Conservatives Rip 'The Rock'

P H I L A D E L P H I A, Aug. 2 -- Some conservatives want the Republican Party to throw “The Rock” right out of the GOP convention ring.

The World Wrestling Federation champion, 28, is scheduled to join House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R.-Ill, in calling delegates to their seats during Wednesday night’s session of the Republican National Convention. Hastert is a former high school wrestling coach.

The Rock, whose real name is Dwayne Johnson, is a five-time WWF champion, a graduate in criminology at the University of Miami, according to his Web site, whose father and grandfather also were champion wrestlers. Johnson was a defensive lineman for the University of Miami football team.

Not Ready for Prime Time?

But presence of the short-haired, loud-talking hulk at the Philadelphia gala is drawing fire. The head of the conservative Parents Television Council says the wrestler should not be given a prime-time platform.

In a news release from the PTC, L. Brent Bozell III said “The Rock” regularly uses obscene and profane language, and frequently makes demeaning comments about women.

“George Bush should do what corporate America is doing in droves—disassociating itself with the vulgarity and violence the WWF weekly markets to over 3 million children. Over than 30 corporate CEOs have pulled their sponsorship of WWF Smackdown!. As the de facto CEO of the GOP, George Bush should make the responsible decision and do the same thing,” Bozell said.

The Council claims credit for helping pressure AT&T, Coca-Cola and others to withdraw their ads from the WWF Smackdown! a wrestling show aired weekly on UPN.

PTC calls the show ‘the most ultra-violent, foul-mouthed, and sexually explicit show on prime-time television, a fact made even worse when one considers it is broadcast during the “family hour.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.