On a recent edition of his “My World” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett discussed the controversial WWE angles for The Undertaker vs. Steve Austin storyline in 1998.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On The Undertaker trying to embalm Steve Austin: “From creative rooms to characters and everything, I love entertainment, getting outside the box, stretching everyone’s imagination all in the name of entertainment. I get that. But let’s just say last night, the threads and the shreds and the perceptions and everything that went with it are all based on reality. Like, ‘Oh my God, I never thought I would ever’ — That’s real. I mean hey man, you talk about this, this, and this. But that stuff, that’s real, right? Paul Bearer, in his former life, I love old — me and Moody, I always called him Percy Pringle, we got to know each other in Texas in 1988-89 and stayed friends and buddies, and used to laugh and cut up. And I would love to be in catering with him and just all that kind of stuff.
“In the Attitude Era, numbers speak for themselves. But when you get down to the level of embalming Stone Cold, It’s just kind of stretching the limits and I just think, getting way out of bounds. And Conrad, you just kind of admitted it. You were like, ‘Enough’s enough.’ I mean, I think the magic of Stone Cold and Mr. McMahon were, the whole world knew that Vince owned the WWF. He’s ‘Welcome to WrestleMania!’ starting in 83. And so here’s the real boss, and he’s a New Yorker and — I wouldn’t say pompous and arrogant, because he was playing the play-by-play character. When he became the evil Mr. McMahon and he had the hard workin, blue collar, beer drinking dude Stone Cold, everybody could actually relate to that. I mean, it was so — you could just live vicariously through both characters. When you get into the embalming, Undertaker and Stone Cold, you just kind of lost that sense of reality. Again, and who am I to throw shade on an angle that may or may not get out of bounds? But I think you are probably accurate like a lot of folks, that it just carried it a little bit too far. Not saying it didn’t do great numbers on pay-per-views or ratings. But the embalming angle might have kind of pushed the envelope in the wrong way just a little bit too much.”
On Taker putting Austin on a “cross”: “It goes into what I touched on last week. And that is where being taught day one that ‘This is a business, this is an industry. Yes, we’re a hybrid. We’re not all sport. We’re not all entertainment. We’re a hybrid.’ But at the end of the day folks, this is entertainment. Just like Vince told the New Jersey government, so he wouldn’t have to pay pay-per-view taxes. This is not a sporting event. I always understood it in that context that, is the storyline getting into blasphemy and all that? But it’s a story. If you preface it by saying, ‘Okay, this is the type of programming’ that this is a story. And I looked at it as such, that it’s not for everybody. You know, as the years have gone on and you kind of see how content is produced — not just wrestling content, just content that the old saying my grandmother [said], ‘Never, ever discuss politics, religion, and wrestling.’ There’s no upside. She meant by wrestling, whether it’s real or not because you can’t win at that discussion. When you discuss politics, you alienate part of your audience. When you discuss religion, you alienate part of your audience. I think this would go into that bucket of, ‘You’re going to tread into this, just be prepared. Some people are going to be offended by it and go away.’ Now, there’s always that argument, ‘Oh, they wouldn’t come around to begin with.’ That’s subjective, I believe.”
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The Undertaker vs. Steve Austin storyline in 1998 is one of the most memorable and controversial angles in WWE history. Recently, WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett discussed this storyline on his podcast, “My World,” shedding light on the creative decisions and the impact it had on the audience.
One of the most shocking moments in this storyline was when The Undertaker attempted to embalm Steve Austin. Jarrett expressed his thoughts on this particular angle, stating that while he appreciates entertainment and stretching the boundaries of imagination, he believes that embalming Stone Cold was a step too far. He felt that it pushed the limits and lost touch with the sense of reality that made the Stone Cold character relatable to fans. However, Jarrett acknowledged that the angle did generate great numbers in terms of pay-per-view buys and ratings, despite potentially crossing the line.
Another controversial moment in the storyline was when The Undertaker put Austin on a “cross.” Jarrett addressed the concerns about blasphemy and religious themes in wrestling storylines. He emphasized that professional wrestling is a form of entertainment and should be viewed as such. While some viewers may find certain storylines offensive, it is important to remember that it is just a story and not meant to be taken literally. Jarrett also mentioned that discussing topics like politics, religion, and wrestling can often alienate parts of the audience, so it is crucial to approach such angles with caution.
The discussion on Jarrett’s podcast offers valuable insights into the creative process behind the Undertaker vs. Steve Austin storyline. It highlights the balance between pushing boundaries for entertainment purposes while also being mindful of potentially offensive content. Wrestling fans can gain a deeper understanding of the thought process behind these controversial angles and how they impacted the industry.
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