and especially failed in spectacular fashion after Emanuel's directive. Remember, racist country music star Jelly Roll was also part of the Orton-Rhodes feud, and subsequent match (wherein he did an embarrassing elbow drop spot from the top of...the adjacent announcer's table). 

It's even more difficult to feel an ounce of sympathy for Rhodes, who has been repeatedly dicked around with the 'Mania main event since his return to The Fed. I've made my dislike of the Codester no secret. I do not believe he is an inherently evil person, but I've always felt a sense of disingenuousness radiating from him. He reminds me of a carefully crafted politician, someone who presents himself as a reasonable and fair person, yet aligns himself with an entity that should repulse him. 

He's unsettling to look at. The man is a blatant rip-off of Homelander from The Boys, and that alone should make you question his sincerity; after all, the character he presents to the public is a total fraud. Homelander has bleached-blond hair, patriotic, superhero-like attire, and a shit-eating grin when in public. Rhodes has him beat, though, with American iconography usually associated with the far-right tattooed on his neck. It just seems fitting for someone like the Codester to be one of the bigger faces in modern WWE. 

The match sounded horrendous, and capped off one of the worst wrestling events of the year (perhaps the last several years). It included mega-popular streamer in IShowSpeed, the return of Paige, and a Gunther-Rollins match that predictably wow'ed an utterly ignorant audience. Oh, and Liv Morgan made one of the cringiest entrances in WrestleMania history, one of the ultimate sins a talent could commit in the eyes of the Federales. 

Night Two was reportedly a far better show, capped with what has been described as an incredible main event between CM Punk and Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. I'll have to take their word for it.

One of the focal points of Night Two was the result of the Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi match, and whether Lesnar would lay down for this budding superstar. He did, and then proceeded to shock the WWE Universe by leaving his boots in the ring, signaling an abrupt retirement. 

Lesnar is named dozens of times in the Janel Grant lawsuit. He was accused of heinous behavior, and the wrestling world would surely be better off without him in it ever again; yet, there he was, participating in another 'Mania, and actually received kudos for "doing the right thing" by losing to Femi. The WWE audience showered him with "Thank you, Brock" chants, too. It appears WWE will take a page from the Trump administration's playbook and become a haven for the Canceled, a place where they can "right" a terrible injustice. 

This same fanbase, by the way, chanted "Thank You Vince" during Stephanie McMahon's Hall of Fame speech. Oh, and the Hall of Fame was yet another embarrassing chapter of the weekend, as Sid Eudy's family expressed their disappointment with how little their recently deceased father was honored. It's an absolute disgrace, but ultimately the result of lying with dogs. You're going to get their fleas.

WWE gets away with it because they're simply allowed to. The wrestling media has regressed and is woefully unprepared to meet this moment. WWE wants to monopolize the professional wrestling industry, far worse than what happened after their acquisition of WCW. They do not want a world where any other form of pro wrestling exists, let alone thrives. They have put their fingerprints all over TNA, purchased AAA, and will probably put TNA out of its misery in the near future. They are predators, or an aggressive form of cancer quickly spreads. 

The media needs to ask far deeper questions than, "When are you coming back to the town?" The WWE has existed for over 40 years and has been plagued by scandal after scandal after scandal. It is baffling that none of these "journalists" feel compelled to, you know, practice actual journalism. Some argue they are not journalists, but it's difficult to put a label on them. 

They are largely a collection of good, honest people who are clearly fans of the industry (some more than others); that being said, they selfishly want to wear a bunch of different hats: I break news, but don't call me a journalist. I review shows, but don't call me a fan. I interview talent but don't point out any potential conflicts of interest. 

The wrestling media serves as a stenographer for WWE. They're sent bullshit PR statements, which typically never challenge the claims made by WWE, not nearly as much as they should. They engage in "whataboutism" far too often, too. "AEW did this, AEW did that, why is it a problem when WWE does it, etc." 

But the biggest issue I have with the media is how quick they are to forgive this company, so long as they received at least one awesome 'Mania match and a bunch of overproduced entrances. My Twitter timeline was disgraceful following Night Two, with wrestling reporters heralding the main event as one of the best 'Mania bouts ever. Who fucking cares, man? The media has lowered the bar for WWE to laughable degrees, and it keeps getting worse. They are missing the forest for the trees. 

There is a Culture of Complacency surrounding the WWE, and their fans and media are two of the biggest culprits for allowing it. There seems to be a sentiment that being "unbiased" means recognizing all the good things WWE does while not paying too much attention to the bad. That's horseshit. 

In the words of the iconic Dril about the terror group known as ISIL: "you do not, under any circumstances, 'gotta hand it to them.'"