WWE will continue taping and airing live from the empty WWE Performance Center near Orlando even during the state’s month-long “shelter-in-place,” which Gov. Ron DeSantis announced April 1.
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
WWE to continue taping, airing live after Fla. governor deems pro wrestling ‘essential’
WWE will continue taping and airing live from the empty WWE Performance Center near Orlando even during the state’s month-long “shelter-in-place,” which Gov. Ron DeSantis announced April 1.
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It is so frustrating that people believe the things they like and appreciate are so important that it goes beyond the safety and priority of people who operate it. So many things that are still open shouldn't be considered an essential business. If we were in a place that really locked down on what is essential and not, this virus would be over in the 14 days it would show up. If everyone was just able to stay in their house for 14 days, it would all be prevented so much quicker. Yet, people still think they need to go out to buy games but even buying food from a restaurant is a risk! However, those are more essential than WWE and still maybe shouldn't be available for the time being. If we continue to have these half-ass restrictions it will only take longer to recover from the virus, having everyone loose more money in the end. WWE shouldn't reopen for taped videos. Wrestling is such a contact heavy event that will put all the performers at risk. A better option should be that they are to play old tapings of the thousands of WWE shows they have in archives.
Pablo Anton
I have mixed feelings about this. Like Pablo, I find it very frustrating when businesses such as hair salons and golf courses are deemed essential. I can say with confidence that salons are in no way as essential as food production, health care workers, or law enforcement. I can also say that wrestling is nowhere near essential either. As mentioned in the article, Florida passed a stay-at-home order on April 3rd. I live in Florida, and I can tell you, it's like nothing has changed at all. People are still out and about going through town. The target parking lot near my house was completely packed and has been for weeks. People simply don't seem to care about anything that is going on and that is incredibly frustrating. Now, the reason why I say I have mixed feelings about WWE continuing to record and broadcast live is that it is entertainment. It is a way that can help people feel more normal. It shows that the world hasn't completely ended. As the article says at the end WWE does bring people together in a positive way. I guess that if only those essential to the taping are permitted in the stadium and everyone remains healthy, I suppose it's pretty safe. However, I still wouldn't say that WWE is essential at all.
Personally, I think this is irresponsible and embarrassing on the WWE’s part. While I do agree that people need entertainment and should not focus solely on the negative of the coronavirus, it is a bit ridiculous that the WWE feels they are a necessity while the rest of the entertainment industry has decided to shut down for the sake of the people. It puts the wrestlers and crew members at risk. I understand that these people still need a source of income, which many are currently losing, but the lack of regard for safety is silly and not sending a good message to its audiences. To put wrestling on the same level as a grocery store or pharmacy feels a bit ridiculous. I’m glad people continue to stay optimistic, but at the same time there is a sense of responsibility that needs to be taken in scenarios like this one.
This headline is clearly designed to shock those who read it, but it is interesting to think that there are apparently some people (or at least one person, the governor of Florida) who will not be shocked by this. I think when a situation like this comes along, it can be interesting to try and understand what rationalization is occurring by people in power as they make these decisions. When examining this case, it appears that this impactful decision was made at the conclusion of a lengthy official session in which the governor of Florida finished watching every single WWE wrestling match at least twelve times and arrived at the conclusion that he was, in fact, bored and insatiable for more punching muscle men. Meanwhile, during this extremely thorough decision-making process, many Floridians flocked to the beaches in a turn of events that feels very much like a scene from the hit film, Jaws.
Alright so this is dumb. WWE is unnecessarily putting everyone involved, their families, and the medical staff that is inevitably going to be treating them at unnecessary risk for selfish reasons. I’ve never been a fan of people fake beating each other up, but this makes me angry. I’m hearing left and right about fire houses and ambulance companies having a rapid spread through them because of one silent carrier, and these people don’t have the option to stay home. If anyone from the show is hospitalized due to injury, they could potentially be taking a bed away from someone who needed it for a legitimate reason. People need to stay in their homes because it seems to be working. My coworkers and I have been interacting with COVID patients, and so far none of our ambulance crews have become sick, but we’ve been wearing gowns, goggles, gloves, and masks. I’m disappointed in how Florida is handling this.
This is.. Really frustrating. I understand the motives behind it, that businesses want to remain open and keep making money to pay their employees, but the point here should be keeping people safe, not endangering lives for the sake of money. The point about ‘people need entertainment right now’ hits me wrong in several ways - every other sport is shut down right now, pro wrestling absolutely should not be an exception, particularly due to the absolute impossibility of social distancing. And it just feels like… in the protests that are going on right now, of people trying to ‘liberate’ their states and economies, a lot of the people who are doing those protests aren’t really fighting for their own right to get back to work, but for the low-paid service people who, in their absence have disrupted their lives. It so doesn’t sit right with me that some people should be put at risk of dying to entertain other people, not even to provide necessary services, but simply for entertainment.
I remember hearing about this order from Florida governor Ron DeSantis when it first came out and the absolute only word I could think of to describe the action was “stupid”. I am absolutely incredulous that anyone would have such a disregard for human life (that of the wrestlers, the TV crew, the medics - anyone deemed “essential” to working on the production) just for the sake of “entertainment”. Wrestling is already a full-contact sport in which there is sometimes an exchange of bodily fluids (gross, but true). Right now, when most cities in the US are hitting their peak number of cases from COVID-19, is not the time to be entertaining the idea of having anyone non-essential (which, yes, applies to the entertainment industry right now) return to work. For goodness’ sake, air a rerun or find a new show to binge watch or start practicing yoga. Do something else that does not necessitate the pointless endangering of lives.
The entertainment wrestling industry truly essential to American livelihood throughout a global pandemic? Personally I would say absolutely not. If the OLYMPICS are canceled, then I don't see why WWE gets permission to continue? In my humble, personal opinion, I feel like the Olympics are a more important event then WWE wrestling is? Neither are essential by any means, but I feel like one outweighs the other? Going to the Oxford dictionary, the definition for essential is “absolutely necessary”. Is WWE wrestling absolutely necessary ? Because I feel like that implies that people won't be able to function without it, which is frankly, kind of sad. Like doctors are necessary; people are sick. Grocery store workers are necessary; people need food. Entertainment wrestling falls into the same category? This is questionable. I do understand that it is a way to keep people spirits lifted in a time of not knowing and feeling alone, but is WWE the best option to do this? I am no expert- this is just my opinion.
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