When The Dark Knight was released in England, the national newspapers printed angry letters from many people who had gone to see the film. None of these letters were debating the merits of the film itself, in fact the majority acknowledged that the latest Batman movie as being one of the greatest theatrical releases of recent years. The controversy occurred due to the British Board of Film Classification's decision to deem The Dark Knight suitable for those aged 12 and over. Although the violence in the film is not explicit, the character of The Joker is a psychotic killer who threatens people with knives, something that hits a little too close to home in a country dealing with its own knife problem. So while The Dark Knight may have ticked all the boxes for being suitable for 12 year olds, common sense dictates that this is not the case.
The WWE made a similar error of judgement at Summerslam on Sunday by presenting Edge vs. The Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match. Like The Dark Knight, the artistic qualities of the Hell in a Cell match are not up for debate; it was one of the best WWE matches of the year. The problem is that the WWE announced in July that they would be making their programming family-friendly, and the Hell in a Cell was anything but. The match featured chair-shots, wrestlers hitting each other with television cameras, wrestlers being put through tables and a post-match choke-slam that sent Edge through the ring, shooting up flames. The absence of blood, which has been a staple part of previous Hell in a Cell encounters, did not make this match any more suitable for a young audience.
A major problem with the WWE of late is that it has such a confused identity. From the eighties onwards, the WWE presented a distinctive product; there was Hulkamania era, the New Generation and the Attitude Era. Today's programming is a miss-mash of traditions established during the Attitude era, nostalgia and overly-scripted promos. The WWE may have crossed the line several times when it last considered itself family-friendly entertainment in the early-'90s, such as the Ultimate Warrior being buried alive during his program with Jake Roberts, but these transgressions were usually the exception to the rule. However, the remnants of the Attitude era, such as scantily-clad Divas promoted as featuring on WWE.com on Monday night, are the basis of today's WWE programming. It remains to be seen whether the WWE writers have the ability to produce weekly television without resorting to excessive violence, toilet humour or sexual content.
In reality, truly family-friendly programming means no more Hell in a Cell, and the WWE will have to show the discipline to cull the amount of violent gimmick matches that take place regularly on WWE PPV. This raises the question of whether the WWE's current audience will stick with the product if they are no longer treated to the same kind of violent blow-off matches that they have become accustomed to since the advent of the Attitude era.
There are indications that the new family-friendly policy will not mean that the WWE will feature storylines that are solely aimed at a younger audience. Although based upon two violent angles, the likes of which are unlikely to be repeated under the new policy, the Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho feud is an example of the WWE producing quality television without resorting to vulgarity. The promo work of the two wrestlers has been exemplary throughout the feud, but has also been suitable for audiences of all ages. If the change means more feuds based around conflict, rather than silly skits, then it has the potential to have a positive impact.
The question that needs to be asked internally in the WWE is whether they are fully prepared to work within the constraints that promoting family friendly programming places them under. The evidence from last Sunday night suggests not. Eliminating extreme violence, Diva bikini contests and other adult themes will not improve WWE programming any more than censoring the more disturbing aspects of Heath Ledger's Joker would have improved The Dark Knight. However, if the WWE are truly committed to promoting its product to a younger market, it is a step that they have to take.
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