An Evening With Hulk Hogan

[David]

It's never easy trying to stay on the right side.

 

So it would appear. Does your crusade begin and end with wrestling, or do you apply it to other aspects of your life? For example, do you buy a mobile phone before thoroughly checking out the ethics of the provider and handset maker? Do you buy clothes before checking to see if they've been made in a completely ethical manner? 

 

Shit, what if something you bought was made by a factory worker who beat his wife or who uses racist language? That kind of shit must keep you awake at night.

[Linus]

 

 

It's never easy trying to stay on the right side.

So it would appear. Does your crusade begin and end with wrestling, or do you apply it to other aspects of your life? For example, do you buy a mobile phone before thoroughly checking out the ethics of the provider and handset maker? Do you buy clothes before checking to see if they've been made in a completely ethical manner?

 

Shit, what if something you bought was made by a factory worker who beat his wife or who uses racist language? That kind of shit must keep you awake at night.

No more than the straw man you've constructed to assuage your own guilt, it seems.

[Ian 86]

 

What is your opinion on Steve Austin beating his wife, Linus, out of interest?

It's a tough one, and I think that it happened while I was away from wrestling makes it slightly easier to ignore. But I would be uneasy giving money directly to him, yes. Indirectly, I suppose some of my WWE Network money goes his way. Was he contrite about it? I must admit I don't really know much about it.

 

I have a tough time going to RevPro shows with AJ Styles on them because of his views on homosexuality but he seems to have at least learned to keep them more private than he used to.

 

And I'm absolutely planning to go to Southside in Bedford next month but will cancel those plans if they continue to book Bram before his trial.

 

It's never easy trying to stay on the right side.

 

 

so AJ is ok because he's learned to keep his views more private? How long ago was the Hogan thing actually said, it wasn't recent was it?

 

On Bram - does 'innocent until proven guilty' not apply if you're trying to 'stay on the right side'?

 

I'm playing devils advocate here - obviously not condoning any of them.  

[herbie747]

 

It's never easy trying to stay on the right side.

 

So it would appear. Does your crusade begin and end with wrestling, or do you apply it to other aspects of your life? For example, do you buy a mobile phone before thoroughly checking out the ethics of the provider and handset maker? Do you buy clothes before checking to see if they've been made in a completely ethical manner? 

 

 

 

Yes, I do all this. I hand-sew my own clothes from the wool from my own sheep. My PC is made of wood that came from the tree in my back garden. 

[Doctor Whos Next]

 

What is your opinion on Steve Austin beating his wife, Linus, out of interest?

It's a tough one, and I think that it happened while I was away from wrestling makes it slightly easier to ignore. But I would be uneasy giving money directly to him, yes. Indirectly, I suppose some of my WWE Network money goes his way. Was he contrite about it? I must admit I don't really know much about it.

.

 

 

I imagine royalties from the network still go to Hogan too.  

 

I guess what puts me off is that if Hogan hadn't been exposed two months ago, he wouldn't be going on this tour.  He'd still be doing corporate stuff for the WWE and making the occasional appearance.   But instead of taking the time away from the spotlight, he's straight back in there essentially saying "Yeah, I shouldn't have said it, but I didn't mean it, we used to say it all the time when I was a lad, oh look at these pics of me and my black mates"  

 

On the other hand in 2002 Austin wasn't turning and round and saying "I shouldn't have done it, but I didn't mean it husbands used to beat their wives all the time when I was a kid, oh look at all of these pictures of me and women I'm not beating up... by the way, come along to my tour next month"      .  

[tiger_rick]

I enjoy seeing Linus getting a kick-in so carry on. Ha!

But in his defence, there is a big difference between knowingly paying money directly to see a man who was very recently outed as being racist and hasn't shown much contrition than to all the other things. I'm sure indirectly we all pay into the wages of all sorts of cunts (though I'd be most horrified if I'm paying any of David's) but this is clearly very different. Unless you're thick as fuck of course.

[kostan]

Shocking to read the arguments of the stone throwers here.

 

I go to that event because of Hulk Hogan the wrestler. I wear a Hulkamania shirt because of Hulk Hogan the wrestler. For the rest I don't condone shit.

 

Stop overreacting. He is a wrestling legend. Like I said everyone does and says things they should not. That also goes for the people who are now on a high horse trying to crucify Hogan.

[WyattSheepMask]

Shocking to read the arguments of the stone throwers here.

 

I go to that event because of Hulk Hogan the wrestler. I wear a Hulkamania shirt because of Hulk Hogan the wrestler. For the rest I don't condone shit.

 

Stop overreacting. He is a wrestling legend. Like I said everyone does and says things they should not. That also goes for the people who are now on a high horse trying to crucify Hogan.

So, hypothetically, if it came out tomorrow that Hogan was a homophobe, a racist, a nonce and a murderer*...you would be ok with giving him money because his past achievements as a wrestling legend? And you would knowingly wear his merchandise in a public setting?

 

* in the event of Hogan being outed as such, this characterisation is purely coincidental

[IANdrewDiceClay]

I dont think that's what he came close to saying to be fair.

[WWFChilli]

Wrestling is a club for shitbags and mentalists. Well established that a lot of them are aloof and absolutely barmy. Hogan is a prime example. I've moved on from the Hogan thing, but fucking hell I wouldn't go to this tour because 1) I'm not spending that much to meet them and 2) Hogan talks Shite, I have zero interest in him doing a candid 'the lads' night. You might as well read Walter Mitty. 'Yeah brother, I played bass in Metallica'.

[tiger_rick]

Is there anyone in the world for whom trying to defend them by distinquishing between the person and character is less applicable than Hulk Hogan?

 

Edit: Now Warrior's dead, obvs.

[Chest Rockwell]

I think Doctor Who's Next has hit it on the head why this tour is in particular bad taste; it's like Hogan is using the publicity of him being a 'contrite former racist' to make more money, which in turn makes his hollow non-apology resonate even more.

 

Not that I would expect any more from him.

 

In response to your response to me David, yes I do think it would have made a difference if he hadn't been a complete shit about his pathetic excuse for an apology. It would have made a difference to how I feel about him, so I can only assume it would be similar for at least some other fans.

[WWFChilli]

Arthur Mullard... or Morrissey.

[kostan]

It's no use to create what if scenario's. Reality is that he has said some dumb things. I'd even be surprised if he IS a racist. He has such a high profile past during which he has also made a lot of enemies, through the years I'm sure those people would have made his racist ways public.

 

But this hasn't happened, so....

 

Keeping this in mind... yes I am proud to wear his merchandise and I am looking forward to his UK appearance.

[WWFChilli]

When I thought of Hogan back in the day (few months back), I saw a crazy old carny, who admittedly lived a pretty eventful and interesting life, even if he probably did some mental stuff in the day and was proven (Arsenio) to be a bit of a shit who couldn't lie to save his life, but it's Hogan for gods sake.

 

Now I think of Hogan like he's Mike Sampson in the Linton Travel Tavern.