Hustle, Loyalty, Disrespect? It's a character, get it?

So everyone here, especially the editors at Cageside Seats have taken issue with the story line involving John Cena, Zack Ryder, Kane, and one poor Eve Torres. I have made some comments about it. Played a little devil's advocate, and now with my first post on CSS, I am going to break it down for you in a way you may agree or disagree with.

As you are aware, Raw opened up with one of the most brutal segments in the history of the show. I call it brutal because Eve is seen talking to the Bella twins and talks about how she used Zack to get to John Cena, which quite frankly made zero sense. She's riding in ambulances with him, she is crying at his side, she is hanging out with him, blah blah blah. Once again the WWE showed us how they develop their characters, push them off the cliff like Thelma and Louise and pray they land on their feet. The segment made zero sense and seemed forced.

And then just before Eve is going to hatch her plan of treachery by going in Cena's locker room to apologize with the Bellas filming what would happen, Superman is standing there shaking his head. Then he goes down to the ring, with Eve begging for forgiveness while John Cena berates her with such zingers as " ", "wants to be disease free" and the ever popular #1 trend of twitter how do you say "hoeski."

Now, Geno, Sergio and many others took issue with this because of the message it sends to women. I call BS. Why?

The WWE since the mid nineties has become a cesspool for the way women are portrayed and treated. Since the days of Sable, the WWE's view of women and the wrestling has gone down the toliet. At this time women were looked at as objects and pawns to move one story to the next. Sable was forced to be Marc Mero's "lackey" and wear a potato sack when one day she revealed herself wearing very little at all. What kind of message does that send to little girls? You have to be completely sexy to be powerful? Trish Stratus, although I believe she can be one of the most improved women's wrestlers in the company going back to when she started managing a team called T&A to the 7 time women's champ who is respected, has been involved in multiple story lines where she is embarrased, humiliated, and downgraded by Vince McMahon and his family. And as Sergio mentioned in his story which I thought was well done, the endless berating of Stephanie McMahon by Chris Jericho, Mick Foley, and a few others that led to the wonderful slut chants. Hell, WWE must of had a deal with Playboy because of the number of "playboy themed matches" and I'm sorry I don't think of Playboy as a vehicle to empower women.

Oh but that was the attitude era. And everyone was kids, that was different. WWE is now rated PG.

Other than the fact that segment started the show and was poorly timed, and most likely should have been on later, what is the issue here? Is it a burial of Eve? No, its a face change, but WWE staying true to form is disrespecting the woman. Even in the PG era. Remember a couple months back with the "walkout," Beth Phoenix who is betrayed as a "strong female" became completely unbelievable with her one liner "Hunter, we're girls."

Which goes to make my point. What happened to Eve having a crowd chant "hoeski" was part of the storyline? The same storylines that WWE creative has been dreaming up for years. Should you be embarrased to be a wrestling fan because of it? Absolutely not. Honestly all the crap towards the end of the attitude era with the "so called women wrestlers" the degradation of women in story lines, the needless amounts of sex, and a few other things sent me away from wrestling for a few years. I came back because I believe the product improved a bit. They weren't chanting "slut" to her like they did to Lita, who actually did something wrong out of character. They were chanting "hoeski." Silly word, that means nothing. They are advancing the story line. They wanted to break her down because of how conniving she was backstage. It was the point. Now Eve gets to react in a strong manner later this week on WWE.com. That is how this story will be advancing.

But the message that the "Be a Star" and top guy in the company is sending to the audience is a poor one? Right?

Remember, the WWE does not take itself too seriously. It is a show. It's "sports entertainment." Are kids watching? Yes. But how many PG movies do you take your kids to that have questionable material and bad decision making by the writers and/or characters. What the WWE has done to Eve is quite frankly what they have been doing for years. I don't think you can call foul on them now just because of the so-called PG rating. You can't call foul because you have grown up. They've been bullshiting the audience forever so why are they going to change now?

This shouldn't be a surprise. I have two girls and would I let them watch wrestling right now, no. However, if they were to watch wrestling when they get older and this happened, I would have to educate them that women are viewed in a higher regard than this product views them. The WWE is doing their job. They're generating heat on a character who just underwent a face change. Don't hate on John Cena because he helped the cause. Don't be embarrassed of the show you love because they did something that you found offensive. Understand that at the end of the day, this is a show and it's telling a story, much like a movie, or TV series.

Art imitates life, and if someone pulled this crap in high school and got found out, the same thing would have happened to them. My issue with this segment in closing is how poorly executed it was. Eve sitting in the ring crying, trying to kiss Cena, how forced the whole thing was and how Eve's character went from making a poor decision to full blown face turn made zero sense to me. It's the WWE. Attitude era or not. They haven't changed, and if you think they ever will, you are kidding yourself.

Like Vince McMahon said at the end of this commercial, get it?

I would say that if you find this offensive, as well as the fact the top guy in the company is constantly bullying people around, which the WWE is against, you should take a hiatus like I did. I will never tell anyone how to be a fan of wrestling, and what not. However, I think going on a campaign that the WWE is sending a bad message to women, when quite honestly they have been doing for years, is all for naught. Use caution if you let your kids watch. Teach them to be strong and to "rise above hate." Educate them to not to be a bully, but be a star. Every corporation in sports and/or entertainment has this hypocrisy attached to them. With sports it's steroids, with Hollywood its drugs, and with WWE its a little bit of both.

I have been watching the WWE and other wrestling since I was 9 years old. On and off of course. I've seen some great times and great matches. I have enjoyed it for the most part. I tend to look at the positives that come from it, but realize the issues that go with it. If it gets to be too much, I tune out. That is the only thing you can do, because if you think they're going to change, you are asking too much. The WWE will always be moving, silly, fascinating, offensive at times, but will always do what they do. Try to entertain the customer and hope they come back for more. No matter at what norms or rules of society get bent or broken. What happened the other night to Eve wasn't a message sent to the crowd that its OK to treat women that way. It was developing a character who could be a great heel, or just plain vanilla. It's up to anyone who views it to take it however they want. As long as the players are in on it, how is this different from what the WWE has done in the last 20 years?

Thanks for reading.