Lisa asks…
Question about TNA's Madison Rayne/Tara storyline and sexualization of women within the company?
sexism n. Discrimination based on gender, especially discrimination against women. Attitudes, conditions, or behaviors that promote stereotyping of. I would appreciate you reading this, as, although it does indeed seem long, in actuality, it is not, and will most likely take only five minutes for you to do so. This is an interesting topic that I believe could spark off some good replies/answers. Hulk Hogan and co. (i.e. WCW, WWF/WWE, close friend and match director of CCW, Brutus Beefcake) have always been sexist. Jim Cornette has talked openly about this issue in the past, and a vast amount of proof lies also on Hogan's show "Celebrity Championship Wrestling". Not only has Total Nonstop Action fallen victim to his and Vince Russo's generally dreadful, collaborative ideas, but also to his (amongst other people's) sexist ways. In the last year, TNA have sexualized their female roster more so than ever before and the skill apparent within it has down-sized noticeably. This is, most probably, an attempt to steal over the WWE Diva's large, generally perverted male fanbase and thus compete with WWE's large number of viewers. Take the current Madison Rayne and Tara storyline, for example. Both parties are - quite obviously - being portrayed as either a lesbian couple or two friends who are sexual toward each other in favor of the crowd. I would, however, claim it more likely that the first of the two possibilities is the correct one (i.e. both characters are introvertedly sexual, as opposed to extrovertedly - The Beautiful People, however, are *extrovertedly* sexual, but are not portraying gay characters, merely taunting the crowd ((which is the main difference between introverted characters and extroverted characters; introvertedly sexual characters are more likely to be a part of an on-screen relationship as the attention is shared mainly between only the two of them)); both are heel -- a face lesbian couple would typically equate to being "cute" and would generally involve less sexual interaction, whereas a heel lesbian couple would typically equate to being "sexy" ((which links to what I mentioned earlier about the obvious sexualization ((and therefore sexism)) of the statistical majority of TNA's female wrestlers, including the on-topic names of Madison Rayne and Tara)) etc). The "sexy" lesbian couple storyline (heel) is the greaterly-sexist/sexist of the two that appeals more so to general male viewers of entertainment television, thus attracting more viewers (more viewers = collectively larger fanbase/higher ratings), but, of course, simultaneously degrades women's wrestling and statistical fan intelligence of wrestling as an entirety. The "cute"/fan favorite-for-non-sexual-reasons lesbian couple storyline (face) is the lesser-sexist/non-sexist of the two that I believe would have gone over with the fans of wrestling that watch TNA/women's wrestling for the wrestling/respectfully, better so than the "sexy" lesbian (heel) storyline has done; but, of course, Hulk Hogan is a businessman, and businessmen know that to be big, you must be relevant, because being relevant equates to being popular. To non-wrestling fans (WWE's main audience and TNA's future main-audience/TNA's womens wrestling's current main audience) Entertainment > Wrestling, Sexy > Cute, and Dumbed Down and Like-Minded Fellow Members of Audience > Wrestling Educated Fellow Members of Audience. Therefore, in Hulk Hogan's/TNA's opinion: Sexism/Higher Ratings/Unloyal FanBase > Female Wrestlers/(Slightly) Lower Ratings/Loyal FanBase. Madison and Tara also have sexually-dominated wrestling career pasts - Madison with TBP, and Tara with Candice and Torrie, etc. This again proves my point in saying that the storyline was created only to attract more viewers and spike ratings; TNA specifically picked two characters that have already been over once before as - predominantly - sexual objects. There are several other factors to TNA - not just Madison Rayne and Tara's storyline - each of which support what I am saying here, of course. To note: I think that the Madison Rayne/Tara storyline could have been absolutely fantastic, if it hadn't been for Vince Russo, Hulk Hogan, the rest of Total Nonstop Action's writers/authority figures, and the aspect of which dumbed down the storyline/cliched it/let it down completely - sexualization. My question is: Do you believe TNA is becoming sexist in an attempt to boost ratings and compete with WWE (i.e. their fanbase total, their ratings, their status, etc)? BY Sexism I MEAN: SEXUALIZATION BASED ON GENDER. Therefore; the Tara/Madison Rayne story line is sexualization/an irrelevant-to-wrestling way to attract ratings. READ WHAT I HAVE WRITTEN PROPERLY. @Captain: Several female wrestlers (including TNA's) have talked openly about how the division is being degraded/down-sized talent-wise because of these specific people (amongst - of course - others) of whom are "fine" with being sexualized/simultaneously representing the women's wrestling industry as nothing more than a - again - sexualized attraction for men. The WWE Divas - for example - are fine with their jobs/sexualized roles; however - others are not (TNA's female *wrestlers* have talked about this on numerous occasions) because the WWE is the largest wrestling company in the world - thus - it is the first wrestling company of which people will watch. They therefore gain slanted images of what women's "wrestling" is. TNA are recruiting female "wrestlers" of whom resemble the WWE Divas greatly in a bid for ratings - the more they do this - the less females they have of which can actually wrestle - thus blocking out/replacing the voiced annoyance of the real female *wrestlers*. If the sexualization of TNA's female roster gains higher ratings as opposed to criticism from fans (for the purpose of directing the company to gain higher ratings the harder but right way - recruiting female *wrestlers* who are there *not* to be sexualized) then - just like WWE - they will recruit them as part of a general routine until the whole division (or majority of) resembles the WWE's. WWE is - without question - sexist; this has again been stated openly by several former FCW/WWE female wrestlers - some of whom now work for/used to work for TNA (prior to Jan 2010). WWE fans perceive the obvious sexualization of each WWE Diva as "normal". Of course - it is normal - *in entertainment*. TNA *was* a wrestling company - but as I have said before - since the arrival of Hulk Hogan and co. (extremely sexist; as proven by their show "CCW") the company has become *entertainment* while diminishing/ignoring the discomfort/annoyance of several TNA female *wrestlers*. Do you see what I mean *now* - or do you still have a point to prove in defence of Hulk Hogan's attempted version of TNA "Wrestling"? Tara has complained. Taylor Wilde has complained. Sarita has complained. Each of these people have complained both about the direction of the company *and* of the sexualized wrestlers appearing on television in place of them. There have been several unnamed sources of whom work for TNA that have stated a few of TNA's female wrestlers have complained about Hulk Hogan. Sexualization is not something needed to be investigated. If that were so WWE would be in a very tight position with the way they're treating and portraying their female roster. Lacey Von Erich complained (directly) of sexism within World Wrestling Entertainment in stating that the choreographers *told* the females that - regardless of their actual capability - they were not allowed to perform certain moves because "they were women - and women can't do that". Previously stated sources have talked about how some of the knockouts feel this way about the company - with one name being mentioned in - again - Shantelle Mawalski. There are two ways to get ratings (if you are the owner of a wrestling company) out of your female wrestler's spots. One is to sexualize them - which is - of course - the sell out/entertainment-over-wrestling/easy way. The other is to work with them as *wrestlers*; to help them advance and thus put on greater - more entertaining - *matches* (as opposed to entertaining the crowd/viewers with light suggestions of "sex") and to compete with WWE by utterly destroying the WWE Diva's status as "wrestlers" in being perceived by fans as some of the best *wrestlers* in TNA and some of the best *female* wrestlers in the United States/world. This is the hard way - but also - the best way. Take "Lita" for example. Erase the mass level of sexualization (sex on live television - for example) and replace it with a much lighter version while also adding a greater wrestling ability/better choreography. Add her to TNA. Now add several of these to TNA = Widely respected; (proven:) better ratings. Of course - for this idea to work - you would *have* to dispose of Vince Russo to make way for a better writer and Hogan to make way for a better experienced/better overall promoter/*wrestling* company owner. Of course -- that's just not going to happen. They will be TNA's downfall; and the way things are going *proves* it. Instead of possibly one of the greatest storylines in the history of women's wrestling (Madison Rayne/Tara) - the audience will have to (and - apparantly - will *gladly*) settle for a terribly cheap - cliched - hugely sexualized - dumbed down and degrading storyline because "it helps the company with ratings". It's lazy - period - and although it may be seen as "smart" - competing with WWE's Divas in the way I have described would be absolutely flat-out *genius*. Can you not see the potential Madison Rayne and Tara's storyline had? The way it's going now however will leave it being remembered as "just" another failed creation from the combined "intellect" of H&R. I say it would be genius - by the way - for one reason and one reason only; not because I am arrogant (I am not in the least and find this debate with you to be considerably interesting) - but because past ratings prove so. In short: Make the gimmick and promo spots - but mainly the *matches*/storylines - (much) more entertaining and there'd be no need for the mass sexualization that has taken off quite vastly since January 2010. Or - rather simply - stop being lazy - stop being illogically loyal (i.e. Hulk to Russo and etc.) - and start to *think* outside of your currently failing box - because - as the owner of the world's second largest wrestling company - that is exactly what you should be doing.
Our pick of the answers:
THEY ARE A WRESTLING COMPANY. The main aim IS to increase ratings and attract customers from their rivals and if this tara and madison rayne thing is the way to do it then so be it. If it is so sexist then i trust tara and madison and the other knockouts wouldn't stand for it. They have voices themselves, if they feel they are being discriminated against then they will say until then don't cy sexual discrimination when you are not backstage or work for the company. EDIT: I have read what you have said and my point is it doesnt matter how they increase ratings, the whole point is to increase ratings and compete with WWE. If this sexulization is the way to do it then so be it. Why are you complaining, like i said if tara,madison and the other knockouts dont have a problem with it why do you. If you dont like it then you dont have to watch TNA. EDIT 2: Half of the female wrestlers for one who made a comment about wwe sexulizing of females were more concerned about taking a pop at their former employye and if they were in TNA, taking a pop at their rivals and not a all concerned with the sexulization of the industry. I say once more TNA is first and foremost a business, providing quality wrestling is a concern of theirs but ultimately it comes behind the need to increase ratings, make profits and compete with WWE. Those three are TNAs main concerns and of this story i the way to achieve those goals then like i said they should do it. TNA would be absolutly stupid to not run this angle if it will increase ratings. I say once more has any CURRENT TNA female complained about TNAs CURRENT direction with the knockouts. If not than i see no problem. Sexulization based on gender like you said it was is a form of sexual discrimination and sexual discrimination is a crime. If that was the case in TNA i believe it would be investigated.
Sharon asks…
Do you believe TNA are becoming sexist in an attempt to boost ratings/compete with WWE's overall fanbase?
sexism n. Discrimination based on gender, especially discrimination against women. Attitudes, conditions, or behaviors that promote stereotyping of. I would appreciate you reading this, as, although it does indeed seem long, in actuality, it is not, and will most likely take only five minutes for you to do so. This is an interesting topic that I believe could spark off some good replies/answers. Hulk Hogan and co. (i.e. WCW, WWF/WWE, close friend and match director of CCW, Brutus Beefcake) have always been sexist. Jim Cornette has talked openly about this issue in the past, and a vast amount of proof lies also on Hogan's show "Celebrity Championship Wrestling". Not only has Total Nonstop Action fallen victim to his and Vince Russo's generally dreadful, collaborative ideas, but also to his (amongst other people's) sexist ways. In the last year, TNA have sexualized their female roster more so than ever before and the skill apparent within it has down-sized noticeably. This is, most probably, an attempt to steal over the WWE Diva's large, generally perverted male fanbase and thus compete with WWE's large number of viewers. Take the current Madison Rayne and Tara storyline, for example. Both parties are - quite obviously - being portrayed as either a lesbian couple or two friends who are sexual toward each other in favor of the crowd. I would, however, claim it more likely that the first of the two possibilities is the correct one (i.e. both characters are introvertedly sexual, as opposed to extrovertedly - The Beautiful People, however, are *extrovertedly* sexual, but are not portraying gay characters, merely taunting the crowd ((which is the main difference between introverted characters and extroverted characters; introvertedly sexual characters are more likely to be a part of an on-screen relationship as the attention is shared mainly between only the two of them)); both are heel -- a face lesbian couple would typically equate to being "cute" and would generally involve less sexual interaction, whereas a heel lesbian couple would typically equate to being "sexy" ((which links to what I mentioned earlier about the obvious sexualization ((and therefore sexism)) of the statistical majority of TNA's female wrestlers, including the on-topic names of Madison Rayne and Tara)) etc). The "sexy" lesbian couple storyline (heel) is the greaterly-sexist/sexist of the two that appeals more so to general male viewers of entertainment television, thus attracting more viewers (more viewers = collectively larger fanbase/higher ratings), but, of course, simultaneously degrades women's wrestling and statistical fan intelligence of wrestling as an entirety. The "cute"/fan favorite-for-non-sexual-reasons lesbian couple storyline (face) is the lesser-sexist/non-sexist of the two that I believe would have gone over with the fans of wrestling that watch TNA/women's wrestling for the wrestling/respectfully, better so than the "sexy" lesbian (heel) storyline has done; but, of course, Hulk Hogan is a businessman, and businessmen know that to be big, you must be relevant, because being relevant equates to being popular. To non-wrestling fans (WWE's main audience and TNA's future main-audience/TNA's womens wrestling's current main audience) Entertainment > Wrestling, Sexy > Cute, and Dumbed Down and Like-Minded Fellow Members of Audience > Wrestling Educated Fellow Members of Audience. Therefore, in Hulk Hogan's/TNA's opinion: Sexism/Higher Ratings/Unloyal FanBase > Female Wrestlers/(Slightly) Lower Ratings/Loyal FanBase. Madison and Tara also have sexually-dominated wrestling career pasts - Madison with TBP, and Tara with Candice and Torrie, etc. This again proves my point in saying that the storyline was created only to attract more viewers and spike ratings; TNA specifically picked two characters that have already been over once before as - predominantly - sexual objects. There are several other factors to TNA - not just Madison Rayne and Tara's storyline - each of which support what I am saying here, of course. To note: I think that the Madison Rayne/Tara storyline could have been absolutely fantastic, if it hadn't been for Vince Russo, Hulk Hogan, the rest of Total Nonstop Action's writers/authority figures, and the aspect of which dumbed down the storyline/cliched it/let it down completely - sexualization. My question is: Do you believe TNA is becoming sexist in an attempt to boost ratings and compete with WWE (i.e. their fanbase total, their ratings, their status, etc)?
Our pick of the answers:
It took me 5 minutes to read all that and I will answer in a second, NO! Honestly, You are over-thinking things and assuming that guys are perverts and the women are being used sexually to attract male viewers, both assumptions are wrong, ratings reflect that fact, since TNA isn't getting any more ratings by pulling off sexual stunts with the KOs! Since Hogan and Bischoff arrived in TNA, the KO division hasn't changed much at all, and the BPs have always been a heavily sexual group, it is part of their characters, H and B sexualized the Male division more so, with Orlando Jordan's Bi character than they did with the Ko's, and most of the guys are half dressed as well going out to the ring, women think they are hot, so, should I assume that All Women are perverts and the reason the guys aren't covered up, and their is a Bi-sexual man in TNA, is because TNA, Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, and Vince Russo is sexist, I think not, I think you should grow up a little too, honestly, if they are doing the sexual storylines with the Men, then why is it such a problem that they do it with the women, it isn't sexist!
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