Now I know most of you are now pondering how we can get more useless pieces of eye candy on our TV sets via WWE programming ... well don't fret my friends, the RAW Diva Search is coming!!!!
However, there was a bit of humor in looking over the "How To Apply" section.
Read this bit and check out the portion I put in bold.
Applicants must submit a minimum of two (2) photographs that meet the following technical specifications:
* jpeg format * 300 x 400 pixels * A resolution of 72 dots per inch. * Current photographs, at least one full, true-to-life head shot and at least one full, true-to-life head-to-toe body shot. No one other than the applicant may appear in the photographs. Applications that include photographs depicting nudity will be disqualified.
No nudity to get yourself into the search, but after that we're looking to strip you down for Playboy as soon as possible. So unfair to all the girls who have nothing but a portfolio of naked pictures.
At least if they're gonna bring it back...move the Diva Search to SmackDown, and let Raw have the Tough Enough...and then alternate contests...just a thought.
I wish they'd have a contest to pick the next backstage interviewer, play-by-play/color commentator, or ring announcer so we could get someone decent as opposed to Craig deGeorge Version 78. Maybe be really wacky and let us pick the next referee? Or the ultimate--let the fans pick a new creative team.
I can't believe it has finally happened, but the WWE has hurt my feelings. When the first diva search was announced I rolled my eyes and knew "boys would be boys" and after all, I wasn't the intended demographic. But when it happened it was so much worse than I could have imagined. It was a competition to see who could be the most vulgar, could be be the most sexually suggestive, who could wear the least clothing, who could be the ditziest, and who could show they have the least amount of respect for themselves possible. Everything a woman in this day and age should never have to be or feel like she has to be. And of course they pick the one who meets all of these qualities the most and reward her and exalt her for her "fine qualities." And then when she poses for naked pictures she is even better.
And where does this leave me? I'm not some mopey teenager or cranky feminist who can't get laid. I'm a regular woman, all grown up with jobs and responsibilities and people to look after. I'm well educated, well respected, well liked and even kinda cute (if I do say so myself). I have no issue with Playboy magazine or porno or strip clubs - hell, I even enjoy them. And yet there is a nagging voice in the back of my head that says I'll never have has much worth as Christy Hemme because I can't look or act like her. Ever wonder why your wives and girlfriends ask you if you think they look fat when they could never look fat in a thousand years? It's because things like the Diva Search make us wonder if we've been deluding ourselves all along. And now they are going to do it again. I know the WWE has no responsibility to me or anyone else to worry about how their show makes ladies feel about themselves- but that doesn't make it hurt any less.
Originally posted by Toast JrI can't believe it has finally happened, but the WWE has hurt my feelings. When the first diva search was announced I rolled my eyes and knew "boys would be boys" and after all, I wasn't the intended demographic. But when it happened it was so much worse than I could have imagined. It was a competition to see who could be the most vulgar, could be be the most sexually suggestive, who could wear the least clothing, who could be the ditziest, and who could show they have the least amount of respect for themselves possible. Everything a woman in this day and age should never have to be or feel like she has to be. And of course they pick the one who meets all of these qualities the most and reward her and exalt her for her "fine qualities." And then when she poses for naked pictures she is even better.
And where does this leave me? I'm not some mopey teenager or cranky feminist who can't get laid. I'm a regular woman, all grown up with jobs and responsibilities and people to look after. I'm well educated, well respected, well liked and even kinda cute (if I do say so myself). I have no issue with Playboy magazine or porno or strip clubs - hell, I even enjoy them. And yet there is a nagging voice in the back of my head that says I'll never have has much worth as Christy Hemme because I can't look or act like her. Ever wonder why your wives and girlfriends ask you if you think they look fat when they could never look fat in a thousand years? It's because things like the Diva Search make us wonder if we've been deluding ourselves all along. And now they are going to do it again. I know the WWE has no responsibility to me or anyone else to worry about how their show makes ladies feel about themselves- but that doesn't make it hurt any less.
You say you know that you are not the intended demographic, and then complain about how the show is offensive to you? It's not supposed to appeal to you; rather, it's supposed to appeal to the 18-30 male working class to lower middle class demographic, and judging by the reactions the women get when they parade out there, it does.
In conclusion, I guess WWE is just not concerned about your self-esteem. If it's so painful, watch something else.
Dang, you were condescending to not just her, but all kinds of people who watch wrestling. Women, the "hoi polloi" that you've anthropologized, me, other people. Nicely done.
It's just another waste of time, IMHO. I have to agree with ekedolphin. The last Diva Search was so interesting to me that I changed channels for the rest of the shows.. It was bad the first time. Imagine how bad it will be a second time.
"You have to vote for one of us. It's a two party system. HAHAHAHAHA!" -- Kang and Kodos
It’s not a surprising move, though. Did the segments suck for wrestling fans? You bet your ass they did. But as I recall, they were also among the highest rated segments of the show.
It's like the WW is GIVING us reasons not to watch. I can honestly say that I will not be watching the show during those segments. I'll probably do something more entertaining, like cutting myself (not that I find cutting myself to be a particularly entertaining time, but I do think it might be better than viewing such dreck...again).
God invented PVR's for a reason. I start watching RAW and Smackdown at least 45 minutes in and it works out great.
"When did they pass a law that says the people who make my sandwich have to be wearing gloves? I'm not comfortable with this. I don't want glove residue all over my food; it's not sanitary. Who knows where these gloves have been?" - George Carlin
Half the reason I've been watching Raw lately is just because it's a nice lead in for The Ultimate Fighter. With the finale of that show last week and the return of the Raw diva search I guess I'll have another half hour a week (or whatever ridiculous amount of time they give to it) to get some work done. As much as it would pain me to miss another so-long-it's-funny-then-not-funny-then-funny-again-but-not-in-the-way-they-intended Kamala segment or an "Eat A Pie With Your Ass" competition, I guess I'll just have to take that risk.
I dunno, I'm a little irritated (though I'm past being offended) about the "boys will be boys" comment, seeing as how I change the channel during those segments just as fast as someone who's not in the intended demographic. And I'm a 23-year-old, heterosexual male. I respect your opinion, but I think it's unfair to lump all males in the same category like that.
WWE is one of the only companies I know that can take a fundamentally basic need of men-- looking at attractive women-- and make it absolutely unbearable to watch.
To compound matters, they've gotten rid of many of the divas/wrestlers who I actually enjoyed watching, like Molly Holly, Gail Kim, and Nidia. But keep all the Diva Search contestants there because we need eye candy! Who else is going to escort the Hall of Fame inductees to the stage, and get involved in pointless segments with The Big Show on SmackDown! and Kane on RAW?
Do we need more women in WWE? Absolutely. But I think it's only fair that if they're going to get air time, they should be able to hold their own in the ring. Because if you're a man in a WWE on-camera position, and not in an authority figure, referee or micstand position, you'd better damn well know how to wrestle (if even at a very, very basic level). WWE doesn't hire men who simply stand around trying to look sexy. At least Chris Masters has had a few matches (though I wouldn't go so far as to say he actually wrestles).
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Diva Search was the 04 Gooker award on wrestlecrap.com Heres to two years in a row.
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I am in that demographic too, and I not only don't like the Diva Search segments, I am embarrassed of them when someone walks in the room, so I try to change the channel if I'm paying attention. I wasn't trying to offend anyone, except maybe the original person I was responding to. So I apologize for that. I wasn't trying to say its good, but I was trying to say that its existence is justified by the fact that the WWE's target demographic probably really likes the DS. I mean, the times I have caught it, I heard a great crowd reaction. Young men apparently love seeing Christy Hemme rub her ass in a pie! It's not wrestling, but they don't seem to care.
As far as the original poster goes, though, I guess I just have very little patience for women's insecurities, and hearing one blame them on a wrestling show kind of set me off.
EDIT (Interestingly, I am now going to be forever known as "that misogynist guy," which is pretty far from the truth... but I guess that's what happens.) EDIT AGAIN Spelling
It would take ____ wannabe divas being willing to get in the ring, working hard, and eventually having the same or nearly the same improvement that Trish Stratus did in her first three years to make another Diva Search worth it in the long run.
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I think it's because of his greatly reduced schedule that people are starting to think about his retirement. He's banged up pretty bad after 20 or so years in the business. Both his knees and both his elbows have had repeated surgery on them.