A quick recap for those who haven’t been following along: On Tuesday evening, the #GiveDivasAChance Twitter movement was in full swing, and A.J. Lee replied to a Stephanie McMahon tweet about Patricia Arquette’s Oscars speech with the following two messages…
@StephMcMahon Your female wrestlers have record selling merchandise & have starred in the highest rated segment of the show several times,
— AJ Mendez (@TheAJMendez) February 25, 2015
@StephMcMahon And yet they receive a fraction of the wages & screen time of the majority of the male roster. #UseYourVoice
— AJ Mendez (@TheAJMendez) February 25, 2015
Steph’s response was friendly enough, if a bit on the diplomatic side.
Thank you @WWEAJLee, I appreciate your opinion. #UseYourVoice
— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) February 25, 2015
Many observers, including our own Danielle Matheson, have rightfully wondered if the whole thing was an angle. It certainly felt like an angle, but according to new inside information from the Wrestling Observer, A.J.’s tweets were made entirely of her own volition. WWE was “completely blindsided” by A.J.’s move, and Stephanie was furious about having the company’s dirty laundry thrown in her face on Twitter. Of course, Stephanie didn’t come off as furious in her response. Maybe a little cold, but not furious.
Well, that’s because Steph’s response was crafted by somebody else: Vince McMahon, who also sent out his own surprisingly encouraging tweet in response to #GiveDivasAChance.
We hear you. Keep watching. #GiveDivasAChance
— Vince McMahon (@VinceMcMahon) February 25, 2015
If both the previous tweets really were the work of Vince McMahon, we may be looking at a best possible scenario here. Vince has always represented the oldest of the old guard. I’ve always assumed that women and minorities not getting an equal shake in WWE is mostly the doing of old man McMahon, but maybe that’s not true. If it is, maybe a crack has been put in his old-fashioned facade.
According to the Observer, Vince is looking at the big picture in regards to #GiveDivasAChance, as well as A.J.’s Twitter comments. Maybe all that big picture gazing will remind him that women like Wendi Richter, Cyndi Lauper, Miss Elizabeth, Lita and Trish were important parts of his company’s two biggest boom periods. Perhaps it will make him realize that the times when women have been most ignored by WWE have coincided with the company’s most fallow periods. Hopefully, “The Genius Vince McMahon” has it in him to read the trends and flip the script one more time. He’ll have some help this time: If Vince “forgets” about the Divas again, I’m pretty sure A.J. and the fans will be there with a handy reminder.
via Wrestling Inc.
