Mickie James

Inside Television 521

Publication date: 10-01-10

By: Hubert O’Hearn

This is a story that I hope turns into a continuing story for two reasons. The first reason - selfishly - is that it will fill many a column inch tracking a television show right from its absolute genesis as an idea. The second reason - unselfishly - is that I think the prospective star is someone that I think has earned her shot at possibly become a very big, very wealthy, star. Allow me to introduce you to Mickie James. And this is much more than a wrestling story.

Mickie James is a young woman who first came into televised view as a WWE Diva wrestler from 2005 until her release from that company earlier this year. I well remember her debut. Mickie played an unbelievably perky obsessed fan of Toronto’s own Trish Stratus. Mickie would run out to happy happy joy joy music, waving pompoms and cheering for Trish. She liked Trish. She liked Trish a whole lot. She liked Trish more than the increasingly-nervous Trish liked her. Complications arose. And for once a women’s wrestling angle was allowed to play out for more than, oh, about three weeks of Raw and three minutes of wrestling. We’ll get back to that.

It helped that among the WWE Divas, Mickie and Trish could actually wrestle. You might think that would be a prerequisite before being signed to Vince McMahon's gigantic promotion, but you’d be wrong. Very wrong. Vince casts his Divas for their swimsuit appeal, not for their ability to recreate the best moves of Lou Thesz.

But for five years, Mickie was the best of both worlds - cute as a button with a  massive army of loyal fans, good matches with any other Diva who could tell an armbar from a crowbar, and was rewarded as a five-time Champion. Being anointed as a  Champion by WWE (or any other company) really does mean something - it means Vince thinks you’re a star and can earn Vince money. Simple as that. And great as long as Vince likes you.

As sports commentator Jim Rome once said, ‘There’s no doubt about it. Vince McMahon is the bad seed.’ When Vince dislikes or grows bored with a wrestler, before the release inevitably containing the words ‘We wish (insert name) all the best in (his/her) future endeavors’, he attempts to destroy the wrestler’s appeal. What if they started earning money for TNA, or WCW back in the day? Can’t be having that! Vince would then appear to be - egad! - wrong. Vince doesn’t do wrong well.

So, the wrestler might be turned heel, so he or she won’t be welcomed by another promotion’s fans as a conquering hero. Or, they might be jobbed out - put on a long losing string so they lose their athletic appeal. Or Vince might just make fun of you in as demeaning a fashion as possible. That’s what he did to Mickie James. He had other Divas on Smackdown repeatedly say that Mickie was -

Fat.


Piggy James. Fat fat ickity ick. Now, I do invite the reader to look at the young woman in the accompanying picture. If that is fat, then I’m the Mighty Mouse balloon in the Macy’s Parade. So what Vince was doing made no sense, but in his mind the absolute cruelest thing he could happen to a woman was to be accused of losing her sex appeal. Margaret Thatcher, Golda Meir and Queen Elizabeth the First might beg to differ, but none of them were wrestlers. Margaret Thatcher would have made one heck of a manager of a heel faction however. Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo might have saved WCW if they’d put Thatcher in the N.W.O. My apologies if this is getting too inside. We’re done with the wrestling part mostly.

Mickie had and has a second talent. She is a country singer and songwriter, mostly of the hard-playin’ James Gang style. Just after her release from WWE she released an album called Strangers & Angels, available on iTunes. So, as the late Stan Rogers used to say, it was time ‘to hit the highways and the byways, singing the songs of our land.’

As any musician will tell you (and tell you and tell you) life on the road is not easy - bars, fairs and shopping mall openings. Mickie being a known quantity with a fan base has an edge, but it’s an edge that is only as good as a letter of introduction. After that, it’s up to the singer and the songs to sell themselves.

Sounds like a reality series to me, as it does to Mickie and her manager. She still takes the occasional independent wrestling gig, has name recognition, a traveling story, and most importantly she has the character to draw a smile. People like to smile.

The idea is going to be pitched to various networks and I’m going to track it for you. Until then - Be seeing you.

(Mickie James' own website can be found here)