Post by Dan Sullivan on Mar 15, 2008 19:00:51 GMT -5
I just got done reading this as it's written by somebody with the code name "aisce" in the Lords of Pain website. I think this is a pretty cool way of remembering it & a example of how the WWE ruined Kane.
Even the most ardent fan of the WWE would find it hard to deny that their favourite federation is scarcely on nodding terms with the concept of 'good taste'. Those few occasions on which Vince's promotion has garnered plaudits for their handling of a delicate or tragic situation (as in the immediate aftermath of the deaths of Owen Hart and Eddie Guerrero, for example) are also capable of a more cynical interpretation: tribute shows for beloved fan-favourites are good for the ratings, and a modicum of discomfort often results from the unseemly haste with which such shows are scheduled. Of course, this practice horribly backfired in the case of the Chris Benoit memorial show. A perceived need for a rapidly produced hagiography, compiled before all the facts were known, had regrettable consequences with many things said which, with hindsight, would have been better left unuttered.
Despite a rich field from which to pick a winner, from Mark Henry's dalliance with a transsexual to the revelation that Hornswoggle is Vince McMahon's bastard son, one storyline remains a constant whenever opinions are sought as to which has been the 'worst' and 'most tasteless' angle in WWE history: the Katie Vick story. It is almost a truism amongst wrestling fans that this represents the absolute nadir of WWE booking. Like all accepted wisdom, however, that assumption requires periodic re-appraisal: is the story of Katie Vick truly the most tasteless produced by the WWE, and was it really such an irredeemably terrible notion from the start? In order to answer those questions, it is necessary to establish a context and to consider the angle afresh.
The common perception about the Katie Vick storyline, that it was primarily concerned with necrophilia, is a somewhat false one. Certainly, that may have been the most memorable aspect of the unfolding tale, but its function within the feud is commonly misrepresented. The whole story began at the conclusion of an episode of RAW in October 2002, when HHH came on to the entrance ramp to address the in-ring figure of Kane:
Kane, I promised you that before this night was over your life would never be the same. You said this is the happiest you have ever been in your life, huh? Well, unfortunately, some people can't always be that happy. Let me ask you a question, Kane: how happy is Katie Vick? Yeah, that's right, I know, Kane. I know it all. Ten years ago, you killed her. That's right, Kane: you are a murderer.
The show ends in dramatic style, with a close-up on a Kane whose eyes, behind the mask, are wide with shock and anguish.
Of course, from the moment of its inception, the audience knows that, as the angle unfolds, credibility will become somewhat strained and that a good deal of suspension of disbelief will be required in order to accept the exotic nature of the storyline. However, this is hardly anything that the audience are not used to when it comes to the Kane character: the twisted schlock narrative of his past includes
arson, parricide, illegitimacy, and disfigurement, all of which have contributed to his status as one of the most developed, and enduringly popular, of all wrestling gimmicks. To add another killing to his back-story was merely to continue to build the character in a way which the audience appreciated.
One thing that has never been associated with the Kane is lengthy speech-making. When Kane departed from his customary taciturnity on the following week's edition of RAW, in order to respond to HHH's accusation, it could perhaps be taken as a measure of the extent of his uncharacteristic anxiety, and of the depth of the wounds which had been opened. When Kane spoke, it was to tell his side of the story: that Katie was an old friend of his; he had given her a ride after a party and had crashed the car on a wet road whilst swerving to avoid an animal. Tragically, the accident resulted in her death, for which Kane wished to apologise to the girl's parents. This heartfelt act of contrition was then cut short by the appearance of HHH, in characteristically boorish and antagonistic fashion. He announced that Kane was not telling the whole truth: that he had omitted to mention his unrequited love for the dead girl, and the fact that he too had been drinking on the night in question. More shocking, however, was the revelation that the autopsy on Ms Vick had revealed traces of Kane's semen, which lead to the question: did Kane rape her before her death, or did he perform a sex act with her corpse?
It is at this point that the audience begins to turn against the proceedings, and chants of 'asshole' break out whilst HHH is speaking. The particular way in which the crowd chose to voice their disapproval is significant. It seems as though their ire was directed, not at the actual content of the storyline, but at the figure of HHH himself. It is worth remembering that this was not the HHH who is, on balance, more deservedly appreciated than derided today. This was the HHH of 2002 who aroused the hatred of marks (because he was a heel) and smarks(because of perceived notions of backstage politicking and spotlight-hogging) alike. This was also the point at which a promising angle turned into a bizarre and farcical amalgam of low comedy, inept parody, and unrecoverable plotting.
Before considering how the storyline disintegrated, it is worth addressing the issue of whether or not the basic premise merits the epithet 'most tasteless'. Certainly, the demise of a young woman and non-consensual sex (whether before or after death) are disquieting subjects, yet, as has been noted, they are consistent with, and appropriate to, the pre-existing narrative of Kane's history. It should also be noted that unsavoury and questionable angles had proliferated in the years previous and subsequent to this: Diamond Dallas Page featured in the role of a crazed stalker; Mae Young gave birth, notoriously, to a hand, Billy and Chuck were very nearly homosexual together, and Mae Young (again), much to Eric Bischoff's chagrin, provided the 'pie' in a pie-eating contest. Furthermore, consideration should be given to the fact that the Katie Vick story was a fictional construct: no actual persons, living or dead, were harmed during its making. When citing this as the 'most tasteless' thing the WWE have ever done, it is worth bearing in mind that they did not shy away from exploiting a real tragedy in several storylines which followed in the wake of Eddie Guerrero's death.
It was not so much the actual content of the storyline, but its execution, and the personnel involved at which the audience baulked. This is entirely understandable in the light of how the story progressed. What could have been a grim addition to the Kane legend was sacrificed for the sake of a grotesque college-boy prank. The original accusation (that Kane had had sex with Vick around the time of her death) was forgotten in favour of an absurd and would-be humorous parody, as HHH announced that he had recorded evidence with which 'to show the world what kind of a man Kane is'.
A video is then shown which appears to be footage from a funeral home's security camera. HHH, poorly disguised as Kane, then appears in the doorway (security cameras apparently having the ability to pan and scan). 'Hello?' he asks, before adding 'it's me, Kane'. Such an announcement may seem superfluous, but, considering the level of HHH's disguise (a mask, and a t-shirt with 'Big Red Freak'n Machine' written on it), it was probably necessary. He then approaches what is quite obviously a mannequin, dressed in a cheerleader's outfit. HHH-Kane then declares his love for 'Katie', all the while appearing to become more and more aroused. He removes her panties and sniffs them ('I love the smell of formaldehyde in the morning'), before stripping to his underwear and climbing into the coffin. The 'security camera' somehow mercifully averts its gaze, and spares the viewer the ensuing sequence, only returning to the scene to catch HHH-Kane saying 'I hope that was as good for you as it was for me'.
It should be clear by now than any serious intention to portray Kane as a 'sick freak' (as HHH claimed prior to showing the video) had been jettisoned in favour of some ill-conceived schoolboy humour. If any doubts lingered, they would surely have been dispelled by the fact that, in the aftermath of the video, HHH was shown barely able to conceal his own amusement at what had just been witnessed. The focus of the angle had now shifted entirely from Kane to HHH himself, but unfortunately, this was not welcomed by the audience, and neither did they share in the joke. The worst, however was yet to come.
On the next edition of RAW, HHH brings the mannequin into the ring as his 'special guest'. Perching it on his lap like a ventriloquist's dummy, he proceeds to make a number of jokes at Kane's expense (such as how his 'wiener' is apparently 'burnt'). By this point, the audience disapproval is impossible to ignore, and yet the nature of it is completely misunderstood by HHH. He wrongly assumes that the audience (the same audience who lapped up the profanity of the Attitude Era) somehow objects to the poor taste of the segment and states his defiance, saying that he doesn't give a damn if they are offended, and that they can all 'kiss my ass'. Blinded by his own arrogance, he does not perceive that it is he who is the object of their censure.
It does seem, however, as if WWE management did take note of this poor reception. The Katie Vick story barely merited a mention in future editions of RAW, and the immediate pay-off was, of all things, a tag-team match between HHH and Jericho and the unlikely pairing of Kane and Booker T (who had arisen out of nowhere to challenge Hunter). Indeed, the contest itself featured very little interaction between Kane and HHH, and it was Booker who eventually got the pin. It seems that the WWE was only too ready to drop the storyline feud and move on to other angles and match-ups. Although HHH and Kane did meet in a World Heavyweight versus Intercontinental title showdown at the No Mercy PPV (which Kane lost, naturally), practically all mention of Katie Vick had ceased by this point. The WWE had backed themselves into a corner from which it was impossible to emerge with any credit. Thus, one of the more sensational angles in wrestling history was simply swept under the carpet, rendering everything that had preceded it a waste of time; the lack of resolution another source of dissatisfaction.
So what caused the audience, an audience which had been fed edgy material for years, to turn against the Katie Vick story with such rapidity and vehemence? Could it be that the whole idea of a murdering, necrophiliac Kane was just too much for them to stomach? This in itself is a doubtful proposition. Kane's character was built right from the start upon elements borrowed from the horror film genre (elements exploited neatly in the recent See No Evil in which Glen Jacobs' role bears a certain resemblance to his WWE gimmick). Moreover, the story had potential to explore, in credible and interesting ways, further aspects of the Kane character. For the first time, it showed that Kane was capable of forming friendships, of experiencing emotions, of feeling the pain of unrequited love, and of having the human need for affection. Properly done, this could have made Kane into a more complex, multi-faceted entity, with new vulnerabilities to exploit and new sources of mental anguish with which to contend. Even if the eventual outcome was less sophisticated and simply resulted in making Kane into an even more repulsive monster, a 'twisted psychopath' in HHH's words, then at least the result would have been a positive one as far as character development was concerned.
Yet this was not the way it happened. An angle which promised much was spoiled to the point where it has become a by-word for bad booking. The responsibility for this lies with HHH, and with those who saw fit to have him be the person to run with the storyline. From the moment the funeral home videotape rolled, the Katie Vick story ceased to be about Katie Vick, and even Kane himself became an almost incidental figure. It was now all about HHH. It was about his penchant for objectionable humour; his love of horse-play; and, most crucially as far as determining the audience reaction was concerned, his tendency to elevate himself at the expense of another wrestler's credibility.
For Kane has always been a crowd favourite. Something in his story, about his gimmick, resonates with and fascinates the audience. He has survived terrible storylines (the whole 'May 19' episode being a recent example), consistent jobbing, poor booking, and even an unmasking to remain enduringly popular. When he was made the object of HHH's frat-boy tomfoolery, it was perceived that the intention was to indulge and elevate HHH and to belittle Kane. The monster was now risible, made out to be a figure of fun, a source of amusement for a wrestler with a reputation for ruining careers whilst building his own. When the crowd whistled, booed, and chanted 'asshole' at HHH, it wasn't because their delicate sensibilities, their notions of 'good taste' were affronted, it was because the objected to the spectacle of Kane becoming HHH's latest victim.
The Katie Vick story truly is one which exemplifies some of the more egregious excesses in wrestling. Those excesses are not, however to do with the tasteless nature of the story, which was less offensive than the WWE's exploitation of genuine tragedy, not very much more extreme than other fictional angles, and which had the potential to enrich a character in a way congruent with the existing gimmick. The real excess was displayed by HHH and those who indulged him. They allowed him to run with an angle which was supposed to be about another wrestler and fashion it after his own love of comic skits and lengthy segments starring himself. In the hands of a less selfish (or even a more serious) performer, the story could have elevated Kane; in the hands of a HHH, it made him look ridiculous, and a great opportunity was wasted.
If the Katie Vick angle is ever to be called the 'worst' in WWE history, then it should be for that reason, above all.
