WWE: Vince McMahon does not understand the female gaze

Vince McMahon is allegedly pushing WWE Superstar Baron Corbin on the basis of his ‘appeal to women’. But the female gaze does not work the way Vince thinks it does.

Back in June, several websites reported that Baron Corbin was allegedly the recipient of a significant push because Vince McMahon thinks he makes the ladies swoon. And although Corbin is by no measure an ugly man, Vince’s alleged evaluation is something of a headscratcher on a WWE main roster populated by the likes of Finn Balor, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins.

It is accepted WWE lore that Vince McMahon favors a, uh, very particular type of male aesthetic. So it’s no surprise that Vince’s perception of what women want is entirely congruent with, well, what he wants: big dudes.

And while Corbin is possessed of less bulky muscle than Vince’s usual type, he’s still fairly exemplary of the same tall, powerful archetype. And this taps into a very interesting dichotomy: the gulf between what men perceive as the female gaze, and the actual female gaze.

Wait, what’s the female gaze?

Let’s start with a slightly better-known concept: The Male Gaze, coined in 1975 by film theorist Laura Mulvey, refers to the way women are depicted in the visual arts (film, videogames, pro-wrestling) and literature from the perspective of the heterosexual male. Mulvey’s (admittedly heteronormative) theory holds that the male gaze looks at the female body, which exists to be looked at. In simplistic terms, the male gaze is at the core of most ‘sexualised’ depictions of the female form, from the egregious sexism of the Attitude Era to the present day, where ‘jiggle physics’ is still a Thing which exists in videogaming.

More from WWE

Theoretically, then, the female gaze should be the stark opposite: women looking at male bodies, which exist to be looked at. And up to a point, this is true. NJPW, for example, have a solid awareness of their female audience, and of the attractiveness of their male roster. It’s the kind of marketing savvy which brings NJPW fans such delights as the Roppongi 3K photobook, which I absolutely do not own and would never even consider buying.

Straight (or otherwise male-attracted) female sexuality, it turns out, is not nearly as mysterious and complex as you might be led to believe. A roster full of Tanahashis, Sho & Yohs, Ibushis and Zack Sabre Jrs is no doubt part of the appeal NJPW holds for its sizeable female audience – and why not? Pro-wrestling is a supremely visual medium, and for the straight male/gay female contingent, the abundance of attractive female wrestlers is a pleasant bonus.

However. As many have identified, the female gaze is necessarily more complex than a desire for a hefty, muscular physique. Marcy Cook notes that “women use the female gaze in a different way than the male gaze is used, as men are not reduced to their body parts and stripped of all other attributes. When a man is viewed through the female gaze you’ll find the focus isn’t just on their junk or abs, it will also show that he’s intimate, dorky, talented, funny or friendly. Men remain multifaceted and retain more than just their looks.”

Let’s go back to the Roppongi 3K photobook for a moment, which I absolutely have not read cover to cover. Plenty of pictures of toned male physiques, absolutely. But there’s also a notable context to the pictures, a kind of loose narrative: pseudo-domesticity, the suggestion of intimacy. Alongside the photos of Sho and Yoh in the shower are photos of them in comfy sweaters dorking around in the park, or making breakfast.

These, too, are a function of the female gaze. It’s not all about hunky dudes with their shirts off – though that has a place. Similarly, the appeal of the Golden Lovers to their sizeable female audience is only partly based in the relative hunkiness of Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi. The intimate, emotive, involving nature of their storyline allows us to relate to them not just as prime slabs of beef (which they absolutely are), but as people. The female gaze objectifies, but it also empathises.

Okay, but what about aesthetics?

The caveat here is that, as with men, there is no one singular aesthetic which neatly defines ‘what women want’. For every woman who swoons over Tanahashi, you’ll find another for whom Minoru Suzuki is the gold standard for hotness; for every woman who lusts after Finn Balor, another thinks Samoa Joe is the finest dude on the planet. So, no doubt Baron Corbin is at the top of someone’s list. But when we look at anecdotal evidence, we can form a rough picture of what a sizeable proportion of male-attracted women like, at least in WWE terms.

A 2018 Reddit thread asked who posters thought the most attractive male and female wrestlers were. While we can’t account for gender in these posts, we can at least note the patterns which emerge: Finn Balor, Fandango, Andrade, Roman Reigns and Johnny Gargano receive multiple mentions.

As with our New Japan hunks above, there is a greater variety to these choices than we might initially presume: with the possible exception of Reigns, none of these men are of the large, muscular, physically intimidating type. Why, then, do men like Vince assume that women want big, hypermasculine men?

We can turn to the adjacent worlds of comics to help illuminate this. When we talk about objectification, there is a difference between ‘what male-attracted women want’ and the male power fantasy. The idea that enormously muscled dudes in power stances and tight costumes is in any way equivalent to the unnaturally arched spine and spray-painted outfits of most female comic book characters misses a vital point: the dudes aren’t portrayed that way for the visual pleasure of women. As Andrew Wheeler says:

"But those big muscles are not there for women. They’re there for men; straight men who find male power exhilarating. If women didn’t exist, superheroes would be drawn just as buff as they are today — because as far as most superhero comics are concerned, women as consumers do not exist."

So when Vince McMahon pushes big dudes with big muscles – a physique he himself has striven to attain – it’s not with the female viewer in mind. And even his half-assed attempt at designating Baron Corbin a ladykiller is evidence of the enormous cognitive gap between ‘big dudes are cool and powerful’ and ‘what ladies must want.’

As Bryant Francis points out vis-a-vis the video game series Mass Effect, “Through the male gaze, you also lose what women find attractive. Artists like Prince or David Bowie have their own unique performances, winding us towards a different view of what sexuality really is.” To further muddy the waters of the female gaze, perhaps the most popular male romance option in the Mass Effect series is Garrus, a charmingly dorky, birdlike alien.

The comic book comparison also backs up what seems to be the preferred aesthetic among (most) male-attracted female wrestling fans:

"The broad consensus is that lean muscle is sexier than bulk — and that’s not only true among the women I spoke to for this article, but among the women I’ve spoken to in a lifetime comparing notes about hot guys. The superhero names that keep coming up as popular examples of sexy dudes among androphile women are Nightwing, Gambit, and Hawkeye — all gymnasts rather than powerhouses.Too much testosterone can be a turn-off. The women I interviewed were turned on by guys whose masculinity is tempered by other qualities: guys who can be a little goofy; guys with generous smiles; guys with feminine features."

As Andrews points out, this doesn’t negate the appeal of muscle – and, that caveat again, some women may even like the Hulk look. But an enduring theme in his questioning is that the women he interviewed tended to mention other features (face, eyes) before they even got to muscles. This rings true among wrestling fans too; you don’t have to go far before someone mentions Finn Balor’s piercing blue eyes.

But when we look at those male wrestlers most frequently named as WWE’s hottest – Seth, Finn, Andrade, Gargano, Fandango – that same lean, athletic aesthetic keeps coming up. Hell, the former Dean Ambrose had a sizeable army of thirsty fans, and this is prior to his musclebound return (and subsequent exit).

(Somewhat ironically, Baron Corbin’s appeal may actually lie in the fact that he’s got a pretty cute face rather than the fact that he’s a big dude. Not sure Vince factored that into his calculations…)

Okay, so what’s your point?

I mean, you got me here. I guess there is no point other than to make a case for WWE to fully embrace the cheesecake, the way NJPW shamelessly do. It’s true that WWE have always been a straight male-centric promotion as far as fans go – there’s a reason why tuxedo matches never reached the giddy heights of the bra and panties match, and tended to feature the likes of Santino Marella and, uh, Jim Cornette.

Next. WWE must treat Finn Balor like the top talent he is upon his return. dark

Years of ‘Diva’ bikini photoshoots and Playboy spreads have set a precedent for the male gaze; we already know this is profitable. But New Japan proves that the reverse is also true. If Vince is even vaguely considering pandering towards the female market – or, god forbid, the queer market – I see no good reason why he shouldn’t capitalize on the fact that there are a lot of hotties on the WWE roster.

Home/WWE