Former WWE Head Writer Brian Gewirtz Recalls Argument With Vince McMahon Over WWE's PG Era

Former WWE head writer Brian Gewirtz sat down with The Masked Man Show podcast this week and reflected on his time with WWE. When the subject of WWE's Attitude Era vs. WWE's modern product was brought up, Gewirtz discussed the jarring effect the infamous PG Era from 2008 to the mid-2010s had on the product while simultaneously laying the groundwork for the company's current financial success. While WWE's weekly shows still have a TV-PG rating, they've since leaned back towards their product being accessible to all ages rather than being more kid-friendly.

Gewirtz mentioned how one of the biggest problems with writing scripts for WWE during that era was Vince McMahon's misunderstanding of what TV-PG actually allowed. In his mind, the restrictions were actually closer to a "G" rating.

"As I writer, I hated when we switched to the PG Era," Gewirtz said. "I thought it was stifling, especially because of Vince (McMahon) himself... it said PG Era, but really it was the 'G Era.' I remember getting into an argument with him because he was making me take out... I had someone write, 'I don't give a damn!' He's like, 'My god, we can't say damn, we're PG!' I'm like, 'Yeah, that's my argument too. We're PG.'"

It got to the point where writers joked about adding in muppet characters to scenes between wrestlers —  "Because that's how ridiculous the script felt during the PG Era."

Why WWE's PG Era Helped the Company in the Long Run

"It was very jarring because we didn't do a gradual recession." It was at a hundred to zero overnight, seemingly. Anything that seemed salacious (was met with), 'Ah, PG, can't do that!'" Gewirtz continued, before pointing out the upside the change in direction eventually brought about for WWE. "But what that did, and I thought Vince was crazy at the time, PG coinciding with the 'Guest Host Era' and all that...but it really planted the roots and the groundwork towards WWE gaining respectability again with the advertisers and Hollywood in general. It made it 'safe' for moms and dads to watch with their kids. Wheras before, especially post-Attitude Era, pre-Ruthless Aggression Era...it was like a 50-year-old guy wearing Ed Hardy at the club with 20-year-olds trying to seem cool and relevant."

Which era of WWE is your favorite? Is there anything from the infamous PG Era you enjoyed? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

Brian Gewirtz on The Rock's WWE Potential Return

Gewirtz talked elsewhere in the interview about why he doesn't expect Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to be back on WWE TV during the ongoing Actors' Strike, but does anticipate he'll eventually be back in the ring in some capacity. 

"I would be shocked if The Rock appeared anytime soon while the strike is going on, but I would be equally, if not more shocked if The Rock never appeared in a WWE ring again and figuring in the storyline at some point. It needs to be crafted, discussed, and thought about. If The Rock — we've never talked about this, just my opinion — if The Rock tweeted something about The Bloodline, it's not like if I tweeted something. If he tweeted something, the gates of hell are open. It's hard to close the door again once you do it, once you dip your toe into the pool, it's on. You can tweet Grayson Waller, he can tweet back and it can be a funny exchange, but there's not going to be this pitchfork-like mentality of 'what are you waiting for, do it, you started it.' Once you start doing the Bloodline thing, it's time to go. That's why you have to be very judicious and careful," he continued.