Why I Think the Criticism of WWE's Deal with Saudi Arabia Falls Short
Posted: Jun 7th, '19, 16:32
Let me say right off the bat that the treatment of women, LGBT people, and others in Saudi Arabia is reprehensible. I don’t think that point is even up for debate. And if you think there is absolutely no circumstance under which WWE should be doing business with these people, that’s fine. But I believe this deal has gotten out-sized attention due to the kayfabe attention being paid to these shows and the terms of the deal, and I think people are looking at that element of it all backwards.
First, though, if you believe that WWE should not be doing business with the Saudis at all, let me ask you about other places no one seemed to object to WWE doing business. Ireland did not allow same-sex marriage until this decade, but no one complained about WWE going there. Japan still doesn’t, as well as won’t allow same-sex couples to adopt, but no one has made a fuss about WWE going there. Or how about US states with anti-LGBT bathroom bills? No one seems to be upset about WWE going there.
People have said that the problem with the Saudi shows is that WWE is being used as a propaganda tool in exchange for money. They really haven’t done that since the first one, but if you still think it’s an issue then I would direct your attention to the opening segment of this week’s episode of Smackdown, in which WWE just showed us a video of Ghana where Kofi Kingston was visiting and interacting with national leaders and being a hero and having a grand old time. It made Ghana look like a very nice place. If any of the men we saw in that video were to come out as gay, they could face jail time. Is jail time (or even simply not having recognition like in some of the other places I mentioned) better than execution, like they would face in Saudi Arabia? Absolutely. But just because Jim Crow laws aren’t slavery doesn’t mean they’re not reprehensible.
So it seems to be that the things that really outrage people about this Saudi deal is the fact that WWE wouldn’t be going there if they weren’t being paid a ridiculous about of money, and the aforementioned propaganda claim. As for the money I’ll ask you to consider the following: In all of those other places I mentioned, the government makes money off of WWE coming in through things like sales tax on merch and concessions, and work-visa fees and whatever business taxes are levied on WWE for coming in. But these WWE shows are sold shows, so the government isn’t making money on those things
As for the propaganda, WWE’s defense has been that rather than being propaganda tools of the Saudi’s, they are actually going to help the Saudis change. Two days ago I’d have said their claim was total BS, but WWE for Super Showdown WWE was confident enough that they were going to get their women’s match on the show that they flew Nattie and Alexa to Saudi Arabia. And while that match didn’t make it onto the show, I did just finish watching an arena full of Saudi’s cheer for a dude named “Goldberg.” On the one hand I find this to be cause for optimism, although I still greatly doubt that such things will lead to the revolutionary democratization of Saudi Arabia that WWE claims to be believe that they are bringing.
While I believe WWE’s claim that they are going to bring cultural change to Saudi Arabia to be naïve optimism at best and (far more likely) nothing more than a PR deflection line at worst, I think there is another side of that coin which the critics ignore, and that is that WWE doesn’t have any actual influence here in the West, either. The Saudis believe themselves to have brought a propaganda tool, but they bought one that is completely ineffective. I mean... who the f*ck is taking their moral cues from WWE?
As I mentioned above, these are sold shows. The Saudi government might make some money from it, but what they’re making on ticket sales and any sales tax there might be on merch or concessions absolutely pales in comparison to the amount of money they’re paying WWE merely to put these shows on. What the Saudis hope to get out of this is a positive perception. They want to use WWE as a propaganda machine to tell everyone how wonderful Saudi Arabia is. But since the first show, WWE hasn’t done that. As many have pointed out, they have barely mentioned the city and almost never mentioned the host country. While WWE’s reasons for doing this might be a completely selfish desire to avoid criticism, the effect of it is that it even further minimizes the positive recognition that the Saudis hope to gain.
At this point the Saudis appear to be paying $10 million and getting absolutely nothing in exchange. And while there are many places I would rather see that money go than WWE’s coffers, I’m content to know that WWE making this deal with the Saudis means that that is $10 million that won’t be going to a “justice” system that arrests, tries, imprisons, and executes people for being LGBT, or for daring to not follow the state religion, or for insisting that women not be treated like second-class citizens, or to an education system that indoctrinates children with the belief that these things are okay. And if the two results of a show like this are that money being diverted from those purposes and that millions of WWE fans all around the world will get to see an arena full of people who live in a different part of the world and probably speak a different language or have a different religion than them but despite this enjoy WWE just like them, I think that’s a net positive.
First, though, if you believe that WWE should not be doing business with the Saudis at all, let me ask you about other places no one seemed to object to WWE doing business. Ireland did not allow same-sex marriage until this decade, but no one complained about WWE going there. Japan still doesn’t, as well as won’t allow same-sex couples to adopt, but no one has made a fuss about WWE going there. Or how about US states with anti-LGBT bathroom bills? No one seems to be upset about WWE going there.
People have said that the problem with the Saudi shows is that WWE is being used as a propaganda tool in exchange for money. They really haven’t done that since the first one, but if you still think it’s an issue then I would direct your attention to the opening segment of this week’s episode of Smackdown, in which WWE just showed us a video of Ghana where Kofi Kingston was visiting and interacting with national leaders and being a hero and having a grand old time. It made Ghana look like a very nice place. If any of the men we saw in that video were to come out as gay, they could face jail time. Is jail time (or even simply not having recognition like in some of the other places I mentioned) better than execution, like they would face in Saudi Arabia? Absolutely. But just because Jim Crow laws aren’t slavery doesn’t mean they’re not reprehensible.
So it seems to be that the things that really outrage people about this Saudi deal is the fact that WWE wouldn’t be going there if they weren’t being paid a ridiculous about of money, and the aforementioned propaganda claim. As for the money I’ll ask you to consider the following: In all of those other places I mentioned, the government makes money off of WWE coming in through things like sales tax on merch and concessions, and work-visa fees and whatever business taxes are levied on WWE for coming in. But these WWE shows are sold shows, so the government isn’t making money on those things
As for the propaganda, WWE’s defense has been that rather than being propaganda tools of the Saudi’s, they are actually going to help the Saudis change. Two days ago I’d have said their claim was total BS, but WWE for Super Showdown WWE was confident enough that they were going to get their women’s match on the show that they flew Nattie and Alexa to Saudi Arabia. And while that match didn’t make it onto the show, I did just finish watching an arena full of Saudi’s cheer for a dude named “Goldberg.” On the one hand I find this to be cause for optimism, although I still greatly doubt that such things will lead to the revolutionary democratization of Saudi Arabia that WWE claims to be believe that they are bringing.
While I believe WWE’s claim that they are going to bring cultural change to Saudi Arabia to be naïve optimism at best and (far more likely) nothing more than a PR deflection line at worst, I think there is another side of that coin which the critics ignore, and that is that WWE doesn’t have any actual influence here in the West, either. The Saudis believe themselves to have brought a propaganda tool, but they bought one that is completely ineffective. I mean... who the f*ck is taking their moral cues from WWE?
As I mentioned above, these are sold shows. The Saudi government might make some money from it, but what they’re making on ticket sales and any sales tax there might be on merch or concessions absolutely pales in comparison to the amount of money they’re paying WWE merely to put these shows on. What the Saudis hope to get out of this is a positive perception. They want to use WWE as a propaganda machine to tell everyone how wonderful Saudi Arabia is. But since the first show, WWE hasn’t done that. As many have pointed out, they have barely mentioned the city and almost never mentioned the host country. While WWE’s reasons for doing this might be a completely selfish desire to avoid criticism, the effect of it is that it even further minimizes the positive recognition that the Saudis hope to gain.
At this point the Saudis appear to be paying $10 million and getting absolutely nothing in exchange. And while there are many places I would rather see that money go than WWE’s coffers, I’m content to know that WWE making this deal with the Saudis means that that is $10 million that won’t be going to a “justice” system that arrests, tries, imprisons, and executes people for being LGBT, or for daring to not follow the state religion, or for insisting that women not be treated like second-class citizens, or to an education system that indoctrinates children with the belief that these things are okay. And if the two results of a show like this are that money being diverted from those purposes and that millions of WWE fans all around the world will get to see an arena full of people who live in a different part of the world and probably speak a different language or have a different religion than them but despite this enjoy WWE just like them, I think that’s a net positive.