Kanellis angle not what we had in mind when WWE became TV-14

In an effort to appeal to its teenage audience, WWE changed it’s rating to TV-14 earlier this year. But recent events may prove that the direction they are going isn’t exactly what people are looking for.

Earlier this year, WWE dropped its TV-PG rating and moved to a TV-14 format, largely to appeal to the teenage audience it has been losing. There have been some subtle changes noticed on both Monday Night Raw and SmackDown Live, most notable the ability to swear without being bleeped out and the occasional use of a middle finger. But Raw has taken things to a new level with Maria Kanellis’ pregnancy, and not necessarily in a good way.

Over the last couple of months, Maria has repeatedly berated her husband, Mike, in a way that has to affect his manhood. She’s proclaimed that he wasn’t man enough to impregnate her, that he isn’t man enough to defend “her” child’s honor and this week that he wasn’t even the father of her child. What is happening on WWE? When did we move from storyline to tabloid talk show, trying to guess who the father of someone’s child is?

WWE is attempting to appeal to a younger audience and reverse its ratings slump, which is why the Street Profits were brought to Raw, to try and connect with the teens who are finding other shows to watch. That was a good move, a smart move as the Street Profits are a likable and comedic duo who add flavor to the show. But this whole thing with the Kanellis’ is ridiculous. WWE is not a tabloid talk show, it’s sports entertainment. WWE is supposed to be more like a soap opera for sports fans, not an actual soap opera.

Let’s be real; say Mike is not the father of Maria’s son. That’s something that should be handled behind closed doors, or at least off camera. Now they’ve dragged Rusev into the mix, implying that he’s the father of the child. Never mind that Rusev is married to Lana. So, the WWE is okay with promoting affairs? Is that really something they want to advocate as a way to bring in a younger audience? To say, as a form of entertainment, “Oh, it’s okay to cheat on your spouse, those vows don’t actually mean anything.” As if the divorce rate in this country isn’t high enough. Is Corey Graves calling Mike a “beta cuck” at all useful?

Yes, the storyline will garner ratings because we’re talking about it. But is this the image they really want to portray? When they changed to TV-14, people expected racier storylines, but they also expected more hardcore action. Bloodier fights. Scarier nonsense from The Fiend. Swearing. Not this tabloid storyline that reflects some of the worst of the Attitude Era. Not only is it not what people want to see, but it takes time away from stars who deserve a chance to prove themselves.

Give Bray Wyatt his air time. Bring back The Demon. Have more no disqualification matches. Show the athletes getting bloody. That’s what people want to see. “Who is the father of Maria Kanellis’ baby,” isn’t pro wrestling, and it isn’t sports entertainment, either.