Fans Are Misinterpreting the Term "Vanilla Midget"

  During the "Kliq" and nWo days, Kevin Nash coined a term called "vanilla midget."  The meaning was someone that was boring, small, and wouldn't be able to draw.  In those days, he called guys like Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, and Rey Misterio that term.  I think we can all agree that Eddie Guerrero was certainly not a "vanilla midget," as he eventually became a draw and was just about one of the most charismatic wrestlers ever.  Chris Jericho might have even been referred to by that term but he certainly isn't one either.  It doesn't mean what people think it means!

   In the last 20 years, some fans have really misinterpreting Nash's term and it doesn't make sense when I see it used in articles, comments, or wrestling message boards.  I think people are using the term strictly for someone who is smaller than the average wrestler, while not taking into account their charisma.  I'd even argue that Rey Misterio is not a "vanilla midget" either, as he has a natural charisma about him.  Austin Aries is certainly not that, as he just exudes charisma at every turn.  I have so many examples.

   In TNA, Kevin Nash was paired with the X-Division wrestlers in an attempt to poke fun at the term.  At the same time, I believe many people, including Nash, started to understand the dynamics of the term and learned from it.  In the story, he became somewhat of a mentor that tapped into Alex Shelley's hidden charisma, as well as the X-Division wrestlers they feuded with.  Shelley started bringing a camera to the ring and called his stable "Paparazzi Productions," showing a side many fans never saw before.  Not long after, he and Chris Sabin, one of Nash's targets, became one of the greatest tag teams in TNA history, the Motor City Machine Guns.  Sonjay Dutt embraced somewhat of a "guru," gimmick, Austin Aries was able to show everyone who he really was, and Jay Lethal brought "Macho Man" Randy Savage back to the limelight by creating his "Black Machismo" character.  None of these wrestlers deserved to be called "vanilla midgets" again!

   I can somewhat understand why some people would refer to several of the Cruiserweights in WWE's 205 Live this term, as many of them, while fantastic in the ring, are both small and are a little bland.  In my opinion, some wrestlers are beyond that and are just so good, fans often disregard how small or bland they may appear.  An example of this would be Cedric Alexander, who is so phenomenal in the ring, no one pays attention to his height or perceived lack of charisma.  Drew Gulak has created a character that goes away from the term, as do Jack Gallagher and The Brian Kendrick, for instance.

   NXT is probably full of these so-called "vanilla midgets."  Many people class Adam Cole in that category for some reason.  With the following he has and the charisma and mic skills he possesses, he is anything but.  Some might use this term to describe Ricochet, who is just so good at what he does, fans around the world love and admire him.  There were people that used this term for Daniel Bryan, who completely blew that term out of the water with the draw he became.  There was a time when his merchandise was selling almost as much as John Cena's.  I've even heard people refer to CM Punk by this term, which is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!

   Does the term, which is somewhat offensive, possibly describe some wrestlers?  Perhaps!  There are a lot of Cruiserweights that are bland and boring.  There's also bigger men who are the same too, though!  For instance, I see Baron Corbin as a charisma vacuum, someone if not for his size, wouldn't get the time of day in WWE.  I also think people are being too vague with the "midget" part, as anyone who is under 6 feet tall is considered this term by some ignorant fans.  If you're going to use an offensive wrestling term like this, don't be general with it.  At least be specific; otherwise, you come off foolish.

 If you have any further thoughts on this topic, let me know in comments.  Heck, let us all know on The WAR Report podcast, every Tuesday at 7PM EST on YouTube, brought to you by tagmeadate.com, the first and only dating site for wrestling fans.  Go to askthewarreport@gmail.com or #askthewarreport.  For TagMeADate members, our Android and Apple apps are vastly approaching so stay tuned!
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