WWE, the professional wrestling company formerly led by U.S. Senate candidate Linda McMahon, is not backing down from its effort to “vigorously defend” its content from critics.
“WWE refuses to be bullied and will not allow our content to be inaccurately categorized,” company senior vice president brian Flinn said in a statement issued this afternoon. “This is not about politics or Linda McMahon’s (former CEO of WWE) candidacy. This is about protecting WWE’s business and setting the record straight that WWE has never been in the
business of pornography. We must vigorously defend our company with any and all
resources at our disposal.”
Flinn’s statement is the latest volley in a war of words that has been simmering for months. Critics, including Journal Inquirer Managing Editor Chris Powell and Christopher Shays, a Republican running against McMahon, have likened WWE content to pornography.
Last week, the company sent a letter to Powell demanding a retraction and threatening legal action after Powell wrote that McMahon’s “practical qualifications for office did not extend beyond her fantastic wealth, and that wealth derived from the business of violence, pornography, and general raunch.”
WWE has been criticized for lashing out against editors, columnists and political opponents who are attacking its content.
Flinn’s latest letter suggests the company’s aggressive defense is more about business than politics.
“WWE is a global television content creator and a publicly traded company whose core business is monetizing that very television content. When our content is unfairly mischaracterized, it seriously jeopardizes our business,” Flinn wrote.
“Since 2008, all WWE broadcast programming has been rated TVPG and prior to that some of our programming had a rating of TV?14. WWE’s content ratings are set not by us, but by the network TV distributors (NBCUniversal) and their standards and practices departments.
“According to the TV Parental Guidelines established by the television industry and adopted by
the Federal Communications Commission, neither TVPG nor TV14 content would be considered pornography or anything close to it,” he added. “In addition, the FCC would not permit our content to air on network or basic cable television if it were pornographic.”
UPDATE: The McMahon campaign declined to comment. “Linda is focused on her Summer Jobs Tour and her six-point plan to cut middle-class taxes so we can get people back to work and turn our economy around,” campaign spokeswoman Erin Isaac said in an email.
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14 Responses to WWE Is Not Backing Down
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“practical qualifications for office did not extend beyond her fantastic wealth, and that wealth derived from the business of violence, pornography, and general raunch.” is the truth and Connecticut voters are not going to allow her to “buy” a senate seat. She has no qualifications, other than being one of the 1%
Righto William. In this state we only let Democrats like Danang Dick Blumenthal buy their senate seat. Come to think of it, having a Wall Street 1%er like John Corzine pay $60M for his New Jersey senate seat is okay too since he’s a Democrat.
The hypocrisy is stunning but what do you expect with liberals?
Dictionary.com defines Pornography simply as “obscene writings, drawings, photographs, or the like, especially those having little or no artistic merit.”
To me, a television show where a male character demands a woman get down on all four knees and bark like a dog is obscene with no artistic merit.
We’re not talking John Waters, John Cassavetes or even John Hayes. We’re talking junk tv that objectifies women and desensitizes its audience to the consequences of violence.
The fig leaf of objective journalism here serves no one. WWE’s attack on Chris Powell is an attack on all columnists, writers and journalists who portray it in any light other than positive. It’s not.
WWE’s justification relying on PG-14 and NBC Universal means nothing when we consider the long and sordid history of media conglomerates control of the FCC, and their transparent attempts at self-regulation.
People actually watch television still?
The election is still 5 months away and the Courant is starting the attack ad service against McMahon already.
The last election there were several daily leading up to the election.
She must have done something to upset to someone higher up in management at the Courant.
The real problem with WWE is that it’s such an awful product – like barf-me-out, gag-me-with-a-spoon awful.
My understanding is that the WWE contracts all or most of the “entertainers”, including the women. Never did see the barking woman, but am sure she agreed to do it before hand & was well compensated. It is simply entertainment, not even acknowledged as legitimate wrestling by the company. I see far more offensive stuff on cable TV, movies, whats his name Springer, even Dr. Phil. WWE is little more than a live comic book production that a lot of folks watch on free TV, pay per view, & live shows.
Linda has just as many qualifications as Chris Murphy, probably many more actually. Like the WWE or not, it is a very successful business. What has Chris Murphy done? He is basically a career politician who hasn’t run a thing, other than campaigns for other politicians.Linda would do a much better job and will not be a member of the Obama rubber stamp team, the “lets pass it to see whats in it” crowd!
Don’t run on your business record and then complain when people bring up how you ran your business. It’s like Michael Corleone saying “the Corleone family will be completely legitimate” and expecting the world to forget the dead bodies his family piled up along the way.
We’re talking one sement of the tens of thousands of hours of WWE programing over the last 25 years. What Powell says it that this makes the WWE porn. Using that logic, I guess the NFL should be described as porn too since Janet Jackson showed her breast during the Super Bowl halftime show. Furthermore – it’s acting!!! That scene is worse than the murders, foul language, and abuse shown on shows like the Sopranos on A&E cable? Give me a break. If Sopranos creator David Chase ran for office, I have a hard time believing CT journalists would call him a pornographer.
Again about these old video clips…Happy to see some people here talking some sense (jim), these columnists seem to want to single out one company out of the thousands of television and entertainment companies. Look at what is on TV today and try and say that the WWE is any different. While the WWE was changing their programming to PG, far more shows have gotten worse and worse (reality tv…) This is all political! and harming the people who love watching
Stop all the legalese arguments – from all sides, Chris Powell, WWE, Courant. Let’s focus on the CT company that is creating jobs (yes, real jobs that pay people to work) right here in state. Can someone, anyone, just acknowledge that that’s a good thing for our State?
I for one want MORE entertainment companies to open offices here, employe people, pay them salaries so they can support their families, let those workers pay taxes….that’s what we need more of not libel, slander, and obsure columnists making a mountain out of a mole hill.
thanks for the chnace to comment on issue.
By the way, in case you haven’t watched TV in the last 15 years, there is much worse out there on network TV. Just turn on CBS, NBC, ABC and Cable Networks tonight and watch!
It’s clear why the intense focus on WWE (More politics!!!).
Beat Linda up if you want, but leave the company (REMEMBER: WWE is TV-PG and According to the TV Parental Guidelines adopted by the FCC, neither TV-PG nor TV-14 content would be considered “pornography” and would not permit content to air on network or basic cable television if it were.
WWE was financed thru favorable bankruptcy laws.
Fundamentally She stole the money from their creditors.
A thief does not deserve to sit in the Senate.