10 Problematic WWE Storylines That Have Aged HORRIBLY

9. "Tim White's Lunchtime Suicides"

Real Americans
HBO

Attitudes towards every subject matter change over time, and this is a good thing.

Frightened, change-averse people whipped into daily frenzies by whatever an app is throwing at them that morning disagree, but change and development is a core constant in human history and one of the few great adverts for this disintegrating ball of gas we find ourselves trapped on.

The language of mental health is commonplace like never before, and thank goodness for that. As societies and communities, we are encouraged to think of problems in our head like problems with our arms or legs, which has shifted wider attitudes about suicide far towards the sympathetic side. That it didn't exist there the whole time is perhaps a minor shame on all of us, but again, growth through time.

It's not that Tim White attempting to kill himself in cartoonishly stupid ways back in 2005 was a profound failure to read shifting public sentiment, but more that WWE felt emboldened to do the bit at all. Lots of entries in this list fall into that bracket - the sheer arrogance and stubbornness of Vince McMahon wanting to produce them in the first place is substantially more offensive than the end product featuring performers that require a wage.

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Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett