Stephanie McMahon Addresses Ryback’s Character and “Be A Star” Criticism

WWE Vice President of Creative, Stephanie McMahon, addressed criticism towards the WWE’s involvement with the “Be A Star” campaign Wednesday evening on Twitter. The criticism that has been aimed at the WWE comes from their use of “bully” characters such as Ryback’s current gimmick and Triple H “bullying” Daniel Bryan in the last couple of weeks on TV.

Remarks and tweets about Ryback being a bully each week have often been followed by the hashtag, #BeAStar. One fan simply asked McMahon if the combination of an anti-bullying campaign and having overly bullying characters on TV send mixed signals out to the company’s viewers. McMahon responded,

 

“@djstweetarazzi: @WWE going against @beaSTARalliance ?” No diff than bullying in a movie, WWE is Entertainment @beaSTARalliance is real

— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) August 29, 2013

 

The WWE has been involved with the “Be A Star” campaign since 2011, and the program’s mission statement claims to “ensure a positive and equitable social environment for everyone regardless of age, race, religion or sexual orientation through grassroots efforts beginning with education and awareness.”