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Terrorist Angle on Smackdown Reax #6: "The angle was tasteless anyway, even without the terror attacks today."

Jul 8, 2005 - 2:57:00 PM
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First off, I'm not trying to defend Vince McMahon here, but wasn't the final tape for the show in UPN's hands at the time of the bombings? If that's the case, shame on UPN. Now, onto the things Vince should take blame for. I was a young fan when Sgt. Slaughter was an Iraqi heel and even though it was offensive, I could look at it as harmless. He was a typical foreign heel, except played by someone who was once seen as an American hero.

The whole basis of Hassan and Daivari characters are that of U.S. citizens who've been discriminated against since the September 11 attacks. At first, I thought they may have come up with an intriguing character who was sympathetic, yet overly extremist in his search for sympathy. Now, he's become the stereotypical Islamic Arab terrorist who's no longer intriguing, but rather repulsive. This would have been in horrible taste whether or not the events in London happened, this just magnifies it.

Also, screw WWE for absolutely burying Christian when he was one of the few characters making a non-artificial bond with the audiences. I can usually shrug off when WWE has a bad show or does something in poor taste. Tonight, I'm just simply disgusted and ashamed for the first time in nearly 20 years of being a wrestling fan.

C.J. Moss
Los Angeles, CA

***

This was an all around good Smackdown, mired in controversy. The Daivari-Undertaker segment was not nearly as offensive as thought by some. Though, it was a little harsh, what can Muhammad Hassan do at this point, without garnering serious resentment? The men were never really called terrorists. We all know what they were getting at, but was it really that related to terror?

Undertaker has men in robes and wearing hoods all of time, are they terrorists too? A lot of the things Hassan says is a work, but if he isn't allowed to be Arab-American anymore (without it bothering people), is this really a prejudice country?

Michael Smith
New York City, N.Y.

***

The angle was tasteless anyway, even without the terror attacks today. This sort of thing is not what wrestling needs. If the PTC ever had a reason to petition against WWE like they did in the Attitude Era, this is it. I don't know about everywhere else, but my UPN ran a scroller across the bottom during Hassan and takers entrances as well as a Viewer Discretion is advised commercial or whatever before the segment. Bad idea that harmed an otherwise very good Smackdown that wasn't needed to advance the storyline at all.

Bad Idea Vince.

Tyler Deal
(no hometown listed)

***

Only thought I have is this WWE is sick for doing this even if the London bombings never happened, but this goes to show in the face of this horrible occurrence WWE does not care for the emotional impact gimmicks bring and all WWE sees at the end of the day the money

Nate McAtee
(no hometown listed)

***

Either UPN or WWE should've taken the terror cell part of the show out. Very disrespectful to the 37 people who died today.

Randall
(no hometown listed)

***

There can be no reasonable excuse for airing the post match attack on the Undertaker displayed in a terrorist fashion. Especially with the terrorist attacks in London today. I read the Smackdown spoilers earlier this week and when seeing the footage of the terrorist attack today, I thought that maybe someone at the WWE would have cut the footage out of respect. Does UPN review what goes on their stations? WWE has stated many times that their overseas tours are a big source of revenue. I hope this disrespect to the people of London costs them a lot of money.

Adam H.
Hagerstown, Md.

***

I am not usually offended by WWE pushing it, however I cannot believe that they thought that that terrorist scene would entertain anyone. That was the least tasteful thing I have ever seen on television. Maybe this company doesn’t belong on network television after all.  

Whoever thought of having Hassan lead a suicide/sacrifice mission with hooded mercenaries trying to cut off the blood supply to a man's head does not understand how to do the un-American gimmick in an entertaining way. Regardless of any added sensitivity from London, this was just stupid.

Mike Commisso
New York, N.Y.

***

I think people are missing the point when they focus on the events in London as key to what was wrong with this angle. WWE has proved time and again that they are completely unable to treat any ethnic wrestlers as anything other than stereotypes.

I recall WWE’s initial posting on the parents section of their site where they said Hassan and Daivari would be "struggling with being Arab-Americans in a post-9/11 world." The only way this struggle could play out in the minds of WWE writers was for Hassan to hire/align himself with terrorists. My feelings about this would perhaps be different if there were some face Arab-American wrestlers on WWE programming. However, whether it be an All-American athlete like Shelton Benjamin, a group of talented (but Hispanic) cruiserweights, or an Arab-American looking wrestler, WWE can’t help but fall back on pathetic stereotypes.

It is wrong to present all African-American wrestlers as thugs "from the street" and it is wrong to stereotype Mexicans as manual laborers. However, it strikes me as significantly worse to stereotype Arab-Americans as terrorists who are willing to "martyr" themselves in order to carry out their "agenda."

People who liken Daivari being carried out to Undertaker being carried out by "druids" have clearly not seen photos of Islamic extremist "martyrs" being carried that way by people sympathetic to their revolting actions. This is the WWE using real, tragic imagery to get cheap heat. It’s an insult to those who have died or suffered at the hands of real life terrorists.

The tragic events in London certainly bring the inappropriateness of this storyline into sharp relief, but this storyline is disgusting regardless of its timing.

Dave Doherty
Boulder, Col.

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