Struck by Thunder

ENTERTAINMENT | DRUGS

Written by Rose Windross (she/her) | @rose.windross | Contributing Writer

In society women and sport don’t fit together. Women are to be dainty and feminine so participating in competitive, exhausting or demanding sports are far too manly. These archaic and sexist views hold back women in sport to this day. Now we are able to participate, but gaining respect and equality is another story.

NFL cheerleading is a modern sport that has so little respect many wouldn’t even bother to give it that label. Cheerleaders are perceived as simple visual assets to entertain, look good and bring up the morale while the crowds cheer on the real sportsmen at play. These perceptions are entrenched in societal expectations of women and need to be challenged.

Recently released to Netflix was the docuseries America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, I expected it was going to be another empty and shallow show ironically displaying the issues of sexism and unrealistic standards for women within our society. My preconceived notions came from watching the CMT show Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team on “Youtube” as a tween. That show was based around body shaming women so I was cynical about what insights this new show might display.

It was evident  from the beginning of this show that the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders association did not have any dictation as to what was or was not to be captured. This series was created by Greg Whiteley, a filmmaker who has specialized in sports documentaries. This critical perspective foregrounds the show as it means the stories being told felt authentic and genuine. It is not a puff piece that is trying to show the company in a good light. It is also possible without the outside storytelling perspective of Whiteley any hard work shown from the cheerleaders would have been disregarded as exaggeration due to the societal preconceptions. 

This series highlights the incredibly hard working and talented cheerleaders who put their body and mind through extreme pressures to be the top at their sport. In episode 1 you feel the excitement of game day, the nervousness and pressure, then the intensity of tryouts and the amount of training that goes into it. The show details what is expected of these women. They must be fit and flexible as well as having the looks and personality to match the expectations of the team. They must maintain these stands on top of their jobs and lives outside of cheerleading. After all of that comes Charlotte Joans, the vice president of the Dallas Cowboys and Chief branding officer who explains that the cheerleaders get paid a pittance compared to the millions the Dallas Cowboys make in revenue. I had to pause the show. Hearing the spokeswoman and leader of the organization speak them down was incredibly disheartening. She goes on to say “But the facts are that they actually don't come here for the money. They come here for something that's actually bigger than that to them.” Suggesting the bonds they will make with their team will be more payment then any money could provide. Yet they slave away working incredible jobs such as orthodontics to make enough money on top of maintaining peak fitness and physique.

This is a harrowing part of the show. It is easy for women to blame men for having sexist and prejudiced mindsets but it's not the only issue the show depicts.  In order for women in sport to gain more respect we must look inwards. Whether we like it or not we have been conditioned by society to see women as less than men when it comes to physical activity. This broadens over all sports and with the encouragement and support of other women then gender equality and society views of women in sport will start to change.

One of the defining features of a cheerleader is their looks. From big bouncy hair to small waists, short skirts and up bras it is an expectation for these women to look a certain way. It is made clear in the tryouts that if there is more weight than expected they will not make it, even if a girl is incredibly fit and capable. On the other end of the spectrum, if they are too thin they will be cut for looking ‘sickly’. After all the criticism, work and tears that go into keeping their body toned and petite they are then punished with sexual and objectifying comments from men. They are being torn down whether they look right or not, there is no winning. 

In the opening scenes of episode six we see the cheerleaders performing one of their most difficult dances at a game. The huge crowd buzzes with anticipation while they applaud and dance to the music. The show then cuts to a groundskeeper showing a group around the stadium which is now quiet and empty. At one point of the tour they show only the men of the group around the cheerleaders changing rooms. After posing next to pictures of the cheerleaders the tour guide explains how they sign contracts saying they will not date or sleep with the players but in his words “they do not have to sign that same contract with tour guides.” This left a sour taste in my mouth but displays how the series importantly highlights these moments of disrespect. The cheerleaders are a group of professional athletes yet their value is determined by their looks. It is profound to see how strong these women are to come out with smiles on their faces every single game knowing the way they are talked about and viewed. Imagine the quality and performance they could achieve if they were given even half the respect male sports teams get. 

This series gave me a higher level of respect for professional cheerleaders but most importantly it made me think about my own expectations of women in sport. The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders give their whole heart, mind and body to the sport but the brutal reality of it is they are seen only by their looks and never for their skill. To invite change in the hetero dominated industry it seems difficult but it is not impossible. In order to empower cheerleaders we must see them for their sport and start commenting on their ability rather than their looks. That broadens over all women's sport, where respect can be gained through looking at skill and never looks.