WWE Divas - Not just about the "puppies"

The WWE has gone through a lot of different transitions, and is now currently on the PG Era iteration, where the content is such that no child that sees it gets a wrong message/impression. While the onus is definitely more on the parents rather than any external organization to moderate the content their child sees, perhaps the shift was made by WWE because it was, as Vince likes to say, “good for business”.

While the Attitude Era was certainly the most enjoyable, and I certainly turned out alright, even if I say so myself, and so didn’t understand the need to moderate content, the PG Era certainly brings in a lot more money for the company.

The idea, perhaps, was to get the kids hooked on to the product, which would mean the parents shouldn’t have any problem with the content. Of course, there is also the claim that the reason the shift was made by WWE was because Linda McMahon had political ambitions, and she couldn’t certainly hope for any success or support if the WWE continued its titillating and brash programming. Not that it helped, considering that she lost twice already!

For all we know, that may indeed have been the reason for the change in content. But it must have worked for the company, with the content being such that detractors could not claim a moral high ground. And so we have the John Cena era, a perennial “face” of the company, along with other permanent good guys such as Daniel Bryan, the Rock, etc. And they are not going to turn heels anytime soon, considering that the kids who idolize them would be disillusioned and hurt that their heroes betrayed their faith.

And that’s one reason why John Cena will never be a heel. With his association with Make-A-Wish foundation and with millions of children being his fans, him turning a heel is not only going to wreck everything that WWE has built up in terms of good will, but also has the potential of scarring many children emotionally.

Perhaps, one of the divisions that the WWE is ignoring in driving home the PG Era point of view is the Divas. Of course, there is no question of “puppies”, as Jerry Lawler liked to put it, ever making their appearance on TV or in the ring. But if the Divas were only ever going to be used for lewd segments, that would not be a good way to do business. Objectifying women would never help WWE in the present PG Era.

But legends like Trish Stratus and Lita have shown in the past that one can look beyond just the looks when it comes to Divas. They, with their incredible athleticism, showed that it was more than possible to get people interested in the Divas division for the wrestling show they put on. Lita’s high-flying leaps and Trish’s “Stratusfaction” have left many a memorable memory in the minds of the Attitude Era fans. And mind you, this was at a time when stripping inside the ring and having a “B & P” match were perfectly acceptable ways to grab eyeballs!

With that lewd show out of the picture, it seems the Divas have not had the same amount of exposure or importance given to them as was the case in the past. Now, it is more about cat fights and being fillers in the PPVs as well as the weekly shows. In fact, there is a serious lack of imagination when it comes to the Divas division, so much so that they are just copying things from the men (Yes, I am referring to AJ’s “pipebomb”!).

It, of course, gives genuine talents like Natalya some storyline to work with, and have some proper wrestling matches. But the more important point to note is that the Divas division can be promoted to show young girls that they need not be afraid or dependent on others for protection. This, perhaps, is an angle that would go down well with parents as well as the children.

And it shouldn’t be too hard to concoct something as well. There’s John Cena and Daniel Bryan who are already dating the Bella twins, Natalya’s with Tyson Kidd while Naomi is with Jimmy Uso. And AJ Lee is, well, AJ Lee. She’s had enough and more partners in her time in the WWE!

Surely, with all the stars in this group, the WWE Creative could come up with a storyline that will indeed make the Divas a more sellable division. Of course, I am not saying that Daniel Bryan and John Cena should concentrate solely on the Divas, but they can have it as a side show, lending credibility to the storyline.

With the Development Centre looking to get more wrestlers in, the earlier the Divas can get a creditable storyline, the better it would be for all concerned, and the fans, for one, need not have to worry about trying to think of ways to amuse themselves while the boring Divas matches are going on!