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This Was the XFL

Name: This Was the XFL
Director: Charlie Ebersol
Released: 2017
Duration: 77 min

Representation Score

1.8/10

Minimal

2017

TV-G

Director

Charlie Ebersol

Runtime

77 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

This documentary serves as a historical business retrospective rather than a vehicle for social exploration. It prioritizes the mechanics of industry and commercial failure over identity-driven storytelling. The narrative is centered around the personalities of male leaders and the logistics of a failed professional venture. Consequently, the film reinforces traditional hierarchies of power. While the subject matter involves professional sports, the lens remains fixed on corporate competition and entrepreneurial ambition rather than diverse social perspectives.

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Category Breakdown

Does This Was the XFL have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The documentary focuses on the world of professional football and sports marketing, which is traditionally associated with masculinity. There are no narratives exploring non-straight identities or critiques of the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender.

How does This Was the XFL portray gender?

Limited

The story mainly revolves around male executives such as Ebersol and McMahon, emphasizing their roles in driving the narrative. This focus reinforces traditional male-dominated corporate hierarchies.

How racially and ethnically diverse is This Was the XFL?

Fair

While the league likely includes diverse athletes, the narrative emphasizes the roles of white corporate leaders in making decisions about the league’s structure and operations.

How does This Was the XFL represent religion and culture?

Limited

The film examines Western capitalist structures and frames the XFL as an entrepreneurial experiment. It does not provide a deeper critique of these structures from a cultural or religious perspective.

Does This Was the XFL include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no mention of subjects representing visible or invisible disabilities within the provided context.

Present on Screen

Provides a detailed look at the intersection of sports entertainment and corporate competition.
Offers insight into the logistical and commercial aspects of a major business experiment.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of non-straight identities or critiques of the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender.
Focuses heavily on male leadership, limiting the scope of gender diversity.
Concentrates narrative ability to act within white-led corporate structures rather than diverse player perspectives.

Official Synopsis

A bold challenge, a fearless experiment and ultimately, a spectacular failure. In 2001, sports entertainment titans Ebersol and McMahon launched the XFL. It was hardly the first time a league had tried to compete with the NFL, but the brash audacity of the bid, combined with the personalities and charisma of Ebersol and McMahon and the marketing behemoths of their respective companies -- NBC and WWE -- captured headlines and a sense of undeniable anticipation about what was to come.

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