10 WWE Gimmicks That Pushed The PG Era To Its Limits

This past Sunday marked a full 10 years since WWE systematically stripped (intentional) blood from the product, instructed female performers to actually wear some clothes to the ring, cut most of the bad language from promos and officially went headfirst into a new dawn of PG certification.

Since that bold new direction started on the 22 July 2008 episode of SmackDown, the promotion's own guidelines have repeatedly wobbled despite a conscious effort to appease major shareholders, and there's even been hints of the old Attitude slipping through from time to time. How else could cult-leading psychopaths, homicidal siblings, racists or thieving gangbanger stereotypes be explained?

At times, the PG Era has delved into Vince Russo territory, and that risqué characterisation has stretched the current child-friendly protocol to its limits.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing, because some flexibility was always going to be needed in an industry like pro wrestling. Still, it's been fascinating to watch WWE occasionally dip a toe into provocative, smutty or controversial waters when they're supposed to be aimed squarely at young children.

Shake that booty and eat your cereal is one hell of a message...