Credit: WWE.com
I grew up watching Star Trek: The Next Generation. It's sad that there is no new Star Trek series on free television for the current generation. Watching Star Trek was a way to shape critical thought, but never too on the nose. The messages were such that you could completely miss the subtext. Yes, you are on the right website if you are here for wrestling takes. The recent controversy over the women wrestlers not being allowed to perform at the Greatest Royal Rumble, then over an apology being issued by Saudi Arabian officials... has reminded me of so many episodes of Star Trek. I think people would benefit from understanding the Prime Directive.
The rise of seemingly everyone having internet, social media, blogs and whatnot, has also given rise to an aggressive political correctness. When I say it's aggressive, I mean the backlash that can come from expressing an unpopular opinion is astonishing. The amount of people who will rise to defend an unpopular opinion is astounding. The last week or so of Twitter has been dominated by one Kanye West expressing support for Donald Trump. I am not here to talk about that, but rather use it as another example of what my actual point is: people not just believing what they want to believe and leaving other folks be. I don't care if you're a Democrat, or if you think Black Lives Matter or any of that. You can still be a trash human being. I try to be the change I want to see in the world and use my twitter not to discuss how much I disagree with others stances but to share my love of watching wrestling and competitive Splatoon.
Until this moment, I have been silent on what I think about women not being allowed to perform in Saudi Arabia. Largely because it doesn't matter what I think. Growing up watching Star Trek gave me an appreciation for how Starfleet tried to largely stay out of the affairs of other cultures. Unlike the governments of our world, they were not rigging elections in other countries, installing dictatorships in other countries and creating democracies in places that may not have ever asked for input. People have been online arguing that WWE should turn down between one and two HUNDRED million dollars of revenue because they also tout this "Women's Revolution". Marks. It's a WORK. YOU might have just started respecting women's wrestling. YOU might have just started to think that women's matches are no longer the bathroom break segment. EYE have LONG been a fan of the women, long before it was cool. I appreciated seeing Chyna win the Intercontinental championship. I marked out for Sable powerbombing Marc Mero. Jacqueline used to powerbomb fools outside the ring when she was with Harlem Heat in WCW. Naomi has been one of the most athletic people on the WWE roster for YEARS. Nikki Bella improved in the ring immensely. I remember being impressed with the growth of Kelly Kelly in her day. You might disagree with some of those names. And that's where I might argue you are a part of the problem. Prime Directive, though.
People always talk about how much progress we have made as a society, as a culture. I say we have still not learned to disagree agreeably. I personally think that women not being allowed to perform is backwards. I grew up in a place where women have been voting, getting degrees, working and owning land for decades. To someone who has not seen such things, it would seem unthinkable. The Prime Directive would help you understand that. You would understand that the real limiter is not one culture doing things you consider backwards, it's you not understanding that it's not about you and what you believe in. I don't understand people who watch Roman Reigns matches and think he's a bad wrestler, but they watch Jinder Mahal and see a main eventer... but these people exist. I let them cook, because obduracy and obstinacy abound. To people who hate Roman Reigns, my writing is probably unpalatable. I salute all who tolerate that I am literally going to find a way to bring him up in EVERYTHING I write about wrestling. You are the future.
The future I hope for, is one where no one says "the first black to..." because black people doing things is not considered some kind of uncommon occurrence. I want to live in a world where black men are not killing trans women. Roman Reigns not being allowed to beat Brock Lesnar has opened my mind to the possibility, what if it's not The Guy... but it's The Gal? What if Charlotte Flair, Ronda Rousey and Asuka are pushed and promoted as the biggest acts in the promotion? What if next year the main event of Mania is Flair v Rousey? Will it offend me if, after that, they're all left off the card at next year's Greatest Royal Rumble? NOPE. Because Prime Directive. I cannot judge other people... is a complete sentence in and of itself. To complete that thought: I cannot judge other people for not having the same values as me. I encourage you to think this way too if you don't already. If you don't, still no judgement.