Vince McMahon Pushed For Bathroom Humor Gimmick That Left WWE Superstar Uncomfortable

Natalya is a shoo-in WWE Hall of Famer, and her career is far from finished at this point. That being said, she’s seen a lot in WWE, and her longevity in the company can be credited to her ability to do business, no matter the storyline they gave her.

While speaking to Chris Van Vliet’s Insight podcast, Natalya opened up about the pressure she experienced during WWE’s Divas Era and the choices she made to keep her place in the company. She reflected on how those years shaped her mindset and why she went along with one of her most controversial gimmicks.

“It was so difficult because I realized that I couldn’t dance to save my life. I tried so, so hard,” she confessed. “I was like, I gotta try to lose weight. I gotta try to be thin. I gotta look like Torrie Wilson. I always had Torrie on this pedestal because she’s to me, I love her physique and she’s so beautiful. I was like, I always wanted to look like Torrie, but I couldn’t, because my body’s not like Torrie’s.”

Natalya went on to explain that she struggled to meet the expectations that the company placed on female performers at the time. Those standards led her to doubt her place as a champion and look for another way to contribute.

“I realized that all these things that I thought that they wanted at that time, I was like, I know what they’ll like. What if I made every single girl I worked with look like gold? What if I was the, maybe not the star, but you know what I can do really well, I’ll be the star maker.”

Natalya also said that focusing on others started to take a toll on how she viewed herself. She admitted that her confidence faded as she tried to convince herself that simply being employed was enough.

“I started to look at myself the way that I felt like they were looking at me, where I was like, I don’t really know if I’m worthy of being the champion, I don’t think I am.”

The Queen of Harts continued by describing how she downplayed her own ambitions, convincing herself to be grateful rather than strive for more. After all, she realizes how lucky she is to be in WWE.

“I started to feel like I was just lucky to have the job,” she recalled. “I started to almost talk myself into, ‘Do you know how lucky you are to even have this contract with WWE that so many people are fighting to even just get their foot in the door’?”

This mindset continued until Beth Phoenix stepped in and encouraged her to stand up for herself. Natalya said that Phoenix’s advice gave her the push to finally speak up to management.

“Beth really urged me to fight. So I did, and I pled my case,” she said.

Natalya also admitted that asking to be champion felt uncomfortable at first. Looking back, she is able to see that wanting success was not something to be ashamed of.

“I felt so embarrassed that I was trying to tell my bosses that I wanted to be champion when it’s like, no, we all should f*cking want to be champion.”

Natalya then addressed one of the most infamous storylines of her career, where she couldn’t control her gas. She recalled the flatulence gimmick and how it came directly from Vince McMahon’s creative direction, not the writers’ room.

“I remember with that idea, when the writer came out of the production meeting, he pulled me aside, and he made it very clear this was not his idea.”

Bret Hart’s niece then said the writer distanced himself from the concept immediately. The message he delivered made it clear who was behind the decision.

“He came out of the production meeting, and he just kept saying over and over and over again, ‘This is not my idea, but this is Vince’s idea, and he really loves this idea.’”

The storyline was designed to make her appear more entertaining. However, Vince McMahon, as she explained, wanted to see another side of her personality on television.

“Well, the thing with Vince is that he liked to do things that were a lot about entertainment, and he wanted to do something. I think he saw me as being kind of a serious wrestler. So he’s like, let’s do something that’s gonna make Nattie entertaining. And it was this character, you know, eventually what I’m getting to is this Nattie Neidfart character.”

Natalya admitted she was reluctant to do the farting angle, but she agreed to do it anyway. Her decision came from a desire to stay professional and prove her reliability to the company.

“But I was like, I don’t want to fart. I just don’t want to do that.”

Natalya went on to explain that despite her hesitation, she did everything she could to make the idea work. She wanted to show that she could follow direction and maintain her standing in the company.

“But in true Natalya form, I smiled. I said, ‘Of course, I’ll do it. Not only will I do it, I’m going to make this amazing.’ I’m going to own it. I’m going to show Vince that I’m not going to be I’m not going to be difficult. I’m not going to be difficult like my dad. I’m going to go out there and I’m going to make it great.”

The gimmick lasted about six weeks before fan response led creative to end it. Sound effects were used throughout the run, and the storyline was eventually dropped without follow-up. Naturally, WWE fans were happy to see Natalya’s gas gain some control as the gimmick faded like a silent but deadly idea.

There was also once a time in WWE history where the company wrote a farting angle for the Queen of Harts. Needless to say, Natalya is down to do anything for the show, and her family legacy in the pro wrestling business certainly proves that.

What’s your take on Natalya’s run in WWE? Which Vince McMahon creative idea was the worst one he ever had? Let us know what you think in the comments section!