Jinder Mahal just unlocked a potent way to be a heel in 2017.
Last week, Mahal cut a sophomoric yet, condescending promo on Shinsuke Nakamura and American culture. He continued that tonight but pushed the envelope. The WWE Champion made multiple derogatory references to Japanese and Asian stereotypes. Mahal joked about Nakamura’s Japanese accent, his dog and dolphin diet, and his nickname “Mr. Miyagi.”
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The contentious promo had the Oakland crowd in a frenzy. Mahal got booed, Na-ka-mu-ra chants were ignited, and for the first time ever a “That’s too far” chorus rang out amongst a WWE audience.
There is no question that Mahal said some highly ignorant things tonight.
But that, wrestling fans, was the point.
#WWE Champion @JinderMahal and The @SinghBrosWWE are continuing to have fun at the expense of @ShinsukeN… #SDLive pic.twitter.com/KpoLKINNtY
— WWE (@WWE) September 20, 2017
Disparaging another’s culture has evolved into a social taboo. This is a healthy sign for the society that we no longer will tolerate bigots. It’s become so ingrained in our culture (to shun stupidity) that WWE is spoofing it. One of the most significant heel maneuvers a human can make in 2017 is to say something nasty about a race or gender. WWE is all too aware of this and sent their best heel on SmackDown out to mimic an actual, real-life heel. And it worked perfectly.
One of the most important elements of a wrestling promotion is a strong heel. with a tyrant on top, fans will be begging for a good guy to come and slay the dragon. This is how stars are made. Right now, Mahal has more heat on him than ever. And because of this, Nakamura has the most goodwill behind him since arriving in WWE. This is booking on the absolute fundamentals of professional wrestling.
We must remember, WWE is a production. While the actors may look like NFL linebackers, they are actually closer to being Broadway cast members. Since they are playing a role, the same level of social decency should not be expected of them as your neighbor or co-worker. Mahal is playing a bad guy. And he’s doing it well.
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