The high stakes involved in the McMahon/Bella feud is reminiscent of the catfights of the rich and powerful on such shows as the 1980's drama "Dynasty," or daytime soap operas for years. The innocent Brie, devoted wife of the injured former champion, who Stephanie McMahon wants to destroy. Brie not only has to fight for him, she has to fight for her career.
(Brie is cuffed six days before Summerslam-Photo credit: WWE.com)
Stephanie has abused her power as any despotic queen would in such a story. She forced Brie's twin sister Nikki into handicap matches and other beat downs. Brie struck back by getting Stephanie arrested for aggravated assault and marched up the ramp in cuffs.
Stephanie hit back as expected on the August 11 Raw. In a shamelessly fabricated masterstroke to push Mrs. Daniel Bryan over the edge, Stephanie calls up Bryan's physical therapist Megan Miller (played by Chelsea Green, aka ECCW wrestler Jaida) to tearfully tell the audience how she had a torrid love affair with him. Brie immediately came down to the ring, bitchslapped Megan and then put Stephanie in a rather sloppy version of the yes lock. Playing right into the Bitch Goddess Stephanie's hands, a match is booked for later in the show, where Brie is then charged with battery, cuffed and walked out in her tights.
(The "Other Woman Megan Miller"-Photo Credit: WWE.com)
Much like soap opera stories and other media targeted at young women, we have a devoted yet empowered wife fighting for her life, husband and family against a powerful vixen archetype hell bent on destroying her at all costs. WWE has also reached into the soap opera bag of tricks with the Divas title feud between Paige and AJ Lee.
Title feuds are generally straightforward. The belt symbolizes the holder is the best. Both competitors want to be number one and in pro wrestling, one usually goes about it in a more ethical fashion than the other. Curiously, Paige and AJ's fight, while following this paradigm to a degree, has been told more like an episode of "Pretty Little Liars," "Gossip Girl," or any other drama targeting young women. The belt is being treated almost like a boy at the heart of a love triangle. Think about it. We know how Paige won the Diva's title, then lost it in June when AJ returned and how it's unfolded from there, with stereotypically female duplicitous barbs intermingled with bursts of violence. If you summarize the feud and replace "Diva's Title" with "boyfriend" it goes like this . . .
(AJ will stop at nothing to keep her man--I mean belt-photo credit: WWE.com)
The new girl in town Paige secretly wants AJ's boyfriend. She's very friendly and tells AJ how lucky she is to have him. AJ senses the venom behind the sugary words and challenges her to try and take him away. Paige does and AJ leaves, shattered for three months. Just as Paige is done defeating all who want to come between her and her new boyfriend, AJ returns and suddenly the relationship doesn't look so solid anymore. AJ makes him realize she was the one all along and steals him back! Paige doesn't get overtly angry, though. She tells AJ how much she respects her and that they can still be friends even during this awkward situation. The story has unfolded with Paige getting in AJ's head and has her always looking over her shoulder, as she will do anything to keep the boy she loves.
(Paige takes delight in the girl snark that preludes the tough bumps in this feud-photo credit: WWE.com)
Granted the cattiness is augmented with violence--more violence than we've generally seen in Diva feuds in the PG era--but switching titles for lovers is how WWE is telling what's regarded in popular media as a story targeted at young women. This marks a seeming change in thought over how women are marketed to in WWE programming.
Before, women were targeted through the sex appeal of their male stars, either by pushing tough guys men could look up to that were attractive to the opposite sex, or through hero types like John Cena that moms could let their kids look up to. Now, with two protracted feuds involving the Divas coming to a head at Summerslam, the company is taking notes from other popular media and using the women themselves to draw in a larger female audience.
Time will tell if WWE is on the mark, or if this the equivalent of selling a pink toolbox at Walmart and calling it "tools for ladies."
Wes Kozalla
No comments:
Post a Comment