All-Star Twerk Ban

mccracal said:

I totally agree that a gym is within its rights to prohibit behavior like that, but that doesn't make the ban any less arbitrary when the gym permits any of the multitude of other dance moves/body positions that aren't objectively more "wholesome" or "Christian" (whatever that means anyway) than twerking.

Click to expand...

I don't really feel this is arbitrary at all. And I can draw you a very clear line between skills that you mentioned earlier such as pulling a bow and arrow, and twerking: sexual invitation (implied or purposeful). One does not do a toe touch or pull a bow and arrow to advertise themselves sexually. And while some creeps may take it that way, the overall goal of performing a toe touch is not to invite or entice any sexual activity, even though one's crotch may be momentarily visible.

Twerking on the other hand, a dance performed by spreading one's legs, placing your hands on your knees or the floor, and shaking your butt (and other parts) in the air is a dance devised to be sexually attractive. It is supposed to entice people to look at that area of you. It is meant to invite sexual attention. It is inherently sexual in nature.

That is the difference between twerking and pulling a bow and arrow



The Fierce Board App! || iPhone || Android || Upgrade Your Account!

kristenthegreat said:

....If you put a lot of effort into perfecting this style of 'dance,' you need a hobby. It's not hard. I'll allow for Cat Daddy, I'll allow for various other ridiculous hip-hop/rap-based fad dances, but twerking is where I draw the line in the 'dance' description. It doesn't need to be ballet to be dance (have you SEEN a modern dance, such as Momix?), but if you're insulted because I told you your twerking skills aren't a dance, you need thicker skin. As well as a hobby.

I think the item you're looking to show (seeing as you pulled the 'actress' card), is PERFORMANCE art. Which many people, in fact, do not consider to be art. Or, perhaps, you were looking to tell me that acting is not a career. At which point, you can tell that to the check I just got two days ago for my production of Hamlet.

Also: the gym in question had THIS routine, among the most family-friendly at Worlds (I still curse that gosh-darned scheduling fiasco for the debacle that was Medium Coed). Judging by their dance, I'd say they are FAR from hypocritical for saying such inappropriate moves don't coincide with their philosophy on 'appropriate' behavior.

Click to expand...

1) I never said that I put in any sort of effort into perfecting my "twerking" skills. Twerking isn't an activity that I would ever want to put a significant amount of time into. Neither is stamp-collecting, HAM Radio, or many other activities. However, my lack of involvement doesn't prevent me from appreciating the fact that the people who enjoy them put a lot of effort into their work to develop their skills. Even if I did think that perfecting twerking were a waste of time, that doesn't give me justification to demean it as a dance form.

2) Actually, many people don't consider any type of acting to be artistic (myself not included). I didn't "pull the actress card" to demean your career in any way-- I wrote what I wrote to elicit the exact opposite reaction that you exhibited. I spent the vast majority of middle/high school performing in musical theatre and traditional stage pieces. In one of the most rewarding classes I've taken, we spent months analyzing (and performing) A Midsummer Nights Dream, Hamlet, Titus Andronicus (which is one of the coolest/most disturbing things I've ever read btw), and Julius Caesar (among other works). I admire what you do--which is why I had hoped how you (as an artist) would appreciate the irrationality in nonsensically insulting another form of art, regardless of whether or not you value it.

3) As I've written previously in this thread, I think you'll find that just about every body position, dance move, and jump sequence in cheer is as objectively "inappropriate" as twerking. In this particular T&S routine, as every other cheer routine, the athletes repeatedly and unabashedly spread their legs. The majority of the athletes could be considered "half-naked". There are parts of the dance where the athletes repeatedly pop their chests out. Of course, this doesn't mean that anything about what they're doing is actually sexually explicit/inappropriate given the context.

Again, the context and intent of the action is significantly more important in these matters than the action itself. A stripper doing the splits in a strip club? Sexually explicit. An athlete pulling a bow and arrow that exposes her spankies in a cheer routine? Totally acceptable. A partially nude exotic dancer twerking on stage in the club? Sexually explicit. A group of friends playfully twerking because they think it's a cool dance move, or a group of athletes twerking in a cheer routine? Acceptable!

INeverStopCheering said:

I don't really feel this is arbitrary at all. And I can draw you a very clear line between skills that you mentioned earlier such as pulling a bow and arrow, and twerking: sexual invitation (implied or purposeful). One does not do a toe touch or pull a bow and arrow to advertise themselves sexually. And while some creeps may take it that way, the overall goal of performing a toe touch is not to invite or entice any sexual activity, even though one's crotch may be momentarily visible.

Twerking on the other hand, a dance performed by spreading one's legs, placing your hands on your knees or the floor, and shaking your butt (and other parts) in the air is a dance devised to be sexually attractive. It is supposed to entice people to look at that area of you. It is meant to invite sexual attention. It is inherently sexual in nature.

That is the difference between twerking and pulling a bow and arrow



The Fierce Board App! || iPhone || Android || Upgrade Your Account!

Click to expand...

Context, context, context. You're right in that an athlete doesn't spread her legs in the air to elicit sexual comments. However, a stripper doing splits on a pole sure does.

The problem with your argument is, biologically speaking, someone's rear end is no more inherently sexual than is a mouth, an ear, a foot, etc. So, yes, in certain environments (like a strip club), twerking is heavily intertwined with sexual behavior. But in many contemporary cases, twerking is nothing more than a fun, silly dance fad--which I don't understand what exactly gym owners hope to accomplish with a blanket ban of the dance.

As I've stressed before, if the issue here is the sexualization of children who post twerk videos, then the solution needs to tackle how people are able to sexualize the children in the first place. Teach vigilance in security settings. Maintain your privacy! People will sexualize whatever they see fit--don't arbitrarily ban the objectively harmless content that your children post, prevent all private content from being seen by people you don't trust to begin with!

ACEDAD said:

Even if you can't get a real job, you could always run for a New York political office


The Fierce Board App! || If you're not on Fierce Board, I question your commitment.

Click to expand...

I wish I could infini-shimmy this.



The Fierce Board App! || iPhone || Android || Upgrade Your Account!

I wish gyms were stricter about their social media policies in general. Seeing what some of these athletes (from well known teams) post on Twitter makes me lose respect for their program. I can think of a certain worlds division this year that drudged up some bad sportsmanship, and I was appalled that girls from a well known team would just rant on every site they could.


The Fierce Board App! || iPhone || Android || Upgrade Your Account!

Kaleigh said:

I don't get how they can ban twerking on vine or any other social media, but they're aloud to get out on the floor in front of judges and shake their butts? Sounds sort of hypocritical. While I do agree that they should be punished if they're doing ANYTHING inappropriate in gym attire, in uniform, or anything with the gym logo on it, they can't really control what they do outside of that.


The Fierce Board App! || iPhone || Android || Upgrade Your Account!

Click to expand...

Have you seen a Twist & Shout team shake their butts or do any sort of inappropriate dancing in a cheer routine?? I can't remember one...help me please...


The Fierce Board App! || iPhone || Android || Upgrade Your Account!

Twerking is inappropriate, glad to see.a gym owner take a stand and hold athletes accountable for their behavior. We as parents are responsible for our kids behavior online & offline. When a childs behavior can impact others in a negative way there must be consequences. If there are "cheerlebrities" posting twerking videos online, thats when its time to use that opportunity as a teachable moment and explain to CP that behavior is not appropriate no matter who they are or what gym they represent. When there is parental pressure there can be no peer pressure.

Nowadays part of the interview process you are required to give your password to social media accounts.

Mamarazzi said:

Just saw a Facebook post from a gym owner stating in no uncertain terms the gym's policy about social media, re-posting vulgar language etc. Also included in the post is the warning that if the gym's athletes post twerk videos on vine, that they're risking removal from the program.

I understand how I feel about the whole twerk thing, as a parent, but I also know that Elvis and The Twist were considered completely inappropriate and sexually explicit, back in the day.

Is the gym's policy over-the-top or on point?

Click to expand...

1) I am proud to be a coach at this gym and support our owners stance 100%

2) I am proud to have 2 daughters cheer for T&S as I always know their moral code will be taken into consideration in everything that is done, on and off the cheer floor.

3) twerking is very very sexually seductive. Ask any male with testosterone running thru his veins.

4) as has been mentioned numerous times in this thread, we have and always will be a gym that stands on Christian beliefs and standards so having a no twerking policy only upholds our vision and philosophy by which we coach.

5) I am very glad to see so many people agree with and stand behind orsons position!!

6) I only quoted your post because for some reason my iPod wouldn't let me post a comment without quoting someone else's...lol


The Fierce Board App! || iPhone || Android || Upgrade Your Account!

cheermuse said:

Twerking is inappropriate, glad to see.a gym owner take a stand and hold athletes accountable for their behavior. We as parents are responsible for our kids behavior online & offline. When a childs behavior can impact others in a negative way there must be consequences. If there are "cheerlebrities" posting twerking videos online, thats when its time to use that opportunity as a teachable moment and explain to CP that behavior is not appropriate no matter who they are or what gym they represent. When there is parental pressure there can be no peer pressure.

Nowadays part of the interview process you are required to give your password to social media accounts.

Click to expand...

This type of demand actually isn't all that common, and it shouldn't be--it violates Facebook's Terms of Service Agreement, and is illegal in numerous states. In New Jersey, it's even illegal to ask employees if they use social media at all.

Yea I can't get on board with this dance so I agree with the gyms policy. And I'm not some old fogey stick in the mud, I just think its crass and tasteless.

You know that old saying "if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck"? Can't help but think it makes these young ladies look less than wholesome.


The Fierce Board App! || iPhone || Android || Upgrade Your Account!

This whole thing just made me think of this video --



Granted their not hands on their knees, or head down, @$$ up, -- there are some suggestive dancing going on if your somewhat conservative. But I don't know maybe it's because I'm a gay man from Jersey, I don't think it's inappropriate, I just think of it as simply girls having fun.

Mclovin said:

1) I am proud to be a coach at this gym and support our owners stance 100%

2) I am proud to have 2 daughters cheer for T&S as I always know their moral code will be taken into consideration in everything that is done, on and off the cheer floor.

3) twerking is very very sexually seductive. Ask any male with testosterone running thru his veins.

4) as has been mentioned numerous times in this thread, we have and always will be a gym that stands on Christian beliefs and standards so having a no twerking policy only upholds our vision and philosophy by which we coach.

5) I am very glad to see so many people agree with and stand behind orsons position!!

6) I only quoted your post because for some reason my iPod wouldn't let me post a comment without quoting someone else's...lol


The Fierce Board App! || iPhone || Android || Upgrade Your Account!

Click to expand...

Regarding 3: As a grown male with plenty of testosterone, I find twerking to be one of the least "sexually seductive" forms of dancing out there. I either think it looks silly, or I'm sincerely baffled/impressed about how the dancers can even control those muscles. I can understand why some men in some cultures might find it arousing in certain contexts, but twerking is no more objectively sexual than the splits, or a quick pop of the chest--both of which are seen regularly in just about every cheer routine, including your own gym's.

Regarding 4: I think it's great if a business and its customers can have a great relationship by sharing the same moral codes. However, can you please share with me the passage in the Bible where it says "thou shalt not twerk"? Since the sexualization of twerking, splits, any sort of leg-spreading or popping in general is completely dependent on context, I just don't understand what sort of "vision and philosophy" your gym is trying to uphold with the blanket ban on a particular dance fad.

What really bothers me is the implication of your post is that since your gym is banning twerking, its upholding part of Christ's message more effectively than other gyms or people who don't have any spiritual qualms about twerking. One of my best friends is one of the smartest, kindest, and most devout Christians that I have the pleasure of knowing. Your post insinuates that she's not adhering to part of God's will as well as Twist and Shout is because she doesn't consider it a sin to try out silly dances like twerking with her friends.

If a gym wants to prevent their athletes from performing certain dance forms--fine. But don't try to claim that it has anything at all to do with obeying God; at least acknowledge that its designation as "vulgarity" is completely arbitrary when you take into account just about every other part of cheer.

kristenthegreat said:

I'm trying to pretend it's not real. On BOTH of them (Spitzer and Weiner).

Click to expand...

Yeah, I forgot about Spitzer last night when I commented. Such a sad time in NY politics.

Twerking is trashy at every age. Although, I might be amused if Betty White did it.


The Fierce Board App! || iPhone || Android || Upgrade Your Account!

kristenthegreat said:

Also: the gym in question had THIS routine, among the most family-friendly at Worlds (I still curse that gosh-darned scheduling fiasco for the debacle that was Medium Coed). Judging by their dance, I'd say they are FAR from hypocritical for saying such inappropriate moves don't coincide with their philosophy on 'appropriate' behavior.

Click to expand...

THANK YOU. THAT'S WHAT IM SAYING. like they're not being hypocritical because similar moves aren't in their routines. Logic y'all


The Fierce Board App! || iPhone || Android || Upgrade Your Account!