Reality From Ringside #19
July 1, 2009
By: Doug Lackey of WrestleView.com
Harsh Reality sans Trump & Politics
Before going into this week’s ?Reality?, I thought I would reply to a couple e-mail replies I got from you loyal Wrestleview readers. The first comes from Suzanne who decided to give me her two cents regarding my first political ?Reality? (postmarked 6/10/09)?
Hey Doug,
I didn’t like reading the bullshit spewing out of the asshole of Joey Styles any more then you did and I was happily shocked that Jim Cornette put him in his place. Now I don’t know if Jim meant it or said it because Joey works for WWE and Jim works for TNA but even though I was surprised because I thought Mick Foley and Jesse Ventura were the only non-Republicans in the wrestling business. Any way as much as I don’t like what Joey said I don’t think he or Jim should be fired unless they went off like this at work. In fact I am more bothered by Matt Striker and JBL before him because that is/was on air.
Hey Suzanne,
Thanks for the read and reply! I guess that is one other aspect about this whole ordeal that I forgot to mention and that was the use of politics on camera, on the clock of WWE. The big difference between Styles’ and Cornett’s comments and those of Striker’s and Layfield’s is that with the comments being aired on camera, it’s difficult to tell if it is true or just a work… regardless, I feel that politics should never be inserted into professional wrestling, period. Sure you may use it to rile the crowd and whip up a nice pop, but some take it very seriously… we’ve seen this in the past two weeks with the killing of Dr. Tiller and the shooting in The Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C.
Whipping up such divisiveness and isolationist views does not lead to anything positive. Especially when your screen name on Twitter is emblazoned with the company that you represent (WWEJoeyStyles)…
Again, thanks for the reply!
Doug Lackey
This second e-mail comes from Wrestleview.com regular Rocky Jr. in regards to last week’s ?Reality? on WWE and USA Network’s ?fake press release? and the laughable report on Fox Business? website about possible SEC stock manipulation?
Haha, great column lol.
It was a little hard to follow at the beginning (especially since I’m French and have no idea of all the US political debates) but it ends being a great tarping column. You owned them lol. The best point is that it’s really ridiculous to sell one of your shows when it’s part of a bigger thing. Really, arm journalists lol or must I say “journalists.”
Hey Rocky,
Thanks for the read and compliment! I understand there are a lot of overseas readers of Wrestleview.com and I tried my hardest to explain myself and the views of American politics in the simplest way possible. Again, I know this is a wrestling website, but when articles are posted from biased news organizations and your television programs are broadcasted on their rivals… it’s hard to dodge the broader issues.
Again, thanks for the reply!
Doug Lackey
And so after two weeks of numbing your minds with political rhetoric and their loose connections with our favorite form of entertainment, I felt it was my obligation to step off the proverbial soapbox. It has been thoroughly enthralling though to see the promotional gaffe play itself off not just on television but in my newspaper and the two warring American cable news networks.
So with a solemn vow not to mention anything about politics or Donald Trump, I bring you another installment of ?Harsh Reality?? or ?What happens when Doug is all out of scotch and needs something to bitch about.?
When legendary tag team wrestler Brian Blair was released from Orient Road Jail in Tampa, Florida on Monday after being charged with two counts of felony child abuse, on his two teenage sons mind you, he decided to speak to reporters (Credit Tampa Bay Online ?Blair released from jail on child abuse charges? http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/jun/21/221300/brian-blair-arrested-accused-child-abuse/news-breaking/ ):
“It’s a real, I guess, unfortunate situation, that it’s a misunderstanding that could have been prevented,” Blair told reporters as left jail. “I have over 7,000 hours mentoring children, and the last thing that I’d ever do is hurt a kid. Sometimes the hardest kids to mentor are your own.”
Circuit Judge Walter “Buzzy” Heinrich said investigators with the Florida Department of Children & Families will determine whether Blair can see his sons.
Blair, 52, did not speak at the hearing. Neither did his wife of 22 years, Toni, who later stood by him outside the jail.
Blair told reporters that he loves his constituents and hopes to serve them again.
“If they were there, I think they’d understand the situation,” he said. “The most important thing is that my wife is OK.?
No, Mr. Blair, I don?t think anyone could understand the situation you were in. You said you have over 7,000 hours of experience mentoring children. So, after touting that little nugget of expertise, you couldn?t utilize such expertise on your own sons? Reading further into the report, it seems that alcohol might have been involved? shock. What disturbs me more than anything about this entire ordeal is Blair’s final comment, saying the most important thing is that his wife was fine. Again? 7,000 hours of experience mentoring children, helping them grow and become better individuals through hard work and determination? and Mr. Blair opts to prioritize the emotions he bestows upon his own family. What about your two teenage sons that you punched in the face, Mr. Blair? Do you not love and care for them just as much as your wife?
Oh wait? I wasn?t there? I can?t understand the situation you were in. I?m sorry but whether someone was there to understand your predicament is moot? and of all the coincidences, this all happened on Father’s Day.
Reported by Wrestleview.com’s Chris Kelly, a fan was ejected from last Monday’s ?Raw?. As with every entrance, John Cena threw his hat into the crowd. Well, the lucky recipient of the hat threw it back at Cena and was then escorted from the arena.
Now? didn?t the same thing happen on June 11th, 2006 in the Hammerstein Ballroom? One Night Stand? Cena vs. Van Dam for the WWE Title? Cena tried throwing every single article of clothing on his body only to have it hurled back from whence it came. For all intents and purposes, half of the attending public should have been kicked out of the building? but of course, that’s what WWE wanted as a reaction at the time. John Cena’s persona is now beloved by all the WWE Universe (dear God, don?t get me started on that phrase)? there’s no way there could be such dissention! Get over yourselves, WWE? let the varying opinions reign when they are allowed to. I?m not calling for fans to throw anything into the ring? only when objects are thrown at them from the performers. Once that door is unlocked, the attendees have every right to kick it down.
While on the topic of WWE silencing the opinions of its own Universe (gggrrrr)? why take down the fans? signs praising ?Macho Man? Randy Savage at televised events, while you have been promoting the release of the anthology on the performer’s career?! I should have called this week’s installment ?Hypocritical Reality? instead?
Brian ?Grand Marnier Sexay? Lawler was arrested early last Friday morning for public intoxication in Western Tennessee after stumbling over a cooler before entering a convenience store. Hey, that’s what the report says? I mean I can be one clumsy guy, even when I?m sober, but I?ve never been arrested as a consequence of it. I can?t be disgusted by this news, though? after reading the report and seeing Lawler’s goofy mugshot, I couldn?t help but say, ?Damn, I wish I was drinking with him Thursday night!? (Credit WBBJ-TV ?Former WWE Wrestler Arrested? http://wbbjtv.com/NewsStories/090626FormerWWEWrestlerArrested.html )
Wrestleview.com devotee Miss Lindsie sent an interesting piece of information regarding MVP and escorting his ?biggest? fan Sherri Shepard from ABC’s ?The View? to the BET Awards Show June 28th. Alright? those were a lot of acronyms there.
WWE and Vince McMahon love cross-promoting, we know that? but since when is it alright when you?re attempting to cross-promote in competition with your own programming? ?The Bash? pay-per-view is on the same day? at the same hours as the BET Awards! I thought Stan Kroenke was the only one who was lackadaisical enough to have his schedules conflict with each other? once again, another reason why I should have called this week’s column ?Hypocritical Reality?.
Finally, WWE has decided to change the names of two of its pay-per-view events. The two October pay-per-views, ?No Mercy? and ?Cyber Sunday?, will now be known as ?Hell in a Cell? and ?Annihilation? respectively. While I believe that everyone is in agreement on the name change and viewer-vote gimmick for ?Cyber Sunday?, many have been sneering at the thought of a possible copycat attempt on TNA’s ?Lockdown? event? where all matches occur inside the confines of a steel cage.
I don?t see this as truth. I cannot imagine a seven-match card all inside HitC? have you ever seen one of these matches live? The paying public can?t see a damn thing! I have no problem with all three major titles (WWE, World, & ECW) being contested inside it, but I don?t want to see any women in there? nor do I want to see another cluster. of a tag match.
Well, I made sure scotch is on my grocery list this week? so who knows when you will be able to partake in another heaping helping of harshness. Any two of these three need to occur? I?m out of scotch, I?m angry beyond all comprehension, or I have a major case of writer’s block. Take your pick on which of the three I don?t have? good luck!
Until next time, mouth-breathers!