The hopes of many fans were dashed when WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, in an interview with Sportskeedia and Gary Cassidy, said the WWE will remain PG, but will continue to push some boundaries with storylines like the near universally hated Lana, Rusev, and Bobby Lashey.
“Well, we’re still going to be PG, family friendly, but there is room to push the envelope in some cases. In terms of the Lana-Bobby Lashley storyline, WWE is like a variety show. It is, at the end of the day, competition-based, but especially on RAW and SmackDown, you have more of those soap operatic storylines, and that’s why it’s been showcased on RAW.” – Stephanie McMahon
PG equals money
Let’s face it, as much as we want to see a TV-14 rating return to the WWE’s Raw and Smackdown brands, PG is where the money is. The WWE was geared toward children during the Golden Era of the 80s and 90s, as their cartoonish characters filled our television screens and imagination. There were toys everywhere from the plush Wrestling Buddies to the LJN Wrestling Superstars (The more fun of the toy, in my opinion). Not to mention Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling cartoon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_6pnBs1N2c
The need to adjust into the Attitude Era put an end to that, but the WWE rebranded itself into a PG family friendly show a decade ago and has made a solid name for itself since.
Unfortunately, it’s also left a bad taste in many fan’s mouths.
It’s not that we hate the PG Era, but the storylines have become stale and simplistic that there are very few surprises. Add to it that most of the time it feels like the wrestlers are forcing their lines and it destroys the imagery they’re trying to create. Part of it is it’s difficult to connect with a lot of the current superstars, like they’re in the wrong roles or are finding their way back to were they belong like Daniel Bryan and Seth Rollins.
It’s a family business
Vince McMahon is an entertainer at heart, and so is his family. It’s in their blood, as Stephanie, Shane, and even his wife Linda have joined Vince in playing roles on screen and in the ring over the years. Add in Triple H as Stephanie’s husband, and they have the market cornered.
Each of them have sacrificed and worked around the clock when needed to help the WWE grow, so there’s no denying their dedication. They want to entertain us, but they also want to keep it wholesome while giving us something extra to keep us intrigued.
The problem here is it’s not what the fans want, and it’s why we seek out alternatives that Vince and company are busy trying to contain or put under to ensure their own survival. Mick Foley once said he took exception to Eric Bischoff’s Godfather-like view of the Monday Night Wars being just business and nothing personal. Wonder if those in the smaller companies McMahon has dealt with feel similar?
In the end, it comes down to whether we find them interesting enough to watch, and given how much the company has continued to grow over the years, I think it’s a safe bet we will.
