Random wrestling post- Virgil a racist gimmick?

[Rollermacka]

I was lookin for a good Virgil vid on youtube for my next "Yay or Nay" post and I found a video calling the Virgil gimmick racist. The way that he opened doors for Ted Dibiase, beat up people for him, served him food and drinks, they made it sound like he was basically a slave. I mean, I see how people can say that but I always though of him as a bodyguard of Dibiase who worked for him. You see celebrities hire big black bodyguards to basically do the same things, it never really came off as racist to me. I mean look at Umaga with Armando or The Brian Kendrick with Eziekel. Umaga use to just beat the crap out of people that Armando told him to and Eziekel takes off The Brian Kendrick's coat, interfears in his matches and beats the crap of of people after the match. Do you think that Virgil was a racist gimmick or not?

[Xero]

I wouldn't be surprised if it was partially the intent.

Though there's also the fact he was a rib at Dusty and later, in WCW, at Vince and Shane.

[Loose Cannon]

making a black man get on his knees to shine your shoes does come off as slave like to some viewers

[Loose Cannon]

and yes, I always thought of him more as a slave, especially early on.

[AKin3D]

I see where people can see it as the whole slave thing, but I'm sure it was still more of just playing up to Ted Dibiase's gimmic of "everybody's got a price." I can remember Ted tossing a few hundreds on the ground after.