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With the exception of Shelton Benjamin, every African American on the WWE roster has been cast as a thug, thief, egocentric a-hole, or a combination of all three...

Black Stereotypes in WWE

by Slave to The Animal (Contributor)

43

1,190 reads

Opinion

October 23, 2008


With the exception of Shelton Benjamin, every African American on the WWE roster has been cast as a thug, thief, egocentric a-hole, or a combination of all three. I'm sure this is hard to swallow for a certain group of people, but not all black men are wrapped up in the "bling-bling gangsta" attitude.

Imagine if every white wrestler resembled Jessie & Festus—the redneck stereotype. We see the white race represented in many diverse forms, but it seems that, if you're black, you have a very limited choice of personas of which you are allowed to emulate. Why is that?

Oh, and while we are on the subject of race, why are all of the Diva's white? Can the WWE not handle a black woman?

At least TNA is making an effort to represent women from all walks of life, not just the white ideal. For that, I must commend Jeff Jarret for having an open mind. He has done things for pro-wrestling that Vince McDumba$$ never will.

WWE's biggest mistake lies in its endless catering to a single demographic; white men. I thought this was supposed to be a business. Alienating a substantial portion of your audience isn't exactly a smart marketing strategy.

Get with the program, Vince.

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43 comments Last one added 8 months ago — Leave a Comment

  1. Daris Brown 8 months ago

    while it's very true, to the wwe's defense, cryme tyme's gimmick was presented to them by shad. While jtg was hesitant for doing it for the same reasons you wrote about, also acknowleges theyre just playing characters.

    but it is refreshing to see blacks portrayed by anything besides "second-class" citizens.

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    • Slave to The Animal 8 months ago

      Well, in my honest opinion, they *are* being portrayed as second-class citizens. Few people respect thieves, and on several occasions, they have been shown stealing things (e.g.. Duce & Dominoe's car, the tag team titles, etc.).

      It just reinforces all of the negative crap that white supremacists have been pushing for eons. They'll point to something like that and say "See? Told ya so", even if it IS just play-acting.

      Being an African American athlete comes with a lot of responsibilities (unfortunately). Shad & JTG could have used this oppertunity to present a more positive image for young black boys. Instead, they opted to appeal to the MTV crowd (mostly white teenagers). Shame, shame, shame.

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  2. Shane H. 8 months ago

    Jane, I preferred this a whole lot more than your first article and I find this very true as Daris said. I felt though that you could have blown this subject away with some more info. But alas, it's very short and sweet.

    I would love to see sme black women on the E myself. As a man I appreciate looking at all women but it wouldn't hurt seeing some of color (u know, with me being black too)

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    • Slave to The Animal 8 months ago

      Yeah, it could have been longer, but I have a short attention span. LOL

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    • Shane H. 8 months ago

      lol, but to jump on what you just said in response to D, the MTV crowd is very important to get. As much as I know that they are actors, I still find them entertaining and that is what they are out there to do.

      How would you package Cryme Tyme, if I may ask? I want to see your alternative.

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    • Slave to The Animal 8 months ago

      I think anything would be better than what they are doing right now. I'm sure they could emphasize on some unique aspect of their personalties (like other wrestlers do), and use that as a foundation.

      As for the MTV crowd... screw 'em. Those aren't the only people who watch WWE.

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  3. Mike Valentyne 8 months ago

    Playing devil's advocate here: What is wrong with R-Truth? Granted, he's represented as being "from the hood" but he also has the story of going to jail and still becoming successful.

    MVP is playing a role of a coincided athlete, that stereotype comes from all races, not just African Americans.

    What about when Bobby Lashley was in the company? He played a hard hitting athlete that made his way to a world title and the biggest match at Wrestlemania 23.

    Mark Henry is playing the role of the world's strongest man. Is that a common negative stereotype for African Americans that I'm unaware of? Tony Atlas is his manager, playing the role of a typical heel manager, coming out in a suit and speaking well educated.

    The Boogeyman is a supernatural gimmick but not once do I think that African Americans eat worms and hide in my closet.

    Elijah Burke plays the role of a boxer turned wrestler. Is that also a negative stereotype?

    You want more women of color. So does Layla El, The Bella Twins, Melina Perez, and Lena Yada not count?

    It seems more like you don't like Cryme Tyme, which is understandable. But there's plenty of other people of color that seem to be doing very well with their gimmicks.

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    • Slave to The Animal 8 months ago

      About Bobby Lashley: I really liked him... but where is he now? That's right, gone.

      The Divas you mentioned aren't black women. I'm talking about BLACK WOMEN. What part of that were you unclear on?

      Few people can deny that MVP is portraying a "player" type of character.

      And about R-Truth, he's about as bad as Cryme Tyme. Sure, his backstory in inspirational, but it's like people think black men don't do anything except get thrown in jail and make rap music.

      I'm sick of it.

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    • Mike Valentyne 8 months ago

      So Layla El is NOT black? That's what you're trying to say? Have you seen her or done any research on who she is?

      Lashley walked out on his own, he was never fired. If he stayed, I'm sure he would still be in the main event with the same gimmick.

      MVP is portraying a sports athlete or have you not noticed that he is the "highest paid athlete in Smackdown history" or that if he wins one more match he'll get a bonus. He even has an agent. How many "players" have agents?

      As for R-Truth, that's his story. That's what really happened to him and he does write rap music. It's not like the WWE said "this is who you are now". They just took what he is and put it on TV.

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    • Slave to The Animal 8 months ago

      You're probably white, so wont understand this, but... Layla is a "safe" black woman. She's light skinned and could easily pass for Latino. I don't mean any disrespect to her, but that is how I perceive it.

      Also, that is just ONE woman. It's like you white people think "well, you should be satisfied with one or two token representations of your race, so just shut up".

      Oh whoop-di-do! WWE has *one* light-skinned black girl (who almost never wrestles, btw), and as of late, seems to serve no purpose other than sniffing William Regal's ass.

      Sorry, but you've lost this argument.

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    • Slave to The Animal 8 months ago

      Oh, and more on R-Truth. here.

      He's been to jail for real and makes rap music for real, yeah I didn't know that. (sarcasm)

      The wuestion is, how many *other* types of black men have possibly been rejected by WWE because they don't fit Vince's idea of what a black man should be like?

      Something I'd like to point out is... Finlay. He's playing the Irish stereotype, right? But, I'm sure a lot of the white guys on the roster have some type of irish ancestory (it's not uncommon for an american white male)... so imagine if *all* the WWE guys who have an Irish background did the *exact* same gimmick as Finlay. It would get pretty old, right?

      Is it sinking in now? Are you starting to see what I'm getting at?

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    • Slave to The Animal 8 months ago

      *question

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    • Ryan 8 months ago

      Lashley is gone because he didn't like the WWE schedule and he can get a bigger pay-day doing MMA, which he's doing.

      Layla El is definitely black.

      R-Truth is the same damn character he's been since he broke in with the WWE as K-Kwik.

      Some guys, black or white, are type-cast. It happens.

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    • Ryan 8 months ago

      Also, your comment about Finlay is a joke. He was the EXACT SAME CHARACTER in WCW.

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    • Michael Oleszek 8 months ago

      Elijah Burke is not 'playing a role' as a former boxer. He was a legit boxer in Jacksonville, FL. He is also a former cop.

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  4. WWE Characters 8 months ago

    Interesting perspectives here. I agree with you to an extent, but we all know the WWE is just a giant stereotypical male soap opera built for entertainment. Also, consider the fact that in the past there have been various "characters" in WWF/WWE portrayed by African Americans. Examples would be Koko B. Ware, Bad News Brown, Junkyard Dog, Butch Reed and Bobby Lashley. The current African American wrestlers like Shelton, MVP and R-Truth tend to be cocky, but so are most of the wrestlers regardless of their race. The divas are stereotypical "perfect women" with huge breasts and the wrestlers tend to be stereotypically rock hard muscle-heads. So I think the stereotypes wrap around the entire product, not just African American wrestlers.

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    • Slave to The Animal 8 months ago

      I disagree about *all* of the roster being stereotypical. Those who are white and male have a more diverse representation.

      Is Santino a "muscle head"? Or what about Jamie Noble, JBL, Charlie Haas, HBK, Chris Jericho, Tommy Dreamer, The Miz, CM Punk, Edge, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy & countless others? While some of those guys might qualify as "fit", they certainly could never be described as "muscle heads".

      So, I fail to see how different types of men (the white ones, that is) aren't being represented, in favor of "muscle heads".

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  5. Slave to The Animal 8 months ago

    I don't go by names.

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  6. Slave to The Animal 8 months ago

    So, what are you trying to do? Earn some brownie points from the white boys?

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  7. Legendary X 8 months ago

    Not to get in the middle of this, but hell I will.
    I give my props to lamar here.
    Dont hold your breath Lamar, she'll never reveal her race.
    She hides behind her anonamous name.
    Most of all Jane if I recall Ronnie Bryce wrote about WWE being prejudice towards asians.
    Ya know the article you just read and dug up after it was written almost 2 months ago.
    Seem's like your taking a page from that concept.If anyone shoudl complain it's the asian's and I personally am referring to the asain pacific wrestlers.
    And I mean a 100 percent asian pacific wrestler.
    unlike what Bryce's article claims, im making myself completely clear so you cant argue that batista is an asian and Great Khali.
    Namr the last wreslter that was asian pacific that was a world champ in WWE?
    Never.
    Yokozuna was from hawwai and was american.
    asian's that are form indai and Iran arent what we're talking about.
    WWE sterotypes all races.
    You dont think Funaki's gimmick is racist?
    At least african american's and latino american's have been champions and world champions.
    Booker T, Ron Simmons, Mark Henry, The Rock, and latino champs like Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio.
    The only thing I'll give you is Cryme Tyme's gimmick being racist. But is it racist if Shad and JTG themselves came up with the idea?
    Then they are being racist against themselves then I suppose is what your saying.

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    • Slave to The Animal 8 months ago

      The only article of Ronnie's that I read was the one about Batista's pants.

      And I agree that WWE is also prejudice against Asians. You'll get no argument from me, there. Especially that segment between R-Truth & Funaki.

      BUT, why are you patting Lamar on the back? He's made some pretty sleazy racist comments here.

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  8. Dominic Coping 8 months ago

    I mean it does seem like they're being stereotypical at this moment with Cryme Tyme and R-Truth, but there have been black guys being portrayed in non-stereotypical roles. The thing is though WWE is filled with stereotypes, such as with Funaki, Chavo is from Texas he can speak clear English, Kelly Kelly, Jamie Noble, William Regal and others. As for the divas they have had black divas they come and they go just like any other race of diva that can't cut it.

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  9. Slave to The Animal 8 months ago

    Oh, and you forgot about Samoa Joe. He could use some Slim Fast, too.

    Or are you only interested in monitoring chubby black women?

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  10. Legendary X 8 months ago

    Well the only thing I can say then Jane, is based on the thought that Cryme Tyme's gimmick is racist which I agree because as you claimed they "steal things"
    Then based on that deduction wouldnt you have to say Jay Lethal's gimmick is racist too seeing he "stole" Macho Man Randy Savage's gimmick?

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  11. Legendary X 8 months ago

    Well I do understand that Jay got full permision from avage and that Savage actually like the idea, you have to understand to some whether Jay was black or white or latino it looks like a wrestler stole another wrestler's gimmick.
    Race completely out of the converation right now, any wrestler who uses another wrestler's gimmick people are going to say things like they stole the gimmick.
    Juventud Guerra about 10 years ago unmercifully ripped off The Rock's catchphrases.
    Right down to "Do you smell what the Juvi is cooking"
    I'm just making a point that people are going to think it was stolen.

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    • Slave to The Animal 8 months ago

      Well, it's hard to explain, but despite the fact that Jay is duplicating Randy's gimmick, in my opinion, there is something very unique about the way he does it. I can't really put my finger on it, but he has sort of taken the "Macho Man" thing, and made it his own.

      Besides, ripping someone off is more like doing something, and then playing it off like you were the first to do it. Jay isn't doing that. It's a tribute... and I personally love it.

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    • Slave to The Animal 8 months ago

      Oh, and one *could* say the same about Batista. A lot of people are under the impression that he is trying to act like The Rock. I sort of agree & disagree.

      Don't get me wrong though, I'm not bashing one of my favorite men. : D

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  12. Legendary X 8 months ago

    Ok fair then.
    In all honesty though if you could make an african american wrestler as a world champion in WWE and have a non sterotype gimmick, who would you go with?
    I still dont agree that Mark Henry is in any way a sterotype but if you could say make the ultimate "face" good guy champ who everyone got behind and he was african american who would it be? Even if you had to bring a star from outside WWE, like say this person is in ROH or TNA right now.
    I would actually agree Jay Lethal is one of my favorite;'s on tNa but he honestly could never come inot WWE as a main event champ with the "Mach Man" gimmick as we all know Vince's banning and utter contempt for Randy Savage.

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  13. Slave to The Animal 8 months ago

    @ Legendary: I think I'd go with Jay Lethal, and yes, he'd have to change his gimmick, which would be pretty sad, because I'm really into it. But, I'm sure he could come up with something that would work for him. I just sense that there is something very special about him, and he has a bright fute ahead of him.

    @ Lamar: LMAO! Oh god, shut up.

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  14. Dracula's Buttocks has teeth 8 months ago

    Great article. Very well thought out.

    Most of these black wrestling characters represent nothing more than a modern day minstrel show that is embarrassing and demeaning not only to black people, but to ANYONE who's intelligent enough not to feed into these idiotic stereotypes.

    People like Vince McMahon continue to profit off this kind of crap that divides people and makes an entire race of people appear like one-dimensional moronic caricatures.

    The people who try to argue against your astute observations are letting their carefully guarded racist attitudes be known to us all. You will probably see them all fervently march to the polls on November fourth in unison to vote Republican. Such is the way of ignorance.

    Again, ...great job. I'm a new fan.

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    • Dracula's Buttocks has teeth 8 months ago

      P.S. To all you haters out there, I'm not black, so look for another line of attack if your pea brains can even think that deeply.

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    • Slave to The Animal 8 months ago

      Witch Doctor, you're awesome.

      I notice that nobody ever has the balls to disagree with you, either. ; )

      They all know that you'll serve their butts to them on a paper plate (with ketchup on the side).

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  15. Joe Burgett 8 months ago

    Jane heads up Lashley is gone because he wanted to go, they asked him after his surgury to renew his contract and he declined, and was said to have been released, but thatis what they call everyone who leaves. To this article, I agree that some have been portryed as thugs, Cryme Time actually presented the idea to be as they are, MVP is not realy a thug kind of guy compared to Cryme Time, and as you said Benjamin isn't either. R-Truth is not really a thug I don't think, his gimmick iss him getting out of that life so you can't pin that on him to bad. Elijia Burke was a boxer gimmick, and the Alphamale was sort of like Lashley in which he was a power guy in ECW before he was cut.

    Layle is not a thug either, as a mattr of fact she is in a royalty gimmick on RAW with REgal, I don't like the gimmick, but its not a thug gimmick

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  1. Shane H. 8 months ago

    Ok, wow, I thought with 66 comments, this piece had like 1,000 reads and had different people commentating. Boy was I wrong seeing this became a battle ground for lamar and jane. Listen ladies and gents, I didn't really care for Jane's first article and her actions with Ronnie but what's going on here is totally uncalled for.

    Jane, I didn't think it was right for your line lamar= Ronnie Bryce's secret lover.

    Ronnie has had nothing to do with this article and isn't here to defend himself. Other than that, I'm cool with everything else you've said.

    lamar and everybody else, if you took the time out to read you would know Jane is black. I knew that about her before she even wrote this article because IT'S ON HER PROFILE. Who cares if she doesn't have a pic up. i don't see a pic of you lamar. So what are you hiding?

    No one can deny that caucasians get more love in the WWE. You can coun the number of black and Asian world champs on 1 hand. But anyway, the whole banter that went on here was pretty unnecessary. People, if you don't agree with someone's comment, you don't have to reply. That's probably all they want.

    BTW, Layla is gorgeous and is of British (hence her teaming with Regal) and North African descent.

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  2. jason savage 8 months ago

    melina is not white, neither is layla, lilian is hispanic, lena is asian. so your diva comment does not hold water. previous black diva's include jackie and mrs. booker t. oh and what about the girl edge was supposed to be cheating on vickie with, she was black.

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  3. Ryan 8 months ago

    www.ThisPlaceIsTurningIntoAJoke.com

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  4. TYFI 8 months ago

    Cryme Tyme is a parody of stereotypes. MVP is a caricature of the arrogant pro athlete. R-Truth is an actual rapper.

    Bobby Lashley wasn't stereotyped. Elijah Burke isn't a stereotype. Tony Atlas isn't a stereotype. Mark Henry isn't a stereotype. Hell, D'lo isn't even a stereotype today.

    You need to get with the program and look at the social satire and not the "OMG HE'S BLACK THAT'S RACIST!!"

    The reason that WWE doesn't have black diva's is because maybe they just never hired any or they aren't available. The only two black females I've seen in wrestling recently are Jacqueline and Kong, and both are in TNA. Kristal wouldn't do a simple angle and she got fired.

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  5. TYFI 8 months ago

    Well, I said female >__>

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  6. Buddy Smith 8 months ago

    Abdullah The Butcher...The Three Russian dudes from the 80's...

    This is what wrestling does. Is it ugly? Yes. So I don't look.

    Nice job calling them out on it!

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