The other day I discovered A Modern Mother’s dark little secret: she used to be a cheerleader. I loved this little revelation because I, too, used to be a cheerleader (evidence pictured) and frankly, it can be a little lonely. Even if we are amazingly hot, we’re still dumb blondes who mindlessly shake our pompoms at the footballers – we don’t even know what to do with ourselves after the game ends.
It’s funny how this stereotype persists and is parrotted by people without any real experience of cheerleading. I was a cheerleader in Texas but even in the seat of football country we didn’t live down to the image. We cheered and supported all the teams – from girls’ volleyball to junior varsity basketball for girls and boys to track to, yes, football. I’m biased, yes, but because my opinion is based on reality.
Today The Times tackles cheerleading here in the UK (subscription necessary), interviewing Pat Hawkins, who promotes the teaching of cheerleading in schools. The paper visits teams in Manchester and Macclesfield, talking to the boys and girls who take part.
The writer Stefanie Marsh doesn’t like “the smile” in particular:
Men don’t have to smile while playing rugby or football or, come to think of it, any other sport. Women are expected to smile: in swimming, in gymnastics. The smile is not just annoying: coupled with make-up and ribbons, it implies a willingness to please.
She misses the point. Plenty of performers smile as part of the performance – certain types of dancers, all kind of stage performers. There’s also the assumption in the article that the boys would rather be playing football (er, why? Because cheerleading is “girlie”? Seems like it’s not just girls who get stereotyped).
The real problem of course is that view of cheerleading as something silly, titillating, and intrinsically demeaning.
This is despite experience of the kids involved in it – who find it fun, athletic, a mode of expression and a way to conquer their shyness. The Times admires Hawkins’s enthusiasm and efforts, but then goes on to say:
If only it wasn’t cheerleading. If only Pat had put her energy behind something like trapeze-walking, they could still wear the “pretty uniform” but the whole business wouldn’t sound so annoyingly provocative, even if it really isn’t more provocative than, say, gymnastics or synchronised swimming.
Which is a pretty sad indictment of how people are willing to abandon a positive activity for kids (which doesn’t emphasize microminis and bare midriffs and also includes boys, by the way) because of the misconceptions around it.
We’ve been working at smashing the stereotype of dancing as a “girls” activity, of maths as a “boys’ thing”, yet we’re willing to let our ideas about cheerleading be dictated by leering men’s magazines and outdated notions based on a pre-feminist image.
Even 20 (or so) years ago, being a cheerleader was a positive experience for me, emphasizing hard work, teamwork, scholarship, school support and gaining confidence. It may not be the activity some would wish for kids (too American, not a real “sport”). But Pat Hawkins’s programs expand opportunities for kids and they enjoy it. Why can’t we cheer about that?
Both my sons have taken dance lessons in their time so I’m not into gender stereo-typing, but I have to say I loathe cheer-leading. Yes, I understand that it’s great to be involved with something, it’s not easy to do, etc. but at the end of the day it’s girls cheering on the macho, sporty boys isn’t it?
Most cheerleading that I see isn’t titilating, so I don’t dislike it on those grounds, but I would probably have refused to let my daughter do it and made her go to a gymnastics class instead. It’s simply the fact that she’s cheering on the boys that gets me.
I admit to being uncomfortable with it, it seems to send the message that boys Play sports and girls cheer them on. However if we start to see both sexes cheering for both mens and womens sports then bring it on, I say!
Just read this on Blogher, which is very apt – http://www.blogher.com/high-school-forces-cheerleader-root-her-rapist-name-rah-rah-rah?from=promo
Well now I’m totally confused. I’ve tried hard to put aside my English reticence for cheerleading (there’s nothing wrong with it, but it’s just very alien to a Brit). Then this week, I overheard a conversation where one set of parents were telling another how relieved they were that their daughter didn’t want to do cheer, “because of all that goes with it”. That conjured up images of “American Beauty”. And now I read this post, and I don’t know what to think.
I’m also told there’s a distinction between being a cheerleader, and being a pom-pom girl. The latter involves more music and dancing – is that right?
@Iota – I think the culture at the school matters a lot. The school where I was a cheerleader was very academically focussed, so there was no currency in the typical cheerleader trope.
I think one thing parents worry most about is the sex thing having to do with the cheerleader image, but frankly, the sex thing is so big with almost everyone in high school (whether imaginary or real) that whether you’re wielding pompoms or not doesn’t make a difference.
@Geekymummy – I completely agree that it shouldn’t be that girls watch and boys do. At my school, cheerleaders were for everybody. Also, I love that cheerleading is so atheltic and gymnastic in those competitions. I find them hypnotic!
@ExpatMum – it’s too bad that it’s cheering on only the boys at your daughter’s school. that would be a reason to avoid it. I’ll check out the blogher link.
I, too, grew up in Texas. I found the cheerleaders to be some of the smartest, athletic and well-grounded students at my school. They always seemed to have that little extra confidence that so many others didn’t.
As a teenage boy, I can assure it was no more titillating watching the cheerleaders as it was watching volleyball, basketball, softball, gymnastics, tennis, etc. My young desires made no distinction.
Really interesting Jen. It always seemed to me to be odd that girls were cheering on boys doing the “proper” sport, but perhaps I was wrong…
Absolutely love that picture btw.
Love love love the picture!
What? You don’t need to be wielding pom poms for sex?
Why didn’t they tell me?
Currently I am involved in an allstar squad where the focus is competing against other teams with routines that combine acrobatics, jumps, dance and lifts (stunts). When I was at university I did the more traditional style cheerleading but we cheered on all teams, not just the boys! Our womens rugby and football teams loved us coming along and we even got involved in their practices sometimes.
Quite alot of cheerleaders are ex gymnasts that have retired from gymnastics due to injury or because their coaches believed they would never make it pro. So I think it’s great we can get ex athletes back into an activity and staying active well into their adult life.
As for the stereotypes…
Gymnasts wear tight leotards and scrunchies
ice skaters wear tight leotards and lots of makeup
beach volleyball consists of pants and a sports bra…. but cheerleading gets stick for bows, make up and uniform? Yes it’s girly, but since when did embracing your femininity mean you couldn’t be an athlete too? I don’t see anyone telling tennis stars like Venus williams to stop wearing makeup, jewellery and skirts whilst competing!
Check out these videos and have a look at the competitive and performance side of cheerleading.
http://www.cheerfix.co.uk