This article was originally posted on Nerdgasm Noire Network under the title “WWE Tackles Abuse And Fails To Get It? Surprise Face!” and can be found in its entirety there.
The following is an excerpt I wrote for them about Daniel Bryan and AJ on Piper’s Pit this past Tuesday on Smackdown. So please check out the article, and please take some time to check out their site because they do nerd shit!
In men’s wrestling, the storylines are varied, but the Superstars are always manly, macho, often times good-looking, and usually they are painted as badasses…no matter what their gimmick is. Why should this not be so in women’s wrestling? Why does WWE constantly paint us as weak, stupid, selfish, conceited, man-hungry, conniving whores? Oh yeah, that’s varied alright. Varied stereotypes and tropes which all lead to the same conclusion: WWE is not a woman-friendly company.
So, what’s the motivation for this storyline? They are using the storyline as a pawn to get Daniel Bryan over as a heel. Daniel Bryan as a heel has not been working, the fans don’t buy it. So, instead of making him a face again, they up the ante and write the most offensive and horrible shit possible into his storyline to make the fans hate him. The abuse is a prop…it’s just a vehicle to heeldom. They aren’t making any larger point, or even attempting to make any larger point. In the end, A.J., a female wrestler is getting abused on TV because they want you to hate this Daniel Bryan guy so they can make more money.
No seriously, Nerdgasm Noire does lots of nerd shit! Don’t forget to check them out!
