8 Controversial Moments WWE Regret Airing On Live TV
Racism, sexism, homophobia, and all manner of other skeletons lie in WWE's closet.
Pro wrestling is no stranger to controversy, and considering that WWE spent decades under the rule of one of entertainment's biggest lunatics in Vince McMahon, these mishaps occasionally got wildly out of control. From hideously misjudging the company's audience to Mr. McMahon being so removed from reality that he forgot how to be a part of the human race, WWE has aired some of the most regrettable segments in wrestling history.
Terrorism, racism, sexism, and many other isms have been deployed on live WWE television, much to the dismay of fans and people outside of pro wrestling's fanbase. It can be hard enough defending choreographed combat to an outside world determined to ridicule us for our passion, but WWE has made that battle even harder, thanks to its distasteful decision-making.
Sadly, not all of the company's bad decisions come from the Vince McMahon era. Though WWE has largely cleaned up its act, the company still tends to push the boundaries of common decency on its live broadcasts. The following are the moments in which WWE let itself and its fans down the most.
8. Vince McMahon's Kiss My Ass Club
It is cuckoo crazy to consider that what is essentially sexual assault in the workplace was once upon a time seen as nothing more than harmless hijinks. Remember this the next time you read someone lamenting the stewardship of one Vince McMahon. Coming during an era when Vince's tyrannical nature ran rampant both backstage and as part of his on-air persona, nothing summed this up as much as the Vince McMahon Kiss My Ass Club.
Vince's real-world problems are now well-documented, but the Kiss My Ass Club had members of the WWE locker room forced against their will to do exactly as the name suggests. It was intentionally designed to embarrass the likes of future Hall of Famers Mick Foley and Jim Ross, but given McMahon's alleged crimes that have come to light, this retrospectively looks a million times worse.
Performers like William Regal would use their brilliance to make these segments as comedic and palatable as possible, but there is no way of sugar-coating what this was. A billionaire employer forcing his workers to perform an intimate act against their will.