10 Despicable Double Standards We See In WWE
3. Bullying
Despite preaching its anti-bullying stance with the Be A STAR initiative, WWE has often churned out programming that seems to contravene that message.
Perhaps the most infamous example took place on the June 11, 2012, showing of Raw, in which company chairman Vince McMahon mocked Jim Ross’ Bell’s Palsy.
Over the course of his career, Ross has been afflicted by three separate bouts of the condition, symptoms of which include an inability to control one’s facial muscles. He also happens to be one of the company’s most valued employees - yet here was his boss appearing to ridicule him, pulling distorted faces and impersonating the announcer, live on national television.
Some may argue that this was simply McMahon’s onscreen character performing, but even so it was in very bad taste, completely flying in the face of that anti-bullying message.
It also seems this culture has occasionally bled through into backstage matters, with Mauro Ranallo – a known sufferer of bipolar disorder – recently taking leave from the company amidst rumours of bullying from fellow employees.
Suddenly, this whole Be A STAR campaign is starting to look like little more than a PR exercise...