| PR: Rock Responds to PTC --- August 3, 2000 PHILADELPHIA (AP) The Rock was raring to rev up the Republican National Convention, but some GOP conservatives didn't want his help. The World Wrestling Federation champion was joining House Speaker Dennis Hastert, a former high school wrestling coach, in launching Wednesday night's convention session. That didn't sit well with the Parents Television Council, which complained to GOP leaders that The Rock stars in ``the most violent and vulgar program on prime time network television.'' The Rock, who won't say which candidate he's supporting for president, answered his critics at a news conference promoting a voter registration drive the WWF is sponsoring with MTV's Choose or Lose, Youth Vote 2000 and Project Vote Smart. ``If they're truly upset with it, lighten up,'' he said. ``The violence in our show is very slapstick; there are no guns, there are no knives, there are no axes, nobody gets killed, nobody gets raped. Steel chairs and garbage cans are allowed, but everyone lives for another day.'' Ed Gillespie, the convention's program director, said the Rock's voter-registration efforts are ``an admirable thing.'' Derrick and LWN The Rock slaps PTC in Face and PTC Loses Big Battle --- August 3, 2000 -In what has to be considered a huge battle lost by the PTC, the Republican National Committee ignored the PTC's recent demands to prevent The Rock from speaking at the Republican Convention. At around 7:40 EST, The Rock appeared on the speech platform of the Convention, and addressed the crowd as The Rock, and then as Duane Johnson, and concluded with his famous "cookin'" catchphrase. Prior to the speech, CNN interviewed Brent Bozell, who expressed, not suprisingly, disappointment at the RNC's decision, and even, in his own way, began questioning his own party's stance on family values (he just will not stop). The Rock was then IMMEDIATELY interviewed after that, and he attacked Bozell's comments about the WWF saying that people can simply change the channel to dictate what they and their children watch. Both Bozell and Rock got into a small battle over the number of viewers vs. those that are registered voters. As an opinion, I would like to say that this is a HUGE defeat for the PTC. Before, corporations eliminated all contact with the PTC that found them to be hypocritical censors. Now, the PTC's own party, from their decision to allow the Rock to speak, basically slapped them in the face and told them to grow up. Although not a fan of the Republican party, I do applaud them for standing up against such right-wing extremists like the PTC. It, in a way, shows that even they, the PTC's own conservative party, is seeing through their self-rightous, moralistic crap, and finding nothing more but money-based hypocrisy. Wrestling fans, Democrats and Republicans and Independents alike, rejoice, for a MAJOR battle was won today, but do not get complacent, for while this is a major victory for us, the war against the PTC is far from over. Randy Marston and WrestlingPlanet.com |