*UPDATE* WWE Responds to "Tea Party" Bashing Complaints

[Shockage]

Source: WrestleView.com


Alex Jones of InfoWars.com passed along an article on his website about outrage on Twitter over the new Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter gimmick, where people on Twitter were angry at WWE for "demonizing the Tea Party" by portaying Swagger & Colter as "xenophobic racists".

To view the full article, click here.

[Darth Shizzel]

Yeah so what there potraying redneck americans who are generally racist (not including all americans just the stupid ones if you take offence that says something about you)

[chaoskid]

I think its a good gimmick because its causing people to get emotional about it, and you will get a mixed opinion about the gimmick, some will relate to it and agree with it, and other simply think its plain racist

[Mighty Boosh]

I like the gimmick because I can actually see a racist uncle with a blonde, all-american athlete who's more brawn than brains. The problem with this gimmick is, it's all to push Swagger yet Dutch Mantel is the one drawing heat, not that uncle Zeb has got the ball rolling they need to give Swagger the mic more, help him stand on his two feet, otherwise once his fued with Del Rio is over Swagger will have nothing going for him.

[Turley]

this is hilarious.

Americans have laughed along for years as Vince has pushed racist black gimmicks, racist Indian gimmicks, racist Asian gimmicks, racist English Gimmicks, racist Islander gimmicks etc.

Isnt it funny anymore?

[Shockage]

I really like the gimmick. Jack isn't a stronger enough person to go at it alone, and it makes sense that an older man be brought in to feed him the heat.

[DevinJAM]

Red Necks by the majority are not racist, Dark. that is a steriotype. and i did feel Jerry Lawler went a little far nameing rl poloticians and clameing they would be fans of Swagger. it is steriotyping and even a bit hateful. i dont think this is Vince or lindas idea for Lawler to say this but it really dont have as heavy bases on the gimmick, the gimmick as been done thousends of times.
the problem is that a lot of Zeb said is true concerning peoples concerns over illigal immigration, what would really upset people is he brodened his language to say all immigration not just those illigal. and Tea Partyers have been steriotyped as having this view. so i can see why it would upset a teapartyer like me. I love the gimmick though for what it really is, not a tea party gimmick but a xenophobic gimmick like JBL did years before against Eddie.

[Shockage]

The WWE responded to right-wing criticism that the Zeb and Jack Swagger storyline is a slam against the conservative Tea Party movement, and indicated it has no intention of reining in the perceived partisanship.
Conservative site Breitbart.com noted:

Over the past two weeks Jack Swagger and his “great American” manager Zeb Colter into the ring to lecture the crowd on “true patriotism,” which apparently means immigrant-bashing and veiled racism of the pair “talking about freeloading immigrants and welfare recipients in front of the Gadsden flag, which has become symbolic of the Tea Party.”

One video also has Colter delivering a “state of the union” address behind a podium emblazoned with, “Don’t tread on me,” which has become a popular Tea Party slogan.

The website Twitchy, run by conservative columnist Michelle Malkin, also did its part to push the narrative that the WWE was engaging in partisan propaganda by insinuating a couple of its villains are Tea Partiers.
The WWE didn’t confirm or deny that the characters represent the Tea Party, only that the storyline represented “current events.” Nor did it indicate a willingness to alter its scripts based on partisan complaints.
Brian Flinn, WWE’s senior vp of marketing and communications said:

“WWE has a long history of creating fictional characters that serve as either protagonists or antagonists, no different than other television shows or feature films. To create compelling and relevant content for our audience, it is important to incorporate current events into our storylines,”


“WWE is creating drama centered on a topical subject that has varying points of view to develop a rivalry between two characters. This storyline in no way represents WWE’s political point of view. One should not confuse WWE’s storytelling with what WWE stands for, similar to other entertainment companies such as Warner Brothers, Universal Studios or Viacom.”

[jtpickens]

What's next a heel who supports the NRA.