So what should I talk about. Two subjects are at the top of the list. Decisions! Decisions! Should I talk about the whole recent Duane 'Dog' Chapman scandal or should I talk about The Fabulous Moolah, who passed away just a few days ago?
Hell, I'm versatile (or so I've been told), so I'll just talk about both.
First, we'll go with Moolah. What needs to be said? She was tough as nails and a true legend and icon in a world where those words are used far too frequently. It's impossible to even think about the world of professional wrestling and women's wrestling in general without the name of Lillian Ellison, aka "The Fabulous Moolah" coming to mind.
And in a business where it was always "dog eat dog" and only the strong survive, she not only survived, but thrived and established a legacy that lasted for over fifty years. We often talk about the politics of professional wrestling and how such wrestlers as Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Jeff Jarrett, The Kliq, Triple H, etc.. have played the game to ensure their success, often at the expense of others. But compared to Moolah, all of these so-called masters of the game were just novices at best. She was truly the best there was at what she did and no one else could even come close.
She wasn't a great wrestler, but she was a great character who the fans loved to hate, and love her or hate her, you have to give her kudos and respect for what she accomplished during her long career.
When I think of Moolah, two stories come to mind.
One is the so-called "screwjob" involving Wendi Richter and the WWE Women's Championship. Richter was supposed to defend the title against the Spider Woman. Richter was the Champion, but her contract had expired and she was not exactly thrilled with the new contract that Vince McMahon and the WWF were offering her. She wanted to have her lawyers look it over first and wouldn't allow herself to be pressured into rushing into the new deal with the WWF. Vince didn't like her reluctance to "trust him" and decided to take the title off of her.
Enter Moolah, who wore a mask and pulled a shoot on the Champ. One ridiculously fast count later, Richter was the ex-champ and Moolah was back on top. Like it or not, she able to take a situation and use it to her advantage and regain that top spot. That's savy and smarts... and Moolah was certainly never lacking in either of those.
And then the other story is one that Ole Anderson relates in his book, "Inside Out - How The Corporate World Destroyed Professional Wrestling". (That title might not be 100% correct - I loaned the book out to a friend and this is from memory - but it's pretty close anyhow.)
Ole was the booker for Georgia Championship Wrestling at the time. He wanted to bring in Moolah and some of her ladies for a series of matches. Ole was a no nonsense type of wrestler and handled his booking the same way. It was his way or the highway - simple as that. Until he met Moolah. Ole talks about how he told Moolah before her match that he wanted a clean match - no nonsense. That meant no foreign objects, no clowning around, etc. He just wanted the ladies to go out there and wrestle. Moolah, of course, agreed to have a straight up match with none of her usual shenanigans.
Until she got into the ring. Once that bell rang, it was a typical Moolah match, complete with stalling, foreign objects, and all of the antics that Ole had told Moolah beforehand that he didn't want to see. After the match, Ole talks about how he confronted Moolah and began to lay into her about her antics. And this "Southern Belle" didn't bat an eye and tore into him with a cussing that would make any sailor proud. Ole went on to comment how anyone else would have been fired on the spot, but this was Moolah. What else could you do? She controlled the majority of the ladies working and if you wanted to use women wrestlers, you had to deal with her. She knew the power she had and didn't back down an inch.
That's the gist of the story anyhow and it just proves how tough Moolah really was. If she was your friend, you had a friend to the end who would be there for you. But when it came to politics and business and especially the politics and business of professional wrestling, she had few peers.
And even during the past few years, even though she was often used as a comedy act by the WWE during her cameos and appearances, she was still every inch the professional with a legacy and presence second to none.
Rest in Peace, Lillian Ellison, aka "The Fabulous Moolah"... You will be missed.
And then we move on to Duane "Dog the Bounty Hunter" Chapman.
You already know the story. Here is a transcript of the audio tape obtained by the National Enquirer of Dog the Bounty Hunter ordering his son Tucker to break up with his girlfriend who is black. Dog, who has 13 children total by 4 wives and other assorted baby mamas, doesn't feature Tucker in his popular show. Tucker was recently released from prison where he was serving 20 years on drug charges.
Duane "Dog" Chapman: I don't care if she's a Mexican, a whore or whatever. It's not because she's black, it's because we use the word ni**er sometimes here. I'm not gonna take a chance ever in life of losing everything I've worked for for 30 years because some fucking ni**er heard us say ni**er and turned us in to the Enquirer magazine. Our career is over! I'm not taking that chance at all! Never in life! Never! Never! If Lyssa [Dog's daughter] was dating a ni**er, we would all say 'fuck you!' And you know that. If Lyssa brought a black guy home ya da da... it's not that they're black, it's none of that. It's that we use the word ni**er. We don't mean you fucking scum ni**er without a soul. We don't mean that shit. But America would think we mean that. And we're not taking a chance on losing everything we got over a racial slur because our son goes with a girl like that. I can't do that Tucker. You can't expect Gary, Bonnie, Cecily, all them young kids to [garbled] because 'I'm in love for 7 months' - fuck that! So, I'll help you get another job but you can not work here unless you break up with her and she's out of your life. I can't handle that shit. I got 'em in the parking lot trying to record us. I got that girl saying she's gonna wear a recorder...Tucker Chapman: I don't even know what to say.
It sounds pretty bad, doesn't it? These words, used in a private phone conversation by the way, ended up costing Duane Chapman his reputation and his show, as A&E has pulled the plug and cancelled their hit show, "Dog the Bounty Hunter".
But I've read the statements over and over and I don't think that Chapman is racist. I've watched his show on occasion and far from being racist, he comes across as one of the more realistic folks on reality tv, if there is truly such a thing. I think he's got some redneck in him and if you want to stick a label in there, "white trash" might apply. But not racist. Not particularly smart in his choice of words either for that matter.
But I look at what he's saying. And I think to some of the language that I admittingly use at times. Very few people I know can honestly say that, when in their circle of friends or family, they haven't used a racial slur at one time or another. I cuss like a sailor - it's true.
And although my words of choice are general assclown, dumb-ass, stupid-ass, or some other "ass" term, I have been caught up in the heat of the moment before and used the dreaded "N" word. But I don't consider it a racial thing - I used to refer to a lowlife, skummy person who I don't feel, at the moment, is worth the air it takes to keep him or her alive. It doesn't matter to me if they're black, white, indian, Mexican, or any other race... to me, a "ni**er" is a person who thinks the world owes them everyhing and has no respect for themselves or others and is a walking poster child in support of abortion - it's the lowest step on the ladder of life. It's not a race thing - it's a way of life.
Chapman, to me, seems to come across as the same way. He uses the "n-word" and shouldn't - that's true. But it's not about race. He says that himself. He doesn't like his son's girlfriend and wants him to dump her. Chapman was emotional and caught up in the heat of the moment as he argued with his son, and although he could have picked his words better, it's not about race. It's about what he feels that the girlfriend could (and evidently did) end up costing him and his family.
I have two observations here.
First off, it seems that Champan was right to be wary of his son and his girlfriend. He had what he thought was a private conversation on the phone with his son, and what happens? His son records the conversation, sells it to the National Enquirer for (reportedly) $15,000 - and just what Dog feared most actually happens - the career is over and the show is finished.
And secondly, I've heard so many people jump all over this and criticize Dog for his language.. in what he thought was a private phone conversation with his son. That doesn't excuse what he said, but what's the old saying about let he who is without sin cast the first stone...
Everyone has, in private moments, in fits of anger, in jokes with their friends, etc. said things that they shouldn't. It might be the n-word, it might be talking about someone's fat ass, it might be the racial joke or gay joke, etc. We've all done it. I know I have. My language, at times, would make Dog's rant look like Mr. Rogers taking a stroll through the neighborhood of make-believe. (Twenty two years of providing customer service - believe me, it's justified!)
My point is, if any of us had our private moments and conversations recorded and broadcast to the world, as has happened with Dog, would we fare very well or would we be raked over the coals? For the vast majority of us, it'd probably be time to prepare to be blasted.
Do our thoughts and language mean that we're all racists? Nah, it just means we're human. Way too human.
That doesn't excuse the language that Chapman used. He could have chosen his words much better. But does he deserve to lose everything he's worked thirty years for because of a moment of stupidity? Even if he is a racist (and I don't think skin color is the issue here - it's the person and his dislike for her - not for her skin tone), the good that Dog has done for his community is pretty excessive. He's done a lot to help his local community and the world at large. Should all of that be dismissed because of a moment of rage and a filthy mouth? That's something to think about.
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