From the creator of Netflix dramedy Orange is the New Black comes GLOW, a fictional homage to the campy 80s pro wrestling league.
Even though the original 1986 series was slightly before my time, the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling are still cult classic staples of pop culture. As a kid, I was exposed to GLOW via one of my favorite primetime comedies, Married With Children. In one of the episodes, the Bundy family has run out of money and out of desperation, Al agrees to wrestle GLOW villainess, Big Bad Mama, for the $10,000 cash prize. SPOILER ALERT: Big Bad Mama is not the one getting pinned.
Just because I wasn't a GLOW fanatic doesn't mean I didn't watch female pro wrestling. On the contrary, I've always had a ton of respect for pro wrestlers and stunt doubles. I am especially impressed with the women because they are expected to perform the same dangerous maneuvers as their male counterparts AND they're expected to look sexy doing it. 💁 Growing up, I rooted for trailblazing WWF superstars like Alundra Blayze (the All-American blond bombshell), Luna Vachon (the punk rocker Oddity), and Chyna (the 9th Wonder of the World).
In Netflix's latest reboot, writer Jenji Kohan pays tribute to the Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling even though the network reportedly didn't ask permission from the original roster, much to the chagrin of GLOW alumni like Matilda the Hun. 📺 As if the show takes place in alternate universe, Kohan took the general concept of female pro wrestling and created a new fictional history and new characters "inspired by" the 80s cast.
The bulk of the new series is a "VH1 Behind the Music" mockumentary of GLOW, not a revival of the pro wrestling extravaganza. It follows aspiring actress Ruth (played by Allison Brie) as she answers a casting call for "unconventional women."
Up until the season finale, Ruth experiments with several different wrestling personalities before settling on the evil Soviet, the antithesis of squeaky clean Beauty Queen, Liberty Bell. 🇺🇸 Like other pro wrestling leagues, GLOW is infamous for its stereotypical, politically incorrect stable of fighters; the reboot creates equally borderline-offensive combatants with monikers like Fortune Cookie, Beirut, and Welfare Queen.
It reminds me of my own brief foray into the pro wrestling world, crossing the childhood fantasy off my Bucket List years ago. One day over lunch, the studio head casually told me that audiences wanted to see "the Black guy rape the White guy"... FIGURATIVELY, I hope! 😬🤣🤣 I can only imagine playing a negative stereotype on a weekly televised wrestling show, especially since the "bad guys" have to deal with some intense audience hecklers.
Even if you're not a wrestling fan, GLOW is a highly addictive 80s throwback/comedy/soap opera, loosely inspired by a true story. The actresses not only do an amazing job of selling themselves as relatable Hollywood outcasts but also as professional wrestlers. Definitely Must See TV!
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