10 Things WWE Can Learn From Game Of Thrones

2. How To Present Compelling, Well-Rounded Female Characters

Catelyn Stark, Cersei Lannister. Arya Stark, Brienne Of Tarth. Olenna Tyrell, Yara Greyjoy. Melisandre of Asshai, Sansa Stark. Margaery Tyrell, Shireen Baratheon. Lysa Arryn, The Sand Snakes. The Khaleesi, the Mother Of Dragons herself, Daenerys Targaryen. Game Of Thrones excels at the presentation of well-crafted, interesting female characters, women who aren€™t defined in the show by whose daughter, wife or lover they are. While the show€™s attitude towards sex and sexual violence have been repeatedly called into question, the fact remains that - to slip into wrestling vernacular for a second - the roster of female talent on this show is extraordinary by any standards. The actors playing the roles have been perfectly cast and are getting the chance to do some phenomenal work. WWE has only just cottoned on to the fact that their female wrestlers can be - should be - more than just eye candy for their male audience, and that their matches can be - should be - more than just an excuse to put the kettle on or buy a hot dog. However, their so-called Diva€™s Revolution is the most ungainly, hamfisted attempt possible to rectify that glaring issue at the heart of their programming. WWE€™s female talent had long complained to the road agents responsible for their matches that they simply weren€™t being given enough time to tell any decent stories in the ring. When you€™ve got two minutes from bell to bell, even if you€™re a serious in-ring talent you€™re still barely warming up the crowd to lukewarm levels before it€™s time to go home€ and for a long time, the serious in-ring talent was outgunned by the fitness models and dancers, hired to look good in a crop top and hot pants. When the Diva€™s Revolution started, they began by promoting the three of the four most gifted female wrestlers in the developmental brand, NXT, to the main roster. They then gave them an extra few minutes every week to tell their stories. Sounds like just what the doctor ordered€ except that those stories remained the same, every one a variation on the same slight, nasty little vignette about jealousy and petty bickering. The characterisation didn€™t improve either. NXT got Charlotte, Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks over with their small but fanatical audience by giving each a persona, motivations, a history. Their interaction wasn€™t forgotten or reset with every new angle€ instead, the consequences of their actions resonated throughout. Bayley€™s defeat of Banks for the NXT Women€™s Championship eleven weeks ago was the culmination of two years of characterisation, storylines that had led on from and dovetailed with one another. The match itself was booked to tell a story that reflected all of that, that brought to bear all of the changes and challenges that the challenger had faced in those two years. It€™s widely considered the best match in WWE this year, and the quality of the writing is 90% of the reason for that. Bayley€™s lucky she€™s still in NXT: her erstwhile rivals/besties haven€™t fared well on the main roster so far. Lynch has been called irrelevant on TV and said nothing in response to indicate she even disagrees; Banks is clearly the most over of all of them, the most talented with the clearest personality, and yet she€™s barely even showcased on television. Charlotte has the Diva€™s title, but unlike her NXT self, WWE Charlotte is a two dimensional white meat babyface with a famous father, and that€™s the only character they€™ve asked her to play. Paige is supposed to be €˜the Anti-Diva€™, which seems to translate to her behaving like every other diva, just with a teeny-goth makeover. Naomi€™s been sidelined to make room for these newcomers, and the Bellas can€™t even decide whether they€™re babyfaces or heels, much less why we should care. WWE€™s Divas€™ Revolution is in dire need of a revolution of its own: they need to execute the ringleaders and bring in some new generals to inject some creativity and personality to this movement, before the crowd get so tired of being asked to care about vindictive, catty stereotypes that they turn against the whole idea of regime change. Oh, and if they won€™t drop the €˜diva€™ as a branding thing, they can at least dump the horrendous Diva€™s Championship and bring back the Women€™s Championship. It€™s time the butterfly belt fluttered off to be a footnote in wrestling history.