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The show offers a fascinating portal into WWE's worldview. Watch any episode of TNT and you can climb into the deep recesses of McMahon's McMahon's racial imaginary, perceiving difference through his eyes. We get the devious Mr. Fuji in his tuxedo and bowler hat, inviting Vince to a sake ceremony at which Fuji verbally abuses the sake girl and raves about the importance of honor in Japanese tradition; the Iron Sheik similarly welcomes Vince into the tents of his traveling caravan, complete with camel and harem of dancing white women. Any given episode was likely to include a cooking segment in which wrestlers such as Tito Santana, the Wild Samoans, or Salvatore Bellomo present their ethnic foods, always provoking disgust from Vince's dignified British co-host, Lord Alfred Hayes. The exoticism applies to both heroes and villains. Sympathetic French Canadian wrestler Rene Goulet is shown drinking wine with a beret-wearing accordian player. Chief Jay Strongbow introduces Vince to Native American war dance in the studio's parking lot; the segment is interrupted in heel style by "Captain Redneck" Dick Murdoch.In another segment, white heel Paul Orndorff calls Tony Atlas a monkey. White heels often resort to racist insults for heat, but it doesn't always read as a heel move. Much of the outward racism comes from white villains who are not simply "bad guys" but early versions of the wrestling antihero. They're bad guys who retain enough dickish charisma to court a segment of the audience (think Roddy Piper and Jesse Ventura). In his early heel days, Hogan himself resorted to race-baiting, addressing Tony Atlas as "boy" and "brown clown" and suggesting that Atlas should shine his shoes. Of course, the good guys are also bigots, and their bigotry can still be found on the WWE Network. If WWE were to purge all of its racially insensitive material, I'm not sure what we'd have left.
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