Cup of coffee in the big time: Jerry Lawler attending a Trump rally is the most obvious thing

Jerry Lawler showing up to a Trump rally, smiling along while Trump mocked the victim of an alleged sexual assault at the hands of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh seems like something that shouldn’t surprise anyone.

Lawler is, after all, not exactly a pillar of human decency.

This is a man who responded to questions about the #MeToo movement by saying, “it appears that eventually anybody that’s ever flirted with anybody, or had any kind of sexual contact with anybody, is all of a sudden you could potentially be a target in the future.” As well as talking about sexual assault between the boys as just good-natured pranking. And, of course, lamenting the WWE’s standards changing from an era where he spent Monday nights screaming the word “puppies” into our living room, even complaining women had to be treated the same as men and not be called “divas.”

Lawler was also notably accused of statutory rape in a case involving a pair of girls (then 13 and 14 years old) and has spent years attempting to re-write the details of what happened.

You should read this full Deadspin article from earlier this year, but know the claims the girls recanted their stories are not in line with reality:

As for the issue of whether or not the girls recanted, retired Louisville detective Mike Redmond, who worked the case, told Deadspin that they never did. Instead, they refused to testify against Lawler. with Redmond’s interpretation of the decision being that the girls didn’t want “The King” to get in trouble.

On Feb. 23, 1994, Lawler copped a plea for harassing a witness, who was said to be a female other than the complainants; the sex crime charges were dismissed. One of Lawler’s attorneys cited the girls’ reluctance to testify as a factor in the deal being made. Lisa Schweikert, speaking for the prosecution, would not comment on the plea past saying that it “served justice.” Neither indicated if Lawler’s attempt to frame the girls as bisexual, nymphomaniacal, miscegenation-happy sluts played a role in the decision.

But the real point of this is the need for fans to remember your heroes — or at least entertainers you enjoy — often aren’t also good people. Or at least aren’t people who share your values.

I grew up worshiping at the altar of Hulk Hogan and we all know how that worked out.

And the venn diagram of “wrestlers I have enjoyed in my life” and “people who haven’t done something that offends my personal standards” has very little overlap.

Let your fandom run shallow, that way the pain if an ugly truth comes out is far less.

[Author’s note: A last minute edit I made this morning changed the meaning of a certain sentence.

The following passage is how it went to publication:

“Jerry Lawler showing up to a Trump rally — one where Trump mocked the victim of an alleged sexual assault at the hands of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh — seems like something that shouldn’t surprise anyone.”

I have reverted it to the originally written:

“Jerry Lawler showing up to a Trump rally, smiling along while Trump mocked the victim of an alleged sexual assault at the hands of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh seems like something that shouldn’t surprise anyone.”

The intent is not “any Trump supporter is a bad person,” or anything that hamfisted, but rather the idea that smiling through the mocking of an alleged victim’s pain is an ugly act. I take responsibility for the muddled meaning via my own edit.]

• Wednesday nights are still great for wrestling. Here’s your NXT recap and reactions as well as your Mae Young Classic recap and reactions.
• Sermon on the Mat is out and it’s always must-read.
• We also have your preview ahead of tonight’s episode Impact Wrestling.
• Pete Dunne is having quite the reign as UK champ.
• Smackdown didn’t pull in good numbers as October continues to be rough for WWE ratings.
• Go check out the AAA round-up.
• Johnny Gargano fills you in on why some wrestlers do not want the call-up from NXT.

Happy Thursday, here’s something stupid: