Name: Shawn Daivari Active Date(s): 2004-2007 Wrestlers Managed: Muhammad Hassan, Kurt Angle, The Great Khali This was Slick 2.0, only much more dangerous and socially irresponsible. It was 2004, and religious tensions (in Europe, in the States, and in the Middle East), were at a high. And here comes Mohammad Hassan (a minority character, again played by a white guy) accompanied by Iranian guy named Daivari (because that makes it all okay). The angle was touchy, but the duo made it work for a bit they played the roles of Arab Americans who were offended by discrimination against them. But then, they revealed themselves to actually be terrorists masked lackeys ran out and strung up the Undertaker and that destroyed any sort of 'ironic' justification. Plus, the timing couldn't have been worse; this plot twist took place three days before the London bombing. The WWE removed the sequence from their European broadcast of Smackdown!, and they killed the storyline as quickly as possible. Hassan spoke in English for his promos, but Daivari spoke exclusively in untranslated Persian (referred to as 'Arabic' by the announcers) to draw heat. Imagine that using an entire language as a villainous plot device. For promoting, stoking, and legitimizing anti-Arab sentiment, the Daivari character was extremely annoying, if not downright despicable.
Kevin is an AP English Language teacher and freelance writer from Queens, NY. His focus is on American pop culture and American issues. He wrote a weekly column for Complex called "Throwback Thursdays," which spotlighted video games and trends from previous console generations. Kevin has also been published in VIBE, Salon, PopMatters, Joystiq, and Racialicious. Follow him on Twitter to learn more.
