Yesterday, we reported about the debut of the new animated web series “WWE Cheap Pops Episode 1” which featured short takes on different WWE characters like Kane getting a makeover, Adam Bomb visiting the doctor, Brock Lesnar going hunting, and John Cena going through his wardrobe finding nothing to wear. It was a short two minute episode with quick cutting segments ala Robot Chicken. It was entertaining and a breathe of fresh air. Personally, I loved it, I even posted it. Of course in true WWE fashion, that which I love cannot live so the WWE pulled the plug taking the show off WWE.com and their YouTube channel. No explanation was given on why the quick pull of the show. Creative Director Mike Parker of LowBrow Studios, the company behind the show, posted a message on his Facebook.
“Welp. I don’t know any details, but WWE had to take Cheap Pops down super fast. It was doing great, thanks for all the shares…but yeah. We’ll see what happens!” -Mike Parker
See? No explanation. So why would they have to take it down “super fast”? There are only a few issues I can think of.
1. Adam Bomb being diagnosed as terminal from the radiation posioning he had living on Three Mile Island. WWE may feel this was insensitive to people effected by real tragedies like Fukushima. There goes WWE, all worried about people’s feelings.
2. The “Streak Guy” having his head explode with blood flyung everywhere. WWE frowns on blood and using it in a cartoon aimed at kids? This may have been too graphic of animation and the WWE is all about the little wee ones.
Or
3. The world wasn’t ready for the “wave riding without a board” awesomeness of “Scuba Kane”. Seriously, there’s no board there, just water.
Ok that last one may have been a goof but from everything I read around the internet webs, the feedback was overly positive on the show so I can’t imagine it being anything other than some combination of the first two that got somebody tensed up in WWE. I noticed right away both instances were out of place with the WWE norm of playing it safe. WWE is known for having a very itchy trigger finger when it comes to anything with edge to it, ready to put it down at the slightest complaint. They still haven’t escaped out of the “PG Era” no matter how hard they try pushing the “Reality Era” gimmick. I hope they fix the issues with Cheap Pops and bring it back without killing what made it entertaining. We’ll keep you posted.