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)?
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)?