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WWE SHOWS NO CLASS FOR MEMORY OF OWEN HART ON RAW - AN EDITORIAL

”It is my sad duty to inform you that Owen Hart has died.”
-Jim Ross, May 1999, Kemper Arena

”Now our son is dead, but our son won't die alone.”
- Kane, September 2004, Kemper Arena

Professional wrestling is always going to be tasteless. There’s nothing that can be done to change that. From the backstabbing history to the seedy characters to the violent nature of the in-ring artform known as professional wrestling, there is always going to be a level of sleaziness to professional wrestling.

Longtime fans have accepted that as a fact of life. Those who are involved in the business have found themselves callused and immune to it, as it has become a way of life. There are those who are so enveloped in it, that they assume everyone does things the same way and refuse to allow anyone to have a level of trust in their lives. Then, there are many who follow the business or work within it who get their kicks and are entertained by the stories of absolute sleaze and stupidity of those involved and connected to this industry.

World Wrestling Entertainment, by nature of being the last national company in the United States, is professional wrestling. Thus the company has tried to shine up its image and put its best foot forward over the last several years – sending performers to Iraq to perform for those serving overseas; acknowledging the history of the business beyond the initials WWE while adding to their Hall of Fame; countless charitable acts that go unsung and unreported; political activism in the form of Smackdown Your Vote! And countless other moves made to make WWE an upstanding entertainment company on the same level as any other. WWE should be applauded for what they have tried to do. They may be ridiculed by those who don't respect or care about this business, but for those who do care, understand and cover this unique niche entertainment form, WWE has tried and should be commended.

For every step forward that WWE takes however, it seems content to turn around and spit in the face of everyone who cares about the business. It’s almost as if the company, despite its best efforts, sees itself as nothing more than the sleazy underbelly of entertainment and relishes in that fact. While it may be all fun and games when it’s something like Diva Search contestants cursing each other out like frat boys working on their 10th keg, last night was a lack of class on a completely new, disgusting level.

Presenting a miscarriage in a professional wrestling storyline is a disgusting move in and of itself. Campy acting aside, most of those within the business and even covering it have dismissed it, partially because they are so callused to the sleaziness and stupidity that abounds in this business. Of course, those who are not callused understand that there is a difference between wrestling and real life – no one in real life is going to get attacked from behind with a chair or put their marital status on the line in a match – but when you feature an emotionally scarring experience that many have unfortunately gone through, such as a miscarriage, as entertainment, you are skating on a very thin line - a line made up of tasteless, disgusting content.

However, by continuing that storyline inside Kansas City’s Kemper Arena, the same building where Owen Hart plummeted to his death in 1999 before thousands of fans and his fellow wrestlers, WWE showed nothing but a complete and utter lack of class towards the memory of Hart, his family, his fans, and their own employees. WWE went far over and beyond any line of entertainment and they have no excuse for it.

I cannot begin to fathom that when this idea was broached for Kane to do an interview proclaiming, “My son is dead” while Raw was broadcasting from the site of Owen Hart’s death, that not one person spoke up and said, “Hey, maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”

I refuse to believe that not one creative person, not one agent, not one production person, not one wrestler, not one McMahon family member didn’t look at the format for this show and think, “This isn’t a good idea tonight.” Would it have been so hard to simply do a quick recap of last week and announce there would be comments next week? Despite how inane and insulting the storyline would normally be, by presenting it from this locale, WWE showed a complete disdain for the memories of anyone aware of Hart’s passing.

Dave Scherer has already reported that the inclusion of the line was an error made in the rush to re-script the segment, but what does that say about WWE when something as massive as the passing away of Owen Hart can be disregarded, even in error? WWE has no one to blame for this but themselves and they need to step up, admit that and issue an apology.

The shame of this is that at least one person realized the bad timing and taste of this creativity – they had to have - but they still likely kept their mouth shut in order to ensure their own job security. After all, the last thing you want to do while employed by WWE is go against the flow. So, they stayed silent. Silent with shame.

Watching Raw, one has to feel for Jerry Lawler, who cradled Owen Hart in his arms that fateful night, having to sell this fictious “tragedy.” One has to feel for Jim Ross, who nearly broke down the next evening on Raw bidding farewell to Owen, having to maintain a somber tone. One has to feel for Chris Benoit, who faced Bret Hart in the best wrestling match to appear on Monday Nitro in dedication to Owen in that same ring, having to sit there and listen to this garbage broadcast to fans internationally just months after breaking down into tears while discussing Owen while taping an interview for his recently released DVD.

One also wonders what Mick Foley, who dedicated his first autobiography to Owen’s memory, thought while watching from home. One wonders what Bret Hart will think, having his name called out by Ric Flair on the same episode that played up the death of a fictious baby in the building his brother died in. One wonders what other wrestlers sat there in the locker room, thinking of their friend while not being able to speak up, as their own positions are precarious enough.

World Wrestling Entertainment showed no respect to Owen Hart, his fans, or his family last night. Worse still, there were fans chanting “Babykiller” at Gene Snitsky last night. One wonders how many of them were sitting there at Over the Edge while paramedics were working on Owen’s dead body. One wonders how many of them still even care.

WWE should apologize for its complete lack of taste at Raw tonight. They won’t. They’ll dismiss this editorial or perhaps look at it as some great heat they’ve gotten on the Internet. They've accomplished nothing of the sort. Instead, they took a Raw that had some great moments involving Ric Flair (ironically discussing the respect of a legend) and made it secondary to the lack of respect shown for Owen’s memory.

WWE, I hope you are ashamed. If you aren’t, I’m ashamed for you.

Mike Johnson can be reached at Mike@PWInsider.com.

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