Vince McMahon has not followed the doctrine of keeping politics out of business in order to appeal to as many people as possible.
The WWE executive chairman has been an avowed supporter of former President Donald Trump, and his wife, Linda, actually held a cabinet post in Trump's administration.
Trump, of course, also famously appeared for WWE (WWE) -) and is a member of the company's Hall of Fame. McMahon -- who briefly left his company over sexual-assault allegations -- has used politics and real-world controversies as pro wrestling story lines.
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That strategy has been toned down in recent years, but McMahon's version of pro wrestling has always leaned heavily on stereotypes. Sometimes that has been fairly clever political satire, like the company's "Right to Censor" group, which actually mocked the right-wing Parents Television Council.
More often than not, the company's efforts to bring politics and race into its story lines have led to some questionable characters. WWE has generally portrayed gay characters as either over-the-top effeminate men or super-attractive lesbian women. There's not a lot of nuance in the company's history with LGBTQ+ on-air characters and the company has not made many efforts over the decades to correct that.
Now, the company's latest decision will not-so-subtly serve as an open slap in the face to the LGBTQ+ community.
Kid Rock Has Become a Polarizing Figure
Kid Rock, like Trump, is actually in the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame. That wasn't a particularly controversial decision before the rock star became a far-right performer who has been very public about his views.
It's one thing when Rock shared his open affection for Trump. Lots of rock stars and country stars are open about their political leanings. And fans on both sides of the aisle generally don't let the fact that they're voting for different candidates than their favorite musicians are backing weigh heavily on their listening choices.
Rock, however, became an especially polarizing figure when he posted a video on social media shooting up cases of Bud Light after the brand partnered with the transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
The singer called for a boycott of the brand because its parent, Anheuser-Busch (BUD) -), entered a small promotion designed to make the brand more inclusive. That effort backfired massively -- clearly millions of people agree with Rock -- but millions also can't see why trying to reach more LGBTQ+ customers by using Mulvaney as an influencer would be an issue.
Basically, Rock has become a hero for people who are either openly intolerant or believe that people should keep their sexuality to themselves. And for the LGBTQ+ community he has also become a clear symbol of someone openly fighting tolerance and inclusion.
WWE Is Using Kid Rock at Summerslam
Generally, companies like to align themselves with celebrities whom pretty much everyone loves. That's why Shaquille O'Neal, Jeff Goldblum and Peyton Manning appear in so many ads. They're huge public figures about whom few people think negatively.
None of them have political or polarizing brands. That's usually a requirement for brands seeking to reach the widest audience possible.
WWE has obviously decided not to go in that direction, as Kid Rock is going to be featured in the company's upcoming Summerslam event.
"This year's SummerSlam cold open will feature everyone’s favorite rockstar, WWE Hall of Famer Kid Rock," the highly respected WrestleVotes X (formerly Twitter) social-media account posted.
Whether Rock will physically appear at the event is unclear, but multiple reports say his music will be used in the opening for the company's second-largest event of the year.
Summerslam is set for Aug. 5 at Ford Field in Rock's hometown, Detroit. The event will air on Comcast's (CMCSA) -) Peacock streaming service nationwide.
