Triple H Allegedly Says Racist Remarks Around WWE Employees

[Andy Martin]

Nov 5, 2014 9:05:56 GMT -5 @lovehater said:

I don't doubt any of this for a second. A bunch of old white guys that have been in THIS BUSINESS for 30+ years? There's gonna be some racist jokes. But, those guys see it as harmless a "heyyy come on we're kidding around don't be so sensitive" situation. They're out of touch with the real world, and the real world is rapidly changing.

However, I can't see something actually happening out of this. What would it be, Vince and Triple H are removed from power by the government, and new, un-racist COOs and CEOs are put in place?

I hear Donald Sterling is looking for a new venture.

[Surfer Sandman]

Something needs to happen here. Shareholders need to take notice.

[Deleted]

If true, I hope more wrestlers speak out about this. If WWE wants to pretend they're a "real business" they've got to start acting like one bts.

[Deleted]

Nov 5, 2014 11:57:10 GMT -5 BrianZane said:

So wait, Triple H just calls any Mexican high-flyer "Bumblebee"? That's not very creative.

Well we're talking about Ricardo and Super Crazy here, two guys that are short and kinda dumpy looking. They do kinda look like bumblebees. Especially Super Crazy. If you put him in some black and yellow stripes it'd look completely at home.

[N E O G E O B O Y S]

I could understand that, but also, muy friends and I always refer todo other with simpsons mames

One guy looks like chief wiggum for being fat, other is Krusty for his ha ir, the guy with the glasses and short hair is flanders, and so on

[StuntGranny®]

Nov 5, 2014 5:27:10 GMT -5 Mid-Carder said:

Perhaps they should bring up the incessant jokes about the skin tones of Sheamus and Paige, done on live TV.

To be fair, I don't think referring to someone as pale is the same as using a racist slang to refer to a minority.

I don't doubt this story at all. This company (And let's be honest, wrestling in general) has a long history of racism. And it's not like their evolving in their views or whatever because Cryme Tyme wasn't THAT long ago.

[Andy Martin]

Nov 5, 2014 5:27:10 GMT -5 Mid-Carder said:

Perhaps they should bring up the incessant jokes about the skin tones of Sheamus and Paige, done on live TV.

The two aren't the same. At all. Like, not even close.

[Deleted]

There are some times where I can't tell if some of you guys are actually joking or not.

All those "he called them all by the same racist name? How uncreative!" posts make me wonder.

[Hit Girl]

He should start calling everyone bumblebee, to throw people off the trail

[Allie Kitsune]

Nov 5, 2014 13:49:03 GMT -5 Hit Girl said:

He should start calling everyone bumblebee, to throw people off the trail

Khali's confused reaction would be priceless.

[Next Level was WRONG]

My instinct is telling me that HHH is referring to the fact they were fat but still worked as high-flyers.


- Surely Ricardo would mention if HHH said something worse. He's not working there again.
- Super Crazy would literally get put over on commentary as being as surprising as a bumblebee flying.
- Those are (apparently) the only three people he called that name. Not Carlito, Eddie, Chavo, Del Rio, Sin Cara, Esse Rios, Psicosis. Just the three fat guys.
- Pretty weird after 18 years he never realised the characters name was "Bumblebee man".



That said he is friends with Lemmy. That's a red flag.

[Allie Kitsune]

Nov 5, 2014 9:05:56 GMT -5 @lovehater said:

I don't doubt any of this for a second. A bunch of old white guys that have been in THIS BUSINESS for 30+ years? There's gonna be some racist jokes. But, those guys see it as harmless a "heyyy come on we're kidding around don't be so sensitive" situation. They're out of touch with the real world, and the real world is rapidly changing.

However, I can't see something actually happening out of this. What would it be, Vince and Triple H are removed from power by the government, and new, un-racist COOs and CEOs are put in place?

I think the idea is "If WWE has to be put out of business (even if it is by the government) in order to have Social Justice in wrestling, then so be it. Shut them down."

[superchamp]

To me Triple H has always seemed to come across as a guy whose only points of reference would be wrestling, bodybuilding and Metallica/Motorhead songs. Can't really see the guy continuously using a minor Simpsons character as a point of reference

[Hit Girl]

If he's a Simpsons fan, he should start referencing Old Gil, because their shilling of the network matches his desperation.

[Dat Dude]

Nov 5, 2014 14:00:15 GMT -5 Next Level was WRONG said:

My instinct is telling me that HHH is referring to the fact they were fat but still worked as high-flyers.


- Surely Ricardo would mention if HHH said something worse. He's not working there again.
- Super Crazy would literally get put over on commentary as being as surprising as a bumblebee flying.
- Those are (apparently) the only three people he called that name. Not Carlito, Eddie, Chavo, Del Rio, Sin Cara, Esse Rios, Psicosis. Just the three fat guys.
- Pretty weird after 18 years he never realised the characters name was "Bumblebee man".



That said he is friends with Lemmy. That's a red flag.

Funny you should mention Carlito. I remember an interview he gave years back about race and Vince. One time (early in his WWE run), Vince, Carlito and another official were backstage developing Carlito's persona. After trying out a few catch phrases, Vince interrupted Carlito and asked him "hey, can you sp#c it up for me?". So yeah, maybe not the bumblebee comparison (for all we know) but that doesn't mean that others were immune to that kind of treatment.

[Deleted]

Nov 5, 2014 11:54:37 GMT -5 @pauledraperously said:

Nov 5, 2014 9:16:59 GMT -5 Mr PONYMANIA Mr Jenzie said:

hmm
surprising it's all coming out NOW eh alberto?

Not really, most businesses in the world won't allow you to speak negatively of them if you're let go in an awkward situation until you are 100% out of the company with no chance of a return. You have to play it cool before going 'well yeah, some negative stuff was happening'.

You have no idea on how much shit I want to say against my company in a public forum.

[khali]

Nov 5, 2014 14:00:15 GMT -5 Next Level was WRONG said:

My instinct is telling me that HHH is referring to the fact they were fat but still worked as high-flyers.


- Surely Ricardo would mention if HHH said something worse. He's not working there again.
- Super Crazy would literally get put over on commentary as being as surprising as a bumblebee flying.
- Those are (apparently) the only three people he called that name. Not Carlito, Eddie, Chavo, Del Rio, Sin Cara, Esse Rios, Psicosis. Just the three fat guys.
- Pretty weird after 18 years he never realised the characters name was "Bumblebee man".



That said he is friends with Lemmy. That's a red flag.

Savio Vega wasn't exactly a high flyer, though. Only two of the three were fat guys who did lots of flying/flips. But all three are Hispanic.

[Apricots And A Pear Tree]

Nov 5, 2014 11:57:10 GMT -5 BrianZane said:

So wait, Triple H just calls any Mexican high-flyer "Bumblebee"? That's not very creative.

Neither is WWE.

[xCompackx]

Nov 5, 2014 9:33:18 GMT -5 carp (SPC, Itoh Respect Army) said:

Nov 5, 2014 9:03:03 GMT -5 xCompackx said:

Yeah, I don't get it either. Not saying HHH is or isn't racist since I don't know the guy, but "Bumblebee" just seems like a nickname that happens to have been used for multiple guys. I don't know.

Because it's a reference to a famous, Mexican character that mostly has one trait in common with Rodriguez and that's ethnicity. It sends the message to Rodriguez that his bosses classify him as Latino primarily and then as other things second.

Now... I mean, it's a stretch to take this and say "HHH has hate in his heart for Mexicans and wears a white hood and we should hate him" because that's not the point (though, if this is a pattern of behavior, it doesn't look good). But the point is that the WWE has a hostile, othering culture towards its non-white employees, which comes from the top on down. Whether or not any given individual actually personally dislikes Mexican people isn't necessary for that... though of course those kinds of attitudes can thrive in that sort of situation, too.

Whether or not WWE has a racism problem (which in all fairness wouldn't surprise me considering how toxic the locker room can be), isn't being classified as Latino something that WWE doesn't really hide? They pushed Rey Mysterio and ADR to cater to the Latino audience and they openly market to that demographic. Obviously if Ricardo felt offended by being called "Bumblebee" that's one thing, but I don't see how that makes HHH or whoever a racist.

[barelybeastmode]

I saw a blog post recently about blackface halloween costumes that I think applies here.  In regards to Ricardo's allegations, what I think a lot of you fail to realize is that intent doesn't matter, perception does.

Just because it doesn't seem racist to you does not change how Ricardo perceived it or how he felt when he was called a well known mexican stereotype character instead of his name time and time again.