Peacock's quiet removal of past racist WWE moments seems like the wrong move

Mashable

NBC Universal's decision to belatedly announce it is having Peacock and WWE edit and/or remove past racist content to fit "2021 standards" feels like a dodge, says Adam Rosenberg. "That's all well and good, but at what point does aligning past content with current brand standards come into conflict with the need to own past instances of bad and/or offensive behavior?" says Rosenberg. "Because I've gotta say, it feels like we're getting pretty damn close to blowing that conflict wide open here." He adds: "Think about that for a moment. What would have happened here if fans hadn't ever caught on to the missing material? Would NBCU have said anything at all? Or would future newcomers to WWE thumb through vintage episodes and events thinking it was just a (relatively speaking) wholesome good time? It feels bad to think that edits made on the sly would allow the WWE to more easily sidestep its history of racist moments in the future. It also highlights the fact that maybe an outright removal of offensive material from the past isn't the right move in these situations. To be clear, it's not for me to say what is right. I'm a white Jew who was born and raised in a U.S. suburb, so while I have plenty to say about anti-Semitic material — I think it should be preserved and made available in a way that provides context and educates — it's not for me to weigh in on whether it's appropriate to simply erase past instances of blackface or other racist acts. That said, I think we can all probably agree that trying to avoid the past by simply pretending it didn't happen ain't it. I hope NBCUniversal is giving serious thought to how the excised WWE material should be handled. Because leaving that stuff on the cutting room floor and letting it fade into the recesses of history isn't going to work when fans are willing and able to call it out — as they should."