GLOW shows the good, the bad, and the ugly of pro wrestling

Vulture broke down all of the elements of the new Netflix show “GLOW” and how it measures up to the realities of pro wrestling.

Vulture contributor Ethan Sapienza is obviously a big wrestling fan, embracing all the great and equally egregious elements of the business. In his article, he talks about the sexism, racism and general melodrama that goes along with the territory of pro wrestling.

As a wrestling fan myself, I definitely agree that a lot of this still exists in many different promotions, from WWE to the smallest East Coast indie shows. However, if you find yourself a woman trying to break into a pro wrestling career, the field looks a lot different now.

Sapienza emphasizes the “rampant” sexism and racism that still works its way into mainstream wrestling (citing Jinder Mahal as a current example). Yes, this is still very much a cornerstone of pro wrestling—for years The Iron Sheik was the biggest and baddest heel in the World Wrestling Federation.

GLOW seems to model the Fortune Cookie/Zoya The Destroya tag team off of that of the Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff. They went on to win the Tag Team Championship together, joining forces against then-face Hulk Hogan (believe it or not, there was a time when he wasn’t known for making racist slurs in a sex tape). Even though Sheik and Volkoff’s characters were racial and national stereotypes, they remained beloved heels within the Federation for decades. The Iron Sheik even went on to get inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. So while these characters are far from P.C., the wrestlers behind them are lauded talents.

Females in wrestling are a similar case. As Sapienza points out, the WWE called their women “divas” for a long time, and also encouraged skimpy gear that made them look less like athletes and more… well, like strippers. That is still very prevalent no matter where you look, but at least the WWE has made an effort to level the playing field, by eliminating the Diva Championship and replacing it with the RAW Women’s Championship. This made the contest between the women seem less trivial. But over the years, wrestling fans have seen little variance in the body types and aesthetic of female wrestlers. In storylines, they continue to be objectified as they’re defined by what male wrestler they’re romantically linked to at any given time.

Next: The Rabbit Hole: 3 things GLOW fans will love

As a wrestling fan, I love GLOW for acknowledging all of the imperfections of the sport. In spite of those deep-seated social flaws, I appreciate pro wrestling for what it is—a campy, low-brow art form that brings the most unlikely people together. GLOW is now available to stream on Netflix.