Dispatches from the Lake: This One Goes out to All the Ladies

Along with JBL, these two twits are a disservice to women in WWE Photo Credit: WWE.com

I get mad at the commentators on RAW quite a bit. When JBL came on a while back to replace Jerry Lawler after his heart attack, I had some high hopes. Michael Cole pumped the brake on his horrific heel character (though I still miss the Cole Mine with all my heart), and things were looking up. Once Lawler came back, we had a three man booth who weren’t allowed to think their own thoughts screaming over each other about twerking - not the improvement I was looking for. I look back at that past version of me and shake my head at her foolish hopes, especially after the commentary during the women’s Survivor Series match on Sunday.

I don’t understand a lot of how the WWE does business, but it seems to me that if they are giving a match a sizable chunk of their show, they are going to do their best putting it over and trying to keep those watching at home engaged. The last time I can remember the commentators doing this was that NXT tag team match on Raw about a month or two ago. I’m sure Triple H was on the other end of the earpieces promising death most painful if they did their usual dump on everything routine.

So, why can’t they do that for every match? Just like interesting characters and engaging storylines, WWE proves again that they can do something; they just don’t want to put the effort into doing it on a regular basis. That would be too hard.

JBL, Cole and Lawler carried on a conversation like there wasn’t a match going on five feet in front of their stupid faces. It was like they clicked off their monitors, kicked back in their chairs, and started chatting about that one Survivor Series match Lawler was supposed to be in from years and years ago. Um, hi, yeah, I’m watching the current match going on in the year 2014. How about you offer some insight into it other than "bitches be crazy?"

WWE goes out of its way to marginalize the women’s wrestlers on its program to a point where I wonder why the hell they even bother with it in the first place. I want women’s wrestling on my television, but I want the company that provides it to want it too. I think you’d have to blind not to see the improvement over the last few years of people like the Bella Twins and Naomi, or the skill being showcased down in NXT by the women’s wrestlers there. You’ve got SARA DEL REY training the women down at the performance center. WHY ARE YOU WASTING ALL OF THIS?

WWE has the pieces to make something great of their women’s division, but instead they throw a belt with a vagina at them with the motivation that they are psycho nutjobs with no friends, because women are incapable of being friends with other women, amirite?

If the company can get behind the women and show that they are behind them through improved stories and commentary that isn’t mind-numbingly dismissive or offensive, the viewers will be more inclined to get behind them. That’s kind of the point of having commentary in the first place. It’s supposed to enhance the match (see Chikarason, Leonard F).

There are always going to be people who use the women’s matches as a bathroom break, but if the women are promoted properly, some of those people will stay to watch the match. If they stay to watch the match, they might find a new wrestler to get behind. They might need a t-shirt to show their support. They’ll buy tickets to the show where they can wear their t-shirt to show their support. More stars on the show equals more money. And as a company, isn’t that what’s best for business?