You know, Linda, I believe in the First Amendment, too. (If I can put up with Fred Phelps, I can put up with anything.) But it's a tad disingenuous to pretend that this type of WWE programming isn't specifically aimed at demeaning women for a certain appreciative segment of the viewers. That's how you made your money, after all!
And it raises what would be a much better question than the one asked by Amanpour: If you would do this because it made money, what wouldn't you do for money? Where, exactly, is that line? Because as you know, U.S. Senators have quite a lot of power and you should answer that question.
But let's not ignore the sheer entertainment value of this question, either. Our national politics have deteriorated to the point where we're asking a candidate for the U.S. Senate if an S&M theme is suitable family entertainment:
AMANPOUR: They say a vote for Linda McMahon is a slap in the face for Connecticut women. the whole issue of the women in the ring and what they call degrading and demeaning behavior towards women. I'm a woman, you're a woman --
MCMAHON: Yes
AMANPOUR: What do you really think when you see some of that go on in the ring? The girl who is told to get on all fours, I think by your own husband and bark like a dog? Are you comfortable with that?
MCMAHON: Well WWE programming has changed from being TV14 over the years, which that's the time you were talking about, it was called the Attitude Era, into now being PG, rated by the networks as PG. I'm happy with the content today.
AMANPOUR: As a senator if you could stop it would you stop that kind of depiction against women on -- on the public airwaves? Would you at least lobby or campaign against it?
MCMAHON: I do believe in the first amendment rights and content --
AMANPOUR: So, you don't think there's anything wrong with it?
MCMAHON: Well, content providers are clearly creating scenarios-- from an entertainment point of view, I think that you either elect to go to a movie or you elect to watch a program so, I'm a strong proponent for first amendment rights. At the same time, at WWE, women really are powerful women and the programming content, as I've said, has changed from TV14 to TVPG. I much prefer it today.
Here's the entire WWE clip. Tell me what you think:
