"There was a bit of a comparison that Bret was making between Vince McMahon and my dad. He looked up to Vince as a dad and stuff, and it was a shame to see the whole thing end the way it did"
About this Quote
The line lands like a bruise you only notice after the adrenaline fades: not outrage, not grandstanding, just a quiet admission of how workplace power can slide into family-shaped need. Owen Hart is talking about Bret Hart’s complicated bond with Vince McMahon, but he’s really sketching a whole era of pro wrestling in one candid, almost offhand confession: the ring as a job, the locker room as a home, the boss as a father substitute.
The intent is plainspoken empathy. Owen isn’t mocking Bret for “looking up to Vince as a dad”; he’s naming a human dynamic that’s common in entertainment industries built on loyalty, punishment, and praise. McMahon wasn’t just an employer in the WWF machine. He was the gatekeeper of identity, money, airtime, legacy. When your real family is traveling, bleeding, and aging together, it’s not hard for the person who controls the spotlight to start feeling parental, even if the relationship is transactional at its core.
The subtext is where it stings: Bret’s longing for paternal validation becomes a vulnerability, and Owen recognizes it without turning it into a morality play. “It was a shame to see the whole thing end the way it did” carries the soft devastation of betrayal without litigating it. In the background is the Hart family’s mythology, the infamous fallout after Montreal, and a culture where “respect” often meant silence. Owen’s phrasing keeps the door open to grief on both sides, while still hinting at the cost of confusing management with love.
The intent is plainspoken empathy. Owen isn’t mocking Bret for “looking up to Vince as a dad”; he’s naming a human dynamic that’s common in entertainment industries built on loyalty, punishment, and praise. McMahon wasn’t just an employer in the WWF machine. He was the gatekeeper of identity, money, airtime, legacy. When your real family is traveling, bleeding, and aging together, it’s not hard for the person who controls the spotlight to start feeling parental, even if the relationship is transactional at its core.
The subtext is where it stings: Bret’s longing for paternal validation becomes a vulnerability, and Owen recognizes it without turning it into a morality play. “It was a shame to see the whole thing end the way it did” carries the soft devastation of betrayal without litigating it. In the background is the Hart family’s mythology, the infamous fallout after Montreal, and a culture where “respect” often meant silence. Owen’s phrasing keeps the door open to grief on both sides, while still hinting at the cost of confusing management with love.
Quote Details
| Topic | Father |
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