The One “Bitch”

Have you guys noticed how WWE allows only one “bitch” per episode? The trend started a few weeks ago, and has remained consistent on both Raw and Smackdown ever since. To sum it up, one superstar is allowed to call another a bitch – but only once – per episode. The segment that is usually “the chosen one” is emotionally driven – and partially fact-based. For example, last night on Smackdown Maryse called Nikki Bella a bitch. This was a good use of their one “bitch” because – according to Total Divas (it is very difficult separating real from fake) –  Maryse and Nikki Bella have real issues with each other. WWE has been doing a tremendous job using the superstars’ real lives in storyline. For example, Natalya and Carmella bringing up the fact that John refuses to marry Nikki. When some aspect of what they’re saying is real, the superstars perform the storyline better. They can easily tap into their real emotions, and the fans can feel that. At that heightened moment of real emotion, a superstar throws the word “bitch” into the conversation, taking the exchange to the next level, and taking fans back in time to an era that is very much missed.

Basically, WWE’s goal with the one “bitch” per episode, is to try to make this current era less PG, which has been a known problem for fans of the attitude era for quite a while. WWE needs to broaden its audience: it should not just appeal to children.

WWE is not ready to go rated R again – but they may be trying to test the waters in an attempt to go PG-13. In my opinion, this is a step in the right direction, but the WWE cannot and should not attempt to please everyone. Its success has come from being unapologetically risqué.