Guest Column: Diva Debate by Heather M.
Note from John: This is the third guest writer we’re debuting here on the blog. I thought it would be cool to get some perspective from a female fan. She’s a woman that is about to jump headfirst into the wrestling business as a wrestler herself. This first one’s about the divas, naturally. Hope you like it.
Hello John Report readers! I’m Heather and I’ll be your resident divas columnist. I’m 22 years old, I work in a video game store and I’ve been a loyal wrestling fan ever since Chyna first appeared as DX’s bodyguard. I’ve been writing stories for years, but only recently started writing columns about the divas. This coming spring I’ll begin my training to become a professional wrestler. It’s been a dream of mine since I was little and I have my fingers crossed that this is my year to make something happen. Alright, enough about me. On with the column!
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I, for one, am extremely happy to see the WWE finally giving the divas of Smackdown a proper storyline. One that is taking it’s time and developing slowly. I’ll admit it started a little rocky but it’s become something that the fans are getting into and the divas are thriving. But what makes this storyline work?
The writing. Many of us, myself included, have had major gripes with the creative staff and their “fresh ideas” but they’ve actually come up with something not only good but relevant. Women and weight/appearance issues is something that has been discussed and debated for years and it draws in the female viewers, regardless of whether they think it’s tasteless or take it for what it is: a story.
The biggest factor in this, though, is the divas involved. They have great chemistry and there is such believability in what they’re saying that the viewer can feel for Mickie and wants to see Michelle get what’s coming to her. Not to mention to conflict of whether Beth will turn face or not.
Mickie’s move to Smackdown was the best thing to happen to her at this point in her career because a storyline like this would have never worked on Raw. Michelle McCool and Layla make perfect mean girls. You can see them being those girls that walk down the halls like they’re the perfect in every way. Mickie and Maria, who are best friends in real life, make for your perfect misfits of the ‘heavier’ friend and the ‘thin’ friend. While Beth is the conflicted bully unsure whether to be with the cool kids or stand along side with her fellow outsiders. It’s high school played out all over again.
Imagine this storyline if Mickie and Beth stayed on Raw. You’d have Kelly Kelly taking the place of Maria and most likely Maryse and Alicia Fox in place of Team La-Cool. It would never work. Maryse fits with the whole ‘I’m better than you’ persona, but you can barely make out what she’s saying in English when she’s not speaking in French. The fans would lose interest real fast. Alicia would make a good sidekick though. She’s developing slowly, but there’s something there. I like her as a heel. She just needs to get better in the ring and get on the mic more. Kelly Kelly…she’s skinny and pretty? That’s all I got. I’m not that big of a fan.
When I really thought about the difference in the two brands and how this storyline would have played out, it all comes down to one thing: The divas personality.
On Raw, there are only two divas with distinct personalities rivaling Smackdown’s four. That’s not much to be proud of but it’s shows the lack of creativity in the ladies themselves.
People are quick to blame the writers for failed storylines but when your talent lacks a personality then your storyline will suffer. I feel like the divas of today have lost their spark and the blame falls not just on them but on the company itself.
The focus has drifted from finding talented, trained women to pulling the prettiest girl who shows up to a casting call, teach her how to throw a clothesline and call her a wrestler. Your face divas are all the same. They put on a smile, hop down to the ring and pull out the same set of moves. Your heels all walk down with a frown and their hips swinging but don’t portray that intensity anywhere else in the ring.
It’s sad because there are divas in the rosters that have so much potential and could do so well but aren’t given the chance. Gail is finally getting a push while Natalya is stuck in the valet role.
Seeing trained talent like that go to waste so the diva search winners can go out and job every week is disheartening. I have high hopes for Gail and Maryse. I want a good feud to develop with them because they’re all Raw really has with Melina out. Eve’s got potential as well as Alicia while Jillian just needs to get a whole gimmick makeover if she ever wants to be taken seriously (which I hope happens because that girl deserves a break.).
Smackdown is on the right track with their diva division. They have a solid feud going on, they have huge talent and a newcomer that looks promising. It would be the cherry on top of a nice sundae if we get a Beth/Natalya feud somewhere down the road. They teased us with some tests of strength during the triple threat with Beth/Mickie/Natalya a few months ago but I want a physical, 10 minute match out of these girls.
I have hopes that things will change for the divas in the coming year but I’m not going to hold my breath for a miracle. I’m taking what I can get and hope for the best.
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That’s all she wrote! I’d love to hear what you guys think so feel free to email, message or tweet me with your thoughts, opinions, rants, etc. I’m a tough girl. I can take it.
Email: tinystar_girl@hotmail.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/heather.mer
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/heather_mer
And a big thank you to John for letting me take part in his blog as well. I look forward to future posts!
TJRWrestling 
Before the Mickie/McCool feud, I was really wondering (and really angry) about why all of the Diva Search-type wrestlers were having all the matches while Natalya is stuck in the valet spot (where those Diva Search people should be). Now, it dosen’t matter as much since they have some women who can ctually wrestle; of course I’d still like to see Natalya wrestle some more.
I’m glad to see that someone else thinks that Jillian deserves a break. I wonder how she would have to change though. Maybe she could actually sing GOOD. Win a match, rub it in her opponents face by singing her insults. Kind of like how John Cena rapped before. I don’t know.
Nice to see a column about the Divas. And from a woman’s prospective too.
Great first post. You are the first person to explain the Mickie James storyline to me in a way that makes sense. Up until your column, I thought it was in terrible taste and only a punishment for her on her way out of the WWE. I still don’t like it, but in wrestling, you can’t please everyone.
Reading about the Divas is fresh, and you offer a lot more than the typical…. “X diva should be pushed because she is hot. Maybe she will learn how to have a match longer than 2 minutes and 30 seconds before she is no longer hot.” Good stuff. It made me actually think about the individual divas as wrestling characters and not as Mickie James, Gail Kim, and eye-candy.
If you are planning to be a wrestler, you should not write about the divas. If you write about divas, you will have to make a choice between objectivity and burning bridges before they are built. I would recommend not writing about the WWE either. But you are an adult, so you have to do what you think is best for your career. In my opinion, making enemies when you are the low person on the totem pole isn’t smart. But if your writing kisses the right peoples hindquarters, maybe it can get you the “in” necessary to break in to the business. You would need to sacrifice journalistic integrity, but it seems like the wrestling business is all about sacrificing integrity.
Good Luck either way. I liked the article. Hopefully we will get to read more.
“The focus has drifted from finding talented, trained women to pulling the prettiest girl who shows up to a casting call, teach her how to throw a clothesline and call her a wrestler. Your face divas are all the same. They put on a smile, hop down to the ring and pull out the same set of moves. Your heels all walk down with a frown and their hips swinging but don’t portray that intensity anywhere else in the ring.”
Amen. This about sums up why I’m so quick to make the statements I’ve made in the past, which pretty much are that they should cut the diva matches and keep the ones with the best stick skills to serve as valets to the boobs that can’t get over. Instead, they take the ones without any skills and stick them with people and then bury them. Masters has actually made me chuckle a few times…when he’s on TV. (And who’s the chick that escorts him and never speaks? Rosa Mendes? Maybe?)
Anyway, if they actually put a few out there that understood ring psychology and were technically proficient, they’d hold their own in the segment ratings, as well as with the in-arena crowd. The crap they throw out there now is just an excuse to go back to the ball game on ESPN.
And, to Heather M, best of luck with your training and the future.
Cool to see a fellow female man. The storyline on SD isn’t good… it’s nothing to take seriously and be like “oh it’s finally getting somewhere”. Why? Because Mickie James won the belt after hitting one move (something John C never even commented on because he was so happy her dream girl won the title from that big meanie girl). Because they all get 3 or 4 minutes in the ring. Because the Piggie James storyline sucked. Because McCool, while improved, still sucks when she talks and copies moves. Because Leyla is just a jobber. Because WWE doesn’t take women seriously.
Oh and Eve doesn’t have potential. She sucks. She botches and starts ruining everything once she’s tagged in. And yeah, when she’s tagged in because 99% of all diva matches are tags just to showcase how ‘sexy, smart and powerful (<lol)' the divas are. This really pisses me off. If people wanted to see gorgeous skinny models, go somewhere else.
Maryse is an example of that, but she's a personal favorite. I like her a lot. She pulls of the 'I'm better than you' character better than the others heels who portrays the same persona.
Gail Kim push? Wait to see her lose to Maryse. Vince is clearly allergic to talented women. Gail Kim is the best female wrestler there to me…and although she's not very charismatic, she's a great in-ring wrestler. She can work with her persona though if given a chance. That's the problem though.
Alicia Fox… I've never taken her seriously. Maybe it's because she looks silly when she comes to the ring with her fake heel face. It's not believable lol.
Vince is allegic to talented women. Always has been and always will be. I was hoping he would get better with age, but he still thinks with the wrong head when dealing with women.
I may be in the minority, but I think Gail Kim is the total package. I think she would do well if given greater responsibility. But Vince obviously has disagreed with me for the last 10 years.
Mickie and Gail are the total package. Maryse is unbelievably hot. The rest all blend together. They have no personality, largely can’t wrestle, and do not at all diferentiate themselves from each other. When anyone besides my top 3 are on, it is time to turn the channel or answer email.
At least in TNA the female wrestlers have personality, can wrestle, and are easy on the eyes. I look forward to TNA womens matches. Without the Mickie, Gail, or Maryse, in the WWE, who cares? It becomes a good opportunity to pay the bills or get a snack.
Also, one of the divas sleeps with dead people, and that is really gross and nasty.
I for one would much rather a good quality wrestling match from the women every once in a while – a few women that could actually wrestle come to mind (showing my age here…)
Alundra Blayze and Leilani Kai had a good technical match at Wrestlemania X, and Bull Nakano was another believable wrestler – sure they weren’t all that great to look at, but they were well trained and could have a good wrestling match, not just a cat fight. Things have changed since then.
Recently I suppose Lita comes to mind as someone with both looks and skills, but to be honest these days I don’t bother watching the women much. As someone said above “If people wanted to see gorgeous skinny models, go somewhere else.” There sure are plenty of places to go for that… I enjoy watching wrestling. But that’s just my opinion :)
Lita was nothing more than a spot monkey, same as the two guys she was with….Good reference on the Alundra Blaze and Bull Nakano though. I’d forgotten about them, but you’re right, they did put on a fairly believable match, as well as storyline building up to the match.
Nice to read a female perspective on divas.
would be nice to hear what you think about rest of the card.
I’ve definitely have some thoughts on the rest of the card. I’ll plan something out and do my thoughts on the male roster as well. =]
I wonder if Heather M. works at GameStop?
burnedbytheman.com/politics/the-gamestop-conspiracy-the-final-solution
As a matter of fact, I do work at Gamestop. Been there for 5 years now and I found that site extremely funny. I don’t know where that person lives but that’s not the case at the stores in my area. Some guys just need to get over it and learn that girls can game with the best of them.
Great post, it’s nice to find other female fans! Good luck with your training.
It’s really rare to see a column dedicated to the divas and this one was really good.
I also hope that things change for the divas with more meaningful feuds but i don’t think it will ever happen, that’s why i’m enoining the mickie-michelle-beth stuff, despite the start of it.
Anyway, nice post.
I’m going to start a blog next Sunday that will solely be about the Divas. I’d like for everyone to read it and give me your feedback. I will rundown their matches, their characters, where they can and need to improve and what feuds I’d like to see. It should be very interesting if it turns out how I envision it.