As you all know by now, WWE head trainer Bill DeMott “resigned” yesterday amid allegations of abusive, homophobic, and sexist behavior. I won’t go into the specifics, as we’ve covered the situation at great length here already.
What I would like to discuss, however, is the WWE’s culture of hypocrisy. For years now, the company has been affiliated with the Be A STAR campaign – an organization whose goal is to “ensure a positive and equitable social environment for everyone regardless of age, race, religion, or sexual orientation.”
Allegations have been levied against DeMott for years, with superstars apparently being fired for speaking out against the former trainer. It wasn’t until the story went viral this past week that the company took action though. In short, the company did not give a damn about DeMott’s actions; they simply wanted to avoid bad publicity.
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To think that DeMott (I’d call him a has-been, but that would imply he was ever something to begin with) held unilateral power and ruled with an iron fist in the WWE is absolutely ludicrous. The higher-ups, including people like Vince McMahon, Triple H, and Stephanie McMahon, were likely well aware of these accusations for years, but they simply did not care because they have fostered an abusive and hypocritical work environment.
The situation bears striking resemblance to the Penn State sex abuse scandal a few years back. Although Jerry Sandusky was the one who was guilty of molesting children, the school’s president, athletic director, and even Joe Paterno himself turned a blind eye to the situation in order to avoid bad publicity, instead allowing it to continue with hopes that the victims would not go public with the allegations.
That is not to say or insinuate that DeMott molested children, but he is like Sandusky in that he is the face of the problem, but he does not encompass the problem itself. Instead, it is those who wield actual power within the company who need to be held accountable. Simply letting someone go – likely with a “golden parachute” severance package – does not excuse the bogus investigation and the cover-up that occurred in the first place.
A few things are clear following this situation: 1. The WWE knew of the allegations for years and chose to do absolutely nothing (sorry, there was an unfruitful “investigation”), 2. Anyone who spoke out against DeMott was essentially submitting their resignation letter, and 3. Bill DeMott would still have a job today had major media outlets not picked up this story.
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And finally, to anyone who has defended DeMott’s actions by saying something to the effect of, “This generation is too soft” or “Things were done differently back in his day,” all I can really say is that I’m sorry, but you’re delusional. Defending DeMott’s abusive behavior and attempting to justify it with the aforementioned excuses is akin to saying it’s still acceptable to lynch black people because your parents and grandparents did so in the 1950s. The cycle of ignorance needs to be broken somewhere, and I’m glad to see that someone finally stood up to this bully.
The campaign should not end here either. Bill DeMott walking out the door does not mean the culture he epitomizes will be accompanying him. The WWE should not be off the hook for ignoring this situation for years and conducting a phony investigation. One can only hope that more victims speak out about their experiences with the company and those who wield real power are held accountable. DeMott wrestled under the name Hugh Morrus for many years in WCW. Unfortunately, there’s nothing amusing about this situation or the WWE’s abusive, hypocritical culture.
