Professional wrestling has never been a politically correct source of entertainment. Ok.... Let me rephrase that, after watching a black tribesman being led by the hand of a white man. Professional wrestling is anything but politically correct. In every company you find, you can find gimmicks that definitely play upon stereoypes, if not are outright Racist. Surely enough as finding signs of Racism in pillars of our youth, such as Bugs Bunny and any Disney Movie, you'll find that Racism is an integral part of our childhood. Don't believe me on the Bugs Bunny and Disney part? Well, let's have a gander, shall we?
Oh, that did nothing for you? Caricatures, you say? How about this one.
I'm sorry, but the name of the song is What Makes The Red Man Red! Now, of course, if we're taking context into matter, we have to consider the times. To have a gimmick like this was pretty much an accepted part of society, both in the times of Mel Blanc, and Disney. Again, that isn't to excuse the outright you just saw, sometimes in perfect harmony and sing song fashion. It's just an accepted part of the culture.
Now, some promoters, on the other hand; they've had the gift of time, a Civil Rights Movement, and plenty of protests regarding racism in the media. Yet some still chose to place Racist characters within their television programming, to be seen nationwide! Hell, at one time, it was Bill Watts, the president of WCW, who decided to have black slaves, led by a rope to the ring, who wrestled under the influence of their white Massa Colonel Parker. Then again, we're also talking about the same guy who produced this little gem of a quote;
To say Racism is alive and well in wrestling would be like saying that Vince McMahon has a little money. A little money made off the back of gimmicks that are borderline racist. Now, granted, Vince doesn't target one race; he seems to hate everyone equally, and displays such a notion with some of his gimmicks. Other promoters? Well, they're less subtle with how they feel about other races. How do you feel, Vince Russo?
Ah, Patriotism.... Isn't it great? Anyway, look, you have your choice of plenty of racist characters, and any race, really. Blacks, Asians, Hispanics, Vikings. Yeah, even white people are slightly represented. Very Slightly. The question is, of all the racist gimmicks you've ever seen, which is the most racist?
My pick has to be Kamala, not only for the fact that he played a Tribes Man, complete with spear and war paint, but he was also led out to the ring by the hand of the white man. Led by his manager, Friday or Kim Chee, Kamala paraded around his gimmick for years, which was initially designed by Jerry Jarrett and Jim Harris, the man who played Kamala. But what was so damning about this man was that he showed absolutely no sense of thought himself. Pretty much, he acted on the whim of his overlord; he never spoke, and he never expressed himself, save for rubbing his belly every now and then. It was already a bad gimmick, but including the fact that he seemed to have no thoughts of how own; why that was the killer for me. Absolutely no one can prove to me that this gimmick, under any rationale, should have been around in an era as politically correct as ours. Still, the man made a two decade long career out of playing the village simpleton who was going to "put his opponents in a big pot and cook them." Everything about this gimmick, from the war paint, to being lead by a white man in everything he did, just screamed inhuman to me. Kamala always seemed to me less than human, and more of a subservant being for his white onlookers. If that isn't racism, I'm not sure what is.
Anyway, that's the most racist for me. What is the most racist gimmick in the world of wrestling to you?
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Oh, that did nothing for you? Caricatures, you say? How about this one.
[YOUTUBE]Y_at9dOElQk[/YOUTUBE]
I'm sorry, but the name of the song is What Makes The Red Man Red! Now, of course, if we're taking context into matter, we have to consider the times. To have a gimmick like this was pretty much an accepted part of society, both in the times of Mel Blanc, and Disney. Again, that isn't to excuse the outright you just saw, sometimes in perfect harmony and sing song fashion. It's just an accepted part of the culture.
Now, some promoters, on the other hand; they've had the gift of time, a Civil Rights Movement, and plenty of protests regarding racism in the media. Yet some still chose to place Racist characters within their television programming, to be seen nationwide! Hell, at one time, it was Bill Watts, the president of WCW, who decided to have black slaves, led by a rope to the ring, who wrestled under the influence of their white Massa Colonel Parker. Then again, we're also talking about the same guy who produced this little gem of a quote;
from Bill Watts said:
To say Racism is alive and well in wrestling would be like saying that Vince McMahon has a little money. A little money made off the back of gimmicks that are borderline racist. Now, granted, Vince doesn't target one race; he seems to hate everyone equally, and displays such a notion with some of his gimmicks. Other promoters? Well, they're less subtle with how they feel about other races. How do you feel, Vince Russo?
From Vince Russo said:
Ah, Patriotism.... Isn't it great? Anyway, look, you have your choice of plenty of racist characters, and any race, really. Blacks, Asians, Hispanics, Vikings. Yeah, even white people are slightly represented. Very Slightly. The question is, of all the racist gimmicks you've ever seen, which is the most racist?
My pick has to be Kamala, not only for the fact that he played a Tribes Man, complete with spear and war paint, but he was also led out to the ring by the hand of the white man. Led by his manager, Friday or Kim Chee, Kamala paraded around his gimmick for years, which was initially designed by Jerry Jarrett and Jim Harris, the man who played Kamala. But what was so damning about this man was that he showed absolutely no sense of thought himself. Pretty much, he acted on the whim of his overlord; he never spoke, and he never expressed himself, save for rubbing his belly every now and then. It was already a bad gimmick, but including the fact that he seemed to have no thoughts of how own; why that was the killer for me. Absolutely no one can prove to me that this gimmick, under any rationale, should have been around in an era as politically correct as ours. Still, the man made a two decade long career out of playing the village simpleton who was going to "put his opponents in a big pot and cook them." Everything about this gimmick, from the war paint, to being lead by a white man in everything he did, just screamed inhuman to me. Kamala always seemed to me less than human, and more of a subservant being for his white onlookers. If that isn't racism, I'm not sure what is.
Anyway, that's the most racist for me. What is the most racist gimmick in the world of wrestling to you?
