Vince Russo strikes again

Wednesday, October 9 – 12:43 P.M. (CT)

Vince Russo made critical comments about vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in this week's "Spin Cycle," which is posted on the TNA website and on Youtube. "As an old school Italian, we don't need a woman anywhere near the White House," Russo stated during the online show. He went on to state that he wouldn't have any problem if Palin wanted to come to his house and clean his toilets.

There was plenty of joking taking place on the Spin Cycle set as there usually is. It's an entertaining show and the wrestlers who appear as guests generally remain in character. Therefore, an argument could be made that Russo was just being a heel for the cameras.

However, Russo mentioned the fact that he's a writer, so it's not like he was using his old television persona. I would be far less critical if someone like Shark Boy had made this statement because it would fit with the "Stone Cold" character to some extent. However, Russo holds a position of power and has a history of making insensitive comments.

TNA is currently defending itself against a racial discrimination lawsuit filed by Konnan (a/k/a Charles Ashenoff). The lawsuit notes that Russo made derogatory remarks about Japanese, Mexican, and other "non-American" wrestlers in an online interview back in September 1999, and states that TNA was aware of Russo's "racist past."

Russo's remarks regarding Palin are not racist, but they are sexist and they could be used by Konnan's attorney as another example of Russo making insensitive statements. For that matter, these comments could come back to bite TNA in the ass if one of their female workers ever files a lawsuit. Keep in mind that the company already has a reputation for lowballing female talent in contract negotiations (see Gail Kim).

Russo has the right to believe whatever he wants and he has the freedom of speech just like any other American. At some point, though, he must realize that his comments can hurt him and the company he works for. For that matter, the person who approved the content of this show should also ask themselves whether delivering an edgy broadcast is worth the potential harm it could do to the company that produces it.