Examining WWE's Double Standard for the Rock vs. John Cena WrestleMania 28 Match

I have a foul mouth.

It’s true.  I have been known to let it fly very loud, and very often, depending on the situation, and the fact is, I really shouldn’t.  I am a grown man who knows better, and should be doing more to fit in with the rest of civilized society.

Plus, I have a three-year-old who tends to repeat everything he hears.  So, yeah, needless to say, Richard Pryor is not exactly must-see television before 9 p.m. in the Clark household.

And, these days, neither is Monday Night Raw.

The fact is, my son is in the bed at 9 p.m. when WWE’s flagship program hit’s the air on Monday nights. But, I DVR it every week, so I tend to re-watch it a few times over the course of the next couple of days, when he’s awake.

But, thanks to the Rock, it’s not happening nearly as often.

This is the part where a lot of you are likely shaking your heads.  You’re mumbling something about parents taking responsibility for what their kids watch, and that we should stop blaming TV for subjecting these kids to bad language and the violent themes of WWE.

Couldn’t agree more.  In fact, every time my son stops long enough to notice what I’m watching, I always make a point to tell him that what he’s seeing is pretend, and that the guys in the ring are not mad, they’re just having fun.

Trust me, he will know the difference between the business and reality, and that potty mouths will never prosper.

I think that’s Shakespeare.  

My issue is not with the fact that WWE, more specifically the Rock, is going back to the tried and true tactic of working blue on the mic to get an instant reaction from the crowd.  

I personally don’t see the need for it, however, as I happen to believe that the desired impact can be had without having to hurl 27 different four-letter words in a single promo.

For that matter, how many times did the legends of the business have to curse in order to get their point across?

Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Jake Roberts, Roddy Piper, all of them were great on the mic, and brought fans to their feet, and to the arena, by the words they spoke when they cut their promos.

It’s not to say that these men never used bad language, they certainly did, but when you think back about them, how many of them are remembered for being that abrasive with their words?

In fact, I don’t recall ever using curse words in a promo, and very rarely did I ever use any when I worked fans at ringside.  

My job as a manager was to draw heat for the wrestler in the ring, and not to make it all about myself. So, I would take it just to the edge, then pull it back without having to go there.

Make no mistake about it, anyone who says that they need to go Tarantino in order to get a pop is fooling themselves, or is just not good enough on the mic to get it done.  It’s cheap heat.  Period.

However, though I don’t think it’s necessary, this is the Rock we’re talking about.  Being rude and crude on the mic is what he does, he’s done it for years.  And, he wasn’t the only one, of course.

Stone Cold Steve Austin made a career of using foul language.  Can you imagine Austin 3:16 saying “I just whipped your butt?”  Neither can I.

How about The New Age Outlaws, comprised of the Road Dogg Jesse James, and the Bad Hiney Billy Gunn?

That one’s actually not too bad.

Here’s a good one.  Ron Simmons, caught in an awkward moment backstage, stops, looks around, and as the crowd waits in anticipation, he suddenly lets loose with his famous catchphrase.

“Darn!”

Here’s the thing, it’s pro wrestling, not church.  There are big, sweaty guys who are paid to get in the ring and act as though they are trying to pound each other into submission.  They are supposed to not only make it look real, but sound real, as well.

With that much testosterone flying around in the rock ‘em, sock ’em caveman atmosphere that is inherent in the business, men are sure to be men, and eventually the four-letter words will follow.

I get it.  Again, I do it too.  So not offended over here.

My problem with what we’re seeing now is that WWE has been rated PG for quite a while, and the foul words have been so few in number, that this is obviously just to hype the Rock/Cena match for WrestleMania.

That’s right, WWE.  I call shenanigans.

Months ago, when the moment came that the cursing began again, fans all over the world dropped what they were doing, rushed to their laptops, and declared the rebirth of the Attitude Era.

Why?  Because they believed Rock was coming back full time?  Because the prospect of Steve Austin vs. CM Punk was very real, and could be announced at any time?  Because John Cena was headed for a heel turn?  

None of the above.

Fans were excited because, for the first time in a long time, the product felt real.  It felt edgy.  PG was gone, over, a thing of the past.  No more would we all have to act as though we were children who had to be talked down to, the programming toned down and censored.

But, be honest.  Does anyone out there believe that once WrestleMania is over, WWE will be anything other than PG?  Is it possible that the company will meet us halfway, with at least some edge to their programming, instead of being sanitized for our protection?

No and no way.

The Rock is allowed to say what he says, and John Cena is being allowed to follow suit, because WWE is attempting to get a rise out of the crowd.  They are creating a buzz, getting the fans talking, bringing in the male demographic full throttle into the feud that is set to headline the biggest WWE event of the year.

When WrestleMania is over, and the Rock is gone (and you know he will be), WWE is likely going right back to what we have seen since the PG era began.

To put it another way, they’re messing with you.  Shenanigans on them big time.

WWE is a pro wrestling entertainment company who is attempting to present a potentially explosive, violent, adult themed product, in a way that is not offensive or perhaps embarrassing for their sponsors, and stockholders.  

They are trying to be family friendly, and in that way, I have to say, I see their point, and understand.

But, to go back to what they used to rely on, to make exception for one returning Superstar, or a few select Superstars, when they need to sell a pay per view, disregarding everything they claim to now stand for, is blatantly hypocritical.

Looking for logic from a pro wrestling promotion.  Maybe someone needs to call shenanigans on me for that one.