Glass Ceiling

Scott,
The concept of a 'glass ceiling' has been around for years.  We used to throw the term around in reference to the Benoits, Jerichos, Guerreros, etc. of the world.  Nowadays it seems to get used more in the context of the Rock vs. the Rest or HHH's ridiculous longevity.  My question: is the concept the same today, or are we talking about something entirely different?  Whereas we used to bemoan guys like Benoit and Jericho who seemingly had to wait forever to get their 'shot', we have seen a decade in which guys like Batista, Lesnar, Angle, Orton, Cena have been pushed really early as the next 'top guys'.  (Not to mention more recent initial pushes that failed like Swagger, Miz, Sheamus, del Rio, etc.).
I would contend that today's 'glass ceiling' isn't a ceiling at all.  There really isn't that 'established guys holding their spots' idea from previous decades.  Whereas we used bemoan Undertaker and Kane's continued existence at the top, or HHH's ridiculously disproportionate push, while Benoit & Jericho toiled in the undercard, there really are not the same 'established guys' anymore.  Undertaker, Rock, Jericho, and HHH are part-timers at this point and will likely occupy minimal air time after Wrestlemania.  The Big Show, Mark Henry, and Kane's continued existence, though stagnant, isn't hurting anyone's push and they have always done business with a variety of different people. The guys who ARE top stars (Punk, Cena, Orton) have not hurt anyone's progress (like the stuff we used to say about Hogan or about HHH vs. Jericho, Hardy, RVD, Booker T. previously).  Nowadays, I would say the separate brands, large amount of TV and PPV time, and the absence of top 'draws' locked into their spots (aside from Cena) makes WWE a wide-open landscape for that 'next big thing' to catch on.
This is all in theory, obviously, because their booking and creativity precludes that from happening. My point is only that the 'spots' are there to be had and that the only 'ceiling' is the one WWE imposes on its guys (for a variety of reasons discussed on your blog daily).

Very true.  In fact the biggest limiting factor right now seems to be guys getting punished for arbitrary reasons, like having to do endless jobs because your half-brother just got fired, or being made into a jobber because you're REALLY good at doing jobs.  A guy like Brodus Clay, who immediately caught on despite their booking, absolutely should have been able to shoot much higher than he did, but he's being artificially held back for reasons only Vince can fathom.  But hey, he's the millionaire, so whatevs.