Bayley Being Bayley: Bucking the Internalized Misogyny of “I’m Not Like Most Girls”
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In years past, the Women’s Division of the WWE has had a slight problem that has never really gone away completely. For as long as there is someone who is a bit different from WWE’s typical mold of a woman superstar, there has been the Special Snowflake Syndrome that has run rampant in the writing for them.
If you don’t know what I mean, think about how often you’ve heard the phrase that runs through Nia Jax’s theme song: “I’m not like most girls.” Often times, this is a phrase said by a woman trying to differentiate herself from her peer group in some way. For the most part, it is teenage girls who are trying to be different and not associate with what the “popular” girls like. It’s a phase plenty grow out of, especially when the realization that that way of thinking is actually loaded with internalized misogyny. It’s not about being proud of one’s self, but rather the internalized hatred of expressed femininity different from one’s own.
Still, WWE hasn’t quite gotten the memo. From Lita back during the Attitude Era to the “Freaks and Geeks” tag team of Paige and AJ Lee against The Bella Twins, it seems like all WWE can do in those regards is fall back on the Special Snowflake line of thought. Even now, the phrase “I’m not like most girls” has become super loaded in association with Jax. Yes, her stature sets her apart from the crowd, but declaring “I’m not like most girls” and saying that Sasha Banks is nothing but a little girl isn’t the bold stance you’re looking for.