Above is a video WWE ran during last night's (Oct. 21, 2013) episode of Monday Night Raw looking back at John Cena's "extraordinary career", which began in 2002 with "ruthless aggression" and blossomed into a "movement" that led him to a great deal of success. That success led to "resentment", though, and the following quote from the man himself.
"I don't blame a portion of the audience for getting complacent with me," he said. "But I'm not going to change who I am."
The question of who he is exactly was asked and answered as such:
- He is a leader.
- He makes us believe.
- He thrills us.
- On the grandest stage, he shines brightest.
- He is hustle.
- He is loyalty.
- He is respect.
- He is John Cena.
The idea here, of course, is to simply pump him up in anticipation of his return this coming Sunday night (Oct. 27, 2013) at Hell in a Cell for a world heavyweight championship match against Alberto Del Rio in Miami, Florida. But it goes beyond a hype video and saunters into outright deification.
Beyond promoting his return to active wrestling, WWE is telling us we should love and appreciate this man for becoming more than that through sheer force of stubborn will and dogged determination.
In a nutshell the video is saying, "hey, look, I know you hate him, but seriously, you can't hate him, he's this great dude, please love and appreciate him."
Maybe we will, but it's unlikely to ever occur when WWE is beating us over the head with it at every turn, trying its damnedest to force it down our collective throats.