Last week, Sasha Banks blasted overzealous fans for their lack of public boundaries. To the Boss, these ‘stalkers’ should have better things to do that hunt her down for autographs and pictures. However, her tirade has drawn some negative attention.
In light of the swirling opinions, Jerry Lawler offered a reasonable take for Banks to consider. On a recent episode of his podcast, Dinner With the King, Lawler cracked open the subject of Banks vs. Stalkers.
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“You can’t be offended or get mad at them when you accomplished what you set out to do, and that’s be famous,” he said. “So I think Sasha Banks needs to step back and think about what Bubba Ray Dudley says, because they will be a day when nobody is waiting for an autograph, and you’ll wish you were back in the way it is now.”
“But you gotta stop and for just a minute and explain that you will try to come back later or you’re trying to eat your pizza while it’s hot,” he clarified. “You can’t just ignore them. If you take a little time and be nice to those fans, that usually works out for the best.”
“There are stalkers out there, people who can be dangerous out there,” he continued. “I’m looking at it from my own, male perspective. But Sasha is looking at it from her perspective. I understand both points of view though.”
There’s a line to be drawn between fans and wrestlers, but it’s a blurry one. It may depend on the wrestler’s tolerance for club interaction, but as Lawler mentioned, as a successful and famous entertainer, this is just an occupational hazard. But to Banks, that may not matter. During an interview with Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast, The Boss kept it real about fans and boundaries.
“You want me to talk about how much I hate being bothered at an airport or hotels? I grew up a wrestling fan so I knew I wanted to meet my favorite wrestlers but always in the back of my head I never thought in my life I’d be like ‘hey, they’re gonna fly in. Maybe I should wait at the airport for like twelve-hours at the gate Hey — they don’t need any sleep, maybe let me find the hotel they’re staying at and bother them.’”
While Banks understandably annoyed by some fans intrusive nature, is she right to be so hard on them? Former WWE Superstar, Bubba Ray Dudley, added a new perspective on Twitter.
Never worry about fans waiting at an airport at 5am asking for your autograph. Worry when they’re NOT there at 5am asking for your autograph
— Bubba Ray Dudley (@bullyray5150) September 3, 2017
Even The Miz, WWE‘s best heel, shared the same sentiment on the subject when he joined Sam Roberts.
“Whether it’s an adult asking for my autograph or a kid, whether I’m eating or doing something I don’t want to do, it’s like ‘They want my autograph,’” Miz said. “It’s kind of a privilege and an honor…They’re the people that pay my bills.”
Whose side are you on? Are fans wrong for taking questionable measures to find the Boss? Or should Banks just take it as a tiny gripe that goes along with living her dream?
