Saturday, February 23, 2013

Glenn Beck objects to WWE's demonization of the Tea Party through "Zeb Colter" character

VIDEO: Glenn Beck on WWE's demonization of the Tea Party

Update: For some reason the MLB has appeared on this video.
Find the video direct from GlennBeck.com here - WWE creates controversial Tea Party wrestler
Glenn Beck Show: WWE Demonizes Tea Party Character
GLENN BECK: You know I can take it from a lot of people, I really can. I can't take it from the stupid wrestling people, especially since a lot of the people -- I would imagine that a lot of the people who watch wrestling are not New York elites. Now call me crazy, I'm going out on a limb. I don't think a lot of Ivy league Harvard professors are watching WWE. I also don't think a lot of the progressive administration officials are watching the WWE. So who watches it?

I personally think when the WWE comes after the Tea Party, that's like NASCAR coming after the Tea Party. Maybe at a higher level than wrestling...
Glenn Beck founded website 'The Blaze' has a great piece explaining the outrage caused by WWE's faux racist persona. - WWE Challenges Glenn Beck to appear on its Wrestling program after he criticized their Racist Tea Party character (update: Beck responds)

What's most perplexing isn't that the WWE has created a Politically incorrect Villain to manufacture visceral feelings of hate, that's par for the course in Wrestling. As Glenn Beck and his co-hosts discuss, what's confounding is how the caricature alienates the core audience.
GLENN BECK: ... Who are they appealing to?
STU BURGUIERE: Wouldn't the argument be -- at least one of the arguments would be they're trying to create villains. They do this all the time, they're trying to create a villain. Like when I was a kid, I remember the Iron Sheik. The Iron Sheik was from Iran and was always saying terrible things about America - that doesn't mean the WWE [WWF at the time] didn't like America. They were trying to make a villain out of the Iron Sheik. But this is different, the villain, the guy you're supposed to hate is this stereotype of this conservative I've never met
GLENN BECK: The problem with this is a bunch of Sheiks weren't watching the WWE. So you're making a villain of what? -- 80% of your audience who are tired as it is of being miscast...
It's an understandable observation for Beck to make but those familiar with the theatre of wrestling should be aware that anything goes when it comes to "getting a draw". Whether a reaction is good or bad is negligible as long as it elicits a reaction, the stronger the better. The art is in harnessing those reactions and manipulating them through effective storytelling. At its purest, Wrestling is a circular hype machine not unlike Punditry.

Whilst its curious that WWE would alienate a largely Conservative Wrestling fanbase considering Linda McMahon ran for Senate as a Republican. One needs to be aware of the scruples of WWE Chairman Vince McMahon who has yet to find a cow too sacred to be sacrificed. In service of "the business" Vince has forsaken his own safetychildrenmoney, integritymarriage, character and even his own death. The manufactured controversy has been successful with the coverage the WWE has received from objections voiced by influential media personalities like Glenn Beck and Alex Jones. A great buildup for the Wrestling Calendar's biggest show of the year, WrestleMania 29 featuring a title match between Mexican Champion Alberto Del Rio and the suddenly relevant Jack Swagger. Instant heat!

Friday, February 22, 2013

Zeb Colter's "Real American" promo on WWE Raw (transcript)

VIDEO: Zeb Colter "Real American" promo on WWE Raw
Uncle Zeb Colter w/ Jack Swagger promo:  WWE Raw (Feb 11, 2013)
ZEB COLTER: Fellow Americans, I got a question for ya. What is wrong with America? Zeb Colter knows what's wrong, Jack Swagger knows what's wrong but I think most Americans have forgotten what is wrong with America. Years ago me and this man's daddy laid in a jungle in Vietnam with bullets whizzing by our heads, you know why? Because we were real patriots, we were real Americans and now I look around and I see a Country that I don't even recognize. I see people with faces not like mine. I see people that I don't even know what they're saying. They can't even talk to me and I look around and I think where did all these people come from but most importantly I think how do we get rid of 'em? We the people, Americans -- Real Americans know the truth. Zeb Colter knows the truth. Jack Swagger knows the truth because this is the land of the free and the home of the brave, not the land of the free and the home to whoever wants to cross our borders.

This is a Real American. Its our Country, its our land to  protect and defend because we are real patriots, real Americans and remember "We the People".
- Go to Zeb Colter's official Youtube channel: youtube.com/WeThePeopleZeb