History Wrestling / GLOW

* SuckMyRose: Spanish Red had many flowers to throw around. Became a CheapPop after her HeelFaceTurn.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/GLOW_2389.jpeg]]

* MeanCharacterNiceActor:
** The [[Wrestling/{{Sting}} Steve Borden]] of ''GLOW'', Godiva works as a Christian mentor in addition to her infrequent cameos at wrestling events. Too bad Sting never posed for ''[[Magazine/{{Playboy}} Playgirl]]'', though, which is where the similarities end.
** Chainsaw had little in common with her characters, apart from an inability to wrestle.
--->'''Chainsaw:''' "Buy a chainsaw and assemble it!" My God. I'm a Jew from the Valley. We ''[[WalkingTechbane hire]]'' people to do this.

A fictional television show named ''[[Series/GLOW2017 GLOW]]'' loosely based on the promotion is set to be released on Creator/{{Netflix}} in June 2017.

* BikerBabe: Angel. She had the gloves and chain at least(and, of course, bike racing puns)

* YouAreFat: Matt Climber thought being called fat on national TV would strengthen the fibre of his athletes. While by no means petite, the announcer constantly put Godiva over as some sort of mutant, Wrestling/{{Chyna}}-like monster. ("the bulky Briton", "five meals a day!"). Meanwhile, he continued to hound Ninotchka about her ugliness and low cunning (which ran contrary to the crowd's reaction), getting every fat joke he could in about her. This continued even after she changed her gimmick to Parisian. ("never throught I'd [[Disney/{{Dumbo}} see a pink elephant fly!]]")

* CountryMouse: Sally and Amy the farmer's daughters.

* CuteBruiser: Tammy Jones. The puffy pig tails, lollipops and high voice made her look like a little girl, but she did compete for crown, the highest prize for singles wrestlers in the company.

* ManBitesMan: Attache, to Tina Ferrari in their submission match to break Tina's figure-four leglock. Dementia bit Little Egypt's leg until it bled but since everyone expected her to bite, technical wrestlers like Tina just put her in holds where she could only chomp on air.

* TheMentor: Aunt Kitty to the Bad Girls, Jackie Stallone to the Good Girls.

* OohMeAccentsSlipping: All the foreign accents slip occasionally, since most of them are fake.

* PrettyInMink: Ashley and Tina's shawls.

* PowerHair: Ninotchka always had a short cut.

* SassyBlackWoman: Ebony. Soul Patrol too.

* TheSilentBob: Dementia never spoke one word; the other Heels did her rap for her. Possibly the biggest reason it was difficult to notice that [[FridgeBrilliance more than one wrestler portrayed the character.]]

* ShamelessFanserviceGirl: Godiva (Dawn Maestas) wore more cosmetics than fabric. Oddly, everyone in the GLOW house came to her for fashion tips. She's also Old Money, just like the real Lady Godiva. And her entrance music preaches self-acceptance. Don't worry, Dawn [[LostAesop doesn't know why she's a heel]], either.
-->'''[[http://themandibleclaw.com/2013/03/08/that-time-the-gorgeous-ladies-of-wrestling-tried-to-hook-up-with-donald-trump/ TMC]]:''' Godiva's advice: be yourself, because trying to be like other G.L.O.W. girls is weird and requires lobotomization. Her words, not mine.

* TeamMom: Big Bad Mama was a villainous example.

* AlohaHawaii: The Royal Hawaiian.

* BigBad: Aunt Kitty.
* BigGood: Jackie Stallone.
* BikerBabe: Angel.

* CuteBruiser: Tammy Jones.
* DanceBattler: Little Egypt.

* DumbJock: California Doll is this too, as a surfer.

* HollywoodVoodoo: Big Bad Mama.

* {{Jobber}}: The amusingly named Vicki Victory. She came close to pinning the heels many times, but they always Ric Flair'd their way to a count-out.
* {{Joisey}}: The Housewives.

* LethalEatery: Spanish Rose's restaurant in the first season, her off-ring segment; not exactly a nice place unless you're a customer who likes being abused by the staff. In the second season, Angel took over, and it was called "Angel's Hell Kitchen".

* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: California Doll once called Spanish Rose a wetback on-camera, claiming she had heard it from the other Faces. (Possibly why [[DudeNotFunny nobody at all objected]] to the rather brutal beating Rose gave her for it.)
* PowerHair: Ninotchka.

* ShoutOut: Ninotchka is a reference to [[Film/{{Ninotchka}} the old MGM film.]] Debuting as a not-so-undercover spy for the Soviets, she later abdicated her ''GLOW'' crown and jumped on a plane to Paris to renounce her Russian citizenship...earning the ire of the heels, who all but called her [[CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkey smelly frog]]. As mentioned above, her face turn may have been inspired by Nikolai Volkoff in the WWF, back when the Berlin Wall fell and Glasnost was happening.

* SpiritualSuccessor: The show's three most notable successors were ''Powerful Women of Wrestling'' (POWW) which was more wrestling-based, ''Women of Wrestling'' (WOW) which was a trainwreck that went dormant after one year in 2001 but made a surprising return in 2012 and ''Wrestling/{{Wrestlicious}}'' which was a little bit of both, airing for one year and being very silly but also putting on better matches more consistently than WWE's Divas or TNA's Knockouts were that year. Others include LPWA and CRUSH. POWW and WOW were also run by David [=McLane=].
* SpringtimeForHitler: The behind-the-scenes story is one of real camaraderie that emerged in a show which, for all its merits, should never have had any sucess. Sure enough, the owner of the casino used GLOW as a tax write-off and advertising vehicle for his own products, never expecting it to succeed. Most of the girls left wrestling to go model or produce films and, apart from Fiji and Matilda (who both ended up in assisted living centers), it served everyone's purposes pretty well.

* CuckoolanderCommentator: "Motormouth" Mike, a cross between Wrestling/{{Tazz}} and Bob Saget on American's Funnest Home Videos. In deference to those two, Mike only had two jokes: "Johnny C's a fairy!" and "these girls are fat!"

A fictional television show named ''GLOW'' loosely based on the promotion is set to be released on Creator/{{Netflix}} in June 2017.

A fictional television show named ''GLOW'' loosely based on the promotion was announced as being in production by Creator/{{Netflix}} in August 2016.

* RichBitch: Averted. Tina and Ashley were SpoiledSweet, playing faces the entire time.

The show had many {{Spiritual Successor}}s. ''POWW'' was also founded by [=McClane=] and went back to his original idea of more wrestling and featured many legitimate women wrestlers - {{Wrestling/Madusa}}, Wrestling/LunaVachon, Wendi Richter and Heidi Lee Morgan. ''WOW'' and ''{{Wrestling/Wrestlicious}}'' were more direct tribute shows featuring many an {{Expy}} of the original ''GLOW'' characters. A documentary about the show was produced in 2012 titled ''GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling''.

* TheCheerleader: Debbie Debutante, Susie Spirit and Vicki Victory. Not straight examples as they were good girls.

** You expected something different from ''GLOW''?

** Miles Headlock, a commentator in season two and a direct parody of Series/MaxHeadroom. (Who was still rather popular back then.)

* GirlishPigtails: Tammy Jones.

* OohMeAccentsSlipping: Godiva wavers between a British cockney accent and a generic Australian one.

* ThePigpen[=/=]SkunkStripe: Stinky definitely drew the short straw when it came to gimmicks.

* PsychopathicManchild: Demntia was this. She was always carted into the ring with some sort of restraint (often a cage) wore a hockey mask (though she usually ditched it before the match started) and always had a hatchet with her and some sort of child's toy. Her opponents were often able to use this to an advantage. (For instance, in one match, she grabbed a poster of Tina that a kid - likely a plant - had taunted her with, and started to scribble over it with crayons, completely oblivious to the ''actual'' Tina. She didn't fight back until Tina had been coldcocked her from behind. ''Twice''.)

* RickyMorton: Little Fiji, in contrast to Mountain Fiji who would have been virtually unstoppable if she was not always having to save Little Fiji from all her enemies. (One match where she tried to go it alone had the Heel commentator remark that she was likely expecting her big sis to come bail her out.)
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: The Royal Hawaiian

* TheSilentBob: Dementia never spoke one word; the other Heels did her rap for her. (Possibly the biggest reason it was difficult to notice that [[FridgeBrilliance more than one wrestler portrayed the character.]])

Envisioned by [=McClane=] as a simple 'rasslin show, his Vegas backers put a quick stop to that, ordering more comedy skits (think ''Series/HeeHaw'' with fists), and music videos. The result: [[{{Camp}} car crash TV]]. If you want to witness how everything went wrong in [[TheEighties that era]], Google "GLOW raps".

The initial crop of wrestlers were actresses, models, and dancers using ''GLOW'' as a rung on the showbiz ladder ([[Series/TotalDivas sound familiar?]]) and in fact, a few thought they were just auditioning for another sitcom. To their dismay, ''GLOW'' was launched in 1986 and the Old Ways were still in effect: {{worked shoot}}s, strict enforcement of kayfabe, face/heel dormitories... everything but the blading, really. When judged apart from the white girls attempting to spit rhymes, the wrestling could be surprisingly decent.

A documentary about the show was produced in 2012 titled ''GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling''.

* AlohaHawaii: The Royal Hawaiian

* ButNotTooBlack: Soul Patrol.

* GentleGiant: Mt Fiji was TheGiant and a face.

* LighterAndSofter: GLOW was marketed heavily toward kids in spite of the kitschy sex jokes.

* {{Expy}}: Little Egypt had one with the same rap and costume called "The Egyptian".

* PsychopathicManchild: Demntia was this. She was always carted into the ring with some sort of restraint (often a cage) wore a hockey mask (though she ditched it before the match started) and always had a hatchet with her and some sort of child's toy. Her opponents were often able to use this to an advantage. (For instance, in one match, she grabbed a poster of Tina that a kid - likely a plant - had taunted her with, and started to scribble over it with crayons, completely oblivious to the ''actual'' Tina. She didn't fight back until Tina had been coldcocked her from behind. ''Twice''.)

* RickyMorton: Little Fiji, in contrast to Mountain Fiji who would have been virtually unstoppable if she was not always having to save Little Fiji from all her enemies.

* {{Kayfabe}}: Behind the scenes it was heavily enforced. The girls had to be in character whenever they were out in public. Faces and heels couldn't be seen together and they even had to room with each other - only good with good etc.

* TheSilentBob: Dementia never spoke one word; the other Heels did her rap for her. (Possibly the biggest why it was difficult to notice that [[FridgeBrilliance more than one wrestler portrayed the character.]])

* AllAmericanFace: Americana. Her arch-foe was Col. Ninotchka, no surprise.
-->'''[[http://sportsclimax.com/uncategorized/interview-with-hot-babes-of-glow-gorgeous-ladies-of-wrestling/ Americana:]]''' I actually saw Ninotchka about 10 years ago when I was in Las Vegas on business. We had dinner; we were very civil...then she body-slammed me and I drop-kicked her and we called it a night.

* TheBaroness[=/=]DirtyCommunists: “Colonel" Ninotchka (Lori Palmer), ostensibly a Soviet commander who brought her Soviet values into the ring to show these filthee kapitalist peegs how it's done.
* TheBeautifulElite: Godiva, the ''evil nudist''.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: Susie Spirit alludes to this in her rap.
--> "They say I'm made of sugar and spice/But in the ring I'm not so nice"

--> "I may be prissy and very rich/But get me mad and you'll see a witch"

* CareerEndingInjury: Sadly a lot of the girls on the show. Most notably Susie Spirit, whose dislocated her elbow in one particularly gruesome injury.
** Little Egypt tore her ACL in a match with the Heavy Metal Sisters, which finished her up. Her first match with ''GLOW'' was also, coincidentally, [[BookEnds against the HMS]].

* CuckoolanderCommentator: "Motormouth" Mike, a cross between {{Wrestling/Tazz}} and Bob Saget on American's Funnest Home Videos. In deference to those two, Mike only had two jokes: "Johnny C's a fairy!" and "these girls are fat!"

* DistaffCounterpart: Justice to [[{{Film/Shaft}} John Shaft.]]

* EverythingsBetterWithSparkles: You expected something different from ''GLOW''?
-->'''Godiva''': I had glitter in my hair for ten years after ''GLOW'' ended. Glitter is permanent.

* TheFace[=/=]TheHeart: Fiji is widely recognized as the spokeswoman and morale booster of ''GLOW''. After her body fell into disrepair due to her accumulated injuries and diabetes, Little Egypt took up the baton. She's the one who spearheaded the kickstarter and promotion for the film, the cast reunions and the support network for Fiji.

* FauxActionGirl: Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling couldn't have been more appropriate, or maybe too appropriate. About [[SturgeonsLaw 90% of the girls]] were models and actresses looking to get into show business through wrestling, and the first season had girls with only about 8 weeks worth of training competing.
-->'''''Bleacher Report''''': Big hair and botched suplexes pervaded every match. You can't expect to make Wrestling/{{Sherri Martel}}s when you train actresses and stunt girls for six weeks before going on air.
** The show bequeathed us with two adult film stars.

* GenkiGirl: The Cheerleaders of course, since they weren't quite what this site calls {{the cheerleader}}.

** GentleGiant: Mt Fiji was a face.

* LovelyAngels: Heavy Metal Sisters, The Housewives, Corp Kelly & Attache, the list goes on.

* MeanCharacterNiceActor: The [[Wrestling/{{Sting}} Steve Borden]] of ''GLOW'', Godiva works as a Christian mentor in addition to her infrequent cameos at wrestling events. Too bad Sting never posed for ''[[{{Magazine/Playboy}} Playgirl]]'', though, which is where the similarities end.

--->'''Chainsaw''': "Buy a chainsaw and assemble it!" My God. I'm a Jew from the Valley. We ''[[WalkingTechbane hire]]'' people to do this.

* OohMeAccentsSlipping: Godiva wavers between a British cockney accent and a generic Australian one..

* PrettyFlyForAWhiteGuy: Move over, [[Wrestling/VinceMcMahon "Stand Back"]], here comes the rapping referee.

--->'''Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin''': Angelina, you come from the streets, you come from the city...

-->'''[[http://themandibleclaw.com/2013/03/08/that-time-the-gorgeous-ladies-of-wrestling-tried-to-hook-up-with-donald-trump/ TMC]]''': Godiva’s advice: be yourself, because trying to be like other G.L.O.W. girls is weird and requires lobotomization. Her words, not mine.

* ShoutOut: Ninotchka is a reference to [[{{Film/Ninotchka}} the old MGM film.]] Debuting as a not-so-undercover spy for the Soviets, she later abdicated her ''GLOW'' crown and jumped on a plane to Paris to renounce her Russian citizenship...earning the ire of the heels, who all but called her [[CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkey smelly frog]]. As mentioned above, her face turn may have been inspired by Nikolai Volkoff in the WWF, back when the Berlin Wall fell and Glasnost was happening.

--> "All my opponents know I'm a stud, what can I say, it's the Italian blood"
** Lisa Moretti did have a Spanish grandmother and she referenced her Hispanic heritage a couple of times in WWE, so she does fit.
* SpiritualSuccessor: The show's three most notable successors were ''Powerful Women of Wrestling'' (POWW) which was more wrestling-based, ''Women of Wrestling'' (WOW) which was a trainwreck that went dormant after one year in 2001 but made a surprising return in 2012 and ''Wrestling/{{Wrestlicious}}'' which was a little bit of both, airing for one year and being very silly but also putting on better matches more consistently than WWE's Divas or TNA's Knockouts were that year. Others include LPWA and CRUSH. POWW and WOW were also run by [=David McLane=].
* SpringtimeForHitler: The behind-the-scenes story is one of real camaraderie that emerged in a show which, for all its merits, should never have been made. The documentary is good but suffers from the usual things docs suffer from: the sensationalizing of GLOW, making it sound like it sold out arenas and made all this crazy cash when it didn't. (The live shows actually helped kill the company.) Sure enough, the owner of the casino used GLOW as a tax write-off and advertising vehicle for his own products, never expecting it to succeed. Most of the girls left wrestling to go model or produce films and, apart from Fiji and Matilda (who both ended up in assisted living centers), it served everyone's purposes pretty well.
* StreetUrchin: The joke with Hollywood is that she dresses and acts like a streetwalker, even though that wasn't included in the script. Hollywood cribbed from {{Music/Madonna}} and came up with the idea of wrestling in lingerie and black boots. She survives by crashing Hollywood parties and nicking everything that isn't nailed down, including the commentator's bowtie.

--> "Tina Ferrari, the capitalist dream. She won't look so good face down in the ring! She's thinks she so tough and so strong! I will destroy her, it won't take long"

* VivaLasVegas: The show was filmed out of the old Riviera Hotel and Casino (now-defunct), with the ladies assigned to apartments on the strip. Trump Plaza in Atlantic City was a popular venue also. Hosting a bunch of 80's wrestling fans in a casino is like inviting Juggalos to Wimbledon.
* WithMyHandsTied: Amy thought she had the advantage by tying Ninotcka's wrists to her belt. Amy was still wearing the belt at the time, a strategic error: Ninotchka's superior strength allowed her to twirl poor Amy upside-down and piledriver her for the pin..
* [[ManBitesMan Woman Bites Woman]]: Attache, to Tina Ferrari in their submission match to break Tina's figure-four leglock. Dementia bit Little Egypt's leg until it bled but since everyone expected her to bite, technical wrestlers like Tina just put her in holds where she could only chomp on air.
-->'''Hollywood''': (on commentary) Attache fights cleanly.\\
'''Sir Miles''': What makes you say that?\\
'''Hollywood''': She left Tina a leg to stand on.

* DrillSergeantNasty: Corporal Kelly and Attache.
** Before the lounge lizards got involved, [=McClane=] hired Mando Guerrero ([[WrestlingFamily yes, that one]]) to whip these pageant queens into shape. Lesson #1 was how to sell. When the girls sniggered at Mando flailing on the ropes, he put one of them in a sleeper hold, then let her drop and "flop around like a fish" in front of everyone. After that, those twnkies knew not to give Mando any shit.

A fictional television show named ''GLOW'' loosely based on the promotion was announced as being in production by Netflix in August 2016.

!!! "Gorgeous Tropes of Wrestling":

->''It was those rap musical interludes that made me wonder what I had stumbled on. And yes, the novelty did eventually wear off, but for a while there I was hooked. Whatever it was that I was watching, there was nothing else like it, and no way to adequately describe what seemed like a show broadcast from another planet.''

* BlondesAreEvil: Blonde heels included Godiva, Aunt Kitty, Major Tanya, Ninotchka, Spike and Corporal Kelly. [[HairOfGoldHeartOfGold 'Good girl']] blondes included Sally, Babe, Amy, Debbie Debutante, Olympia and Dallas.
** Alright, this is just too precious: Amy the Farmer's Daughter carries a bouquet to her match with Ninotchka. "I brought some flowers for Colonel Ninotchka because I never met anyone from Russia before!" Nino's response: "What's next, Grandma? Tell her to go back and wrestle pigs in the mud."

* OperaGloves: Ashley Cartier favoured black ones.