SixMovesOfDoom
Occasional Pre-Show
Call this a little bit of historiographical reasoning for a pro-wrestling world, but I am wondering if we at the IWC haven't mislabeled this era of pro-wrestling history, specifically the history of the WWE.
The modern age of pro-wrestling is usually dubbed the "PG Era" of WWE. It is contrasted with the Attitude Era and Ruthless Aggression Era. It is called this because it is most known in the opinions of many for its lack of blood, general absence of overtly sexual content, and other similar sedations.
We bemoan the lack of chair shots to the head, the lack of blood for cage matches, and the lack of improvised monologues due to concerns over profane content.
Yet maybe there is something even more distinct about the "PG Era", something that we omit to mention because it is so pervasive. This thing has led me to feel that maybe, just maybe we have mislabeled this era of WWE history.
This is not the PG Era, it is the "Deal With It" Era. The name of this era, of course, derives from Batista's shouted remarks to boos at the Royal Rumble after he won a match so many wanted Daniel Bryan to win, let alone even enter.
It answers so much and involves so much more than the PG standard imposed by WWE, in my opinion. Consider some examples:
John Cena gets pushed as the lead babyface of the company, even though every stadium he goes to he gets at best a mixed reaction. Don't like Cena being the lead babyface?
DEAL WITH IT.
Daniel Bryan not in the main event at Wrestlemania, again and again deprived of being the top star even though he's universally cheered. Don't like Bryan being buried?
DEAL WITH IT.
The non-Total Divas wrestlers are frequently better in the ring and on the microphone than many of the Total Divas female wrestlers. Yet the Bellas and their cohorts get pushed as faces while more effective wrestlers like Tamina, Natalya, the retired Beth Phoenix, and others get buried.
Don't like the eye candy getting more attention than the in-ring talent?
DEAL WITH IT.
For that matter, don't like how sedated the television content of WWE programming is these days?
DEAL WITH IT.
The list goes on of course. WWE lacks an existential threat to its existence, so they do not have to give the people what they want. All they have to do is tell them to 'deal with it' and move on.
So I submit for your consideration the belief that this time period of WWE history is not the "PG Era", but rather the "Deal With It Era."
The modern age of pro-wrestling is usually dubbed the "PG Era" of WWE. It is contrasted with the Attitude Era and Ruthless Aggression Era. It is called this because it is most known in the opinions of many for its lack of blood, general absence of overtly sexual content, and other similar sedations.
We bemoan the lack of chair shots to the head, the lack of blood for cage matches, and the lack of improvised monologues due to concerns over profane content.
Yet maybe there is something even more distinct about the "PG Era", something that we omit to mention because it is so pervasive. This thing has led me to feel that maybe, just maybe we have mislabeled this era of WWE history.
This is not the PG Era, it is the "Deal With It" Era. The name of this era, of course, derives from Batista's shouted remarks to boos at the Royal Rumble after he won a match so many wanted Daniel Bryan to win, let alone even enter.
It answers so much and involves so much more than the PG standard imposed by WWE, in my opinion. Consider some examples:
John Cena gets pushed as the lead babyface of the company, even though every stadium he goes to he gets at best a mixed reaction. Don't like Cena being the lead babyface?
DEAL WITH IT.
Daniel Bryan not in the main event at Wrestlemania, again and again deprived of being the top star even though he's universally cheered. Don't like Bryan being buried?
DEAL WITH IT.
The non-Total Divas wrestlers are frequently better in the ring and on the microphone than many of the Total Divas female wrestlers. Yet the Bellas and their cohorts get pushed as faces while more effective wrestlers like Tamina, Natalya, the retired Beth Phoenix, and others get buried.
Don't like the eye candy getting more attention than the in-ring talent?
DEAL WITH IT.
For that matter, don't like how sedated the television content of WWE programming is these days?
DEAL WITH IT.
The list goes on of course. WWE lacks an existential threat to its existence, so they do not have to give the people what they want. All they have to do is tell them to 'deal with it' and move on.
So I submit for your consideration the belief that this time period of WWE history is not the "PG Era", but rather the "Deal With It Era."