Mark Madden Wants Austin Aries Fired

[Monroe]

so pretty much what your saying is that if I dont agree with your opinion then I am not an adult? Nobody said you can do whatever you want. People should pay for their actions but to suspend or fire a man for playing his character is just plain stupid.

Actually you defended his actions based on a large portion of the show being unscripted and my point was that it was still unprofessional. I tend to assume that everyone understand professionalism as it is required in the world today but sometimes I forget that people either haven't been taught or simply don't know what standards of professionalism are.

This had NOTHING to do with you personally and if you scroll back you will see that you originally responded to me because you are currently working in the business and felt that you had something worthwhile to say. I completely agree and respect that you DO have something worthwhile to say. I disagree with any assumption that professionalism flies out the window because someone decides that they can flip the script due to a mistake. As an adult I treat all adults on the same level. Morally, ethically, professionally no employee has any right to push another employee into a corner and put themselves in the other persons face. Ever.

I'm not really sure where this disconnect is coming from with you. If you would like to discuss this more please feel free to P.M. me. Otherwise my point still stands. As an adult we are required to know the standards of being a professional. Hence the term Pro-Wrestler.

Take it easy, hombre.

 

[IT Factor]

What did i say that indicated i was pissed. I lumped you in with the other tna marks not because i disagreed either. I already made a list of things you did to make you me think you were a tna mark. And how would my logic make me a wwe mark. I never once mentioned wwe. Your the one that seems mad since your throwing around the word hate.

You seemed to be getting quite defensive, even though I was simply stating my view on this particular topic. The manner in which you declared anyone defending Aries as a "TNA mark" was ridiculous. I was being sarcastic in saying you were a "WWE mark" by your faulty logic, which you clearly misinterpreted as serious conjecture. I never get mad at anything on the forums. I've long ago came to the conclusion that most wrestling fans cannot have civilized and intelligent debate without it degenerating into immature name calling or outright trolling for a reaction. There are a few truly intelligent posters on here but most are just looking for reactionary responses to argue.

You disrespected mark madden, and then you tell others not to disrespect you. Thats being a hypocrite.

I disrespected Madden because he is a great example of what is wrong with the online community. He made outright ignorant statements about Aries claiming he should be fired and that he was a nobody. Whether you like Aries or not, he's a great talent who's busted his ass to get where he is at. To dismiss that over one isolated incident seems very dumbfounding and ignorant. Am I not supposed to call Madden out on stupid bullshit? Because a lot of his rants are just that.

So you think that because she did something wrong she deserves to have a guys junk in her face. She was cornered and then had a guys junk in her face.

Again, I never claimed Aries should get off scott free. He did something unprofessional and should be punished accordingly. A fine and an apology might be appropriate. Should Aries be fired? That's too much in my opinion. My main problem with this whole topic is that people are blowing it outta proportion. Madden jumped all over this a little too quickly and made a bigger deal out of it than it actually is. However, this is a company that has no professional standards. Look at the Jeff Hardy Victory Road incident. He showed up to an event under the influence of drugs and not one thing was done to punish him. He got a slap on the wrist and pretty much got away with it. How can the same company NOT punish one performer and not the other? Seems like a double standard to me.

You like austin aries and i get that, hes very talented. But he did something wrong and should be reprimanded for it. His talent doesn't give him a right to do whatever he wants to anyone. And you thinking that is what makes you like all other idiotic tna marks. You could care less what any top tna talent does, as you will just suck his dick anyway.

Who do you think is more valueable to TNA in the long term? Austin Aries or Christy Hemme? This is the real world we're talking about. It's all about money and who is more detrimental to TNA's future. Aries is a valued performer and the future of Impact Wrestling. Christy Hemme is a mediocre announcer who only got the job based on looks.

The fact that you refer to me as a "TNA mark" because you disagree with my point of view is the whole issue here. You say that is not the case. You have done it throughout this whole thread, which proves otherwise. To me, that's the textbook example of hypocrite. Aries should have to apologize an get fined or whatever TNA deems appropriate. There is always two sides to every story though and I find it hilarious that people aren't addressing Hemme. She fucked up on national tv and is their own announcer. If TNA is viewed as "minor league" how will they get over when their own fucking announcer cannot remember performer's names? It is idiotic and disrespectful to all the performers who bust their asses for Impact Wrestling for Hemme to do that and no one seems to be noticing that. Instead, let's scandalize and vilify Austin Aries for sexual harassment. It's all the usual internet hypocrocy and sensationalism.

 

[SpecialFNK]

I assume what Joey Ryan did was planned and the women involved were aware of it. if Christy was not aware of it then that's a different story. something like that can be very uncomfortable and traumatic for a woman who isn't/wasn't aware of what was happening.

if I had to guess what would happen. TNA management would have a closed door meeting with Aries and Hemme. he would apologize to her and it wouldn't go any further than that. he wouldn't be fired, suspended, or even fined.

 

[GuessI'mAMark]

Jesus Flair ...

Austin Aries' crotch didn't touch her face, he didn't put his balls on her forehead, he didn't tea-bag her. Was his crotch awfully close? Yeah, sure. Other than that, no harm no foul.

Why are we acting like he stabbed he cunt punted her on live TV? Because it's sexist? Because it's inappropriate? Two weeks ago TNA had Joey Ryan do the exact same thing to the Knockouts during a match where he was the referee, multiple times, and no one said shit. He was in character, mind you. So was Austin Aries.

Madden's a total moron for wanting him fired. Pro wrestling in the late 90's was ran by sexist and borderline perverted things. Are we suddenly going to forget Shawn Michaels leaping in the air and shoving his crotch in Jim Ross' face? Or maybe DX urging a woman in the crowd to whip her breasts out? How many times has Chris Jericho mocked Stephanie McMahon for the size of her breasts? How many times has Vince McMahon ran sexist storylines involving him as well as other people? Remember Shawn Superkicking McMahon and then dry humping his face?

And hey, if you want something not during the Attitude Era, please recall Heidenreich raping Michael Cole on RAW.

For crying out loud, it was 4 seconds long, he didn't shove his dick in her mouth and she was trying not to laugh, you can hear her giggle and it was tame compared to all the truly sick shit we've seen in wrestling.

Here we are, wrestling fans, enjoying it when a human being crashes through flaming tables and bleeds like a pig, but a guy's crotch being 2 inches away from a woman's face is all of a sudden unacceptable.

We're a funky bunch.

I completely agree. I feel as if any male talent on the TNA roster was in Hemme's position, nobody would even mention it but the fact that it happened to a female clearly makes it news. We live in a world where women fight in wars, vote and run for office. A world where women have fought long and hard for equality, to be seen in the same light as men. Yet as soon as something is done that is perceived as "offensive", equality gets thrown out the window and women become fragile infants who need their hands held. Give me a break. Just tell Aries to apologize and call it a day.

 

[Lowdown]

Forgetting Madden's outlook on professional wrestling in general, I'll state this: yes, Aries did go over the line. But worse things have happened like the Jeff Hardy fiasco two years ago as previously stated. Hell I thought it was a work when I watched it the other night to be honest. I highly doubt Aries will be fired, or severely reprimanded. An apology should be made no doubt. But until now I haven't seen anyone raise hairs except Hemme and Madden. Look, I find Madden entertaining in his columns mainly because it's mostly bullshit and I take it with a grain of salt. If he was such an expert in truth about the business or fans in general, you would think he'd STILL be working in the business, or at the very least working for WCW when it was at its successful peak. He's proven himself to be a bigger mark than anyone of us could be. But he's got his opinions like everyone else. But Aries should issue an apology on TV and in writing and be done with it.

 

[JulesWagner]

Consider that we don't actually know what is genuine and what is not in all this, we don't know what was and what is now going on inside the heads of the parties involved. Work or shoot, we can only speculate at this point. Was Aries seeing himself in character at that moment or was he simply himself, we can only speculate. The fact is, this is not yet the time nor is it even our place to pass judgment, right now. If this was indeed all very real, understandably Hemme was at least startled and didn't quite know how to react. What has happened since then? What has been said since then? Is Christy still deeply offended by the whole situation?

I really believe that the very first thing, post-incident, that should have been, might have been and may already have been done is either Aries or Hemme approaching the other and clearing the air. Then, it is only up to Christy and only Christy (maybe with the help of management if she doesn't feel comfortable enough to go through this alone) to assess the situation and make a decision based on elements we obviously have no access to ourselves. Any of us can overreact and crap ourselves in outrage but the fact and the matter is that Hemme is the best informed and best suited to decide how it should go.

After having met and talked, if all Aries had to say is tell her to go fuck herself instead of just apologizing THEN more drastic measures might be understandable. On the other hand, if he gives her a sincere apology (fuck a public apology) and she's satisfied with that, they might just decide that Aries owes her one eventually. You know, tongue-in-cheek kinda payback. All in all, this whole thing is just overblown and Hemme has the final word. We're just unjustly tagging along for the ride like good lil' fans.

 

[mlp420]

Just saw the video. Outcry is ridiculous. And Bobby Roode was right behind Aries as he did it. This might be a work.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

At the end of the day there is no "way" that a woman SHOULD deal with a situation like this, only the way she feels like dealing with it and HOUR procedures. One person might confront AA, shout him down and leave it there, another might not even want to be near him.

Even if it was a work, it's not been taken well by the majority of viewers and as such will worry sponsors and the network, and Hemme's removal of the tweet indicates it has gone up a level.

Ultimately WWE's sexual angles were toned down when they went public, the nearest they got to the line was the Batista/Melina angle which implied rape or sexual assault... It was quickly and quietly dropped as the shareholders didn't like it... TNA is relying on sponsors, network AND remember Dixie's daddy/Panda Energy will also have shareholders... A suit from Hemme or even a shoot interview from her down the line saying TNA allowed harrassment would damage all those groups. How long does TNA last if femalbe board members of Panda say "we can't be seen to condone this!"

It may be internally dealt with but they have to have AA show contrition publicly or be fired if he refuses.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Apparently, there's more to the story, as Madden has another article up following up the incident. Aries posted one comment saying:

"Pretty nuts, some of the junk people get the balls to say over the net, knowing they couldn't to your face...Eh, anyway, time to sack out.

So rather than admit that he screwed up and apologize for his actions, Aries is basically bowing up and making it seem like it's the people who are talking about it over the internet are the problem. If I saw him, hell I'd say it to his face. Wouldn't bother me a bit. As a C.O., I've had to deal with people much scarier than Austin Aries ever dreamed of being. Aries fucked up, plain and simple, but doesn't seem to have the balls to simply admit it and to the right thing. I read some of the comments posted on the page under Madden's original story and, unfortunately, it seems that a lot of people are taking a similar attitude as Austin Aries.

I think Madden can be an arrogant toad much of the time as well but, frankly, people's response to Madden often times include people calling him a fat bastard and various other insults. As I alluded to in my original post, Madden is someone who often makes distasteful remarks about women. The guy's certainly no saint but, as often do, many have missed the point. Disliking Mark Madden as a human being and/or a journalist doesn't somehow magically render his report false or incorrect. The fact that Madden comes across as a world class creep sometimes also doesn't negate the fact that Austin Aries screwed up in a major way. Just because Madden is talking about it doesn't automatically counter Aries' behavior, thereby making it okay.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Apparently, there's more to the story, as Madden has another article up following up the incident. Aries posted one comment saying:

"Pretty nuts, some of the junk people get the balls to say over the net, knowing they couldn't to your face...Eh, anyway, time to sack out.

So rather than admit that he screwed up and apologize for his actions, Aries is basically bowing up and making it seem like it's the people who are talking about it over the internet are the problem. If I saw him, hell I'd say it to his face. Wouldn't bother me a bit. As a C.O., I've had to deal with people much scarier than Austin Aries ever dreamed of being. Aries fucked up, plain and simple, but doesn't seem to have the balls to simply admit it and to the right thing. I read some of the comments posted on the page under Madden's original story and, unfortunately, it seems that a lot of people are taking a similar attitude as Austin Aries.

I think Madden can be an arrogant toad much of the time as well but, frankly, people's response to Madden often times include people calling him a fat bastard and various other insults. As I alluded to in my original post, Madden is someone who often makes distasteful remarks about women. The guy's certainly no saint but, as often do, many have missed the point. Disliking Mark Madden as a human being and/or a journalist doesn't somehow magically render his report false or incorrect. The fact that Madden comes across as a world class creep sometimes also doesn't negate the fact that Austin Aries screwed up in a major way. Just because Madden is talking about it doesn't automatically counter Aries' behavior, thereby making it okay.

There is nothing to admit to. Aries did nothing morally wrong. He did his taunt over her, his crotch was near her face, it was kinda funny and probably a bit awkward for her. You've never made an inappropriate comment or a move to a female friend of yours? He was pulling her tail, not sexually assaulting her. My lord, people.

Either way, Mark Madden is the only person who actually cares this much about it. I'm pretty sure Aries and Hemme had a talk about it, maybe even a laugh and I seriously doubt it was as big of a problem as Madden makes it out to be. If it truly was a problem there'd be a statement out so far and Hemme wouldn't have deleted the tweet where she comments on it all as "Unacceptable". Chances are, she didn't think the IWC will throw a hissy fit over it.

What we have here is Mark Madden stirring the pot. He doesn't give two shits about this, he just does what almost all journalists do and that's sensationalize a small issue, turning it into a gigantic moral dilemma and framing it as something completely different. People like him prey on such moments in order to squeeze out a couple of articles coated in a false moral stance on an irrelevant matter.

And the IWC, as the lovely sheep that we are, followed suit. You all ate that shit up and now it's a big issue on this forum because Madden brought it up, made it sound so wrong and of course it sparked a debate. Job well done I say, Madden. He got some traffic for WZ and the corresponding forum. Believe it or not, he's the winner in this situation.

The funny thing is that if it wasn't for Madden's column, people wouldn't even care and this thread wouldn't exist. Personally, I had to rewatch the footage and see what the fuss is all about, I didn't even notice it. It was four fucking seconds long. Only the IWC would dissect a show like this and only a click-thursty "journalist" would take advantage of something so damn harmless. And yes, it was harmless. Stop making it seem like he forcefully raped her.

The reality of it all is that it really doesn't fucking matter. Aries doesn't give a crap, Hemme doesn't give a crap, TNA doesn't give a crap. The only people who do are the over-opinionated IWC members who love to throw around their moral code and act like a bunch of selfless, pure crusaders of the politically correct while Madden is pulling the strings and making you dance.

Keep dancing.

 

[Uncle Sam]

I do think there's an important discussion to be had about the role of - and treatment of - women in professional wrestling, particularly North American professional wrestling. Probably not an interesting discussion, almost definitely not a funny discussion, but an important discussion. Likely not a discussion to be had by us. If you think about it, the treatment of women in pro wrestling is a little bit horrifying. Any woman trying to make a living in the pro wrestling world gets my sympathies. Even the exceptionally talented ones - such as AJ Lee - get stuck with characters like, say, bunny boiling valets who are shamed for being dick-hopping ****s on a weekly basis. And God help you if you're not astoundingly beautiful.

Firing Austin Aries over this though?

A drop in the ocean.

 

[SpecialFNK]

are Aries and Hemme friends? or are they simply work associates? if all they do is work together, then absolutely this could be labeled sexual harassment.
imagine if you did something like this (or even made a sexual remark) a female co worker that you weren't really friends with. that is for sure sexual harassment.
I don't think it matters what their "characters" are, if this was something that wasn't planned. if something like this happened on a reality TV show where it was not scripted in, that's sexual harassment too.

there used to be a time where something like this wasn't a big deal. there used to be a time when a guy could say to a girl, "hey nice tits". but in today's word that's just unacceptable. which is the tweet Hemme had, before it was deleted. "Unacceptable"

“@TheRealGaryS: Did @AustinAries Put His Nuts In @hemmepowered Face? #Impactlive” Yes. Unacceptable.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Having had a bit of time to sort of reflect on this a bit, as opposed to writing some scathing reply calling for peoples' heads like Madden did, I've sorta come to the conclusion that the act was inappropriate, but likely a heat of the moment thing a heel character did while in character not really realizing how offensive it might be taken by someone who likely didn't appreciate being scripted into kayfabe against her will.

That said, I think both Harthan and Yanks nailed it in this thread in that (a) this is a sensationalist story that is designed for no other reason than to garner internet traffic to Mark Madden's blog and further his agenda, which is to sell himself, and (b) this is the type of situation we as fans have no real business "knowing" about. Let TNA handle it internally. He doesn't need to be "fired" over it, and we don't really need to know exactly what his punishment is. He shouldn't get away with it, but I've never been one for forced apologies, because they're antithetical to the purpose of an apology. I'd rather someone not be sorry for something they did and stick to their guns than apologize to me because they were told to, knowing they didn't actually mean it. To me, the latter is more insulting.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

are Aries and Hemme friends? or are they simply work associates? if all they do is work together, then absolutely this could be labeled sexual harassment.
imagine if you did something like this (or even made a sexual remark) a female co worker that you weren't really friends with. that is for sure sexual harassment.
I don't think it matters what their "characters" are, if this was something that wasn't planned. if something like this happened on a reality TV show where it was not scripted in, that's sexual harassment too.

there used to be a time where something like this wasn't a big deal. there used to be a time when a guy could say to a girl, "hey nice tits". but in today's word that's just unacceptable. which is the tweet Hemme had, before it was deleted. "Unacceptable"

Excuse me for really spinning this topic into another direction, but what exactly is so different about today's world? You're making it seem like sexual equality is no longer an issue but a fact. That men and women are completely equal in 2013. We both know that is not the case.

As a matter of fact, there is far more content in our media and entertainment industry that hints toward a degradation in that department, than an improvement. The internet porn industry is booming at the moment. An industry where women are doing ... well, porn stuff. Porn stuff aren't exactly empowering.

Actress sex tapes are coming out of the woodworks, nipple slips and wardrobe malfunctions once deemed scandalous are now marketing tools. Actresses everywhere are parading their sexuality like never before in order to garner some media attention. Farrah Abraham, a teen mom, is making millions off fucking a porn star. She didn't make those millions because she's that hot. She marketed it well and it worked. Why? Society preys on things like this.

Then you have TV shows like Game of Thrones and a plethora of movies which still go by the old standard that sex sells, except now sex is even more exposed to a larger audience.

If anything, in today's day and age, you can't sell something without slapping a pair of tits on it. At least back in the day it was scandalous and people used this edginess in their advantage. Now? We've been on sex overload for such a long time, it's almost a standard. No, wait, look at your keyboard, now look at the post, now look at your keyboard, now look at me, look at your keyboard, I'm on a horse. Oh, and sex just became a standard.

So in that regard, I really don't see today's day and age as much different from, let's say, ten years ago. Especially when it comes to women's rights and their treatment. Women are still being treated as sexual objects, it's always been the case and it always will be as long as we have two genders. What has changed is the amount of people bitching and whining for their "rights". What has changed is the amount of people who run butt hurt in cout to sue someone over their precious little rights in desperate hopes of either sucking in a few extra dollars or getting some attention in the media if you're a D-List celebrity or greater.

Therefore, what Aries did is not that bad. At least not bad enough to warrant almost ten thousand views and a boat load of whiny, sensitive complaints by wrestling fans who know nothing of sexual harassment since I'm pretty sure the majority of the people posting here have dicks, except for a few questionable gentlemen.

What all of these replies show is exactly what I explained. Just people being overly sensitive of their precious rights (as well as other people's, apparently). It's no different than some doofus suing another doofus over the fact that he called him a bad name. It's this overly sensitive attitude that gives a lot of idiots a lot of power.

And mind you, it's fine to sue when there is actual sexual harassment involved. If Aries grabbed her ass backstage, pushed her into a corner and forced her to suck his dick, then you have a case. Aries should be fired on the spot. If Austin Aries was known for mistreating female workers and constantly making suggestive moves on them, Aries should be fired.

But this? How the FUCK is this a big deal? How the fuck is this even important? He did his taunt over her. He improvised, he was a douchebag, let's hope he took a shower before coming out. Call the judge, we've got a rapist on the loose. Maybe the greatest rapist that ever lived.

If guys got sued for every inappropriate thing they did to a woman we'd all be in jail butt fucking one another.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

Oy vey!

Maybe I'm wrong but the States still operates under the concept of "innocent until proven guilty", right?

Firstly, the tweat that is apportioned to Christy is still on Twitter. Just look up "@TheRealGaryS", Christy's response is still there. However, what response would you expect? "@TheRealGaryS It's all a work Gary, don't sweat it!"? Why wouldn't she react in character? She hasn't made any tweats of her own, just one reply to a fan - hardly screams extreme offence taken.

Secondly, Christy has been used as a victim of this nature for quite some time. In fact, this is buttons compared to these two clips...

[YOUTUBE]6GiJYg6Qqdo[/YOUTUBE]

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xh1aji_christy-hemme-bully-ray_shortfilms#.UZD7SbU3uU8​

Even at the most recent pre-taped PPV, Joker's Wild, D-Von was getting right up on So Cal Val. Bullying the women, INCLUDING Dixie Carter, has been part of TNA (and WWe, for that matter) storylines for quite some time.

Thirdly, since when is Mark Madden who constantly excretes over the staff, owners, plots and everything else to do with Impact in a position to say that this DEFINITELY isn't a work? His buddy Nash is gone, I can't imagine any of the other guys being friendly enough with the fat git to pass on that info.

Lastly, why didn't Christy correct herself before Aries and Roode reached the ring? She would have seen both coming down the ramp and she would have seen A-Doubles initial reaction. She could have very easily corrected herself LONG before Aries got in her face... maybe she KNEW what was coming.

It doesn't take Henry Fonda to get A Double off this charge with the information that we KNOW is true (ie a male character got up on the middle ropes and his genitalia where in the general area of her face), the rest is pure speculation on a dirt monger who has obvious issues with Austin over a reply to a tweat that could easily be in character. To me this still looks more like a work in the nature of many promos (particularly with Bubba/ Bully Ray) that Christy has done backstage. It's intention? To garner heel heat for a guy who still gets regularly cheered.

With all that being said, I agree with Uncle Sam; whether it's Dixie Carter being taken by the throat by Sting, Randy Orton kissing Steph after RKOing her, AJ getting portrayed as a bunny boiling ****, the King's spite towards Vickie, "Piggy" James, Christy and SoCal being used as an easy bullying targets or any of the many other examples of disrespect towards women. Wrestling promotions really need to stop, especially as both promotions have young people in attendance.

 

[Jay-Mos]

(Firstly, seeing as I suspect it clouds many other people's opinions on this, it is my opinion that Christy Hemme isn't 'hot'.
The last time she looked hot was March 2012, well over a year ago, and she was coated in more make-up than usual.)


Anyway.
In regards to the 'incident' ..

Austin Aries and Bobby Roode were subjected to the indignity of public embarrassement as they came to the ring.

What Austin Aries did, looked to me, like a way of redeeming himself infront of the crowd, given that he plays "the greatest man that ever lived".
It was a pose of superiority, and I personally think it was a circumstantial accident that his crotch was anywhere near her because, as others have correctly pointed out, he made NO deliberate sexual gusture.

Christy Hemme posted a tweet which she took down after this Madden guy started presuming and spinning stuff before presenting it to the public eye as factual .. coincidence ?
Hemme has since posted tweets saying she's happy with things in life.

Austin Aries posted a tweet about 'nuts', 'balls', 'junk', 'face' and 'sacks', after Madden's "Aries must be fired" article.
Madden has since written another article, crying that Aries is remorselessly joking about about the ring incident, when in reality, Aries is directly belittling Madden for his first article.

Aries has posted another tweet about wanting attention:
"Hey! HEY I said! Look at me! Yo, over here! I'm right here people! Give me attention! Please!? I desperately BEG you to notice me! #PATHETIC"
Madden appears clueless that this tweet is, again, directed at HIM.


In closing ..
I never pay much attention to who writes the articles on this site, but from now on, I will.
Suffice to say that, whether he cares or not, I won't ever read, or click on, a Maddon article ever again.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

There is nothing to admit to You've never made an inappropriate comment or a move to a female friend of yours? He was pulling her tail, not sexually assaulting her. My lord, people.

Not someone I work with. I'm smart enough not to risk getting into hot water over it. And the few times I have in which a female friend hasn't found it funny and took offense, I've apologized. That's kind of what you do when you do something to offend someone for no other apparent reason than for your own amusement, unless you want to come off like a waste of space.

And if Hemme didn't have a problem with it, then why has she stated otherwise via Twiter? Since the fact that Hemme obviously has issues with it, she obviously doesn't consider it "pulling her tail". Aries screwed up not because I said so or Mark Madden or anyone else says so. He screwed up because Hemme, the woman in whose face he stuck his crotch on live television, has issue with it. If she had no problem with it, the ONE person who really could have a problem with it, then that'd be the end of it as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

The long and short of it is it was dumb of Aries to do something like that on national television where over a million people are watching the show. It's just a bad idea for anyone to do anything that can be construed as sexual harassment in the workplace. Now it looks bad on the company if they let it slip through the cracks. Aries doesn't need to get fired but some sort of disciplinary action is in order whatever that may be.

I think the dumbest thing though is Aries joking about it on his Twitter account. It just makes him look chauvinistic in nature by making light of the situation. As much as I like Aries he hasn't left Dixie and TNA any choice but to punish him, if they don't how does that look on the company?

I understand its wrestling, I understand you will see things like this happen from time to time but at the same time this isn't the 70's or 80's anymore, with the sensitivity of subjects like discrimination in today's world you have to be more careful with your actions.

If he has apologized to Hemme and the rest of the locker room and its forgiven than no worries but it doesn't sound like that happened.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

And mind you, it's fine to sue when there is actual sexual harassment involved. If Aries grabbed her ass backstage, pushed her into a corner and forced her to suck his dick, then you have a case.

So, to you, sexual harassment and full blown rape are the same things? Shit man, the fuck's wrong with you?

Webster's dictionary defines sexual harassment as:

"uninvited and unwelcome verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature, especially by a person in authority toward a subordinate (as an employee or student)."

Aries backed her up into a corner and shoved his crotch in her face. Shove your crotch into the face of a gal who isn't your wife, gf, fiancé, and even if she is, and she doesn't like it; it's sexual harassment.

Webster's dictionary defines rape as:

"unlawful sexual activity and usually sexual intercourse carried out forcibly or under threat of injury against the will usually of a female or with a person who is beneath a certain age or incapable of valid consent."

That fits into the scenario you're describing in which you'd say she "has a case". It's a felony that can be punishable, in some states, up to life in prison. It's a tad more serious than grabbing someone or making an inappropriate comment.

 

[Kidpolean]

This conversation shows me how weak wrestling has become...everybody on here complains about the WWE being PG but then you want a heel to apologize for being a heel. and who is to say that he hasn't apologized to her. He doesnt need to do it publicly and he shouldn't do it publicly. If he made a public apology he would be ruining his heel character. Much worse things have happened during live events. If u dont want to see Aries turn the tv when he's on.

 

[dman1373]

You seemed to be getting quite defensive, even though I was simply stating my view on this particular topic. The manner in which you declared anyone defending Aries as a "TNA mark" was ridiculous. I was being sarcastic in saying you were a "WWE mark" by your faulty logic, which you clearly misinterpreted as serious conjecture. I never get mad at anything on the forums. I've long ago came to the conclusion that most wrestling fans cannot have civilized and intelligent debate without it degenerating into immature name calling or outright trolling for a reaction. There are a few truly intelligent posters on here but most are just looking for reactionary responses to argue.

How was getting defensive? I was saying that i thought you were a "typical tna mark". And thats not because you disagree with me, but because of your viewpoint that a top tna guy ability to compete, is more important than a ring announcers right to not getting cornered and getting balls shoved in her face.

I disrespected Madden because he is a great example of what is wrong with the online community. He made outright ignorant statements about Aries claiming he should be fired and that he was a nobody. Whether you like Aries or not, he's a great talent who's busted his ass to get where he is at. To dismiss that over one isolated incident seems very dumbfounding and ignorant. Am I not supposed to call Madden out on stupid bullshit? Because a lot of his rants are just that.

You can call anyone out on anything, but your claiming someones disrespecting you when your giving your opinion when you just disrespected someone else. That makes you a hypocrite.

Again, I never claimed Aries should get off scott free. He did something unprofessional and should be punished accordingly. A fine and an apology might be appropriate. Should Aries be fired? That's too much in my opinion. My main problem with this whole topic is that people are blowing it outta proportion. Madden jumped all over this a little too quickly and made a bigger deal out of it than it actually is. However, this is a company that has no professional standards. Look at the Jeff Hardy Victory Road incident. He showed up to an event under the influence of drugs and not one thing was done to punish him. He got a slap on the wrist and pretty much got away with it. How can the same company NOT punish one performer and not the other? Seems like a double standard to me.

What Jeff Hardy did was wrong and all, because he cheated the fans outta money, which he did get suspended for, but what Austin Aries did was way worse as he STUCK HIS BALLS IN WOMENS FACE.

Who do you think is more valueable to TNA in the long term? Austin Aries or Christy Hemme? This is the real world we're talking about. It's all about money and who is more detrimental to TNA's future. Aries is a valued performer and the future of Impact Wrestling. Christy Hemme is a mediocre announcer who only got the job based on looks.

The fact that you refer to me as a "TNA mark" because you disagree with my point of view is the whole issue here. You say that is not the case. You have done it throughout this whole thread, which proves otherwise. To me, that's the textbook example of hypocrite. Aries should have to apologize an get fined or whatever TNA deems appropriate. There is always two sides to every story though and I find it hilarious that people aren't addressing Hemme. She fucked up on national tv and is their own announcer. If TNA is viewed as "minor league" how will they get over when their own fucking announcer cannot remember performer's names? It is idiotic and disrespectful to all the performers who bust their asses for Impact Wrestling for Hemme to do that and no one seems to be noticing that. Instead, let's scandalize and vilify Austin Aries for sexual harassment. It's all the usual internet hypocrocy and sensationalism.

The first paragraph in the quote is what shows how much your like all those other ******ed tna marks that sucks tna's dick. Its not because i disagree with, it just so happens that i do. You don't care if someone is sexually harrased or really anything else, as long as tna keeps chugging along. You even go so far as to try to turn this into an anti Christy Hemme thread. Trying to make it seem like she deserved it. I mean you said worse about hemme than anyone has said about aries on this thread. Your completely insane if you cant see the major difference between the two events.


p.s. Christy hemme was told who to say was coming out first by someone else so its not even her fault.

 

[GuessI'mAMark]

And if Hemme didn't have a problem with it, then why has she stated otherwise via Twiter? Since the fact that Hemme obviously has issues with it, she obviously doesn't consider it "pulling her tail". Aries screwed up not because I said so or Mark Madden or anyone else says so. He screwed up because Hemme, the woman in whose face he stuck his crotch on live television, has issue with it. If she had no problem with it, the ONE person who really could have a problem with it, then that'd be the end of it as far as I'm concerned.

Would a tweet from a person's in-ring character really be considered a reliable source? While I do understand that it's all we have for now to decide whether Hemme was offended or not, it's not all that accurate.

Austin Aries' reaction to all the hype that this little altercation is getting is more obvious to that fact that a) All the parties involved are on good terms or b) No one within the locker room (including Hemme) was all that offended.

 

[Weems2k]

You still have yet to answer exactly what this purpose serves.

Also, even if all I have is a tweet, all you have to back your idea is speculation that comes from... Well, just from your opinion.

So, what we have here is one tweet, versus a baseless opinion.


Me: 1, you: 0.

1. Well, let's see. Aries is a heel. Him and Rhoode got dissed by being introduced wrong. So he only adds to his heel persona by embarrassing the ring announcer that got their names wrong. As a wrestling fan, I'm not going to over analyze every little thing. Who knows what will come of this later down the road. That's like watching a movie where you know exactly what, and when a big scene will happen. What fun is that? You're being a Darren.

By the way. If this ever happened in the E today, Fat Madden Watts, and all of the wrestlezone idiots on here like you would be blowing your loads all over the place saying "yeah!! Attitude Era is coming back!!!" Which by the way, Vince did way worse stuff than what happened on Impact.

 

[Slack]

First off, we don't know if this was something the two hatched out backstage before the show or not. If it wasn't, then Aries' punishment might depend on what Hemme does or threatens to do. Let me explain.

Every year many companies throughout the US gets sued for sexual harassment that is done to employees by other employees. This costs US businesses millions if not billions in not only court costs, lawyer fees, but also in judgements to the plaintiffs if the plantiff wins. And depending on the jury, that can be a whole lot of money.

What Aries did is sexual harassment. He put his crotch purposely in Hemme's face. If this wasn't part of the show, then Hemme would win a lawsuit with the evidence shown. It would be a slam dunk case.

So if Hemme threatens to sue TNA for sexual harassment and maybe on top of that add a lawsuit for an unsafe work environment, TNA might have no choice at all but to fire Aries or at least suspend him and send him to sensitivity classes.

 

[dman1373]

1. Well, let's see. Aries is a heel. Him and Rhoode got dissed by being introduced wrong. So he only adds to his heel persona by embarrassing the ring announcer that got their names wrong. As a wrestling fan, I'm not going to over analyze every little thing. Who knows what will come of this later down the road. That's like watching a movie where you know exactly what, and when a big scene will happen. What fun is that? You're being a Darren.

By the way. If this ever happened in the E today, Fat Madden Watts, and all of the wrestlezone idiots on here like you would be blowing your loads all over the place saying "yeah!! Attitude Era is coming back!!!" Which by the way, Vince did way worse stuff than what happened on Impact.

Your an idiot comparing this to the attitude era. But i will show how its different. Say vince tore of trish status clothes while in the middle of the ring, and called her a ****. Thats pretty harsh, but you have to understand he went to her beforehand and said hey im doing this too you and she said yes boss. But she knew before hand and agreed to it. Now christi hemmi is an ring announcer that for the most part is only ring announces. If she agreed to it before hand its cool, but she didn't and he decided just to do it to her.