So, full disclosure… I don’t think this new merch was at all intended to be racially charged. Jordan Myles has had a lot of focus on his cheery demeanor, with the phrase “Smiles For Miles” being a slogan of sorts that they’re pushing. I’m sure that’s all that the design of his first T-Shirt is meant to get across. And it should be noted that a lot of merch for NXT’s influx of talent has been criticized for seemingly being very rushed and lazily done. It’s a result of having to do a ton of new designs in a short period of time.
All that said, well… I see it.
https://twitter.com/GoGoMyles/status/1188297337392828417
https://twitter.com/GoGoMyles/status/1188393687983759360
Jordan Myles and many of his friends and fans see this shirt as an homage to blackface. The logo basically implies big red thick lips, with Myles’ name looking like bright white, perhaps misaligned teeth…
I don’t think this was intended but the appearance is there. And it’s understandable enough that he’s angry about it. WWE have yet to release a statement on this matter.
But the companies’ internal reaction to this is the real cause for concern.
The key here about this story is that this shirt isn’t brand new. It was introduced in the aforementioned influx of new merch a month or so ago. It was seemingly already replaced long before Myles went public about this. And Jordan Myles has made it clear that he realized this from the outset.
This is relevant to me because, Jordan Myles won the Breakout Tournament, which was designed to spin a ton of new stars. Yet, he has not been seen since his requisite shot at Adam Cole’s NXT title back in August, even whilst other men from the tournament like Cameron Grimes, Isaiah Scott and even Boa have been featured regularly.
What you’re about to read is of course speculation, I obviously don’t know what goes on behind the scenes any better than you do. But the optics here paint a picture. At first, Myles stayed quiet on this, opting to keep his concerns about the merchandise private. He raised it to Vince or Triple H or whomever came up with it and cleared it.
They then quietly pulled it and replaced it without acknowledging any potential insensitivity, and promptly stopped featuring Jordan Myles on their shows. It really, really looks like his push was cut off as a direct result of trying to speak up about this.
Regardless of what you think of the shirt itself, that is a terrible, terrible look.
It is not how you respond to situations like this in the slightest. It’s understandable why he’s so upset.
It’d be easy enough to give a quiet apology and explain the intent behind the shirt, as I do believe that it’s innocent enough. But to try and punish him for speaking out against something like this is just indefensible. If he finds his own merchandise, something with his name literally emblazoned on the chest, to be offensive to his race, he has every right to speak his mind on it. Certainly in private, and if ignored, definitely in public.
