AJ Styles Says WWE Can’t Go Back To ‘Attitude Era’ Due To Sensitive Fans

WWE changed their programming to TV-PG content on their own. They wanted to appeal to a wider demographic and family friendly content brought them a lot of advertising dollars. A recent shift back to mature subjects did get a lot of fans very hopeful that a return to a raunchier product is coming.

During his Twitch stream, AJ Styles explained that WWE can’t go back to the Attitude Era days. Culture has changed far too much and there are people who are sensitive and easily offended. This caused WWE to step away from that content.

“There was a time where obviously the Attitude Era was definitely a lot raunchier, and I know it did better ratings-wise. But that’s tough, that’s tough for me that has 4 kids, you know, and them watching us do certain stuff. And you can get away with a lot more back then that you’ll never, ever get away with again. This world has changed completely since then. There’s a lot more sensitive people out there, so the fact is that you’re going to get away with hardly anything.

“Hey, it sounds like SmackDown is moved to TV-14, so I don’t know what that consists of, but I guess we’re trying to get a little edgier. But still though, it’s tough because you wish you could say certain things that you didn’t think would bother people, but it seems like everything bothers someone to a certain degree. So, you have to watch and be clear with everything you say.”

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People are very sensitive now, but it also makes us wonder what made things appropriate to say in the first place when it was known that some people would be offended. AJ Styles might prefer an edgier content, but WWE might not be too eager to leap in that direction.

We’ll have to see what is to come as WWE continues in this strange time of pandemic programming. AJ Styles certainly seems game to do whatever they ask of him.

Thanks to Wrestling Inc for the quote