Jim Cornette on Linda McMahon's 1996 Memo On WWE Cost Cutting

From Episode 292 of the Jim Cornette's Drive Thru
Artwork by Travis Heckel!
Send in your question for the Drive-Thru to: [e-mail]
Follow Jim and Brian on Twitter: @TheJimCornette @GreatBrianLast
Join Jim Cornette's College Of Wrestling Knowledge on Patreon to access the archives & more! / cornette
Visit Jim's official site at www.JimCornette.com for merch, live dates, commentaries and more!
You can listen to Brian each week on the 6:05 Superpodcast at 605pod.com.

[@MatthewMacCallumActor]

Only Corny would frame a job offer as a “double cross” 😂

[@heisensaul5538]

Yeah when he called Vince's job offer a double cross, that made me laugh lol

[@alvin_PNG]

The WCW booking committee double crossed him and the Midnight and got them re-signed lol

[@heisensaul5538]

@@alvin_PNG yeah, but he hates Jim Herd. He said he doesn't personally hate Vince McMahon.

[@ThePoetssp]

Same. Laughing as I write this. Lol

[@smartphonerick]

Linda is the one McMahon that needs to release a tell all book.. it would be an instant best seller lol

[@yasharahla7297]

Vince probably made her sign a nda😂

[@smartphonerick]

@@yasharahla7297 lmao.. FACTS.. LOL

[@HitPeace]

She for sure has has first lady vibes.

[@Youngbloodz33]

That's the world we live in hoping and praying that she writes a tell all book snitching on her family while making people feel terrible in ruining reputations and lives and everything all for our entertainment aint that great? Jesus

[@justint8635]

I'm hoping she does it after Vince goes. I cannot imagine all the shit that she knows.

[@lisajackson9431]

"He double crossed me and offered me a job!" 😂

[@BruhNut]

Such a Vince thing to do tbh 💀

[@therealityofitall4819]

Yep.. That's the real Vince Mcmahon right there..

[@kevinfaller3812]

In 1996, working at a large telecom in Denver, we had a new VP come into our building (2,500 employees) and after they determined that the company was spending over $7,000 a month on "free" coffee for the employees, it went away. God forbid some corporate leaders take a pay cut. It's always the rank and file getting the shaft.

[@marilynsgirl01]

You’re right. I worked at a place that manufactured leg braces for pediatric patients. They brought in this smarmy efficient expert right out of Office Space and I knew we were all f’d. And we were.

[@staceypaquette5483]

That's pretty bad when the water coolers are being taken out

[@paulheap1982]

They were being put in, they were taking away bottled water.

[@staceypaquette5483]

@@paulheap1982 Oh I see

[@smarkslowplay3512]

Water coolers being taken out was later on in 96

[@marilynsgirl01]

I worked for this place and they brought in this efficiency expert. It was like Office Space. Reminds me of this.

[@JD_Power]

There's something about Jim discussing his time at WWE that is so appealing to me. It seems like a magical moment in time.

[@joaomendes147]

"Well, it sure wasn't appealing to ME" -Jim, probably. LOL

[@shanebarfield2925]

He is the ultimate fan- that turned into the best manager ever- or perhaps 1B to Bobby Henan::: Jim Cornette is absolutely wrestling ROYALTY

[@georgemaranville3305]

We need a comic book adaptation of his wwe years.

[@JD_Power]

@@georgemaranville3305 yeah like behind the curtain. I love hearing about him being in the office or working with Todd Pettingill on LiveWire. Shotgun Saturday Night was an interesting time too. Jim's been everywhere for everything lol

[@ajgaming2445]

I don't think working with shitstain is a magic moment in time. That's more like a nightmare.

[@ashleyquintanar727]

These are the stories we want to hear Jim talk about

[@jameswesten2018]

"He turned into Adolph Pritchard" hahaha😆😂

[@slwalsh]

I've seen cafeterias replaced with vending machines before and it's just the most pitifully sad thing ever in a corporate setting. The convenience cuts (which practically all of these are) are always the easiest & laziest and rarely make a meaningful dent in losses.

[@raulo19999]

Those cafeterias pay rent don't they? Unless you have a plan for the space, wouldn't. Makes no sense to me.

[@wonderoushistoryofclassicf9193]

I'm racking my brain to see how the hell you wouldn't break even if this company pays you to use the space. How is it costing you anything to keep the canteen open?

[@regularstan6212]

They help meetba metric on a spreadsheet thats about all

[@spheremode3271]

Jim talking about double cheeseburger with extra cheese never gets old.

[@robertnapier624]

Fried or broiled, the cow must die!

[@joaomendes147]

​@@robertnapier624 Wish we had a Omnibus of Jim talking just about things that involved cheeseburgers with extra cheese LOL

[@JeffreyJetsKohut]

Double cheeseburger, extra cheese. double mayo, double onions, m0th*rf*ck*r!

[@Forever_Thatter]

Extra cheeeeeeeze...nothing else on it. Didn't know whether to fix it or nawwwt?? We woudn't have ordered it if we didn't want it fixed, gawdamn!!!

[@daleva187goligo]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, cheeseburger is the funniest word in the english language, don't ask me why, it just is

[@commanderbarbie2550]

I can imagine Vince rolling up in that car like Scrooge McDuck.

[@therealityofitall4819]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@herzkine]

..scrooge would never have wasted money in p...ss....y

[@MetalJT24]

Its probably the same Car from the Ted DiBiase vignettes.

[@marilynsgirl01]

😂 He really is an assh@le 😂

[@TheManOfTheHourEveryHour]

The uninsured and parched WWF employees walked so Senate Failure Linda and Sexual Harassment Vince could run 😭

[@goodgameproductionsllc]

Seriously underrated comment💯💯

[@ck_idgaf1680]

They were close to going out of business back then, but to cut executive salaries and other smaller essentials first, instead of the wrestlers, is saying something. Your executive staff has to really believe in the company to stay.

[@smarkslowplay3512]

Bruce needed his daddy

[@nathandts3401]

Yeah, I wouldn't be taking a pay cut unless I was getting shares.

[@hasanx8066]

$20 million for some box. But the ink water and insurance was coming out his ass 😂😂😂

[@nolongerblocked6210]

That 20 million "came" out of a different orifice

[@onamattapeeya]

Vinnie Lupton (McMahon) and Donald Trump have been friends and business associates for decades, they will probably both clients at Epstein Island, I'll never understand how these rich and powerful men have to spend Millions to get laid, and then spend Millions more for the women not to talk about their tiny units😂... Bill Clinton was also a womanizer but it only cost him one cigar😂

[@rentoptional1524]

"Kelly Girls" is what I believe they used to be called. They were named for the staffing agency Kelly Services.

[@nolongerblocked6210]

🎯🎯💯 thank you!!

[@jeffnettleton3858]

Yup. Company still around; but they stopped using that term decades ago.

[@rentoptional1524]

@@jeffnettleton3858 yup. I worked there from 2013-2016

[@rentoptional1524]

@@brooklynbeast5594 yup.

[@bigdrew565]

Funny fact, Gene Simmons was a Kelly Girl. 😆 seriously. He worked for them before he made it with Kiss.

[@jameshill3403]

I love how the very last thing corporations would ever possibly consider cutting costs on is the absurd massive salaries the executives at the very top of the companies make they'd rather just watch the entire company go under than take a paycut themselves the only reason WWE won was because they caught lightning in a bottle with Austin and the Rock

[@attiepollard7847]

You need those executive salaries because they're also competing against Ted Turner.

[@fatherfreedom1946]

They cut management salaries too bro - a few people quit because of it

[@liquidsnake6879]

They cut salaries of a bunch of people, several of them quit because of it. You would do the same if someone cut your salary.

[@maxxdahl6062]

@@fatherfreedom1946 Not the executives. Low level management.

[@IainCiplinski]

Pritchard: Vinny boy, someone has authorised spending more than their spending authority. Vince: LIIIIINNNDAAA, GET THE TABLE!!!

[@garethcullen9604]

Videos of Jim talking about 90s WWF > videos of Jim talking about AEW & todays WWE!

[@ryanwarsh]

I quit listening to his podcasts regularly because he spends way too much time talking about AEW and current WWE.

[@Phantasia_Workshop]

Having worked for several large corporations, this is all very familiar to me. Typical corporate crap

[@attiepollard7847]

And that's why you are not a CEO of a 500 company because of the mindset you have

[@Phantasia_Workshop]

@@attiepollard7847 Why would I want to be a CEO? I'd rather do something worthwhile

[@attiepollard7847]

@@Phantasia_Workshop son whatever you are doing is not worth wild enough or else we the people would know no about it

[@Phantasia_Workshop]

@@attiepollard7847 know*

[@user-ed5ti4di7r]

I was worked for the largest concert production company in the U. S. The CEO was earning $100M per year. The company put forth similar cuts. Saved them $35K per.

[@akamiguelsanchez9985]

Jim could talk about paint drying and it would be fascinating

[@virgilhawkins7368]

One of my favorite Jim Cornette stories actually has nothing to do with wrestling. It's the one where he fires Landon, his yard guy.

[@nirvana985]

"God damn double cheeseburger with double cheese" 😂😂😂

[@MisterE1976]

Pickles, onions if you please!

[@rowdyroughman]

Adolf Pritchard 😂

[@tysontomko]

"Listeners complain they can't hear anything" as they complain about their hired help for the 500th time lol

[@kingjames1101]

Imagine a three hour pod of Jim and Linda talking about Vince 🤣🤣 she will have a million stories about that crazy bastard that would break the internet

[@therealityofitall4819]

They might need to link up and make a podcast.. I would listen to them for hours..

[@allendove2922]

The Mean Street Posse was there after dark. 😂

[@DoobieKeebler]

Nope! Still cuttin' back.... Say, 'Hello' to the: "Mean Street Receptionist", straight outta Greenwich, Connecticut.

[@williammitchell4417]

And Doink was Pennywise!!

[@alsix666]

The fact that he remembers John steed from The Avengers and what car he drove makes me love him all that much more😊

[@JohnnyFarang]

I love how he can remember shit from 50 years with frightening detail, but has no idea about pop culture from the past 20 years lol

[@kujo62]

The Goon, Mantaur and TL Hopper weren't paying the bills back then 😂. Then something changed 🤔

[@therealityofitall4819]

I wonder why?? 😂😂😂😂

[@j_mad]

Can u imagine Jim trying to send an email in 1996 😅

[@johnthebomb06]

Spending 10 minutes finding and pressing one key 😂

[@herzkine]

​@@johnthebomb06 ..so like... now...

[@j_mad]

@johnthebomb06 I'm gonna say your in accuate cuz I think after 2 minutes that keyboard would go flying across the room 😂

[@chubbycatfish4573]

According to Bruce, McMahon drove a Clenet Coachworks car(s). In the 70s and 80s a small group of people custom built these cars with modern tech/systems, but with the classic look of 1930s luxury cars like Duesenbergs.

[@smarkslowplay3512]

But can't have fresh food or insurance for employees pal

[@guardian08527]

I remember Ted Dibiase doing a promo, driving one of those things. A white convertible IIRC.

[@insupportofjunhado]

Moolah wouldn't have serviced McMahon, she'd have sent someone to do it for her.

[@lightskinnedlarry728]

I’d love to see a workplace comedy of the wwe offices in the 90s

[@americasevilgenius]

Pizza Inn, back in the late 80's, had a hell of a lunch buffet. Have no idea if it still exists now.

[@noneofuourbusiness]

We had a pizza inn also, good taco pizza.... Haven't seen one since like 1991

[@BeyondDaX]

@americasevilgenius Pizza Inn is still around. Although probably with less locations than before, heck I even been there once. The buffet is pretty decent honestly. But like the other guy said, their taco pizza is fantastic.

[@greggiddens6680]

Yup, I know there are locations in Eastern North Carolina.

[@rickfaulstick6509]

Pizza in. Based out of Dallas would run promotions in conjunction with world class wrestling where if you bought a certain sized pizza you got a poster of choice of one of the Von erichs

[@brandonthasavage2974]

Just imagining corny in 96 strutting down to the cafeteria to get a god damn double cheeseburger with double cheese is the funniest thing to me🤣

[@TheForeverRanger]

My grandmother had an office job at a garage in Jax and I remember what it was like watching her sending emails back then.

[@tylerneckbeard4294]

God WWE sounded like a shit place to work in '96 lol

[@rofbagging9749]

Linda at that one WM when she broke out of her catonic state was epic. I don’t think the fans ever hated Linda

[@Awells89]

Possibly one of the most satisfying nut shots in wrestling

[@royalty843]

She was always loved.

[@americanbadass88]

Linda was more of the Jack Tunney role. When she showed up on TV you knew something BIG was going down.

[@Forever_Thatter]

They booed her when she told Austin to apologize to the McMahon family, and when she fired JR.

[@virgilhawkins7368]

Linda McMahon got a bigger pop back in the day than most wrestlers do today

[@thomasberg5717]

Hunter paid out of pocket for all those water bottles? Damn.

[@nolongerblocked6210]

LOL!! Yep Hunter's got "water bottle money" 💰

[@hagipilo5017]

Or maybe he just refilled the same bottle in the brand new water coolers!

[@stevengrvp]

These stories are great

[@FreneticZetetic]

Never forget: WWE may have taken away the water coolers, but Tim Horner kept the fax machine!!!

[@poppy87]

The term Cornette is thinking of is "Kelly Girl".

[@Emporkommling]

THANK YOU that was bugging me

[@AmongGangstas]

These are my favorite JC topics 😂

[@AbdulGabagool83]

The birth of corporate lingo Cross train equals cut staff and give the rest more shit lol

[@atikulislam6359]

WCW was kicking Vince's ass so hard on a weekly basis that vince was cutting everything that was possible to cut.

[@TheJoseGarcia325]

People forget without stone cold and rock and the attitude era wwe was close to dying out right before that era and even tho it led to iconic moments and a great era and wwe winning the monday night wars they were close to losing around that time having cuts then would have been the normal thing to do nowadays cutting staff is corny as wwe has made billions in the last 2 decades and they got no stiff competition

[@TheFailedmessiah]

Vince russo helped during that time. Jim hates it. But that crazy crash tv style became well adapted for prowrestling

[@ZenOfMKVLI]

This wasn't during the time they were losing to WCW This was during the time all wrestling was slumping.

[@STANKYDADDY]

Rich people are truly never satisfied. Look at these literal billionaires nickel and diming their employees

[@DAKINS896]

to be fair Vince was far from a billionaire in 1995. He lost 5 million that year.

[@andrewholland853]

So WWF is in terrible financial situation in 95 and Cornette went to Vince for money for his organization, then said he double crossed me and offered me a job. What a horrible double cross

[@gayrambo4529]

I work for a pretty major company, and all of these rules are pretty much standard.

[@nolongerblocked6210]

Nowadays yes bcuz corporations have ruined our country & they try to save every nickle. Whereas back then employers used to care about their employees comfort bcuz they wanted people to stay 20-40yrs at their job. Now corporations have decided that 3-5yrs is all they want someone to stay. They'd rather train someone new, which allows them to save money by giving the new person starting pay instead of having someone stay for yrs & start making top pay doing the same job

[@jerryvalentino1065]

@@nolongerblocked6210 exactly

[@updown5238]

Gay Rambo works for a major company? I'm not so sure being a mercenary for the Village People, Cambodian wing counts as a major company - but what do i know about being Gay Rambo?!

[@attiepollard7847]

​@@nolongerblocked6210 nope. Your pathetic liberal views ever on this country of hating the rich

[@natebragdon1539]

I wonder if Vince listens to Jim & Brian’s podcast….. 😂

[@therealityofitall4819]

To be honest a lot of them listen to them on their free time or down time.. Old and Young..

[@jimmyjohnson3149]

LOL you marks are hilarious - you seriously think MOST people even know wrestling podcasts exist…much less billionaires listening to them 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@natebragdon1539]

@@jimmyjohnson3149 no mark here! Just a comment! The point is, boy, there is a world outside of Vince’s clearly perverted and rotting billionaires mind!

[@manifestgtr]

They must’ve provided 30 concubines and a golden chariot to Stone Cold and Rocky when they saved everyone’s ass lol

[@IASP17]

4:52 that is hilarious to think about. that Vince would actually drive that car around. if some people dont know what Brian is talking about just google "Hogan Vince car"

[@canedust]

"It's a secret meeting, pal" *drives up in a old time hot-rod with WWF painted on the sides*

[@sullyb23511]

Adolf Pritchard, lol. 😂

[@TheJacksontoy]

The sheer disgust in Jim’s voice when he talk about how everyone in Titan Towers ordered healthy food fucking kills me.

[@michaeldion918]

5:23-5:32 is still Brian's best ad lib lin from something he is reading.

[@jeffnettleton3858]

FEDEX wasn't likely that large of an expenditure, if they were using it that often. A company like that probably has negotiated rates obtained for them by an account rep. For something like document envelopes, it was probably pretty cheap and the delivery was quicker and more reliable than mailing. For things like checks, it was better security. Purchase order and other expenditure sign-off is standard procedure in most major companies, which suggests they had been too fast and loose with letting people have spending authority and company accounts (cards, POs, etc). Security and cafeteria are more about personnel that they considered expendable. Probably anything not related to wrestling operations and merchandising. Insurance benefits and employee contributions are another easy target, without reducing staff. This is standard cuts to try to trim what they could control, but wasn't key to their core operation.

[@bigbrother1137]

It's still real to me DAMNIT!!

[@allenlegacy242]

Fill your canteens now 😅😅😅

[@waverlyphillips2849]

When a company that you work for starts doing this its your cue to get your resume ready because its going south from there.

[@rikmichaels9233]

Profits = unearned wages

[@marcelmoreau2733]

I think Jim was looking for 'steno pool', or a 'girl Friday'

[@gunnarjordan6980]

Linda should be in prison along with Vince!

[@attiepollard7847]

Why. There is no proof of crime

[@PatrickMersinger]

That s**t was going on at my workplace in the 90’s and early 2000’s. By 2007 they stopped all pay raises. Finally in 2020 they laid us all off. Their favorite phrase was “we all (really just us) have to do more with less. “ which is ultimately impossible.

[@GhettoFabulousLorch]

Amazing how Linda cut armed security and risks the lives of everyone in that office. Did she ever see the kinds of people that her son hung out with?

[@chrisduckhorn702]

Kelley Girls is the name Jim couldn’t remember I think

[@jonathanrife-rs7sf]

Suprised that Wwe didnt try to charge its employees for air and the use of bathrooms lol

[@positively_broad_st3780]

Bring your own tp...😂

[@antran-jk8rw]

😂🍔 🍔 🍔 🍟 😅This period at the office needs to be the new office show

[@martinwalton9307]

I'm having visions of Corny being a George Costanza at Titan Towers.

[@greghuffman3061]

Yeh i never actually hear any sounds when they say there is stuff going on at their houses

[@joseortega7815]

Love to see a new Corny clip right before work.

[@smarkslowplay3512]

Typical conservative republican economical behavior. Less for the little people, less than less for the little little people, more for the boss. Cut costs for my yacht

[@TheFailedmessiah]

This isn't political dude, they were legit struggling to keep things going back then.

[@smarkslowplay3512]

@@TheFailedmessiah better believe Vince and Linda were still SET and filthy rich in 95/96. They just didn't want to pump more of their own cash into their business

[@dayne123ify]

Sounds like a city run by the other side of the isle. More homeless tents, crime and drugs than buildings.

[@attiepollard7847]

​@@smarkslowplay3512 it's better than with Joe biden's doing right spending up lots of money overheating the economy and and putting on perfetic regulations that is hurting the working man

[@willymassey8273]

Car mentioned is a Clenet Series III

[@pendafen7405]

More finance talk! More! It's genuinely so interesting to hear about the batshit intricacies of the silly money in this business

[@johngallagher72]

I betcha Vince allocated the temporary personnel accordingly.

[@awelshwhale]

I actually love Brian Last hes brilliant his laugh is evil

[@thelastmotel]

Vince drove an Excalibur back around '86 IIRC

[@VeroViator]

My guess was the Excalibur as well. God, he's such a tool. 😆

[@thelastmotel]

@@VeroViator haha oh yes he is

[@TheFailedmessiah]

Good ol sock face.

[@thelastmotel]

@@TheFailedmessiah haha

[@mic-checc5338]

"OH C'MON".....😂😂😂

[@slavaukraini1991]

At least they weren't still paying Hogan

[@WhiteIkiryo-yt2it]

Wow, I always thought office culture was nuts but this....how did Jim not just go nuts with a steel chair one day and just start wailing people across the head from office to office?

[@WhiteIkiryo-yt2it]

Yeah, this memo has to be a hoax but if this was real...jesus.

[@nolongerblocked6210]

Vince would've been pissed... if he couldn't have filmed it & monetized it

[@boba2172]

Big fan all the best . ..

[@johnnygrind77]

I always wondered what happened to Lord Alfred Hayes!

[@ichrisho]

Jim- you’re the worst and the best at the same time. You’re omni-commentary. 🎉

[@ScottStokelyDG]

I haven’t liked Linda since she took her “Anti Grapefruit “ stance in 2001!.Long live the grapefruit!

[@positively_broad_st3780]

Between this, Lisa Wolfe, and Bruce Prichard being in charge of talent relations, WWF headquarters must have been a hell hole to work in during the mid-90's...

[@itscarlyj]

Do you think Jim typed his first e-mail using just his pointer finger?

[@brendandonovan1590]

At one time I would over look these podcast. And I started listening 🎧 absolutely precious.

[@benespinosa6725]

This is very interesting i didn't know about this lol

[@williammitchell4417]

Sounds like when Linda's divorce was starting!! Hence why my ex lives in Hawaii 🤠 This reminds me of the Eric story of Jim Herd!!.

[@benespinosa6725]

​@@williammitchell4417 that's very interesting

[@williammitchell4417]

@@benespinosa6725 Quoting Arte Johnson 🤔 I just saw a clip from Laugh In!! I love KZbin!!!😁

[@benespinosa6725]

​@@williammitchell4417 lol

[@jamezmcc]

I could just imagine them showing Jim his office, him sitting down and immediately saying "This is fucking boring" and him never using it again 😂😂

[@joe_higachi]

Fuck call logs 😂😂

[@JustShootin]

Kelly Girls named that because they came from Kelly Temp Services.

[@anthonymackey222]

Jim, u may be talking about Girl Tuesday.

[@brandongarrel2825]

Jim is thinking of Kelly Services “Kelly Girls”

[@richardwolcott5567]

Vince McMahon said to Jim Cornette look pal I am going to have to cut your salary

[@Raveneffect1989]

Cut security, surely just wait for the APA

[@ksdnsdkumar1375]

@9:30 Did he say "extra cheese"?

[@T.H.U.G]

It was great 😆

[@doctheperfectfaceforradio6022]

@1753 I think Jim is thinking about "Tricks."

[@bashnagata3496]

Table of Authority would be a great stable name.

[@KRISTINARZ040579]

I wonder if the things on Linda’s list changed since she left her job as CEO.

[@RecruiterJJ]

I have a few years of revenue reports from wwf/wwe for the past 30 years. Interesting to see....

[@user-bb7nl7te1g]

I feel sorry rich or. Not the things Linda had to go through put up with.I hope she got most money for everything

[@irondragon8207]

“Kelly Girls” 18:00

[@brodywise4750]

17:26 Does anyone the name/phrase he’s talking about?

[@Brando-Lee3725]

This shits crazy ! I know WWF wasnt what they would be in the next couple years , but cmon man ! Is that really their main concern then ? What , a few 1000 bucks on catering each half quarter maybe at TV ? And WATER ? LOL ! It does all add up I guess !