Regulators Go Overboard
This is completely unfair. A comedy group that pokes fun at professional wrestling is being hit with regulations by the state of Washington as if it were a real sport:
Washington state’s Department of Licensing takes the high jinks seriously. Earlier this month, it classified the performances as “sports entertainment.” The ruling means the spoofers must meet safety regulations and could force the league to post a $10,000 bond, station medical personnel at events and buy a regulation wrestling ring.
The justification given for harassing them is that professional wrestling, which is subject to regulations, is also fake!
People sometimes ask, “What’s the harm in a regulation if it’s reasonable and all the relevant people agree to it?” Besides keeping out competition, these requirements end up being applied more broadly than was originally intended, in cases where they just don’t make sense. The group’s lawyer points out that if the regulations include them, they should also include a wide variety of activities, including swordfights in a Shakespeare production. Think of all the high school plays that would be shut down if every drama teacher had to pay thousands of dollars to the state.
