7 WWE Angles That Felt Plucked From A Different Time
4. SmackDown Bleeds Blue (As Well As Red And White)
SmackDown is known as the land of opportunity, but lately, the show should really be known as the land of the free, and home of the brave. No less than three feuds on the show currently involve either pro-American nationalist/xenophobic themes, or just tiny undertones of "America is #1" that looks innocent by comparison.
From Jinder Mahal using terroristic imagery as part of his heel persona, to John Cena invoking the 9/11 attacks in order to drum up emotion for his speeches, SmackDown's sudden patriotism couldn't have come at a less relevant time. Nowadays, most Americans wouldn't say they're proud of their country. Whether it be because of the current government or just a perceived decaying culture, most of your average Americans aren't really feeling great about their country at the moment. So for SmackDown to go so over-the-top with its Americanist jargon suggests Vince and co. believe they have been warped back to the 1980s or early 2000s, when everyone was gung-ho about loving their country.
Then again, wrestling fans will just chant "USA, USA" by default, so maybe Vince is justified.