"You have an alternative way of thinking..."

[Crappler El 0 M]

Kind of related, but today I heard on the Observer show Bryan mentioned Gabriel had a hot girlfriend and hinted that she was a notable person, but he did not want to say her name on the air.

[i.Sarita.com]

Aug 17, 2010 14:48:21 GMT -5 Crappler El 0 M said:

Kind of related, but today I heard on the Observer show Bryan mentioned Gabriel had a hot girlfriend and hinted that she was a notable person, but he did not want to say her name on the air.

Cody Rhodes I bet.

[Kevin Hamilton]

Lame, but ultimately harmless.

Just my take.

[Loud $ound Ziggy, or The $hady]

It seemed a bit weird, sure, but he's rather effeminate. I'm not trying to say that's what all gay people are like, but some are and that's what he was eluding to.

[ben:friendship frog]

Aug 17, 2010 14:50:37 GMT -5 i.Sarita.com said:

Aug 17, 2010 14:48:21 GMT -5 Crappler El 0 M said:

Kind of related, but today I heard on the Observer show Bryan mentioned Gabriel had a hot girlfriend and hinted that she was a notable person, but he did not want to say her name on the air.

Cody Rhodes I bet.

LOL I laughed at this more than I should have.

[Andrew is Good]

I thought the promo was ok, because as heels, you're supposed to not like them, and find fault with them. Show your ass if you will.

The Wendys deal with Heath Slater is gonna be epic with him. It's been brought up a couple of times, but Raven was given his first big break in Portland. Roddy Piper said to Raven (when he was Scotty the Body at the time) that you're gonna be a commentator, and caught on tv picking your nose so the people will call you Snotty the Body. That ended up being gold for Raven, as he could sell pictures of him picking his nose, he would yell at the crowd for calling him that, and he would put it over every chance he got so that the people would continue to chant it, so they can connect with him. With this, Slater was handed that, and the crowd caught on instantly. I'm thinking they may've told him the same thing. This could be Slater's big break, even after NXT and being part of Nexus. Now, he has a way for people to relate to him.

I wanted TNA to do that with Chris Sabin when it came out that Kurt Angle thought he looked like Pigpen from The Peanuts. They could get a babyface to say that to him, and he would get all pissed about it, and people would continue to chant it. It's funny how weird stuff gets out on the internet, like how Kurt Angle thought Chris Sabin looked like Pigpen.

Anyway, with Gabriel, he's been getting that for awhile. He's a very metrosexual looking man. In FCW, he even came out to Candice Michelle's entrance theme (which had to have been a rib on him, because of how gay he does look). It's weird, if they had an openly gay character in WWE (like an Orlando Jordan type or something), they could have him hit on Gabriel, and Gabriel be all up tight about it. Or even Goldust. Like, the fact is, most guys are overly homophobic because, well, they're probably gay. They want to be one of those really butch guys, like, if anyone watched the Raven/Mitchell shoot, James Mitchell talked about how Kanyon would be homophobic to compensate for the fact he was gay. Or, oh, have Pat Patterson hit on him. Whether he's gay or not, the fact that he's uptight about it could be something that could add to his act, and help get him over as a heel. Gabriel is not that good of a talker, and he doesn't look like a heel. I was thinking he was gonna be the first to go from Nexus because he looks like a babyface. Everything is going against him when it comes to being a heel, so he needs all the help he can get.

But, there can be a positive to it. Gabriel can use it to potentially get heat for himself, and they can do it without being homophobic, in ways I've stated above. They could put over the fact that he's uptight about it, more then just being blatently homophobic.

[Perpetual Nirvana]

I still want a character who is openly gay. Not played for laughs or heel heat, just a guy who happens to be gay. If anything it would make up for the Billy and Chuck fiasco.

[Legion]

Aug 17, 2010 15:26:25 GMT -5 Perpetual Nirvana said:

I still want a character who is openly gay. Not played for laughs or heel heat, just a guy who happens to be gay. If anything it would make up for the Billy and Chuck fiasco.

That would be brilliant, but it would never work.

Rico after Billy and Chuck is probably the closest ever to that.

[kidglov3s]

Aug 17, 2010 15:32:57 GMT -5 Legion said:

That would be brilliant, but it would never work.

I think that it could work. It would take the right performer, someone with undeniable appeal, but I think that it could work. I mean, NPH is gay and cool at the same time. I don't see why such a figure couldn't surface in wrestling at some point.

It would be great if such a figure could offer a retort of "And?" to a line like Cena's.

[YAKMAN is ICHIBAN]

Aug 17, 2010 15:39:03 GMT -5 kidglov3s said:

I don't see why such a figure couldn't surface in wrestling at some point.

Are there many openly gay professional athletes or fighters? Hell, openly gay professional wrestlers outside of a gimmick?

[Brian Suntan]

I don't think it would work because they'd likely play it for heel heat, like TNA did/do with Orlando Jordan.

If an established guy 'came out', the reaction would be interesting. If Edge came out for example, would it matter to anyone?

Anyway, regardless of who he sleeps with, Gabriel is awesome.

[YAKMAN is ICHIBAN]

It would have to come from a face. That way when he gets up in the face of whoever is taking shots at him for his sexuality, he could rally the crowd behind him.

The audience would violently shit all over this though. I have zero confidence that the crowd, especially in more redneck areas, would ever be accepting. If nothing else, you would always have a few loud anti-gay hecklers.

[hossfan]

I like Cena and think he gets unfairly criticized quite a bit, but pointing out the "alternative way of thinking" line was stupid and inappropriate isn't one of those times. When all's said and done, he insulted Gabriel by implying he was gay. He wouldn't have dared used a wrestler's race or religion as fodder for a putdown, and he shouldn't have used a wrestler's sexuality either, true or not.

[mazuli]

Aug 17, 2010 15:26:25 GMT -5 Perpetual Nirvana said:

I still want a character who is openly gay. Not played for laughs or heel heat, just a guy who happens to be gay. If anything it would make up for the Billy and Chuck fiasco.

A gimmick where someone's openly gay but we're not supposed to react to the gay part? Then why have the gimmick at all?

[The Tank]

Aug 17, 2010 17:13:07 GMT -5 mazuli said:

Aug 17, 2010 15:26:25 GMT -5 Perpetual Nirvana said:

I still want a character who is openly gay. Not played for laughs or heel heat, just a guy who happens to be gay. If anything it would make up for the Billy and Chuck fiasco.

A gimmick where someone's openly gay but we're not supposed to react to the gay part? Then why have the gimmick at all?

He's not saying no one reacts to the guy being gay. He's saying the guy has a gimmick beyond "LOL HE'S GAY" if he's a face or "HE'S EVIL AND CREEPY BECAUSE HE'S GAY" if he's a heel.

[Tea & Crumpets]

I don't think the gay joke is in itself the problem. I think the problem is that, in WWE at least, gay references are only ever directed 1 way. It's always the heel getting called gay by the cool face, as if it's an insult. You never see a heel getting booed for making gay insults, it's always the face looking for a pop from gay insults.

I'm not PC. I've a big issue with political correctness as it inhibits free speech. But thats just it- speech should be 100% free. Any gags, jokes, comments made about anything about the characters in WWE should be directed both ways- as positives and as jokes/insults. Nobody should be so thin skinned as to be offended by a single joke about an aspect of their life be it nationality, sexual orinetation, dress sense, or diet. But at the same time nobody should only ever hear that aspect of their life treated in a single manner.
Note- I'm not saying WWE is homophobic. Just that they always go the cheap, "safe" route (safe in terms of getting a reaction) of using gay jokes for cheap laughs at a heel.

Billy & Chuck- heel, then they clarify they aren't gay, again as if it's shameful. Rico- heel then a sort of face who was demonstratively not gay (I've believe he started hitting on Jackie) but played mind games. Mickie James- lesbian as a heel, soon as she turns face she's straight.

Lenny & Lodi in WCW were actually a brilliant subversion of this stereotype- straight wrestlers who were effeminate, but were able to draw heat from the crowd due to calling them out on preconceptions.

Switching the gay comments around would provide something refreshing, instead of only ever hearing something talked about in 1 way.

So yeah, the comment itself, cheap joke but fine. It's just annoying it's the only way you ever hear it used.

[waluigi]

This thread has gone on too long.

I think it'd be better if we all just came together, and agreed that Justin Gabriel sucks ass, and doesn't deserve to be on national television.

[YAKMAN is ICHIBAN]

His 450 is awesome, and seems solid apart from that.

[ChillyMcFreeze!?]

Aug 17, 2010 15:43:49 GMT -5 YAKMAN is ICHIBAN said:

Aug 17, 2010 15:39:03 GMT -5 kidglov3s said:

I don't see why such a figure couldn't surface in wrestling at some point.

Are there many openly gay professional athletes or fighters? Hell, openly gay professional wrestlers outside of a gimmick?

I thought I read somewhere that Orlando Jordan was legit bisexual?

Pat Patterson probably counts under the 'outside of a gimmick' thing, as he's been out for a long, long time.

But point taken - there aren't many openly gay wrestlers out there that I could point out.

EDIT: As the older brother of a homosexual, Cena's line didn't come across as in poor taste at all. Gabriel does have a very metrosexual look, and it was delivered in a light-hearted funny way. It was a rib, and I actually think it was an amusing one, at that. Besides - how can you take it seriously when it comes in a promo calling Tarver a male stripper and Heath Slater the Wendy's mascot - not to mention the 'miaow miaow' thing aimed at Skip Sheffield. I get the feeling everyone's ready to jump down Cena's throat for his 'hulk up' moment at Summerslam - which we all pretty much agreed was necessary because the PPV was in danger of over-running. Seriously, mountain out of a molehill much?

[YAKMAN is ICHIBAN]

Also, not to get too political, but I doubt the WWE will do anything pro-gay as long as Linda McMahon is running for the Senate as a Republican.