{"id":124386,"date":"2024-05-15T08:00:31","date_gmt":"2024-05-15T12:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=124386"},"modified":"2024-05-14T01:19:11","modified_gmt":"2024-05-14T05:19:11","slug":"ashley-massaro-the-overlooked-influence-of-an-alternative-diva","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2024\/05\/15\/ashley-massaro-the-overlooked-influence-of-an-alternative-diva\/","title":{"rendered":"Ashley Massaro: The Overlooked Influence of an Alternative Diva"},"content":{"rendered":"

My Introduction to the Divas\u00a0<\/span><\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

I got into wrestling as a teenager during the\u00a0<\/span>Ruthless Aggression Era<\/span><\/strong>, specifically\u00a0<\/span>Smackdown<\/span><\/strong>. My heroes were the technical grappling trio of\u00a0<\/span>Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, and Eddie Guerrero<\/span><\/strong>. They were wrestlers who fought through pain and found a way to overcome the odds.<\/span><\/p>\n

As for the women, the\u00a0<\/span>Divas<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0as they were called then<\/span>, honestly<\/span>, my teenage self would have referred to them as window dressing. They\u00a0<\/span>existed<\/span>\u00a0it seemed to me, as a boy whose hormones were like magic bullets ricocheting through my body, as both a source of titillation and embarrassment. The latter\u00a0<\/span>especially<\/span>\u00a0if other family members were in the room. <\/span><\/p>\n

The former if I was alone. \u00a0In retrospect, it was a product of\u00a0<\/span>both<\/span>\u00a0my\u00a0<\/span>wider<\/span>\u00a0culture and the\u00a0<\/span>WWE\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0treatment of women<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Something<\/span>\u00a0I explored earlier this week<\/span> in an article on divas and discrimination<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even to this day, my girlfriend, who\u00a0<\/span>was exposed<\/span>\u00a0to\u00a0<\/span>WWE<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0during the\u00a0<\/span>Attitude Era<\/span><\/strong>, jokes about keeping my hands where she can see them if\u00a0<\/span>there are female wrestlers<\/span>\u00a0on TV.\u00a0<\/span>It\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0a joke, but it reminds me of being a teenager and my mum and sister teasing me for putting Divas posters on my wall. I quickly removed them out of shame.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Divas\u00a0<\/span>were used<\/span>\u00a0as defenceless valets, objects for male wrestlers to pursue in sexual-driven storylines\u00a0<\/span>and\/or<\/span>\u00a0bikini contests. Later, the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>bra and panties match.\u00a0<\/span>This<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>retrospect<\/span>\u00a0was by design.<\/span><\/p>\n

I never took the women seriously. At first, I favoured\u00a0<\/span>Dawn Marie<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0over\u00a0<\/span>Torrie Wilson\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>by default.\u00a0<\/span>Like<\/span>\u00a0supporting one of two local football teams despite having no interest in football. Just out of obligation. Torie was the All-American girl, but I preferred brunettes over blondes. Any deeper emotional connection\u00a0<\/span>was halted<\/span>\u00a0as both were one-dimensional characters.<\/span><\/p>\n

My Wrestling Crush\u00a0<\/span><\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

I watched\u00a0<\/span>Raw<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0around 2005 when the\u00a0<\/span>Diva Search<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0returned. I had missed the first one, so I had missed out on\u00a0<\/span>Christy Hemme<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0sitting in a cream pie. Or the girls being encouraged to shoot and shame each other by discussing their sex lives. This year, one of the supermodel-like figures stood out for me. And ultimately\u00a0<\/span>everyone<\/span>\u00a0else.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ashley was different. She stood out compared to the others in both look and personality. I was an<\/span>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>outside<\/span>r\u201d<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0Into<\/span>\u00a0rock, metal, and alternative things. Everything about her screamed at me. The backwards cap. The pink and black. The fishnet gloves. Heavy eyeliner. Lip piercing. She was a skater girl and gorgeous. And even better, unlike the others, she seemed\u00a0<\/span>to legitimately love wrestling<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

In talent contest week, Ashley hit an actual wrestling move. Unlike the other<\/span>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>fake<\/span>\u201d\u00a0<\/span>girls who were there for fifteen minutes of fame, she did\u00a0<\/span>do<\/span>\u00a0a lap dance or spanking as her talent.\u00a0<\/span>She<\/span>\u00a0was my favourite. Of all the women, she seems the most authentic. She embodied the theme song by<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Audioslave<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>Be Yoursel<\/span>f\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Inherent Misogyny\u00a0<\/span><\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

My language so far deliberately reflects what I remember about my teenage thought process. In hindsight and being a feminist, it is easy to\u00a0<\/span>recognise<\/span>\u00a0how what seemed like an innocent\u00a0<\/span>teenage<\/span>\u00a0crush and viewpoint of women reveals a lot about the misogyny that I had learned from my culture.<\/span><\/p>\n

Misogyny is more than explicitly stating or having a hatred, prejudice, or dislike of women.\u00a0<\/span>At its<\/span>\u00a0roots<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>it\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0about the separation of women and men not only as equals but even as human beings.<\/span>\u00a0It is a philosophy of<\/span>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>othering<\/span>\u201d\u00a0<\/span>where women fit into two camps with no middle ground. Women are either elevated in stature. Put on pedestals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Described<\/span>\u00a0as goddesses, holy, superior to men and seem untouchable. Or degraded and presented as being lower than man, worthless.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the one hand, aspects of my parasocial attraction towards Ashley Massaro <\/span>were based<\/span>\u00a0on subtly misogynistic principles. She was more<\/span>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>real<\/span>\u201d\u00a0<\/span>compared to those<\/span>\u00a0other<\/span>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>fake<\/span>\u201d\u00a0<\/span>Divas.\u00a0<\/span>I\u2019d<\/span>\u00a0elevated her and downgraded the others.\u00a0<\/span>I made her an\u00a0<\/span>idol<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>while\u00a0<\/span>likewise<\/span>\u00a0objectifying the other divas,\u00a0<\/span>who I deemed as<\/span>\u00a0interchangeable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Based on what evidence? Beyond appearance and attitude, I knew nothing of these women. But then WWE never presented them as fully-fledged individuals, let alone characters.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ashley Massaro <\/span>took part<\/span>\u00a0in bikini contests, bra and panties\u00a0<\/span>or<\/span>\u00a0pillow fight matches. Ashley posed for\u00a0<\/span>Playboy.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>Her sexuality was displayed<\/span>. Like other female wrestlers of the time, when a male wrestler was involved, Ashley too lost her autonomy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Parasocial Positives\u00a0<\/span><\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Discussions of parasocial relationships in wrestling are usually negative. It also plays into the stereotype of the fan who believes they know the person who plays the wrestler, the character on TV. And some fans will speak or write as if they know\u00a0<\/span>exactly<\/span>\u00a0what the wrestler thinks and feels<\/span>. Like<\/span>\u00a0they are on speaking terms with that\u00a0<\/span>wrestler,<\/span>\u00a0or like they are their agent.<\/span><\/p>\n

This<\/span>\u00a0is at its worst and is present in our fandom. Yet\u00a0<\/span>it<\/span>\u00a0exists in other sports and entertainment pursuits. Someone who shouts at the TV during a football game because the player\u00a0<\/span>didn\u2019t<\/span>\u00a0do what they\u00a0<\/span>wanted,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>that\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0parasocial. Someone who views a sports coach as moronic because they know better how to run the\u00a0<\/span>team,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>that\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0parasocial.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet these connections, in adolescence and\u00a0<\/span>adulthood<\/span>\u00a0help individuals find their identity. They can help those with low self-esteem become closer to their\u00a0<\/span>idealized<\/span>\u00a0self.\u00a0<\/span>It can help with empathy and togetherness and\u00a0<\/span>can give a safe place for people<\/span>\u00a0to question beliefs and assumptions.<\/span><\/p>\n

These connections can help us learn more about other people and groups we may not encounter\u00a0<\/span>on a day-to-day basis<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Studies have shown parasocial relationships can have\u00a0<\/span>extremely<\/span>\u00a0positive effects on\u00a0<\/span>the way<\/span>\u00a0we view ourselves, others, and the world around us.<\/span><\/p>\n

Realisations<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

With Ashley\u00a0<\/span>being presented<\/span> with a similar character to the other divas, it helped me to see each woman more as an individuals rather than an interchangeable group. When Ashley Massaro was introduced to Raw and was taunted and attacked by <\/span>Torrie Wilson<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>Candice Michelle<\/span><\/strong>, the group that would later become\u00a0<\/span>Vince\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0Devils<\/span><\/strong>, I noticed something significant about the characters the Divas played.<\/span><\/p>\n

Torrie Wilson, who had always been a face before.<\/span>\u00a0Now she acted, almost interchangeably\u00a0<\/span>in<\/span>\u00a0the same way\u00a0<\/span>Dawn Marie<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0and other villainous divas like\u00a0<\/span>Sable<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0had on Smackdown. She was treating other women the same way with the same cruelty they had treated her within the storyline.<\/span><\/p>\n

I questioned why they have to be similar. I became aware of the restrictions and constraints put on female wrestlers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Elsewhere, in a segment where Ashley knocked\u00a0<\/span>Vince\u00a0<\/span>McMahon\u2019<\/span><\/strong>s<\/span>\u00a0coffee over his shirt, it exemplified to me\u00a0<\/span>something<\/span>\u00a0that\u00a0<\/span>WWE\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0over-the-top nature made a\u00a0<\/span>wider<\/span>\u00a0trend in other media of the time\u00a0<\/span>clear<\/span>. Women were often overtly\u00a0<\/span>sexualised<\/span>\u00a0and presented as powerless around men. This segment journalist\u00a0<\/span>Isobel Thompson<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0described as<\/span>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>budget porn<\/span>o\u201d.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thompson\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Audible\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>podcast\u00a0<\/span>Ashley vs. WWE<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0helped me remember\u00a0<\/span>Ashley Massaro\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0role in my fandom. It also helped me\u00a0<\/span>realise<\/span>\u00a0how unconsciously I became aware at that age of how diminished and pigeon-holed divas in WWE were during this time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Growing Respect<\/span><\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Over time, as I smartened up to the politics and the behind-the-scenes antics of WWE, I questioned other aspects of how the divas\u00a0<\/span>were treated<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>First, when I learned that WWE moved to a hiring policy of hiring models rather than trained wrestlers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>The reasoning was obvious, but I did not hate these women or\u00a0<\/span>the way they came into<\/span>\u00a0wrestling.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ashley Massaro had come into the wrestling business the same way and showed love, passion, and respect for the <\/span>business<\/span>. As<\/span>\u00a0did others like\u00a0<\/span>Trish Stratus<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0before her. Like Trish, Ashley worked hard to get better in the ring.\u00a0<\/span>Although\u00a0<\/span>online\u00a0<\/span>some<\/span>\u00a0referred to her as<\/span>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>Trashle<\/span>y\u201d,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>there was something about her that<\/span>\u00a0suggested she cared and wanted to do her best.<\/span><\/p>\n

When I learned through the Ashley vs. WWE podcast that Massaro had tried to get additional training beyond WWE, it only reminded me of that feeling. Whether it was real or just a parasocial projection, I gave the divas a chance.<\/span><\/p>\n

The disparity in in-ring skills allowed me to\u00a0<\/span>recognise<\/span>\u00a0the talents of others. Trish,\u00a0<\/span>Lita, Victoria<\/span><\/strong>,\u00a0<\/span>Jazz\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>and\u00a0<\/span>Gail Kim<\/span><\/strong>. Then\u00a0<\/span>later<\/span>\u00a0divas like\u00a0<\/span>Michelle McCool\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>wanted to be taken seriously as wrestlers. I found divas for the women rather than just empathy. That started with Ashley.<\/span><\/p>\n

Give Divas a Chance\u00a0<\/span><\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

My growing admiration for the\u00a0<\/span>women\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0division and the contrast between how they and the men\u00a0<\/span>were treated<\/span>\u00a0moved me to frustration and anger. I remember being angry after\u00a0<\/span>Lita\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0retirement at\u00a0<\/span>Survivor Series 2006<\/span><\/strong>. My memory of\u00a0<\/span>Cryme Tyme<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0throwing\u00a0<\/span>Lita\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0underwear into the crowd was one of many moments of creative dissatisfaction that pushed me away from WWE. It\u00a0<\/span>was humiliating<\/span>\u00a0and undermined everything she had accomplished in the ring.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, Vince did this with other\u00a0<\/span>wrestlers, primarily male<\/span>, including himself. However, given the time and actual real-life hatred that Lita faced due to her relationship with\u00a0<\/span>Edge<\/span><\/strong>, it only reinforced a negative stereotype of one of the\u00a0<\/span>women\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>division’s<\/span>\u00a0greatest wrestlers.<\/span><\/p>\n

I remember the revival of\u00a0<\/span>ECW\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>and a\u00a0<\/span>segment of<\/span>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>extreme strip poke<\/span>r\u201d.<\/span>\u00a0The likelihood of nudity I knew was low, but again, I wondered when, if ever, the women would\u00a0<\/span>be given<\/span>\u00a0a chance in the ring. <\/span><\/p>\n

When they did wrestle, their matches were termed<\/span>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>popcorn\/toilet matche<\/span>s\u201d.<\/span>\u00a0WWE made it clear\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>simple<\/span>\u00a0to fans<\/span>\u00a0these short matches were supposed to be rest breaks. Palate cleansers before returning to the real action.<\/span><\/p>\n

When\u00a0<\/span>TNA\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>began airing in the UK, I switched allegiances partly because of The Knockouts<\/span>. Before<\/span>\u00a0then\u00a0<\/span>just<\/span>\u00a0taking a break from wrestling for a few years.<\/span><\/p>\n

Progress is slow\u00a0<\/span>but<\/span>\u00a0eventually, things changed with the Give Divas hashtag. WWE, as they do, seemed to present it as a McMahon idea\u00a0<\/span>with<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Stephanie McMahon<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>being placed<\/span>\u00a0at the forefront. Things changed. Slowly, they have changed. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Legacy of Ashley Massaro<\/span><\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

After\u00a0<\/span>Ashley\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0suicide and the allegations that have since come out about her experiences in WWE (<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>full breakdown can be found<\/span>\u00a0here<\/span><\/a>), her legacy should be more than an alleged victim of sexual assault as well as more than a diva.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a\u00a0<\/span>woman\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0wrestler, she got to live her dream but still faced prejudice from fans and even her friends and family, who at times shunned her due to the<\/span>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>raunchiness<\/span>\u201d\u00a0<\/span>of the WWE product. Despite that, she got to be a version of herself and\u00a0<\/span>got to<\/span>\u00a0stand out as someone different to the rest of the WWE Divas of the time.<\/span><\/p>\n

When recently a one-sided argument with\u00a0<\/span>Cora Jade<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0suggesting that\u00a0<\/span>Skye Blue<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0copied her style, including wearing a backwards baseball cap, some replies pointed to\u00a0<\/span>Nikki Bella<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0as the originator of the look. Few seemed to\u00a0<\/span>recognize<\/span> Ashley Massaro did it before all of them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet also,\u00a0<\/span>Ashley\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0blending of the punk aesthetic with femininity\u00a0<\/span>is something that can also\u00a0<\/span>in<\/span>\u00a0many female\u00a0<\/span>wrestler\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0attire and presentation in subsequent years.<\/span>\u00a0Along with Lita, both represented the alternative in WWE and wrestling.<\/span><\/p>\n

When I listened to the Ashley\u00a0<\/a><\/span>vs.<\/span>\u00a0WWE podcast, I could not help but\u00a0<\/span>recognize<\/span> that despite the issues Ashley Massaro faced, she was an incredible person <\/span>both<\/span>\u00a0before, during and after her time in the ring. Former WWE wrestler and\u00a0<\/span>friend,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Melina<\/span><\/strong>,<\/span>\u00a0said Ashley was<\/span>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>strong-willed inside and outside<\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ashley Massaro was a woman<\/span>. A<\/span>\u00a0mother. If not for her, I and perhaps other fans may not have\u00a0<\/span>recognized<\/span> inequalities in how wrestling and our culture more widely dehumanize women.\u00a0<\/span>She was a human being and helped me\u00a0<\/span>to think about how all people deserve<\/span>\u00a0equity.<\/span><\/p>\n

More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/h3>\n

Header photo \u2013 WWE \u2013 Stay tuned to the\u00a0Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/a>\u00a0for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My Introduction to the Divas\u00a0 I got into wrestling as a teenager during the\u00a0Ruthless Aggression Era, specifically\u00a0Smackdown. My heroes were the technical grappling trio of\u00a0Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, and Eddie Guerrero. They were wrestlers who fought through pain and found a way to overcome the odds. As for the women, the\u00a0Divas\u00a0as they were called then, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4960,"featured_media":118391,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,320],"tags":[3669,239,3666,238,241],"class_list":["post-124386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wwe","category-wwe-women","tag-ashley-massaro","tag-lita","tag-melina","tag-trish-stratus","tag-vince-mcmahon"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4960"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124386"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124386\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/118391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=124386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}