Part of the problem is the idea of 'watching it for ladies' instead of 'watching it for this person or that talent etc' . sexism starts as an idea, and it transmitted by the words we choose. when you call them 'women wrestlers' or 'black wrestlers' it mentally segregates them from 'wrestlers' in general. i have to constantly check myself because i do it too often. it's a fine line between supporting POC and women and other groups that have historically been discriminated against and oppressed, and actually perpetuating it with a casual phrase.. idk it's def a tough issue. discrimination is a viral idea, spread by the words we choose. segregating talent by 'women wrestlers' or 'black wrestlers' perpetuates this. while we need to support groups that have been oppressed & discriminated against & 'level the field', we have to carefully pick our words. it's one of those tough 'not becoming the system we stand against' scenarios, but we also know deep down what is right i think. when we say 'they are a great woman wrestler' or black wrestler, or gay wrestler, it subtly separates them from 'wrestlers' in a way. while the intent might not be to in fact mean 'they are great, FOR a woman' or for a POC, or whatever, it can come across that way to some. it's all a mindset, perpetrated in order to divide and oppress, and perpetuated by us almost automatically. deprogram your mind.
Historically, from advertising to the very language we use, to all forms of media, the idea that 'sex sells' has been prevalent. We can go into the multitude of reasons for who and why this was done, but in this case, i just want to focus on the sexist objectification, specifically in the wrestling community. We know it's fucked up. We know you shouldn't shout 'show us your tits' at an artist, at an athlete who trained their lives to live their dream, or at anyone. I understand there may be this sense of privilege, the 'I paid for my ticket I can yell what i like' mentality, and far be it for me to infringe on anyone's free speech, but for fucks sake you know it's demeaning, both to the athletes and to yourself, as well as to fans in general. And i would encourage others to exercise THEIR free speech in telling the lout's that perpetuate this nonsense and tell them to shut the fuck up. This isn't about snowflakes, safe spaces, or censorship of words thoughts or ideas. This is about respect. Respect for the artists, the athletes, and all they have suffered. Respect for yourself and the wrestling community.
I applaud all the wrestlers and fans who have stood up to be heard on this. I hope this trend continues, and doesn't go away like a flash in a pan. Again, I don;t want to censor ANYONE. I don't want any voice silenced. The best way to eradicate bad ideas, thoughts, paradigms etc is to DISCUSS THEM not to SILENCE THEM. When we take away someone's right to speak, it is a far greater societal ill than their words ever were, and the only way to convince someone to change their thoughts is to allow them to speak them, and offer counter points. Echo chambers offer no potential for change or growth, diversity does, even those ingredients we might repudiate.
Sexism exists. WWE and other companies perpetuate it. All media uses it. We as fans and as humans need to be better than this.
