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| Article: |
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| Parental Guidance |
Luke Dormehl |
How the WWE's switch to PG-TV has changed the product that we love so much...
This past summer, one news item slipped under the radar of wrestling fans almost unnoticed: the official decision for World Wrestling Entertainment programming, long since rated TV-14 (‘Parents Strongly Cautioned’) in the US to change to a milder, more universal PG certificate (‘Parental Guidance Suggested’). A statement released on WWEParents.com explained: “All WWE television programs are [now] rated PG in recognition of the growing appeal of our programs to all ages and as intergenerational family viewing.” At about the same time, WWE Kids Magazine was launched, geared towards ‘edutaining’ (their focus-grouped word, not ours) the “2.6 million six-to-14-year-olds” who watch WWE programming each week. Still, none of this should have come as much of a surprise. As anyone who watches WWE on a regular basis will know WWE has been transitioning towards ‘intergenerational family viewing’ for quite some time – this most recent tweak was just the final adjustment in a long line of subtle changes.
What did cause a stir, however, was something that happened six months later at 2008’s Armageddon pay-per-view. Twenty-nine-year-old WWE fan Tom Griffith, attending the Buffalo, New York taping, apparently dared to boo and flip the bird (a gesture once widely used on television by none other than Heavyweight Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin) at WWE-appointed babyface Batista in his match against Randy Orton. A few minutes later, Griffith was approached by two grey-suited officials who informed him that ‘the person renting this building tonight has requested you be removed from it.’ Tom spent the rest of the show outside the arena waiting for his friends in the rain. Seriously.
According to the friend of Tom’s who broke the story online, Griffith wasn’t intoxicated at the show, nor was he involved in an altercation with anyone attending or performing at the event. The only possible explanation for his ejection was that WWE wanted to protect the image of Batista, who it presents to audiences as a fan-favourite. The reason that this particular case caused such a stir among the online community is because in the past, WWE has actively encouraged fans to express themselves. Undoubtedly the upset was added to by recent reports that the company have been confiscating ‘inappropriate’ signs at television tapings more enthusiastically than ever before.
“The sign policy is what it is – I'm in no position to tell someone what is appropiate or not as far as they go,” said WWE’s own Jim Ross on the subject. “But if you bring one that's offensive, you take the risk of having it confiscated. It's the fan's own choice to do so on that.
“I’m all for freedom of speech unless it crosses the line in the form of signs that profanely scream ‘Please look at me!’,” he continued. “The ‘Cuck Fena’ sign that was wisely confiscated in Toronto is a good example of crossing the line; it’s akin to the ‘Tuck Fexas’ shirt some here in Oklahoma wear. Bad taste… not cool. There was a time when that sort of material was actually encouraged and marketed in the WWE but that attitudinal ship has sailed.”
For the rest of this feature, check out issue 38 of FSM - available at WH Smith and all good retailers. (For US readers we are now carried at Borders and Barnes & Noble, so check for local availability or click here to subscribe.)
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