Total Divas

Total Divas was a reality television series that showcased a mix of professional wrestling and reality television. It had an impressive eight-season run on the E! network from 2013 to 2019.

The show provided a unique behind-the-scenes glimpse into the lives of the women superstars of WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). This included veterans such as Nikki and Brie Bella, Natalya, and Naomi, as well as newer faces like Paige and Nia Jax as they navigated their hectic personal and professional lives. The cast rotated and evolved over the seasons to allow viewers a broader perspective of the WWE women roster.

Total Divas painted a portrait of the side of professional wrestling that is not often showcased - the toll it takes on one's personal life. The show traded the WWE wrestling ring for domestic settings, workout regimes, parties, romantic relationships, and more. It offered viewers an insider look into the WWE female wrestlers' off-stage personalities, their relationships with each other, the emotional support they provide each other, and sometimes the drama that surfaces when working in a high-pressure entertainment industry.

The drama in Total Divas was served both in and out of the ring. The women faced routine professional challenges such as training, scripted rivalries, injuries, maintaining their physique, and the intense travel schedule that kept them on the road for most of the year. Conversely, the show also displayed how these women handled personal milestones - romantic relationships, weddings, break-ups, babies and family life.

While the show revolved primarily around the Divas' various antics, it also touched upon significant issues affecting women's wrestling. The viewers witnessed direct and indirect conversations around sexism in sports, body positivity, cultural discrimination, etc. All these under-the-surface dialogues provided the show with the necessary fodder to engage and educate viewers by maintaining a careful balance between entertainment and social consciousness.

Being pro-wrestlers in a male-dominated field put much more pressure on these women, and Total Divas illuminated the challenges they face trying to make a name for themselves. It allowed viewers to, along with enjoying the drama and entertainment, empathize with these women for their unwavering strength on stage and behind it, as well as witnessing their growth and perseverance firsthand.

One of the standout qualities of Total Divas was its authenticity, with the ladies wearing minimal makeup in many scenes and open conversations about struggles with body image, establishing a refreshing realness often absent in reality TV. The Divas were shown utilizing their platform to address their issues candidly, which resonated with many viewers who may be dealing with similar trials in their own lives.

As the series moved from season to season, the journeys of the glamorous Divas took different forms and different paths, but the central theme remained the same: behind the glitz and glamour of the wrestling world lies a life that is just as full of trials and tribulations as anyone else's.

Furthermore, the humor infused into the show was the icing on the cake. The Divas' sharp wit and the comedic timing of some of the co-stars, like male WWE Superstars John Cena and Daniel Bryan, made Total Divas not only a compelling watch but also a light-hearted and often hilarious one.

In conclusion, Total Divas is an eye-opener for anyone unfamiliar with the life of a wrestler, especially a female one, as it offers a window into their journeys filled with resilience, dreams, desires, and struggles. It also addresses essential issues such as body shaming, sexism, and women's empowerment. Its signature combination of real-life drama and humor, shown through fascinating personalities from the world of wrestling, made Total Divas a unique and engaging entry in the reality TV genre. Its surprising honesty and dynamic, relatable characters are bound to keep the viewers gripped through every episode, garnering a deeper appreciation for the wrestling industry's unsung heroines.