The Rock Reacts To Complaints About His Language On WWE Television

Since returning to the company for the "Road to WrestleMania," Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson hasn't exactly followed WWE's PG guidelines. From making jokes about drug use to cursing in his promos, he's brought back elements of his character work from the promotion's Attitude and Ruthless Aggression eras. While this has pleased fans, it's reportedly caused some frustration among network executives and WWE Superstars, forcing Johnson to address the matter on Instagram.

"Networks and "standards & practices" have issues with my language, but I'd rather be real than not. I talk from the heart, shoot from the hip and try to always have fun," Johnson wrote while sharing a clip of his concert segment from the March 15 episode of "WWE SmackDown."

The update comes after the WWE roster was reportedly sent an internal memo reiterating the company's PG guidelines. The edict stated that employees must follow these rules on television and social media, which has reportedly caused frustration as Johnson is seemingly being given preferential treatment. Critics of the memo argue that The Rock continuing to cut profanity-laced promos shows a double standard and gives off the impression that he's receiving preferential treatment.

Of course, the Hollywood A-lister does have a unique position in the WWE hierarchy. Earlier this year, WWE announced that Johnson has a high-profile role in TKO Group Holdings, the promotion's parent company. The deal also saw Johnson inherit ownership of his WWE IPs, including the "Rock" name, famous catchphrases, and other aliases he used in the promotion, suggesting that officials are more than happy to go above and beyond for the star.

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