Surprisingly enough, this has nothing to do with WWE proper; so let me provide a more accurate (and less alliterative) name....let's talk about the double standard of death in the WWE universe.
By now, much has been made about the angle ran last Monday. It's become a war ground for the PC VS. Anti-PC war, with it being called tacky, tasteless, and revolting. Personally, I didn't mind the angle, but I do mind that WWE didn't think to call Ric or Elizabeth Fliehr about the angle.
That said, if you did find the angle tacky, more power to you. For better or worse, it was the WWE cashing in on a real life tragedy. And let's be clear about one thing; WWE ran the angle, in a way to profit off the real life tragedy. And sometimes in the wrestling business, you do that. Remember that this is the same business in which we trotted out German and Japanese heels, in part to implicitly connect the characters with the atrocities of the Holocaust and Pearl Harbor. This is par for the course with wrestling; it is what it is.
Still, if you were offended by the nature of Reid's death being used for profit, then I understand why you're upset. There's just one question that I legitimately have for you;
You gonna buy that Owen Hart Blu-Ray when it drops?
I'm actually quite curious how people are going to take this, and how people respond to this. And before I got called out for making false equivalencies, I'll just go ahead and make the case against every argument that I know I'm going to hear:
It can be both, but make no mistake about it; part of the reason Owen's getting the DVD treatment is absolutely the nature in which he died.
Allow me to present to you the title reigns of three WWE superstars, who worked at roughly the same time. I want you to tell me if you could honestly spot out which one is Owen Hart:
Wrestler A:
WWF Intercontinental Championship (1 time)
WWF Tag Team Championship (3 times)
Wrestler B:
WWF Intercontinental Championship (2 times)
WWF European Championship (1 time)
WWF World Tag Team Championship
Wrestler C:
WWF European Championship (4 times)
WWF Intercontinental Championship (1 time)
Wrestler D:
WWF European Championship (1 time)
WWF Hardcore Championship (2 times)
WWF Intercontinental Championship (1 time)
WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time)
If you guessed that Owen Hart was wrestler B, then you'd be correct. But I ask you to guess the names of the other three wrestlers I mentioned?
Give up?
The point is, if we're looking at careers, Owen never really had that much of a storied career. He was a career mid-card wrestler, just like the other three I mentioned.
So, then we come to seeing if the Hart family makes any difference, which it might. But there's already a Hart and Soul DVD that exists, so I'm less sure it has to do with the Hart family name.
Part of the reason this DVD is going to exist, is because WWE knows they can profit off of the death of Owen Hart. He's one of the most mercurial cases in wrestling, the wrestler who was taken before his time. We tend to do with just about every wrestler who passes.
So, at least in part, this DVD does exist because of the tragic nature of Owen's death. WWE knows this, and yet they will profit off of it.
Question; how many of you have the Network?
Because probably 80% of this DVD, you will find on the Network. You mau find a match from Memphis or a Calgary match isn't there, but most of this DVD will focus on his WWE career.
You'll get some documentary stuff, but it's probably all stuff you already know. Is about 20% new content (at best) worth your $20+?
By buying the DVD, you're simply lining up the pockets the McMahons. Which brings me to;
Somewhat; members of the Hart family wanted this. This one gets complicated, but at the end of the day, Martha Hart decided that she did not want this DVD. This DVD is happening without Martha's blessing, and that's something that seems to be a common thread in WWE. The WWE gives precisely no fucks how this benefits the family of their wrestlers. If last Monday didn't make that abundantly clear, I don't know what does.
Martha didn't want this, period. And I think I'm more inclined to sympathize with the woman who's lost her husband, from the same company looking to profit off his death.
If they were donating the proceeds to charity...hell, if they were giving the money to Martha...you really think WWE wouldn't publicize it as much as possible?
You and I both know this is going to WWE's pockets. Which, again, is their right. You can think it's scummy, but that's business.
If you're outraged by last Monday, I encourage you to look in the mirror, and consider just how much you do support when WWE makes a profit off of death. None of this is new; but if you support WWE like when they make the Owen DVD, I dare say you're doing the same thing as those that supported Monday's angle.
So, the question I pose to you is this;
Is there any difference between what happened last Monday, and what WWE is doing with Owen?
If you are upset with what happened last Monday, do you still plan to buy the Owen DVD?
If so, what exactly is the difference?
By now, much has been made about the angle ran last Monday. It's become a war ground for the PC VS. Anti-PC war, with it being called tacky, tasteless, and revolting. Personally, I didn't mind the angle, but I do mind that WWE didn't think to call Ric or Elizabeth Fliehr about the angle.
That said, if you did find the angle tacky, more power to you. For better or worse, it was the WWE cashing in on a real life tragedy. And let's be clear about one thing; WWE ran the angle, in a way to profit off the real life tragedy. And sometimes in the wrestling business, you do that. Remember that this is the same business in which we trotted out German and Japanese heels, in part to implicitly connect the characters with the atrocities of the Holocaust and Pearl Harbor. This is par for the course with wrestling; it is what it is.
Still, if you were offended by the nature of Reid's death being used for profit, then I understand why you're upset. There's just one question that I legitimately have for you;
You gonna buy that Owen Hart Blu-Ray when it drops?
I'm actually quite curious how people are going to take this, and how people respond to this. And before I got called out for making false equivalencies, I'll just go ahead and make the case against every argument that I know I'm going to hear:
Owen's DVD isn't exploiting his death, it's celebrating his life!
It can be both, but make no mistake about it; part of the reason Owen's getting the DVD treatment is absolutely the nature in which he died.
Allow me to present to you the title reigns of three WWE superstars, who worked at roughly the same time. I want you to tell me if you could honestly spot out which one is Owen Hart:
Wrestler A:
WWF Intercontinental Championship (1 time)
WWF Tag Team Championship (3 times)
Wrestler B:
WWF Intercontinental Championship (2 times)
WWF European Championship (1 time)
WWF World Tag Team Championship
Wrestler C:
WWF European Championship (4 times)
WWF Intercontinental Championship (1 time)
Wrestler D:
WWF European Championship (1 time)
WWF Hardcore Championship (2 times)
WWF Intercontinental Championship (1 time)
WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time)
If you guessed that Owen Hart was wrestler B, then you'd be correct. But I ask you to guess the names of the other three wrestlers I mentioned?
Give up?
Jacques Rougeau, D'Lo Brown, and Test.
I see no one clamoring for a Fabulous Rougeau retrospective, a Lo Down chronicling, or the like.
I see no one clamoring for a Fabulous Rougeau retrospective, a Lo Down chronicling, or the like.
The point is, if we're looking at careers, Owen never really had that much of a storied career. He was a career mid-card wrestler, just like the other three I mentioned.
So, then we come to seeing if the Hart family makes any difference, which it might. But there's already a Hart and Soul DVD that exists, so I'm less sure it has to do with the Hart family name.
Part of the reason this DVD is going to exist, is because WWE knows they can profit off of the death of Owen Hart. He's one of the most mercurial cases in wrestling, the wrestler who was taken before his time. We tend to do with just about every wrestler who passes.
So, at least in part, this DVD does exist because of the tragic nature of Owen's death. WWE knows this, and yet they will profit off of it.
Fuck you, Haiku. I want to have my own way of remembering Owen Hart. So do other fans.
Question; how many of you have the Network?
Because probably 80% of this DVD, you will find on the Network. You mau find a match from Memphis or a Calgary match isn't there, but most of this DVD will focus on his WWE career.
You'll get some documentary stuff, but it's probably all stuff you already know. Is about 20% new content (at best) worth your $20+?
By buying the DVD, you're simply lining up the pockets the McMahons. Which brings me to;
The Hart Family wanted this!
Somewhat; members of the Hart family wanted this. This one gets complicated, but at the end of the day, Martha Hart decided that she did not want this DVD. This DVD is happening without Martha's blessing, and that's something that seems to be a common thread in WWE. The WWE gives precisely no fucks how this benefits the family of their wrestlers. If last Monday didn't make that abundantly clear, I don't know what does.
Martha didn't want this, period. And I think I'm more inclined to sympathize with the woman who's lost her husband, from the same company looking to profit off his death.
How do you know they're profiting off it?!
If they were donating the proceeds to charity...hell, if they were giving the money to Martha...you really think WWE wouldn't publicize it as much as possible?
You and I both know this is going to WWE's pockets. Which, again, is their right. You can think it's scummy, but that's business.
If you're outraged by last Monday, I encourage you to look in the mirror, and consider just how much you do support when WWE makes a profit off of death. None of this is new; but if you support WWE like when they make the Owen DVD, I dare say you're doing the same thing as those that supported Monday's angle.
So, the question I pose to you is this;
Is there any difference between what happened last Monday, and what WWE is doing with Owen?
If you are upset with what happened last Monday, do you still plan to buy the Owen DVD?
If so, what exactly is the difference?