Are WWE pushing the boundaries of decency with Rusev's gimmick?

[dsrchris 190]

Lana and Rusev have made the news again, and once again it's not casting them in the most favourable light:

 

Two Russian-themed WWE wrestling characters have sparked outrage by incorporating the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 disaster into their act.

 

In a show on Saturday night, the characters 'Lana' and 'Alexander Rusev' launched into an anti-American rant in which they made reference to the flight MH17 being shot down and hailed Russian president Vladimir Putin for 'making fools' out of the U.S..

 

 

The Rusev and Lana roles often use Cold War-style rhetoric as part of their act, but their mention of last week's MH17 disaster, in which 298 people died, has shocked the wrestling community.

 

Source: DailyMail.co.uk

 

Granted this is just the Daily Mail spewing their usual rhetoric and nonsense, but there is a conversation to be had here.

 

Are WWE going to far by bringing up the MH17 disaster just to get cheap heat on Lana and Rusev?

[Omega 354]

Given that they nixed the terrorist gimmick after 7/7 this is a bit odd to say the least.

[Guest John Hancock]

I don't really like the whole "It's indecent!" thing, because I think that's just over sensitive and a bit gross, but I do agree that it's shit, just because it's a fun killer.

 

Wrestling is supposed to be silly and bombastic, and I'd rather not hear fake Russians making fun of actual dead children, because it's just an unpleasant and kind of gross vibe. It must be very jarring to watch what is otherwise the most flippant and meaningless mainstream show in existence, and then be occasionally reminded of some children who burned to death next to their Mums and Dads whilst they were on the way to their summer holiday. What an entertaining entertainment show. Boo, boo the kayfabe child burners, hehehe.

[Guest HH-Evolution]

There's being on point with recent events, WWE, and then there's just being an utter prat about it...and who does this make look good?

'cause brother, I'll tell you one thing...I don't think it helped anyone!

[Guest Matt Black]

I always thought that making direct references to Putin was something of a mistake in this angle, general plaudits for Russia whilst p*ssing all over the US would have been far more sensible as opposed to praising such a powerful and yet divisive figure as the Russian premier. They were chancing it by doing so, but making any direct reference to this matter is obviously crass and stupid beyond even the capacity of the notoriously insensitive and foolish character of the WWE.

 

But on the other hand, Ukraine is literally half a word away from the WWE's primary audience in the US, and so maybe they're just that far removed from the events that took place at the end of last week that their ignorance is just that. The reaction of the US to the act will be far more interesting than that of those in Europe, as it'll highlight whether or not the stereotype of those in the US being unaware of the wider world has a foundation in fact.

 

IMHO: Even mentioning the incident in passing is disgusting in the context of a cheap attempt to generate heat and media attention for Rusev or any other aspect of the WWE.

[Guest The Beltster]

People died. Its a lame attempt at cheap heat. WWE should try employing people who can book rather than try and make light of horrific current events, it never works. Ever.

[Guest Edgehead]

I was thinking about this earlier, I thought that in light of recent events they would at least stop making references to Putin even if they kept the Rusev gimmick going, looks like they've gone the opposite way about it. Morons.

[DC 536]

They didn't explicitly mention the flight; they made a comment regarding "current events", which leaves it up to the listener to infer what those current events may be as there have been issues with Putin for months now in regards to the insurgency into Ukraine and the comments about American invading Iraq and Afghanistan from Lana makes me infer they were talking about that rather than the flight.

[Guest John Hancock]

There's one current event in the news which involves people blaming Russia for something they deny. It wasn't at all subtle or open ended.

[DC 536]

I'm not saying I'm right and perhaps I'm even being a bit naive.

 

Although for all the things WWE finally pick up that's genuinely current, it had to be something that is better left alone.

[Guest Matt Black]

I'm just baffled that no one in WWE creative thought this was going too far in light of current events in Ukraine. I mean how hard would it have been for a motivated writing team to keep their pro-Russian diatribes clean of this kind of material? Is that the answer after all, that they're just too damn lazy to do anything other than scan the news-channels for their ideas?

[Guest John Hancock]

I wonder if they got it. As DC said, it's not completely overt on paper, you have to think about it. Maybe the people who checked the promo are so dumb that they didn't understand what it was about. All it would take is one tasteless writer, an over enthusiastic heel, and lots of stupid road agents who don't understand what they're reading for it to slip through.

[ViciousPrism 177]

WWE issued the following statement on Lana's promo at WWE Battleground:

 

"Last night's segment during WWE's Battleground event was in no way referring to the Malaysia Airlines tragedy. The storyline with characters Rusev and Lana has been a part of WWE programming for more than 3 months. WWE apologizes to anyone who misunderstood last night's segment and was offended."

 

Read more at http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/wwe/WWE_Issues_Statement_on_Lana_s_Promo_at_the_Battleground_Pay-Per-View.html#Iz4hJQx9vtzKlFup.99

 

Love from Double Double E.

[Guest John Hancock]

Good, don't worry guys, they were referring to that other thing President Putin is currently claiming not to have been involved in. You know. That other thing.

[ViciousPrism 177]

The gay thing.

[Guest John Hancock]

Oh that thing? The gay thing? That makes more sense.

[DC 536]

They didn't explicitly mention the flight; they made a comment regarding "current events", which leaves it up to the listener to infer what those current events may be as there have been issues with Putin for months now in regards to the insurgency into Ukraine and the comments about American invading Iraq and Afghanistan from Lana makes me infer they were talking about that rather than the flight.

Love from Double Double E.

I told you. :lol

[Guest John Hancock]

I wouldn't be proud of having the same logic as a lying WWE executive.

[DC 536]

At least they weren't rummaging through the luggage of dead kids live on air like Sky News.

[Guest John Hancock]

I'm sure WWE's prop department is on the case. Maybe they could have some little people playing the dead kids and give them funny Dutch names. Peter Minute, Johannes Vermidget, Willem Pint-sized-hoven, Peter Stuyves-ant, Jan van Tike, Willem van Satsuma, it would be a hoot.

[ViciousPrism 177]

HHH is gonna f*ck one of them in a funeral home. It's almost like 2002 again.

[DC 536]

Or they'll shoot a video of Rusev working hard on a building site as he drives the U-Crane.

[Guest Ciaran The King]

I mentioned over a month ago how I thought the Rusev/Lana gimmick was starting to push boundaries. Patriotism is one thing, exploiting real world events is another. WWE should known this

[Guest Matt Black]

I mentioned over a month ago how I thought the Rusev/Lana gimmick was starting to push boundaries. Patriotism is one thing, exploiting real world events is another. WWE should known this

 

They never seem to learn though, having been burned by attempts to exploit the first Gulf War, 911 and now the growing tension between Putin's Russia and the West.

 

It's as though the WWE creative team was a bunch of cheap hacks, cloistered in a boardroom at Titan Towers and unable to apply a single iota of common sense whilst churning out guff that lurches from childish and scatological to downright offensive.

 

But I'm sure that's not the case in reality...

[Guest Ciaran The King]

WWE seem to be in a dream where they think they can say what they want and get away with it. The Lana/Rusev combo is good and Rusev is impressive, therefore they should get over with talent rather than political trash talking