WK QUICK BLOG: WWE'S PORTRAYAL OF TRUTH'S SMOKING SHOULD BE APPLAUDED
Apr 19, 2011 - 1:03:43 PM |
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BY WADE KELLER, PWTORCH EDITOR
WWE's portrayal of R-Truth's smoking last night on Raw should be applauded by anti-tobacco organizations, not criticized, as TobaccoFree.org did today. (Edit: TobaccoFree.org's criticism seemed more aimed at R-Truth for lighting up near kids rather than aimed at WWE for doing the angle. Maybe they just don't quite get the scripted-nature of the program, which is kind of embarrassing, actually.)
But here's why I like this angle. R-Truth was portrayed as a heel. He was positioned and portrayed as someone worthy of scorn and ridicule for his smoking habit. The hero (or babyface wrestler) in the skit, John Morrison, pointed out that Truth was a less-than-committed athlete because he smoked. They showed Truth needing water and gasping for breath between opponents in last week's gauntlet match, linking his exhaustion with a lack of lung capacity due to smoking.
When Truth lit up a cigarette on Raw last night, it was in the midst of a tantrum because he lost fair and square to a better athlete, who is portrayed as a parkour practitioner who is essentially a physical fitness freak. The contrast couldn't have been more clear and more beneficial to the kids in the audience. WWE's message: Smoking is what heels do, they should be booed, and Truth fails to live up to his potential because he lacks the discipline to do what millions of others have done, which is kick the habit.
I don't blame anyone who has followed WWE for the last several years or decades to be nervous about any position message WWE might try to send, given their recent obliviousness to GLBT issues, or their recent and long-term problems with the portrayal of minorities, women, foreign cultures, and overweight people, among other groups Vince McMahon has gotten his jollies ridiculing on his shows. But in this case, they're on the right track with Truth and deserve applause and encouragement for a good first step.
How do you feel? Vote in the poll below and post your thoughts in the comments section under that. If you're reading us on our app, please visit our desktop version here: http://www.wadekeller.com/ to access our polls and comments area.
[I'm not sure if it's still in print, but "Easy Way to Quit Smoking" by Allan Carr has helped more than a half dozen of my friends quit smoking on their first try and not go back, without the use of patches or any gimmickry. I read the book out of curiosity and to arm myself with some knowledge, as a non-smoker, when encouraging loved ones to quit, and I can't recommend it highly enough for those trying to quit or wanting to encourage others to quit. Those I know who read it couldn't wait to finish the book so they can smoke their last cigarette right after reading the final page. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO: EASY WAY TO QUIT SMOKING.]
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