Like A Rock: Dwayne Johnson's Response To Hulk Hugan's Racist Rant Was Pretty Spot On

Friday, July 31, 2015

I was reading some articles on what Dwayne Johnson had said when asked about Hulk Hogan, and while some of the way the headlines are written seem to imply he's apologetic for him, I think he really did handle it pretty well (at least in this quote).

Here's what he said according to multiple outlets including EW:

I was pretty disappoint [sic] at what I heard. I’ve known [Hulk Hogan] for a lot of years. My dad helped train him in Florida in the ’70s when he was breaking into the business. My uncles helped train him as well. So I’d not known him to be racist. It’s funny, it’s one of those things where—I’m not justifying what he said—but we’ve all talked trash. Especially in private. He said what he said and now he’s paying the price.

He says he's disappointed. He addresses their relationship up until that point and in that one sentence "So I’d not known him to be racist" implies he now knows him to be a racist, or at least someone who says some racist shit.

Can you make the case that he could have come down harder on him?

Sure, I could see how some people might want that - but I think you have to give him some space for handling it in a diplomatic way while still not condoning it and calling it out. When The Rock talked about how his dad and uncles helped train Hulk Hogan, I couldn't help but take that as a nod to the idea that you can't have it both ways: You can't take from us and denigrate us at the same time.

And it makes you wonder - it's gotta make Dwayne Johnson wonder - did Hulk Hogan say anything about him or his family in pvt too (because if someone says that...)?

We'll never know, and I'm not saying he has - but the wonderment - that's what we have to go through sometimes as Asian Americans - I'm not saying all the time, but sometimes you gotta wonder if they'll turn on you, or show themselves out to be racist - White friends, colleagues, or people that you may even look to for other advice.

Hmmmm.

Keeps you on your toes?