10 Things You Didn't Know About WWE In 1998
8. A Timeless Lesson
There is one inflexible rule to which Corporate America adheres: if you are a major success, you can get away with anything.
In 1996, the WWF famously ran the Pillman's-got-a-gun angle. Steve Austin invaded Pillman's home and was ostensibly shot at before the feed "cut off". This bold cliffhanger was aired on the West Coast feed, so the USA network wasn't legitimately appalled by it, but Nitro demolished Raw with its unopposed second hour regardless. The angle actually benefitted the competition, did little to arrest the wider ratings pattern, and under severe pressure from fans, the network and sponsors, Vince McMahon hopped onto Livewire to say sorry.
"There is no doubt that we went overboard."
You could very fairly make the argument that the WWF went overboard in 1998. While the WWF never again ran an angle using a gun - one presumed to be real, anyway, since Austin pretended to shoot Mr. McMahon with a gun that turned out to be fake - the promotion did run the gamut of offensive material.
The difference is that the WWF was absolutely on fire in the ratings, hence why Bonnie Hammer, then the Vice President of USA, vehemently defended the WWF two years later, saying that Raw was no more violent than any prime-time series. She also said the sexual innuendo was "fun".
The following material was not exactly fun, though, was it...?