All-Star Nca And The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders

[Just-a-Mom]

Maybe I'm the odd one out, but I'm totally fine with NFL cheerleaders being judged on their appearance.

I'm perfectly fine with it - it's what NFL cheerleaders do. Dancing is only a part of it, and appearance is part of what they do. Their target audience demands it. Even the Rockettes do it and I don't hear people maligning them all the time.
Allstar cheerleading does it do - how often do you see an overweight, unattractive girl as point? Yeah, they'll take their money and put them on a team... But the center of attention in the routine is usually attractive. And the people y'all choose to make cheerlebrities are most certainly not hard on the eyes.

I'm not sure why people are so bothered by this in NFL cheerleading.

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[alexacheer2010]

I'm perfectly fine with it - it's what NFL cheerleaders do. Dancing is only a part of it, and appearance is part of what they do. Their target audience demands it. Even the Rockettes do it and I don't hear people maligning them all the time.
Allstar cheerleading does it do - how often do you see an overweight, unattractive girl as point? Yeah, they'll take their money and put them on a team... But the center of attention in the routine is usually attractive. And the people y'all choose to make cheerlebrities are most certainly not hard on the eyes.

I'm not sure why people are so bothered by this in NFL cheerleading.

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I totally agree with you 100%! I had a coach once out me all the way in the back without even seeing my skills and we had to keep reconfiguring people so I could make it to the next spot when someone went "WHY IS SHE IN THE BACK SHE'S TAKEN DANCE FOR YEARS" and when that coach didn't want to admit it was because I was the heaviest one on the team and couldn't come up with a legitimate reason...well all hell broke loose.
My problem with NFL cheerleading, not all teams, because I know some actually do resemble the sport, is that it's called "cheerleading" when it is mostly a dance team full of models who do public relations for the teams. They aren't "cheerleaders" like all star and high school
ones, and I think a lot of people automatically think DCC represent the sport as a whole, when in reality that is not the truth!


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[Just-a-Mom]

I totally agree with you 100%! I had a coach once out me all the way in the back without even seeing my skills and we had to keep reconfiguring people so I could make it to the next spot when someone went "WHY IS SHE IN THE BACK SHE'S TAKEN DANCE FOR YEARS" and when that coach didn't want to admit it was because I was the heaviest one on the team and couldn't come up with a legitimate reason...well all hell broke loose.
My problem with NFL cheerleading, not all teams, because I know some actually do resemble the sport, is that it's called "cheerleading" when it is mostly a dance team full of models who do public relations for the teams. They aren't "cheerleaders" like all star and high school
ones, and I think a lot of people automatically think DCC represent the sport as a whole, when in reality that is not the truth!


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I see what you're saying. But I think I'd rather allstar cheerleading stop being called cheerleading, but that's a whole other topic. Because actually the DCC does more cheerleading than allstar. At least they're actually cheering on a team at a game. (for me, college and high school are the only 2 that actually are cheerleading)

Side note: this all reminds me of when my cp's allstar team got to perform at an arena football game. Their coach said they'd be getting to meet the cheerleaders for the arena team. She said "Exciting! You guys will get to meet some real cheerleaders!" One of cp's friends replied, "No... THEY will get to meet 'real' cheerleaders!"

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[BigBow]

When I was in high school we even were scored on appearance. You had to wear a bow, have no nail polish, game day ready makeup, hair up, etc. It was no DCC tryout for sure, but it definitely was a factor even in high school!


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Exactly the same for us!

 

[ErinS]

I'm perfectly fine with it - it's what NFL cheerleaders do. Dancing is only a part of it, and appearance is part of what they do. Their target audience demands it. Even the Rockettes do it and I don't hear people maligning them all the time.
Allstar cheerleading does it do - how often do you see an overweight, unattractive girl as point? Yeah, they'll take their money and put them on a team... But the center of attention in the routine is usually attractive. And the people y'all choose to make cheerlebrities are most certainly not hard on the eyes.

I'm not sure why people are so bothered by this in NFL cheerleading.

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You know. Its weird...because like a year ago, after some NBA cheerleader got called chubby or something by an irrelevant blogger there was a discussion about it in the Random section here and when I pointed out that being judged and critiqued based upon physical appearance is a nature of that industry...right or wrong...you know what you're getting when you sign up etc... People flipped out at me and went into a fit....

 

[cheergirl09]

When I coached HS cheer we had a section on our score sheet for appearance. We required at tryouts that you come with hair pulled back out of your face with bow and a specific outfit that way everyone looked uniform. Majority of the girls came dressed exactly how we asked but we also had more than a few come looking like they just rolled out of bed. We scored appearance based on the whole look and looking put together. Facial beauty was not factored into it at all.


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[SarahS]

When I coached HS cheer we had a section on our score sheet for appearance. We required at tryouts that you come with hair pulled back out of your face with bow and a specific outfit that way everyone looked uniform. Majority of the girls came dressed exactly how we asked but we also had more than a few come looking like they just rolled out of bed. We scored appearance based on the whole look and looking put together. Facial beauty was not factored into it at all.


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We did the same thing. For me, the "appearance" part was more about, hey, can you follow directions? Simple directions? No? You must maintain your "individuality" or you just don't care about what the coaches are asking you to do? Okay then, don't think you'll be a good fit for this team.

 

[retiredl5cheer]

You know. Its weird...because like a year ago, after some NBA cheerleader got called chubby or something by an irrelevant blogger there was a discussion about it in the Random section here and when I pointed out that being judged and critiqued based upon physical appearance is a nature of that industry...right or wrong...you know what you're getting when you sign up etc... People flipped out at me and went into a fit....

I agreed with you silently. I didn't agree with the fat comments, but I also believe that if you step into the spotlight like that you have to expect some sort of criticism.

 

[Ashley]

I'm perfectly fine with it - it's what NFL cheerleaders do. Dancing is only a part of it, and appearance is part of what they do. Their target audience demands it. Even the Rockettes do it and I don't hear people maligning them all the time.
Allstar cheerleading does it do - how often do you see an overweight, unattractive girl as point? Yeah, they'll take their money and put them on a team... But the center of attention in the routine is usually attractive. And the people y'all choose to make cheerlebrities are most certainly not hard on the eyes.

I'm not sure why people are so bothered by this in NFL cheerleading.

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I'm not bothered by it in NFL cheerleading - as long as the general public understands that that's not the ultimate end goal of cheerleaders everywhere. Yes, it's the only "professional" cheerleading there is, but it's nothing like what we do.

The problem is that people don't understand that and think that a cheerleader's sole job is just to look pretty on a sideline. It's why I'm a big fan of A&T and the name change and trying to distance themselves from cheer.

I don't even have a problem with it in high school and college sideline cheerleading, but I don't think it has a place in picking a competition team, and I think the practice (and really sideline cheer in general) is doing absolutely nothing to help us as a sport.

 

[Just-a-Mom]

I'm not bothered by it in NFL cheerleading - as long as the general public understands that that's not the ultimate end goal of cheerleaders everywhere. Yes, it's the only "professional" cheerleading there is, but it's nothing like what we do.

The problem is that people don't understand that and think that a cheerleader's sole job is just to look pretty on a sideline. It's why I'm a big fan of A&T and the name change and trying to distance themselves from cheer.

Yes! The name change is the only thing that will help. For the most part, the general public doesn't understand what anyone does that they don't do. Most people think nurses help doctors, and that they're just people who weren't smart enough to be a dr. (wrong) Most people think all kids that dance go to a studio like what they see on Dance Moms. (wrong)

Point being, you'll never change people's perception of anything. As a general rule, people are only capable of grasping about as much info as you can tell them in one sentence, if it's something they don't want to do themselves. So until we change the name from cheerleading, people are going to lump allstar, school, and professional cheerleading together. We will never change what people think cheerleading is, because people just aren't that interested to take the time to hear it - change the name and they at least will understand it's something different. We're the ones that decided to call it cheerleading, so of course people think it's the same thing.



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[tdittmar]

I must say that this thread has been extremely enjoyable to read through. I have enjoyed the different viewpoints from posters. This has probably been one of the most interesting threads I've read in a long time with some well thought out opinions and feedback. Maybe I've just been spending too much time lurking in the new uniform thread?


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[Official OWECheer]

I'm not bothered by it in NFL cheerleading - as long as the general public understands that that's not the ultimate end goal of cheerleaders everywhere. Yes, it's the only "professional" cheerleading there is, but it's nothing like what we do.

The problem is that people don't understand that and think that a cheerleader's sole job is just to look pretty on a sideline. It's why I'm a big fan of A&T and the name change and trying to distance themselves from cheer.

I don't even have a problem with it in high school and college sideline cheerleading, but I don't think it has a place in picking a competition team, and I think the practice (and really sideline cheer in general) is doing absolutely nothing to help us as a sport.

 

[Official OWECheer]

This is true of all performance groups. Dancers, actors, singers...all of them are chosen by appearance. That's definitely not unique to the DCC. Sure, they have a tv show so people actually see the behind the scenes look at how the girls are chosen, but it's everywhere. And I hate to be the one to break it to people, but yes, people on college/allstar/high school teams most certainly are being chosen by appearance! Probably less in allstar, but that's because everyone that walks through the door is paying money. No one would ever admit it, but I assure you, it's happening on college and high school teams more often than anyone would like to think. It happens everywhere - even in jobs that have nothing to do with appearance. I don't like it anymore than anyone else, but it is what it is. The DCC is definitely not alone in choosing people by appearance. And it's not even necessarily by who is prettiest - it's by who looks best with the rest of the group - and who fits what the audience is paying to see.

I can see this happening in some colleges (especially the ones where cheerleading is listed under the marketing department ) but high school?

 

[Cheermom1969]

On another note, to hint at the ridiculousness that sometimes occurs in the uniform business, Varsity sent a cease and desist letter through their lawyers to us for using the name of the competition in my post. Seems a little over the top to me. Hope a few of you that read about this event can make it, I know it will a be a crazy busy weekend for a lot of you, so either way good luck in Dallas!

How petty.

 

[Official OWECheer]

Completely back this up. I try my best to never partake and can proudly say I've never counted appearance against anyone personally. However parents and kids have no idea the stuff I have seen and heard on the other side. Coaches, gym owners, especially choreographers, etc. Who makes the team, which team, what spot they're in, everything. The college I went to would even got calls from random "fans" about certain cheerleaders being too ugly, too pale, too overweight, too whatever on a normal basis. Its completely absurd but happens A LOT!

That's shocking! I wonder how the callers look.