S06.E06: World Wrestling Entertainment and Vince McMahon

[Athena]

LWT returns March 31, 2019.

Quote

Other segments: Special Counsel investigation (2017-2019)

 

[Lantern7]

Website has the episode starting at 11:06. Minimum, I figure John will lead with Brexit, and the Mueller Report would be the main topic. Or maybe John challenges Trevor Noah to a fistfight, after Trevor did a slightly unflattering impersonation of him. 🤷‍♂️

ETA: Also, an “And Now, This” on unflattering stereotyping of the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day from local news stations.

Edited March 30, 2019 by Lantern7

[Victor the Crab]

Wouldn't surprise me the least if the entire episode was dedicated to the Mueller Report Barr Memo and the implications surrounding it.

[Annber03]

On 3/30/2019 at 4:57 PM, Victor the Crab said:

Wouldn't surprise me the least if the entire episode was dedicated to the Mueller Report Barr Memo and the implications surrounding it.

One more reason of many why I'm wanting that entire, unedited (or at least, as unedited as you'd be able to get it) report released as soon as possible. I very much want to see that kind of segment. Here's hoping we'll get that. It's absolutely hilarious hearing the right being all, "This report totally exonerated him!"/"This was a total waste of time!" First off, way to prove that you apparently can't read. Second, this coming from the same people who still want to keep investigating Hillary over her e-mails all this time later. Remind me again how many people were indicted/arrested/taking plea deals/going to jail in those Clinton investigations, compared to the one with Trump? Yeah. Shut it, you morons. 

(That "Affordable house now available in Brentwood" line, though. I'm going to hell for laughing at that, aren't I?)

As for the main topic tonight, I'm not a wrestling fan as it is, in large part because seeing people intentionally injure themselves like that doesn't interest me whatsoever. This segment just further confirmed my lack of interest in the sport. 

That being said, however, I fully agree that the way these wrestlers are being treated and handled is beyond shameful. The really sad part is how you can take all the big issues these wrestlers deal with and expand them to relate to so many other jobs in this country. How many stories have we heard about people needing GoFundMe campaigns to raise money for medical bills? It's absolutely insane that that's even a thing in this supposed "best country ever" to begin with. So I hope the fans continue to bang the drum and these people can get the kind of care and proper treatment they deserve. 

[Iguana]

 Hey John. Well I knew it was in evitable that you would have to spend some time on the Barr summary of the Mueller report but thank you for keeping it to a minimum. I am already tired from the week long freak out by left and right  over a four page highlight sheet. 

While I am not a huge wrestling fan myself, I grew up with someone who was, and kind of still is, obsessed by the WWF/WWE, and I saw more than my fair share of Wrestlemania pay per views back in the day. Years later it is sad to see that so many of the wrestlers who made McMahon a billionaire being thrown away by him like an empty Coke can out a car window. Not too funny John. But the shot of that asshole getting a butthole face wash did lift my spirits just a bit. And if anyone at the upcoming Wreslemania starts chanting “Health Insurance!” or waves a sign that says “Less Spandex More Retirement Accounts”, I need to know about it. 

[Jediknight]

John was 100% right with damn near everything he said in the wrestling segment, the only thing wrong was that Roman looking like a pedo dig.  Dude, John, WTF?  Also, WWE didn't really listen to the fans, because they were still pushing Roman hard after that.  Fans wanted Braun, Finn, New Day, Ambrose, or Seth as the guy, and WWE kept pushing Roman.

There's a reason so many wrestlers won't hesitate for one second to do a small part on a television show, they do that, and they get in that sweet SAG insurance.  You hope things will get better under Triple H and Stephanie, once Vince is gone.

Edited April 1, 2019 by Jediknight

[Lantern7]

Looks like I was way off in my predictions. “Well, we slagged local newscasts enough. How about a montage of  legendary broadcaster Vin Scully shooting the breeze about any darn thing?” I’m guessing that was a shelf ANT, because he’s been retired for a few years.

I stop watching wrestling ages ago, and it looks like I made the right call. Of course, I wat ch The Challenge, so I still inflict needless middling pain on myself. I’m hoping John takes on Bunim-Murray Productions one day. As for asking fans to speak up at next week’s event . . . while I’d bet the overlap between WWE and LWT fans is bigger than one might think, I think all that would happen is a bit where a wrestler beats the shit out of twenty twee-sounding British people, all dressed alike, all with horrific accents. Also, all wearing glasses.

Edited April 1, 2019 by Lantern7

[Danny Franks]

I'm glad that John didn't spend too much time on the Mueller Report, beyond making it clear that we still don't know what it says. Just a montage of lying liars, trying to gaslight the public after the guy who covered up Iran-Contra set it up for them.

The main story was a surprise, but not an unwelcome one. And it's well-timed, considering the WWE is a week away from their biggest show of the year. Having said that, I never, ever thought I'd see Brutus the Barber Beefcake referenced on Last Week Tonight. Or anywhere on TV in 2019.

But it was really cool for John to focus on the issue of the early deaths of so many wrestlers, and questions of how the WWE treats its stars. These have long been thorny issues for fans, all the way back to those attempts by Jesse Ventura to form a wrestlers' union (only for Hulk Hogan to tell Vince McMahon, leading to Jesse being fired).

I've always found the business of wrestling far more interesting than the actual matches, and the wrestling territories are fascinating. These (often shady as fuck) promoters who carved out their own areas, built their own stars and their own loyal fanbases. Often their own styles of wrestling as well. And the wrestlers who would work for territory after territory, rarely staying long enough to outstay their welcome, unless they became the big stars and realised they could make more money by sticking around.

Vince McMahon is possibly genuinely crazy, and there are so many stories about him that defy belief. But I can't say that he's a complete arsehole. He famously has these odd flashes of kindness, like paying for rehab for many wrestlers with addiction problems, even when they don't work for him, or paying for funerals of impoverished ex-wrestlers (though you could easily argue, they might not have been impoverished if Vince or the other promoters they'd worked for had treated them well). He even sometimes hires wrestlers he has no use for because, in the words of one guy, "sometimes, Vince just does things to be nice."

But that doesn't overshadow the carny way he's run his company, and the 'independent contractor' schtick has always been utter bullshit. It is a carry-over from the territory days, and the only reason it still applies is because no one has cared enough about regulating the WWE to stop it. And they still don't, which is why the WWE felt free to perform in Saudi Arabia just weeks after Jamal Khashoggi was murdered, and why they still offer little in the way of benefits to the performers.

The early deaths are mostly drug related - either steroid, painkiller or recreational drug abuse that has impacted on the long term health of countless guys. Most of my favourite wrestlers from childhood died at ludicrously young ages - Mr. Perfect was 45, Randy Savage was 58, British Bulldog was 39! The late 1980s were a horrendous time to be a wrestler, when Vince was obsessed with huge, bodybuilder physiques and was probably involved in an organised effort to get steroids and HGH to his wrestlers

But the WWE is a healthier place than it was - Chris Benoit forced them to take head trauma and concussions seriously long before the NFL was even admitting it was a problem. Even from 2014, when Punk said his concussion was ignored, they now routinely keep people out of action for weeks, if they're diagnosed with concussions. Daniel Bryan is a good example of how the WWE takes this stuff deadly seriously now.

[spaceghostess]

1 hour ago, Danny Franks said:

The early deaths are mostly drug related - either steroid, painkiller or recreational drug abuse that has impacted on the long term health of countless guys. Most of my favourite wrestlers from childhood died at ludicrously young ages - Mr. Perfect was 45, Randy Savage was 58, British Bulldog was 39! The late 1980s were a horrendous time to be a wrestler, when Vince was obsessed with huge, bodybuilder physiques and was probably involved in an organised effort to get steroids and HGH to his wrestlers

But the WWE is a healthier place than it was - Chris Benoit forced them to take head trauma and concussions seriously long before the NFL was even admitting it was a problem. Even from 2014, when Punk said his concussion was ignored, they now routinely keep people out of action for weeks, if they're diagnosed with concussions. Daniel Bryan is a good example of how the WWE takes this stuff deadly seriously now.

 

Ah, thank you for this information. It's really interesting to hear from knowledgable fans and to learn that WWE is making improvements. Do you think WWE's been more progressive on this than the NFL has because wrestling fans are more attached to their heroes than fans of other sports are, and therefore ÷more vocal/?influential on policy? I'm also curious to know if any activism happens at Wrestlemania--hopefully John does an update!

I'm glad LWT covered WWE, but while watching I couldn't help thinking that PEDs were the "elephant in the room" of the segment.  I wondered if I was wrong, so I did a little reading last night on the subject and it corroborated what you said. PEDs and all manner of other drugs (hello, 1980s) were getting wrestlers through their climbs to the top and subsequent grueling (insane) schedules dictated by McMahon. Like other pro athletes of the time, they weren't thinking about long-term effects.

I'm not a wrestling fan; I was a kid when it made its transition from territorial to consolidated under the WWF umbrella and a teen when Hulk Hogan was huge. I remember channel surfing pre-cable and coming across wrestling on New York's channel 9 (WOR). The oily, screaming guys--and promoters--creeped me out and I never got over it. Seeing The Wrestler years ago really made me think about how the business can chew people (even non-stars) up and spit them out. I watched the Andre the Giant doc last year and Vince McMahon just came off like a narcissistic phony to me. He cried about Andre, but he was also the dictator who wanted falling-apart wrestlers out there making money for him no matter what. His gestures of "kindness" remind me of a Mafia boss scattering cash and gifts to lesser members of the family and widows and children of people murdered in his service.

Even as an outsider, I think it's unconscionable that McMahon--in the interview shown on LWT-- refused to take responsibility for the health of employees his organization has pushed to the brink. That little tantrum looked like 'roid rage to me, TBH. Overall, not impressed with the McMahons (Linda and her political activities only contribute to that impression).

[Gigi43]

The era of those Stone Cold clips that were shown was the era where I never missed a RAW w/my brother, friends would all gather for PPVS, etc. I don't watch anymore really but this was hard they mentioned so many people I was into. I was a big Chyna fan. And I was watching the Pay Per View where Owen Hart died which is ingrained in my head. Linda McMahon I heard last week was going to step down in her role in the Trump Administration I wonder if they had a word this was coming out? I thought for sure Oliver would show anything from the McMahons having matches with each other. I had no idea Vince ever said the N word. Holy moly. I dont watch anymore when did he get away with that shit? All that money the WWE pulls in and the wrestlers don't even have insurance?  Fuck them. 

[peeayebee]

9 hours ago, Iguana said:

... getting a butthole face wash ... 

Just curious: Is that the term for it or just what you call it?

The closest I've gotten to watching wrestling is GLOW on Netflix. I didn't know anything about it, so John's show was interesting and informative. I also appreciate the info people here posted.

8 hours ago, Jediknight said:

There's a reason so many wrestlers won't hesitate for one second to do a small part on a television show, they do that, and they get in that sweet SAG insurance. 

That's a good point. I always thought wrestlers got into movies just as a career move and to make more money, but to get health insurance was something I never considered.

I hope fans at Wrestlemania will show us that they watched this ep by chanting and/or holding signs.

[Chaos Theory]

I watched wrestling ALOT in the 90s and 90s and it was very well known how badly Vince treated his stable of wrestlers.  Treated them more like actors then sports starts.  I am actually surprised John Oliver didn’t bring up Chris Benoit’s Murder/suicide but I guess that is way to dark for a comedy.  Still was nice that he did bring up Chyna.  Things went badly for her after she left WWE. 

[iMonrey]

I've been away from this show for awhile now and tonight's main story is why. I simply don't understand John's choice in main stories half the time. With everything going on in the news, John devotes an entire half hour to wrestling? Really? Why? WTF? 

Look, I get that John doesn't want to cover the same damn thing every other show covers. He's trying to stand out and not repeat what's already been done by Trevor Noah, Bill Maher and Sam Bee. Still, I don't care about half the shit John covers. I just don't, there's too much other important stuff going on. I thought the story about Robo Calls was interesting and so too was the one about public shaming. But wrestling? I'm sorry but I just can't bring myself to care about how pro wrestlers are treated by their governing body. It's not like they were forced to become pro wrestlers. There are more important things going on in the world, John. 

[Danny Franks]

50 minutes ago, spaceghostess said:

I watched the Andre the Giant doc last year and Vince McMahon just came off like a narcissistic phony to me. He cried about Andre, but he was also the dictator who wanted falling-apart wrestlers out there making money for him no matter what. His gestures of "kindness" remind me of a Mafia boss scattering cash and gifts to lesser members of the family and widows and children of people murdered in his service.

Even as an outsider, I think it's unconscionable that McMahon--in the interview shown on LWT-- refused to take responsibility for the health of employees his organization has pushed to the brink. That little tantrum looked like 'roid rage to me, TBH. Overall, not impressed with the McMahons (Linda and her political activities only contribute to that impression).

So Vince McMahon is a very odd duck, to say the least. He is narcissistic, and I think he'd have to be, to have envisioned combining all the wrestling territories under his company banner. But incredibly ambitious and brave too, because those old promoters wanted nothing to do with him, and there was talk amongst some of them of having him killed, back when the WWF was muscling in on their territory, competing for live shows and TV time.

He does run the WWE with an iron fist, and has the final say on everything. And I mean everything. He's known for rewriting entire scripts for Raw or Smackdown, just hours before they go live.  He's insisted that he knows which stars should be at the top of the card, regardless of what the fans want (hence that booing of Roman Reigns). He's fired people before, for not doing as instructed on TV. He's famous for continuously yelling into the headsets of his on-screen announcers, telling them to say certain things.

But he's always there. He attends every TV show, every PPV and even every house show that the WWE puts on. His schedule, while not as physically active as the wrestlers' (any more. He did get in the ring on a number of occasions in the late 90s and early 2000s), involves even more travelling and reputedly barely any sleep.

There's a kind of mythos that has built up around him, and he has any number of bizarre eccentricities, from thinking sneezing is a sign of weakness to his honest-to-god fetish for muscular men, despite being married (and a known philanderer) with children. He also once suggested a storyline where it turned out he'd been sleeping with his daughter, and her pregnancy was with his baby. She said they would not be doing that storyline. I'm not kidding. Just google 'Vince McMahon crazy stories' and you'll be entertained for a long time.

But he gets credit from wrestlers because he has always been willing to go out there and be humiliated on screen. Those clips of him being beaten up by various people, of kissing Rikishi's giant ass, and more clips not shown (like him wetting himself in the middle of the ring) were all indicative of his belief that the show comes first. Before anyone's ego, before anyone's dignity, including his own.

And by most accounts, he's extremely approachable as a boss. If you want to talk to him about your character, your storyline or your opportunities, his door is always open. Sasha Banks was talking this week about how they only created a Tag Team Title for the Women's division because she and other female wrestlers pestered Vince directly for months.

He's also very forgiving, no matter what wrongs someone may have done (or be perceived to have done). Wrestlers can leave the company under all sorts of clouds, but Vince has usually been willing to give them another chance, somewhere down the line. Bret Hart is a good example. So Bret left the company for WCW in 1997, rather acrimoniously and less than two years later, his brother Owen died doing a stunt in the WWF ring.  Bret supported Owen's widow in a lawsuit against the company, which she won, and he and Vince were famously hostile to each other. Bret felt he'd been betrayed over how he left the WWF, Vince felt Bret was the one in the wrong.

They didn't speak at all, for three more years. Then, in 2002 Bret had a stroke and was hospitalised. The first person who called him to wish him well and talk was Vince, and it was the beginning of a rapprochement that led to Bret and the WWE making amends.

[sd dude]

John's story on WWE was a welcome surprise and fairly well executed.  One detail that surprised me very much in its absence from the segment was the lack of mention of Chris Benoit, arguably one of the most horrific and tragic stories of a professional wrestler meeting a premature end.  For anyone who does not know, near the height of a very popular and successful pro wrestling career, Benoit murdered his wife, his young son, and then hanged himself over a two day period in 2007.  Post-mortem showed his brain demonstrated severe signs of CTE, and he was positive for multiple drugs, including anabolic steroids.  It is presumed he was experiencing dementia, and probably in the throes of a depressive psychosis at the time.  Whether that was primarily related to the brain damage, the drug use, or both is not completely clear.  Oh, he was 40 years old, BTW.

Now, I suppose one could argue that the tragedy in all its details is not necessarily relevant to a story about how WWE exploits its talent.  After all, no one has argued that Vince McMahon had any culpability in Benoit committing murder and suicide, although there have been decades-long allegations that he promotes and even supplies steroids to his performers (he was prosecuted in Federal court in 1994 and acquitted of all charges).  Perhaps the Benoit story would be better aligned with investigations on the effects of repeated head injuries/concussions, and not so much a tale about labor relations and misclassification of independent contractors, except for. . .

I vividly recall the day in 2007 when the deaths of Benoit and his family were announced on television news (the circumstances of the deaths and who was responsible had not been released at that time).  That evening the live RAW arena show was not broadcast as planned.  Instead the entire broadcast was dedicated to Benoit, with numerous testimonials from WWE leadership and performers and some classic Benoit matches rebroadcast.  It is not an exaggeration to say that from start to finish his memory was honored and his colleagues expressed admiration, love, and authentic grief at his death.

Twenty-four hours later, there was a clearer picture of what actually happened and news outlets reported that the situation appeared to be a murder-suicide.  From that moment forward, Benoit was virtually erased from existence in regards to WWE.  Any mention of him has been removed from WWE website, publications and products, and from all future broadcasts.  Talk about treating your talent as an afterthought - how about a non-thought!  What a contrast to the attitude of just 24 hours earlier.  Just seems incredibly cold to me.  Benoit made the McMahon family a lot of money over several years, and literally gave his body, his brain, and his life.  Continuing to acknowledge his hard work, talent, and the very tragic circumstances of his death at a young age would not be inappropriate and would seem at the very least human.  How mercenary.

Now, the only question remaining is: who actually saw the CM Punk match where he shit his tights?  Just wondering how in the world the wrestlers/ref/commentators handled that one.

[ganesh]

13 hours ago, Annber03 said:

First off, way to prove that you apparently can't read.

Oh, they can read. They know that most of their base just won't read so they're just hammering their false narrative so they believe it. 

[peeayebee]

37 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I thought the story about Robo Calls was interesting and so too was the one about public shaming. But wrestling? I'm sorry but I just can't bring myself to care about how pro wrestlers are treated by their governing body. It's not like they were forced to become pro wrestlers. There are more important things going on in the world, John. 

I don't really care about wrestling, but I found this story very interesting, and since Wrestlemania is upcoming, I suppose the story is timely. 

I think employers mistreating their employees is a valid story. To deny them healthcare when the sport obviously impacts their health is horrible. If you're a billionaire you can offer healthcare. Of course that's expensive, but to do so is moral and humane.

[Iguana]

1 hour ago, peeayebee said:

Just curious: Is that the term for it or just what you call it?

The closest I've gotten to watching wrestling is GLOW on Netflix. I didn't know anything about it, so John's show was interesting and informative. I also appreciate the info people here posted.

That's a good point. I always thought wrestlers got into movies just as a career move and to make more money, but to get health insurance was something I never considered.

I hope fans at Wrestlemania will show us that they watched this ep by chanting and/or holding signs.

Butthole facewash just came to me.  ASFAIK, it's not a standard term.

[Robert Lynch]

I use to watch the WWE/WWF on TV all the time. God, I remember Chyna, Eddie, Roddy Piper, The Rock, The Hulk, etc. This is going back in the late 80s-early 00s. Who knew Vince was such a narcissist to begin with?

[ganesh]

It is a $950 million industry, but the larger context is also important. There's so-called contracted employees everywhere that have to get their own healthcare, etc. 

[rwlevin]

My husband was in the Roman Reigns sucks clip. He would seriously disagree with Vince McMahon listening to the fans. He has always said that McMahon does what he wants to do and promotes the wrestlers he likes regardless of what the fans think (IE Roman Reigns) and the general consensus is that people can't wait until Triple H takes over, whenever that will be. Actually, that's why he thinks a lot of wrestlers have been jumping ship lately and joining the new company AEW. It's going to be an interesting few years of wrestling coming up. 

Edited April 1, 2019 by rwlevin

[nickp1991]

Bravo to John Oliver for taking WWE to task during Wrestlemania week!

[Victor the Crab]

I watched wrestling a lot in the mid to late 80s. Hogan, Piper, Savage were among the big stars of that era. Gawd, the Intercontinental title match at Wrestlemania 3, between Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat, went down as one of the greatest matches in pro wrestling history. I stopped watching it in the early 90s, but found myself drawn back into it with WWF's "Attitude" era with Austin, the Rock, and Foley. The Hell in a Cell match at 1998 King of the Ring, between the Undertaker and Mick Foley, has to be seen to be believed. But by the early aughts, I stopped watching it again and have never looked back.

And through it all, Vince McMahon has been controlling the WWF/WWE, ruling it with an iron fist. I always found him to be a sleazy, arrogant asshole, even when I first remembered him as the play by play announcer alongside the likes of Bruno Sammartino and Jesse Ventura. I give him credit, as was mentioned above, for taking on the role of corporate heel boss, against the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin. and putting himself through all kinds of abuse and humiliation from his wrestlers. Of course, that was done in order to keep his empire afloat as it was on the brink of collapsing late in 1997, a lot of it his own doing (google "Montreal Screwjob" to see why Brett Hart was so pissed with McMahon). But he is, has been, and always will be a sleazy arrogant asshole. And Ollie's piece on his empire shows us why.

Will anything change because of it? I wouldn't hold my breath. It's been shown wrestlers can be replaced and interchanged with someone more hungry and more determined. That's why they're afraid to take time off. That's why there's been no effort to unionize them. That's why they technically can be called "independent contractors".

[Chaos Theory]

On 4/1/2019 at 1:27 PM, peeayebee said:

I don't really care about wrestling, but I found this story very interesting, and since Wrestlemania is upcoming, I suppose the story is timely. 

I think employers mistreating their employees is a valid story. To deny them healthcare when the sport obviously impacts their health is horrible. If you're a billionaire you can offer healthcare. Of course that's expensive, but to do so is moral and humane.

Any company mistreating it’s employees is a valid story and to tell anyone “you have a  choice to work there” is the ultimate in cruel  copouts.    You are basically saying if you want to be a wrestler you have to accept being treated like chattle of you can bag groceries or be a porn star.   Hell I think even porn stars have some form of healthcare.

Edited April 2, 2019 by Chaos Theory

[Danny Franks]

On 4/1/2019 at 6:44 PM, Iguana said:

Butthole facewash just came to me.  ASFAIK, it's not a standard term.

While that particular move has no name, Rikishi (he with the large posterior) did have move called - and I'm not joking - the Stinkface. The receiver would sit in the corner, leaning against the turnbuckles, and Rikishi would back into him, hoist up his, for want of a better word, thong, and rub his arse all over the other person's face.

Like John said, "wrestling is better than the things you like."

Edited April 3, 2019 by Danny Franks

[Hanahope]

someone needs to tell Roman to smile more.

I'm a bit surprised that some of the wrestlers, especially near the end of their careers, haven't banded together to sue WWE over the employee v. independent contractor issue.  there's a lot of case law in their favor.  course, there's more corporate friendly judges these days, but still worth a shot.

[xaxat]

I haven't followed wrestling for decades, so fell free to correct me. Didn't the WWE start to clean up its act primarily to help Linda McMahon's political ambitions? Bra and panty and crimson mask is not a  wholesome look for a family owned business.

[wendyg]

On 4/1/2019 at 6:27 PM, peeayebee said:

I don't really care about wrestling, but I found this story very interesting, and since Wrestlemania is upcoming, I suppose the story is timely. 

I think employers mistreating their employees is a valid story. To deny them healthcare when the sport obviously impacts their health is horrible. If you're a billionaire you can offer healthcare. Of course that's expensive, but to do so is moral and humane. 

Yes, and also the fact that it's then marketed to the general public as entertainment. I don't think it's a small story at all. Not as far-reaching as corruption in the Olympics, maybe, but this is a business that millions of people watch and ultimately pay for.

[rwlevin]

5 hours ago, xaxat said:

I haven't followed wrestling for decades, so fell free to correct me. Didn't the WWE start to clean up its act primarily to help Linda McMahon's political ambitions? Bra and panty and crimson mask is not a  wholesome look for a family owned business

According to my husband, no. They cleaned up their act because they signed a deal with Mattel to make action figures and other toys and that required WWE to go PG.

[SnideAsides]

Swamp mask lady was dressed as a Silurian, John. You racist. 😛

[purist]

The woman in the swamp-thing mask is a Greenpeace activist called Irene Kim who was protesting against David Bernhardt being confirmed as head of the Interior Department because he's a lobbyist for the fossil-fuels industry. Read all about it.

[Lantern7]

Before I forget to ask . . . were there any signs of protest at last night's event? And I know they invited John over.

Edited April 8, 2019 by Lantern7

[Jediknight]

7 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Before I forget to ask . . . were there any signs of protest at last night's event? And I know they invited John over.

The only thing I saw was an Oliver 3:16 sign.

[Rlb8031]

On 4/1/2019 at 12:46 PM, iMonrey said:

I've been away from this show for awhile now and tonight's main story is why. I simply don't understand John's choice in main stories half the time. With everything going on in the news, John devotes an entire half hour to wrestling? Really? Why? WTF? 

Look, I get that John doesn't want to cover the same damn thing every other show covers. He's trying to stand out and not repeat what's already been done by Trevor Noah, Bill Maher and Sam Bee. Still, I don't care about half the shit John covers. I just don't, there's too much other important stuff going on. I thought the story about Robo Calls was interesting and so too was the one about public shaming. But wrestling? I'm sorry but I just can't bring myself to care about how pro wrestlers are treated by their governing body. It's not like they were forced to become pro wrestlers. There are more important things going on in the world, John. 

Given the amount of time it takes to do the research on some of these stories, I believe that ideas may get pitched months or maybe years before they actually are ripe enough to show. That, coupled with the fact that they move stories around to address more pressing topical issues, may be why stories like this, the mobile home and robocall stories are around - they can be pulled out and shown at any time, or can be bumped for a more topical long-form story if necessary without resulting in tons of re-edits or updates. 

On 4/1/2019 at 1:27 PM, peeayebee said:

I don't really care about wrestling, but I found this story very interesting, and since Wrestlemania is upcoming, I suppose the story is timely. 

While John didn't make the explicit tie, the McMahons are huge Republican donors and were early Trump supporters. And yes, its also interesting as it is yet another example of how wealthy folks are making their money by exploiting workers.

Edited April 11, 2019 by Rlb8031
edited for clarity

[Bridget]

On 4/8/2019 at 6:14 PM, Jediknight said:

The only thing I saw was an Oliver 3:16 sign.

I saw it too. What’re the incredible odds that the person who slipped it past security (or smuggled art supplies into the stadium) happened to have a seat so close where the Miz & Shane had their match?! I was so excited to see that sign!

I tried to take a photo of it on my TV, but whatever gold colored paint/markers they used for the lettering made it impossible to take a decent photo. I couldn’t get rid of a garish glare or reflection on my camera. 

I wonder how many signs were confiscated at the entrances? I’d bet that Vince told MetLife security to throw away any signs referencing John Oliver. I would be surprised if he didn’t do that!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

5 hours ago, Bridget said:

wonder how many signs were confiscated at the entrances? I’d bet that Vince told MetLife security to throw away any signs referencing John Oliver. I would be surprised if he didn’t do that!

When I was in college, I took the middle school kid I was mentoring to a WWE show (my one and only time!) and security was confiscating every sign they saw at the entrance regardless of what the signs actually said. I was so confused because any time you watch a wrestling show on tv, the audience is full of signs!

When we got inside the arena, there were lots of people with signs. Apparently they had all been to these events before and knew to roll up their signs and wrap them around their torsos to get them past the security people at the door. None of the security people inside the arena came by to take away any of their signs. I felt dumb for trying to just walj in with my sign!

[Jediknight]

6 hours ago, Bridget said:

I wonder how many signs were confiscated at the entrances? I’d bet that Vince told MetLife security to throw away any signs referencing John Oliver. I would be surprised if he didn’t do that!

Possibly, and security was no doubt tighter after what that douchestain did at the Hall of Fame.

[Bridget]

3 hours ago, Jediknight said:

Possibly, and security was no doubt tighter after what that douchestain did at the Hall of Fame.

I STILL feel awful for Nattie about that whole shit storm!

[Lantern7]

Heads up: that episode will be rerun tonight on HBO.

[walnutqueen]

If anyone's interested in wrestling (I was not, until now), VICELAND is running an fascinating series called "Dark Side of the Ring".

https://www.viceland.com/en_us/show/dark-side-of-the-ring