WWE defends Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter characters

WWE responded to right-wing criticism of the Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter characters that some perceive as a shot against the Tea Party movement. WWE's Senior vice president of marketing and communications Brian Flinn issued the following statement to the Hollywood Reporter.

"WWE has a long history of creating fictional characters that serve as either protagonists or antagonists, no different than other television shows or feature films. To create compelling and relevant content for our audience, it is important to incorporate current events into our storylines.

"WWE is creating drama centered on a topical subject that has varying points of view to develop a rivalry between two characters," he adds. "This storyline in no way represents WWE’s political point of view. One should not confuse WWE’s storytelling with what WWE stands for, similar to other entertainment companies such as Warner Bros., Universal Studios or Viacom." Read the full story at HollywoodReporter.com.

Powell's POV: Colter and Swagger received play on FOX News and has been criticized by right wing bloggers. WWE has to be loving the attention the characters are generating at this point. It will be interesting to see whether they make any changes stemming from the criticism or if they push the envelope further.