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WWE Roundtable: Examining the Saudi Arabia situation

By Joe Anthony Myrick

John Cena (C) celebrates defeating Triple H (R) during the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Greatest Royal Rumble event in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah on April 27, 2018. (Photo by STRINGER / AFP) (Photo credit should read STRINGER/AFP/Getty Images)
John Cena (C) celebrates defeating Triple H (R) during the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Greatest Royal Rumble event in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah on April 27, 2018. (Photo by STRINGER / AFP) (Photo credit should read STRINGER/AFP/Getty Images) /
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Tom: All fair questions and unfortunately all of them seem to hover in the ‘maybe’ category

Laura: [Laughs] Yeah, it would be too easy if we could answer a clear yes or no. I guess this is the problem though. Too many shades of grey and too many unknowns.

Tom: Thankfully, I don’t think answering the question is the point here per say, but it’s important to get different perspectives to get a well rounded opinion.

Laura: Oh sure, I think answers are beyond us and for fair reason.

Tom: For example, I was unaware of antisemitism in a major UK party until I started talking to a Jewish journalist who reported on actual examples I would have been aware of. Echo chambers suck.

Kevin: 1) That country [allegedly] commits more human rights violations than just against women, but their treatment of women is the main concern for sure.

5) I don’t know. If it’s about us telling them what’s right or wrong, it’s about whether or not running a damn wrestling show does anything and if it’s helpful for WWE and the US to play the “white knight” by pretending that we know how to change another country’s government/culture/whatever.

Phil: To go back to what Tom said about propaganda, there has been some progress under Mohammed Bin Salman. BUT as others like John Oliver pointed out, propaganda centered around allowing women to drive, for example, was mostly a smokescreen. Before they released that news to the public, they were still arresting women who protested for the right to drive.

Laura: Oh definitely, sorry, with 1) I mean ‘oppression’ and ‘attitude to women’ as two separate (but related) things.

Kevin: All good, Laura. I just wanted to make sure we make that clear in the piece, since I know we’re on the same page but I still always feel safe saying it. I don’t want gay people or people in Yemen to feel like we’re ignoring them. But I think you mentioned Yemen so that’s a moot point?

Tom: It’s important to remember this is for an audience, and that means keeping it broad to show we’re covering a variety of people. Thanks for the reminder, boss.

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