By Wade Keller, PWTorch editor

-Instinct Magazine ran an item today headlined Pro Wrestling Champ Bully Ray Apologizes For "Faggot" Tirade Against Fan.

Right under that story on the main page is an article on the head of Sony Pictures asking Hollywood to eliminate gay slurs and stereotypes. “How about next time, when any of us are reading a script and it says words like fag, or faggot – homo – dyke – take a pencil and just cross it out," she said. The transcript of her comments are available at this link. She expands on her beliefs that entertainment media need to step up and "catch up" to progressive attitudes among a growing percent of the population.

-Dixie Carter told me Friday afternoon the reason Bully Ray issued the second apology on Twitter this week (his first was Monday afternoon, his second on Thursday afternoon) is because mid-week he had a good conversation with the fan he aimed his anti-gay slurs towards last week in Chicago and he wanted everyone to know that he personally apologized to him. He took that chance to also affirm his apology on Twitter, realizing his first one wasn't worded particularly well. As for a single unsourced, anonymous report out there that Viacom pushed for a second Bully Ray apology because they were pestered by phone calls by an aggressive wrestling reporter, Dixie said Viacom (parent company of Spike TV, which airs TNA Impact) hasn't been involved in this situation at all. "I know nothing and have heard nothing about Viacom execs getting calls or getting involved," she told me. "I know that had nothing to do with Bully's second apology. That's just not true at all." She said Bully issued that second apology on his own and wasn't urged by anyone to do it, even her.

-On a more personal note, I want to acknowledge and thank those of you who sent emails to me this week regarding my Keller's Takes on the Bully Ray controversy. The issue of anti-gay slurs hit close to home for many of you (as it did for me), and the personal stories you shared and the kind words you had for the strong stand I took on this issue was gratifying, especially in light of some not-to-kind comments strewn about on Twitter and elsewhere by people who saw this as a simple "P.C." or "let heels be heels" type of issue. I'm also proud of how Dixie Carter handled this issue and how clear she has made it to me personally that she does not want such slurs part of TNA's identity as a company and won't tolerate them going forward. It didn't take an editorial from me to convince her, either. I'm going to carve out some time to write back personally to those of you I haven't yet who shared your stories with me.

-If you haven't yet, check out Bully Ray's five part explanation for the Aces & Eights plot unfolding over the last nine months. I'm not sure there's anyone, other than maybe C.M. Punk, who could have pulled off this five-part video series in such convincing fashion like Bully Ray did. He's just been phenomenal in the last year or two on the mic, and this was some of his best work. TNA put a lot of effort into this video package, and Dixie told me this was intricately plotted way back when the storyline began with very little changed from originals plans. TNA is clearly proud of how this all unfolded. Here's the link to the video: Bully Ray Reveals How He Pulled off Aces & Rights Hoax

-Dixie Carter gave me an exclusive interview that went nearly 90 minutes earlier this month including live caller questions that covered a wide range of current TNA-related topics. If you missed it, you can listen to it free at this link: PWTorch Livecast with Dixie Carter & Chris DeJoseph. This Livecast also includes my interview with Chris DeJoseph, a former longtime WWE Creative Team member discussing WrestleMania hype. He is also known by his alter-ego, Big Dick Johnson, on WWE TV skits in the 2000s.

-My four-and-half-hour-plus long exclusive interview with Scott Hall and Sean Waltman was posted in its entirety Friday night for VIP members. I can't recommend this enough. It among my favorite interviews in 25 years of doing long-form, big-name wrestler interviews. It was so great to talk to a sober Scott Hall (going on 60 days and counting) and his long-time good friend Sean Waltman. They've been in the middle of so many great eras in pro wrestling, and no two wrestlers will ever be as forthcoming and intelligent as those two were in an interview of this type. Even if you aren't (yet) a VIP member (sign up here), you can listen to the first half of the interview free at this link: PWTorch Livecast Interview with Scott Hall & Sean Waltman. As a wrestling fan, you will never forget this interview, and you will probably listen to it more than once - it's really that good.

-Follow me on Twitter @thewadekeller. I posted the Dixie quotes there first on Friday afternoon.

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