By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

Former WWE CEO Linda McMahon said in an interview on local TV in Connecticut this weekend that WWE classifies wrestlers as independent contractors because they are "performers in a soap opera" and "written in and out of scripts."

That response brings up two questions - (a) why aren't wrestlers protected by an independent group like TV actors and (b) why aren't WWE's "independent contractors" allowed to take bookings for other wrestling promotions, such as TNA, if they are "written in and out of scripts," which implies they aren't always booked on WWE's TV programming. The follow-up questions were not asked by NBC Connecticut's Tom Monahan in the interview on "Connecticut Newsmakers."

WWE subjects were brought up in the interview when McMahon was asked to address criticism of pro wrestling's history of health issues. McMahon pointed to the recent institution of the Wellness Policy after initially dodging the question to describe WWE's socially responsible programs as a publicly-traded company.

McMahon stuck to her trademark answer of focusing on WWE's current Wellness Policy, which was instituted well after the rash of early wrestler deaths in the industry and well after the McMahons made their fortune that is allowing McMahon to self-fund her Senate campaign. The transcript of the exchange is below.

NBC's Tom Monahan: "Linda, you've heard all the criticisms when you talk about WWE - the steroid use, some of the deaths, and so forth. How do you react to that? I guess what the assumption is is that you knew about this and you let it happen. How do you respond to that?"

Linda McMahon: "Now, Tom, you do know that WWE is a soap opera. It's fiction. It's episodic television." Linda then gave the official WWE sales pitch on being "very proud of the reach of that programming to utilize the power of the brand" to develop Smackdown Your Vote, Reading programs, Make a Wish connections, Tribute to the Troops, etc.

McMahon then went to the Wellness Policy defense. "The very key and core of WWE are the performers who are on the road and in the ring. WWE takes great efforts to protect the health and welfare of those through a Health & Wellness Policy, which includes annual physicals, cardio evaluations, Impact testing for concussions, - the same Impact testing that the NFL uses and continues to get updated - and there is a very comprehensive drug-testing policy that's a part of that. All of this is administered by third parties. ... Violations of drug policy are up to and including termination of contract. So, it's very serious and very comprehensive to protect these men and women."

Monahan: "Are these men and women independent contractors?"

McMahon: "Yes, they are. They're independent contractors - they're performers in a soap opera. They're written in and out of scripts. They're also - like other sports figures would be - they are independent contractors."

Monahan: "So, whatever they would have wanted to do bulk up - whether it be exercise or whatever - would be their decision?"

McMahon: "They're responsible for their own training regiment and nutrition. Yes."

Caldwell's Analysis: Unlike "sports figures," pro wrestlers aren't protected by a Player's Union or other labor organization that allows them to have some form of negotiating power. If there's one thing McMahon has proven to be talented at during this Senate campaign, it's answering an unsophisticated question with an unsophisticated answer. If the interviewer doesn't know enough about the subject to ask the proper follow-up questions, then McMahon isn't going to oblige by giving more information than is required. The last exchange in the interview was particularly comical, as the interviewer was trying to ask a question about wrestlers "making their own choice" to "bulk up" - implying steroid use - but he asked it in a trivial way almost looking to find out whether wrestlers are responsible for choosing work-out partners or wearing a fannypack to the gym. McMahon responded in-kind with an innocuous line about wrestlers deciding their own workout training and diet. The WWE portion of the interview picks up at the 5:30 mark below.

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