Smackdown in 2003: Why was Stephanie McMahon so hated?

[sd03]

Hello everyone, just wanted to make a throwback to Smackdown in 2003 for my first thread. It was probably my favourite year watching Smackdown ever. There is just one thing I didn’t get. What was with the ever loving hate of Smackdown GM (mega face) Stephanie McMahon by smarks and forum poster in the year of 2003? They mostly hated Vince too, but Steph got more heat by the internet.


I remember the time very well back then. I was 16 and loved the WWE, and was a big fan of Smackdown! But ever since the new year of 2003 when I posted on some forums and lurked on some forums I noticed there was at least 80% of the community that hated Stephanie McMahon. She didn’t have the screechy voice anymore, she was more mature, and there was no love angle’s. I thought this was improvement and a better version of Steph to watch.


By the time of February 2003 we started to get more and more of the McMahon’s on TV. I know this was annoying at times, but I don’t think It was as bad as people thought. People raved about Steph being a horrid face, but at the end of the day she got big pops from the crowd and was popular on screen. It just seems like the internet community mostly bitched about her. I remember around that time she started to pack on the weight as well and looked a bit like a wrestler. She was still attractive, but she was the butt end of fat jokes and steroid jokes week in and week out on the forums in 2003.


Was this simply because she on was TV too much, or because she was acting sexy? Or did 80% of the internet really find her unattractive and grotesque. I sincerely doubt the latter. Maybe it was the funny thing to do since HHH left Chyna and then as soon as he got with Steph she slowly started to balloon herself with muscle. She stopped using the screechy voice and people accused her of having a man voice, I didn’t really get it.


Anyways this didn’t seem the case when it came to the live crowd. When Stephanie teased to the crowd that she was going to be in Playboy in 2003 the crowd went absolutely nuts. They also boo’d loudly when she said it wasn’t going to be her. At this time I wasn’t that sick of Stephanie and thought she was doing a good job as GM. She didn’t hog up too much TV time and she didn’t act like she was the hottest thing on earth.


I admit her being in the Mr. America ordeal was pretty dumb. There was no need for her to stand up for Hogan and try to protect him from Vince. Seemed like they just wanted to use Steph in every situation. Then came the whole thing with Gowen which was good and bad at times. There was the time where it was her, Gowen, and Vince in the ring for a solid 15 minutes talking about her being ****ed out for business by her Dad, how Gowen never has a chance in WWE, how Gowen hates Vince. It was all way too long. It was mostly Steph just standing in the corner squeezing her tits together with her arms crossed hoping the crowd wouldn’t boo the hell out of them.


Then came the match. How does Stephanie McMahon headlining main event in Smackdown sound to you? Like pure garbage? Yeah I thought so too. But she actually did a good job playing the innocent scared female, while she was annoying when she jumped on the Big Shows back and screamed like he stole her Ice Cream cone, she took some good bumps regardless. She looked decent in the process as well, but nothing special. Then we got to Steph feuding with Sable in the upcoming weeks getting into food fights and more bad acting. This I admit was bad. Seeing Stephanie stuff her face in a face full of food while screaming and chocking at the same time is not quality television. It’s more for cheap laughs I guess.


Her match with Sable at Vengeance was pretty decent as well; I don’t know why so many people ripped on it. She did a good job and actually wrestled better than Sable. How all the internet smarks hated on Steph, yet she still got some big pops from the crowd is beyond me. Coming into August Stephanie then main evented Smackdown again, when is enough enough already? Sure she looked hot in a tight leather outfit parading herself off. But she got completely squashed by the A-train and it looked like she was dead after. I know one thing for sure; Steph can take some huge bumps.


Another main event with Lesnar in September, OK now by this time I can understand why the smarks and forum posters would be sick of her. She had no reason to be main eventing this much, sure she was an alright wrestler, but why not put her lower on the card. Her personality was boring at times as well, but I wouldn’t call her the worst face at that time. I think around October Stephanie received the most unneeded flak against her possible. I know the internet has always had its fair share of trolls. But in early October when Steph came out walking in that tight black halter top looking as chesty as she ever has, and then most of the posters would bash her saying “she looks chubby, talks and looks like a man, and her boobs are hideous”, that’s just ridiculous. I could understand if they said she looks meh, but I donno, I’ll post a pic below to show you and you be the judge.


Anyways I have to agree I was sick of Stephanie McMahon by her last appearance on Smackdown! Late in October 2003. It was a bloody 20 minute sit down interview with Micheal cole. Honestly Stephanie McMahon the GM character at that time wasn’t interesting enough to go 5. I am very neutral here guys, I understand the hate for Steph on one hand, but I don’t on some accounts. She was a good General Manager that didn’t annoy me that much. Except on a few account and especially that 20 minute interview where she cried, talked, cried again and looked not great doing it. The thought of Stephanie’s acting skills *shudders*.


Steph.October.02.2003.

That really a woman who is chubby, ugly, and butch, With a pair of hideous boobs?

 

[Stone_Cold_Stunner]

It's just cause shes a McMahon. People have always hated the McMahons having large storyline roles over a year in WWE. Look at Smackdown in 2003 great year but the whole Vince Steph saga that took place until No Mercy 2003 peossibly is the reason people complain about Stpeh as Smackdown GM. I personaly liked the Smackdown under Stephs command they had so much more over the Eric Bishof run RAW with Stone Cold Steve Austin.

 

[klunderbunker]

Yeah the problem was that she was just on TV way too much. It became Vince vs. Stephanie with wrestling on the side if we have time for it. Vince vs. wrestlers is ok and Stephanie on her own is ok as a sidekick character, but having them be the focal point isn't going to work. You can't have authority figures fighting on TV as the main draw. The fans simply aren't going to accept that at the end of the day. We watch for wrestling, not board room drama. It became those two against each other for power to annoy each other more or something like that. This just wasn't interestin TV at all, although that could be said for the WWE in general at this time.

 

[The Holy One]

I agree that I had a lot of love for Smackdown at the time with Lesnar, Angle, Undertaker, Benoit, and Cena but I feel it was Vince more than anything else who generated the hatred for Stephanie. The reason he created GMs was so that he wouldn't have to be the authority figure on both shows anymore. This doesn't really work if you're constantly on t.v. all the time after establishing the positions. I actually liked Stephanie in the face GM role and thought she did a pretty good job at it. For those that made fun of her voice and weight, I ask them would they seriously want the high pitched squel all the time and a toothpick to look at other than a well figured mature woman. In the end, I felt her fued with Vince which took up way too much t.v. time was the reason why there was the hatred.

 

[Wade's Public Transit Bomb]

Personally, I didn't care for her because every time she was on, my first thoughts were "She's only on TV because her Daddy said she could be on TV." And that is before I discovered internet wrestling forums. Her promos made mute the TV, I hated the way Y2J/The Rock/[Insert babyface here] went on and on about how she's a ****e EVERY PROMO she had with them, and I hated the way she always made sure she was the main focus. She was an authority figure, not a chief from a civilization from 4000 B.C. or something.