It seemed as if times were changing in the WWE for the better. Ever since the “Summer of AJ Lee” in 2012, the return of the Bella Twins and their rise to dominance in 2013 and the premiere and success of Total Divas on E!, plus a roster of divas that are not only beautiful, but incredibly tough and talented, such as seen with the reign of one such divas as Paige and the popularity behind NXT’s divas like Charlotte, the women of the WWE were truly stealing the show.
However, last Monday on RAW, I couldn’t believe it when a match between the Bella Twins and Emma and Paige lasted about 30 seconds—probably around 8 seconds if you don’t count bantering outside the boundaries of the match—when Brie defeated Emma immediately with a face-buster. That lead to a campaign on social media known as #GiveDivasAChance. There’s time for video packages and promos that seem to go beyond their limit yet divas, the ones who many fans tune in to specifically to see, especially taking into consideration fans who are new to WWE and were exposed to the company primarily by the divas they see on Total Divas, are given literally less than a minute.
It trended worldwide, even beating such trends Tuesday night as #ParksFinale for the series finale ofParks and Recreation, which had received widespread media coverage.
Especially in light of Patricia Arquette’s speech calling for gender equality during her acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars on Sunday, there is becoming an even louder voice for equality. After Stephanie McMahon praised Arquette’s words for “#WomensRights”, AJ Lee went on Twitter and directed her thoughts at Stephanie McMahon, saying, “Your female wrestlers have record selling merchandise & have starred in the highest rated segment of the show several times And yet they receive a fraction of the wages & screen time of the majority of the male roster.#UseYourVoice”
About three hours later, Vince McMahon tweeted “We hear you. Keep watching. #GiveDivasAChance” About 5 hours after it was tweeted, it had received almost 5,000 retweets and favorites from the WWE Universe.
If anything, this campaign proved just how much power there is in the hands of the fans and with the tool of social media being used in a positive light, change can happen. Here’s to hoping these talented, athletic and amazing women get the spotlight and screen time that they truly deserve. Just one tweet can help make a difference in the world.
-Celine
Photo source (x)
Wrestling News Blog 
