Can the live crowd be overtly raciest ?

[arthuradams2002]

Before Alberto Del Rio debuted on Smackdown, I saw him at a house show. When he came through the curtain, you couldn't tell if he was going to be a babyface or heel. Sometimes you can make an assumption if the opponent is already in the ring, but he came out first. As soon as he got in the ring, he got on the mic and started speaking in Spanish. The crowd instantaneously booed the crap out of him. I was amazing at how much heat he could generate just by picking up the mic and speaking in a foreign tongue.

It is like an insult to direct an audience in another language. Remember the old 80s wrestling formula ? Chant "USA" when someone comes out from another country. The overgeneralization is that American wrestlers are good and foreign wrestlers are the bad guys.

[James McCloud IS John Godot]

U.S. wrestling is quite nationalistic. I wouldn't say racist, and even the jingoism isn't quite as heavy-handed as it would have been even 10 years ago.

As a dirty foreigner, I can't say I like that aspect of it but it's just the nature of the business in the United States.

EDIT: Of course, I should point out that this is not exclusive to the United States but seeing as that's the topic subject...

[waluigi]

Mar 9, 2011 22:55:52 GMT -5 arthuradams2002 said:

It is like an insult to direct an audience in another language. Remember the old 80s wrestling formula ? Chant "USA" when someone comes out from another country. The overgeneralization is that American wrestlers are good and foreign wrestlers are the bad guys.

That's how every country works. Like Gaijins in Japan

[CNR79]

Most fans are rubes, so they just appeal to the lowest common denominator to get the reaction they want.

[BK From WV]

Believe me,I've seen a crowd be very racist. During a match involving Harlem Heat against The Outsiders at a WCW house show I was at,a small portion of the crowd was chanting some not so nice things at Harlem Heat. Kevin Nash got on the microphone and told them that if they didn't cut it out,they were leaving and the show wouldn't continue. Luckily,that got them to shut up.

[kyromax]

Mar 9, 2011 23:15:55 GMT -5 BK From WV said:

Believe me,I've seen a crowd be very racist. During a match involving Harlem Heat against The Outsiders at a WCW house show I was at,a small portion of the crowd was chanting some not so nice things at Harlem Heat. Kevin Nash got on the microphone and told them that if they didn't cut it out,they were leaving and the show wouldn't continue. Luckily,that got them to shut up.

Say what you want about Nash, he always stuck up for his friends.

[Johnny Truant]

How about a very recent example, when R-Truth said he was going to "send Alberto Del Rio back where he came from"? I believe they were in Arizona, which made that even worse.

[cherry coloured funk]

Mar 9, 2011 23:58:41 GMT -5 Johnny Truant said:

How about a very recent example, when R-Truth said he was going to "send Alberto Del Rio back where he came from"? I believe they were in Arizona, which made that even worse.

I am pretty sure he was referring to sending him back to Smackdown, but it just came out all wrong in that patented and lovable R-Truth kind of way.

[Dub H]

Mar 10, 2011 0:12:13 GMT -5 cherry coloured funk said:

Mar 9, 2011 23:58:41 GMT -5 Johnny Truant said:

How about a very recent example, when R-Truth said he was going to "send Alberto Del Rio back where he came from"? I believe they were in Arizona, which made that even worse.

I am pretty sure he was referring to sending him back to Smackdown, but it just came out all wrong in that patented and lovable R-Truth kind of way.

R-truth just cant speak the right thing these last months it looks like,poor him

[TheMediocreWarrior]

I think Muhammad Hassan is a pretty bad example. It seemed like they were going to debut him as a neutral character, but the fans booed him right away, because the audience has been trained to think that any Middle Eastern wrestler is to be booed like the Iron Sheik back in the 80's.

Then again, I'm sure WWE was planning on going the evil foreigner route with him from the beginning and just wanted to make it seem at first like they weren't going to stoop to that level.

[Muskrat]

Mar 9, 2011 23:58:41 GMT -5 Johnny Truant said:

How about a very recent example, when R-Truth said he was going to "send Alberto Del Rio back where he came from"? I believe they were in Arizona, which made that even worse.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that was supposed to be implying SmackDown but just came out really wrong.


That being said, I don't think the audience is really racist, as much as they've been trained that foreigners usually=heel. So something that clearly displays their heritage likely signifies they're a heel.

[cookiethemonster]

WWE still appeals to the blue collar worker for the most part.

Not saying it's ALL fans but for the most part it's not the most educated group

[hughmorris]

The crowd will be the crowd....you always get knuckleheads. What about some of the lame gimmicks given to Mexican wrestlers? Remember the Mexicools...and their riding lawn mowers???

[oafman]

Mar 9, 2011 22:55:52 GMT -5 arthuradams2002 said:

Chant "USA" when someone comes out from another country.

Oh my god, I hate that shit. The only time it really made sense was when it involved Sheik/Volkoff, Slaughter, Un-Americans or Muhammad Hassan. Any other time is stupid.

[nm]

I went to a house show in Providence RI in 03, and these kids that couldn't have been more than 8 sitting behind us kept calling Henry a "black monkey" while the parents laughed along.

All I can hope is maybe the parents were ignorant to the racism of it.

[nate5054]

Mar 10, 2011 0:16:23 GMT -5 TheMediocreWarrior said:

I think Muhammad Hassan is a pretty bad example. It seemed like they were going to debut him as a neutral character, but the fans booed him right away, because the audience has been trained to think that any Middle Eastern wrestler is to be booed like the Iron Sheik back in the 80's.

Then again, I'm sure WWE was planning on going the evil foreigner route with him from the beginning and just wanted to make it seem at first like they weren't going to stoop to that level.

That was the dumbest crowd reaction in the world. He was billed specifically being from the US and the idiotic crowd makes with the USA chant. The ultimate in stupidity is when he was wrestling Christian or Edge or some Canadian wrestler and they started the chant.

[Cry Me a Wiggle]

Racist and homophobic. Of course, it doesn't help that WWE doesn't try to change the conditioning of their audience to cheer for something new rather than the old standbys.

[Deleted]

I don't know, I've seen live crowds that are racy and a few that are racier still, but none I would say were raciest.

PS what's all this talk about racist crowds about?

[The Blue Blazer]

Raciest? Like Divas in naughty clothing?

[oafman]

Mar 10, 2011 1:11:10 GMT -5 nate5054 said:

Mar 10, 2011 0:16:23 GMT -5 TheMediocreWarrior said:

I think Muhammad Hassan is a pretty bad example. It seemed like they were going to debut him as a neutral character, but the fans booed him right away, because the audience has been trained to think that any Middle Eastern wrestler is to be booed like the Iron Sheik back in the 80's.

Then again, I'm sure WWE was planning on going the evil foreigner route with him from the beginning and just wanted to make it seem at first like they weren't going to stoop to that level.

That was the dumbest crowd reaction in the world. He was billed specifically being from the US and the idiotic crowd makes with the USA chant.

I don't see this as dumb. What were you expecting Post 9/11?

Even I disliked the Hassan angle. I'll never get behind it, I thought it was incredibly stupid.

Although, I do find him interrupting people with his theme to be hilarious.