CT Dems: WWE Clips Suggest McMahon Condones Necrophilia

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Connecticut Democrats have unearthed some generally gross videos of WWE scenes as evidence they say proves GOP candidate Linda McMahon has “no place” in the Senate.

Billionaire McMahon (R-CT) is one of several candidates hoping to defeat Sen. Chris Dodd (D) in the 2010 race. She’s the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment and wife of WWE principal Vince McMahon.

In a release today, the Connecticut Democratic Party sent reporters links to WWE videos they say objectify women. Among the videos are wrestlers engaged in a simulated rape, a public sex scene and one depicting a wrestler having sex with a corpse. Warning, the video clips are very much not safe for work.

The party quoted McMahon as saying the WWE programming is “fun.” She has said:

“There was a time when our program was TV-14, today’s it’s PG and our networks rate our programming… It’s fun, it has something for everyone within the show. It’s energetic, it’s entertaining. It’s music, it’s pyro, it’s pomp and circumstance, it’s what keeps people interested in the product.”

Connecticut Dems’ spokeswoman Colleen Flanagan, who used to work for Dodd, issued a statement this afternoon.

“As WWE Chief [Executive] Officer, Linda McMahon presided over programming that showed simulated rape, public sex and necrophilia, and now she wants to be our U.S. Senator? People across this state, not to mention the millions of women who are the victims of sexual violence every year, would be horrified and embarrassed to know that the person who seeks to represent them condones this kind of behavior. That kind of programming has no place in our society, and Linda McMahon has no place in the U.S. Senate.”

McMahon spokesman Ed Patru, formerly with Freedom’s Watch, rebutted Flanagan by slamming Dodd and noting WWE’s “PG” rating.

“Every American understands the difference between scripted TV entertainment and real life betrayal of trust by Washington politicians,” he said. “With 15 million Americans out of work and a jobless rate in Connecticut approaching 10%, people want a Senator who knows how to fix the economy and put people back to work. It’s stunning that Chris Dodd’s supporters are more concerned with PG TV programming than job creation.”

If McMahon ends up getting the nomination, expect clips of these videos to appear in ads. It smacks of how Al Franken’s skits were used against him during the senate race he (ultimately) won in Minnesota.

Late update: WWE had YouTube remove the videos. See our post here.

Also, Flanagan sends reporters a response to Patru’s statement:

“Just because the show is “scripted” doesn’t mean it’s not vile, tasteless, violent, demeaning to women and fueled by steroids. What’s stunning is that Linda McMahon and her staff are unable to explain or defend her involvement in a company which produces this kind of sexually explicit and violent programming, yet they still believe she’d be a fine U.S. Senator.”

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