Welcome everyone to the exciting and wonderful world that is
SmoothWords. The most opinionated column on the Internet today.
Actually it probably isn't but hey, a guy can
dream can't he? So get off deez.
Well, as you all know, professional wrestling has had a lot of
controversy lately. The WWF in particular.
I was flipping through the channels while watching TV earlier today
and I came across Inside Edition, who was doing a segment on the World
Wrestling Federation.
Inside Edition talked about how popular wrestling has become as of
late, and then they concentrated their attention on the topic of how
the WWF is causing bad manners in children.
Inside Edition showed clips of DX, Steve Austin, Vince McMahon, Val
Venis, The Godfather and The Undertaker; siting these as the main
wrestlers that are causing kids to misbehave.
An Inside Edition reporter even sat down and conducted an interview
with Vince McMahon. The interview made McMahon appear as an arrogant
asshole who is trying to mislead the public.
Inside Edition then gave the results of an Indiana University
research project in which students studied an entire year's worth of
Raw (50 shows).
The program came up with the following statistics:
* a wrestler grabbing/pointing to his crotch -1,568
times
* wrestlers/audience saying "Suck it" - 434 times.
* wrestlers/audience giving the finger - 157 times.
* wrestlers being struck by objects - 609 times.
* simulated sexual activity - 128 times.
* satanic activity - 47 times.
* appearance of character as a prostitute - 20 times.
* simulated drug use/possession - 42 times.
Then, Inside Edition talked about how the Winnipeg school board has
banned many items such as t-shirts, hats, toys and even phrases that
involve professional wrestling.
Basically what the whole piece was set at saying Vince McMahon and
the World Wrestling Federation are marketing their product at children
and are, in the process, corrupting the youth of America, as well as
other countries.
Now, I've had about enough of these types of reports that I can
handle. I'm always hearing about how wrestling is bad and about how it
is corrupting children, blah blah blah.
Listen, parents, if you don't want you children watching wrestling,
then don't let them. I don't understand how all these people feel that
it is the WWF's responsibility to raise their children.
Folks, if your children are acting in a way that you don't like,
it's because YOU let it happen. You allowed them to watch the program,
therefore, you
allowed their behavior.
Sure, the WWF played a role in it, but hey, they're going to
continue to run the type of program that gets them ratings. The WWF
will do what the audience wants them to. If the audience stopped
watching the show due to vulgar content, then the WWF would stop
showing vulgar content.
You see, the World Wrestling Federation is a business. And, just
like any other TV show, their success is based on ratings. More people
watch, more money, plain and simple.
The fact is, that wrestlers and their catch-phrases are so popular
simply because the children want to be like the wrestlers. Kids see
someone standing up to an authority figure, flipping him off and
saying rude comments to him, and eventually getting their way; and
they fall in love with it. Kids want to be rebels just like you did
when you were younger. The only reason it is in such terms lately is
because times have changed.
We're not in the 50's anymore Sparky, we're in the 90's. Hell, we're
almost at the new millennium. Kids are bastards nowadays, face it.
Even if it professional wrestling wasn't around, kids would still be
swearing and flipping people off, it's just that they wouldn't have
trendy catch-phrases like "SUCK IT!" already made up for them.
So don't blame the WWF for the corruption of your kids, blame it on
yourself and your lack of responsibility as a parent.
And please, realize that as long as the audience wants something the
WWF is going to give it to them. So please, understand that they are
not going to change the direction of their program simply because a
group of people who don't even watch the show are offended.
Basically, you need to grow up and stop whining about how your kids
aren't perfect little angels anymore.
The WWF is going to give it's audience what they want, not what it's
audience's parents feel they SHOULD
want.
To come up and say that the WWF is responsible for the way you kids
act shows a lack of willingness to admit your own mistakes. If you
would've taken the time to actually sit down and watch television with
your children, then you would've realized what was
going on and perhaps, you could've prevented it.
So please, don't blame the WWF for you being a bad parent. Stop
being a child and own up to your own mistakes, like an adult.
SilkySmooth
"Ya just GOTTA love me!"
