All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite
All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite (2019) is a professional wrestling television program that airs weekly on TBS, featuring a diverse roster of male and female wrestlers. The show is known for its high-octane in-ring action, character-driven storylines, and a more adult-oriented presentation compared to some mainstream wrestling promotions. It is considered AEW's flagship program and runs for approximately two hours, including commercials. The content is generally intense and includes strong thematic elements related to violence, language, and mature character interactions, making it suitable for a teen and adult audience. The program delves into complex rivalries, personal feuds, and athletic competition, offering a blend of sports and entertainment.
Concerns
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
HighAEW Dynamite features significant and normalized LGBTQ+ and gender-diverse representation, which is often integrated into character personas and storylines without being solely an exploitative 'gimmick.' The company has actively signed and highlighted openly LGBTQ+ wrestlers, and their identities are acknowledged and, at times, central to on-screen narratives.
Nyla Rose, an openly transgender woman, made history by becoming the first transgender wrestler to sign with a major American promotion and later won the AEW Women's World Championship. Anthony Bowens is an openly gay male wrestler who became AEW's first openly gay male champion as part of The Acclaimed tag team, with his sexuality being acknowledged on-screen during a segment where he clarified, 'I'm gay' to Harley Cameron. Additionally, genderfluid and transfeminine wrestler Sonny Kiss was among AEW's early signings, and bisexual wrestler Toni Storm has been featured in sapphic storylines, including a three-way kiss with Mariah May and Mina Shirakawa.
Violence
HighThe show features frequent and intense violence, often involving weapons, blood, and dangerous stunts, aligning with its TV-14 rating. Matches are depicted as brutal contests with severe physical altercations and visible injuries, which can be graphic and potentially disturbing.
Examples include 'Blood and Guts' matches, which are known for extreme brutality and significant blood loss, such as when Angelo Parker was shown drenched in his own blood. Other instances of extreme violence include Jon Moxley getting skewers stuck in his head and back, Darby Allin setting Jack Perry on fire at Double Or Nothing 2024, Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa's 'Lights Out' match which was an 'absolute bloodbath' involving thumbtacks, and Adam Page drinking Swerve Strickland's blood live on pay-per-view.
Profanity
HighProfanity is frequently used, particularly in character promos and emotional segments. While AEW has recently increased bleeping for television broadcasts, historical segments and live events may feature uncensored strong language, including expletives like the 'F-word' and 'S-word.'
MJF has delivered numerous 'profanity-filled promos,' such as his tirade directed at Tony Khan where he used explicit language like 'f*** him' and 'sh**' to express his frustration. In a YouTube video discussing profanity, a commentator noted instances of wrestlers 'talking about a women's private area with a not so beautiful term' and using the 'f word' on television, highlighting the historical prevalence of strong coarse language. Although there has been a recent shift towards bleeping (e.g., 'Hangman' Page's 'horses**t' being bleeped), uncensored language can still be heard by live audiences or on international streaming platforms like Fite TV.
Scary & Intense Content
HighAEW Dynamite frequently features scary and intense content, driven by its high-impact, often violent wrestling style, and characters designed to be frightening. This contributes significantly to the TV-14 rating and can be unsettling for younger viewers.
Beyond the general intense violence, characters like Abadon are designed to be 'terrifying' and 'pure nightmare fuel,' contributing a specific horror aesthetic to the show. Events like 'Fright Night Dynamite' lean into a spooky, Halloween theme, creating a more intense and potentially frightening atmosphere for certain episodes. Commentators often react with exclamations like 'oh my god this is disgusting i'm going to throw up' during particularly gruesome or shocking spots, enhancing the perceived intensity for viewers.
Disrespect & Rebellion
HighDisrespect and rebellion are prevalent themes, intrinsic to professional wrestling's narrative structure, where 'heel' (villainous) characters often defy authority, mock opponents, and engage in rebellious acts. This is expressed through verbal insults, challenging management, and breaking rules.
MJF is renowned for his disrespectful and rebellious promos, openly insulting fans as 'uneducated marks' and challenging AEW President Tony Khan with profanity-laced tirades. Christian Cage's character, particularly with his 'Patriarchy' persona, is known for 'vicious burns' and verbal taunts, often causing strong negative reactions from the audience due to his disrespectful demeanor towards other wrestlers and their families.
Romance and Sexual Content
MediumRomance and sexual content are present, predominantly through character relationships and suggestive interactions, rather than explicit sexual acts. LGBTQ+ romantic storylines are notably featured, alongside general romantic gestures and some suggestive, playful sexuality as part of specific character personas.
Bisexual wrestler Toni Storm has been part of sapphic storylines, including a prominent three-way kiss on television with Mariah May and Mina Shirakawa, which generated significant fan discussion. The 'Best Kisses Ever' compilation released by AEW for Valentine's Day includes various on-screen romantic kisses between different characters, indicating the presence of romantic storylines in the program. Additionally, characters like Toni Storm portray a 'burlesque and parody' style that plays with sexuality in a suggestive but non-explicit manner, emphasizing empowerment.
Witchcraft & Occult
MediumThe program includes characters with strong occult and supernatural aesthetics and personas, creating an eerie and sometimes frightening atmosphere. However, explicit depictions of witchcraft rituals, spellcasting, or direct demon summoning are not central to the storylines.
Malakai Black's character 'exudes horror' and leans into 'supernatural elements,' creating a 'terrifying aura' with his presentation that is meant to strike fear into onlookers. Abadon, known as the 'Living Dead Girl,' has a persona that is 'pure nightmare fuel' with eerie mannerisms and a billed weight of '1000 lost souls,' frequently appearing in Halloween-themed matches.
Substance Use
MediumSubstance use, specifically alcohol, has been addressed in relation to real-life struggles of wrestlers and, at times, incorporated into storylines. While not glamorized, the discussion and acknowledgment of addiction are present themes.
Jon Moxley openly entered an inpatient alcohol treatment program in November 2021, and this real-life struggle and subsequent recovery were acknowledged on AEW programming, with AEW President Tony Khan releasing a statement of support. Eddie Kingston has also spoken publicly about his past struggles with alcohol and drug addiction, detailing his heavy drinking during his early career to cope with mental health issues.
Anti-Christian Themes
LowWhile some character elements might be interpreted through a religious lens, there are no overt or central anti-Christian themes. Character gimmicks referencing 'devil worship' are typically metaphorical or satirical, rather than direct attacks on Christian beliefs.
MJF's 'Devil Worshipper' merchandise and associated persona sparked controversy among some Christians, but MJF himself clarified that the concept of a 'devil' exists across various religions and was not specifically targeting Christianity, serving as a character gimmick rather than anti-religious propaganda. Christian Cage, a heel character, is sometimes ironically referred to as a 'great Christian father' by fans, which highlights the satirical nature of his character rather than promoting anti-Christian sentiment.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
TV-14 (Parents Strongly Cautioned). The official TV Parental Guidelines rating of TV-14, coupled with explicit content descriptors such as intense violence (V), strong coarse language (L), intensely suggestive dialogue (D), and sexual situations (S), indicates that the program contains material many parents would find unsuitable for children under 14 years of age. Therefore, parental guidance is strongly urged.
Additional Notes
AEW Dynamite's content has shown some evolution, particularly regarding profanity where there has been an increased use of bleeping for television broadcasts over time. However, the level of violence and diverse representation has remained consistently high or increased. The show's core audience often consists of adult fans who appreciate the edgier, less-censored style compared to more family-friendly wrestling. Live events might offer a more unfiltered experience than TV broadcasts.
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