Back In The USSR: Is Rusev's New Pro-Russian Gimmick Offensive?

[dsrchris 190]

So...are we all just gonna pretend Lana's ode to Putin and Rusev's switch to Russian didn't happen? Because I thought it was frickin' awesome. Like, the ideal thing they could've done to get Rusev over as a heel. There were almost instantaneous USA chants, and if they continue to play this whole thing up it could be great. Only problem is I quite like "The Bulgarian Brute" as a nickname, so I dunno what they'll do now he's professing to have relocated to mother Russia?

 

The Russian Ruffian? The Bolshevik Beast? The Curse of Crimea?

 

What I really want to see is "People of America rrrrrrise and show rrrespect" as the Russian National Anthem starts to play and the tron turns into a giant Russian flag with a topless Putin superimposed over it. :lol

 

I can't believe nobody else mentioned this yet? Especially the strange amount of offence R-Truth got in? I don't think I've seen him hit that many moves in the last 12 months?

 

Oh and props for them keeping Lana's little toned down version of Rusev's music for her to strut her stuff to. I'm kinda liking what this CFO$ guy is doing recently.

 

[video=youtube;hSI3lhhjSQ8]

 

Totally sounds like Super Smash Bros too. Which isn't a bad thing at all. :D

Edited May 6, 2014 by dsrchris

[Guest HH-Evolution]

I don't really care for Rusev at all....but Lana? She can strut down that ramp anytime! :lol

[dsrchris 190]

I'd take Rusev over someone like Koslov anyday of the week. If they're inisistent on having a brutal Russian, then I'd much rather it was a legitmately athletic, powerful guy like Rusev.

 

But then I've been a mark for him since his NXT appearances, and then they gave him that EPIC entrance music and Lana, and I've been sold completely ever since. The whole Putin thing is just icing on the big brutal Russian cake.

[Shaun2J 127]

Exactly that. I just skimmed over some posts around the net, are some people really complaining about the whole Putin thing? Same as Catholics complaining about Pedo Wyatt?

 

Get a grip man.

[dsrchris 190]

Exactly that. I just skimmed over some posts around the net, are some people really complaining about the whole Putin thing? Same as Catholics complaining about Pedo Wyatt?

 

Get a grip man.

 

Yep. Some 'Mericans have been having a bit of a tizzy because Russia's the "bad guy" and WWE are openly using that to their advantage. Pretty much the same kinds of people who flipped their sh*t about Sgt Slaughter "defecting" during the first gulf conflict.

 

Oh, and some of the Christian group rage about Bray using kids and sullying one of God's hymns has been hilarious.

 

Grow up 'Merica. This is why no-one takes you seriously when you spaz out about the big things any more!

 

Personally, I think it's really quite clever of WWE to latch on to yet more Xenophobia and ride that wave for all it's worth. As soon as Lana started talking on Sunday about "a man I admire" I got my hopes up that they'd use a big Putin picture. And then they did, and it was glorious. :lol

 

http://cdn.inquisitr.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Vladimir-Putin-at-Extreme-Rules-665x385.jpg

Edited May 6, 2014 by dsrchris

[Guest John Hancock]

So...are we all just gonna pretend Lana's ode to Putin and Rusev's switch to Russian didn't happen? Because I thought it was frickin' awesome. Like, the ideal thing they could've done to get Rusev over as a heel. There were almost instantaneous USA chants, and if they continue to play this whole thing up it could be great. Only problem is I quite like "The Bulgarian Brute" as a nickname, so I dunno what they'll do now he's professing to have relocated to mother Russia?

 

I think WWE wish they could pretend Rusev's Russian, but they'd have to stick some awkward clothes on him, MVP style, because he has a massive tattoo of Bulgaria and the Bulgarian flag on his arm. It hasn't really stopped them, the Soviet Union never really broke up in WWE, JBL was still referring to Russia being Bulgaria's mother country on RAW.

 

The only reason I'd separate Lana from Sgt. Slaughter is that the Gulf War was an actual thing that actually happened, so it was free game. This is a really tense political situation, with Vince in the background yelling "F*CK RUSSIA" at the top of his lungs for no reason. I'm not on the "ban this filth" side (to be fair, I haven't even been aware that side exists in either this or the Bray Wyatt thing), but I think there's a difference between making heels out of a country you're at war with, and making heels out of a country you're trying really hard not to be at war with. The Edward Snowden reference was just bizarre, although it was a funny little insight into how right-wing Vince McMahon is, that he couldn't fathom a world in which New Yorkers would have conflicted feelings about that issue, and wouldn't just instantly boo his name.

 

Also, WWE's constant clumsiness with exactly what Eastern Europe is is kinda gross.

Edited May 6, 2014 by John Hancock

[dsrchris 190]

Just been checking out some more of the rage on the internet, and this is flat out hilarious.

 

And I quote:

 

@WWE What the hell is wrong with you ? Even mentioning Putin on a WWE show, who has anti-gay laws in place ! So much for "No H8t"...

 

@WWE How can you mention V.V.Putin in storyline, when he’s the world aggressor? It’s not politically correct right now.

 

I guess WWE didn't think about the Ukraine trouble when praising Vladermir Putin and that goes well with #beastar #ExtremeRules

 

I don't think you should be allowed to b*tch about it if you can't even be bothered to spell Vladimir correctly. What makes me laugh the most is knowing Vince is sitting somewhere reading these reports and rubbing his hands together with chilidish glee.

 

Gotta love the "HOW DARE YOU SUPPORT PUTIN?!!!?!!1!" rage. Do these people even understand how wrestling works, or are they just wading in because it's the Politically Correct thing to do. Jesus, if they want to combat injustice that much, why not focus your attention on something relevant and not clearly scripted to provoke a reaction? Jeesus.

[Guest John Hancock]

Heaven forfend that the WWE supports an aggressive nationalist who hates gay people and ethnic minorities.

 

http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Donald+Trump+Vince+McMahon+Make+WWE+History+p_rNbc_Vi_Vl.jpg

[dsrchris 190]

Yeah, but that one's not from a foreign country. If you're born in the US then it's fine.

[Guest John Hancock]

I thought Donald Trump was born in Kenya or something.

[dsrchris 190]

Was he? Shows what I know.

 

Okay then, he's rich and pretending to be American. That's good enough for most.

 

Actually, what was all that about with him giving Obama grief about wanting to see his birth certificate then? Pot, Kettle, all that jazz?

 

EDIT: Wikipedia has him down as being born in Queens. But then Wiki's not the most trustworthy of sources, so Lord knows?

[Guest John Hancock]

I refuse to explain jokes, so I'll just shake my head at you in solemn disappointment.

[Chris2K 176]

I will join with the head shaking but also offer some help - Chris, look up "Trump birth certificate".

 

Just to ignore the Putin thing momentarily I would like to praise Lana's new entrance where she stands there for a while to show her cleavage, then turns around as if to say "look, here is my ass", and then turns back around to talk.

[ViciousPrism 177]

Was he? Shows what I know.

 

Okay then, he's rich and pretending to be American. That's good enough for most.

 

Actually, what was all that about with him giving Obama grief about wanting to see his birth certificate then? Pot, Kettle, all that jazz?

 

EDIT: Wikipedia has him down as being born in Queens. But then Wiki's not the most trustworthy of sources, so Lord knows?

 

:lol:lol

 

Way to Dean it, Chris.

[dsrchris 190]

I have now realised just how much I've Deaned it. If anyone wants me for the rest of the night, I'll be in the corner drinking Irn Bru and asking everybody how it's going. :P

 

Just to ignore the Putin thing momentarily I would like to praise Lana's new entrance where she stands there for a while to show her cleavage, then turns around as if to say "look, here is my ass", and then turns back around to talk.

 

Yes!

[Guest Magic]

Be warned, you'll wake up with a bitching hangover.

[Maxximus 353]

I'm fine with Putin. Who cares really? No one that's who. All these nay saying patriots and concerned catholic parents are all trolls and master rusemen.

[DC 536]

I just love the fact that they appear to be bringing back the stereotypical Russian heel gimmick... and it's working so far.It reminds me of when Umaga debuted and there was a deluge of comments about how a Samoan savage gimmick couldn't work in the modern era.

 

I hope "they" are just as wrong about this as they were about Umaga.

[Guest Ciaran The King]

WWE's current Russian/European gimmick isn't so much offensive it's just really bad timing. At a time when the Ukranian situation is gathering steam and many countries are heavily involved especially Russia it's not very intelligent to try and profit from it. Personally I just think WWE look silly

[Guest John Hancock]

Bad timing, or good timing? Surely a pro-Putin, anti-European, anti-American, semi-Soviet gimmick wouldn't make any sense, and would just be an anachronistic throw-back if the Ukrainian crisis wasn't happening?

[dsrchris 190]

Yeah, if anything well done WWE for doing something relevant, instead of waiting until it's about 6 months too late and then trying to do something.

[Guest Ciaran The King]

Not to be all doom and gloom, but Putin (Russia) are currently linked to the Ukraine where people are dying. So if you read the papers, watch the news then you will see how it connects. I also think is there nothing more WWE could do than another anti American gimmick!!!!!

[dsrchris 190]

Dude, this has been happening forever and a day, so Ukraine has nothing really to do with it other than being annexed by the current "big bad of the world" in the news.

 

During the 80's we had the cold war, and the Russians were bad guys, during the early 90s there was Desert Storm so WWE had Iraqi bad guys (and an American defector, ooooh), in the early 2000s we had Muhammad Hassan (although admittedly the guys in balaclavas strangling the Undertaker may have been a smidge too far.

 

My point is that this has always happened in wrestling. People use current events to help the audience to associate and empathise with the story they're trying to tell. This is no different, regardless of what you or any of those other folks on the internet (or the PC brigade) think.

[Guest John Hancock]

Not to be all doom and gloom, but Putin (Russia) are currently linked to the Ukraine where people are dying. So if you read the papers, watch the news then you will see how it connects. I also think is there nothing more WWE could do than another anti American gimmick!!!!!

 

I think you missed my point.

 

I think a two year old blind child could see "how it connects", it's not exactly high brow, the Ukrainian crisis has been going on since February, everyone's fully aware of it.

 

What I was saying is you've misunderstood what WWE's motive behind the Rusev angle is by saying that it's bad timing, like they just happened to have a pro-Russian character at the same time as a Russia-lead political crisis. He's got that gimmick BECAUSE of what's happening in the Ukraine, not despite it. Saying this is bad timing on WWE's part is like saying the Sgt. Slaughter angle during the Gulf War was bad timing, or the Muhammad Hassan angle during the War on Terror was bad timing, or the Un-Americans during the Bush administration was bad timing. They're all current affairs gimmicks, Rusev is a current affairs gimmicks and, if anything, it's slightly late. You could say it's in bad taste, or it's politically insensitive, or it's trivialising an important issue, or it's jingoistic and geographically and political ignorant, but you absolutely cannot say it's "bad timing", that's just factually incorrect.

[Guest Ciaran The King]

Apologies for insisting the Rusev/Lana gimmick was bad timing, what I probably meant to say is there would never be a good time for this current gimmick. It's in bad taste and doesn't belong in WWE in 2014