Why Do We Hate Cheerleaders?

by dj fuzzylogic on Aug 16, 2007 11:18 PM PDT in Science

And if we love them, why do we only love them if they're fine?

Since the whole cheerleading incident went down several weeks ago with a divided Warriors nation caring and not-caring about cheerleaders, it made me wonder why do cheerleaders even matter to sports? We take cheerleaders performing at sporting events as a natural phenomenon as white on rice (though the white on rice hegemony is being destabilized with the emergence of the ‘healthier’ brown rice). Then I thought, why are there no cheerleaders in baseball? It wasn’t until a few years ago that the Boston Celtics dance team arrived on the scene. Why was that? Based on the varied responses on this blog alone, dancers provide (or are supposed to provide) top-notch dancing, sexual desires of men and maybe even some support for the team. If we juxtapose these three demands (and anymore that I might have left out), you can begin to ask yourself 1) why are cheerleaders always women? and 2) why does cheerleading necessitate being eye candy for men? A few folks that commented on GSoM recently accused cheerleaders of looking like prostitutes. Are the Warrior girls necessarily to blame for their outfits? Who provides the costumes and why? We have had some intriguing dialogues here on GSoM about the significance of race to sports, but we rarely interrogate how sports is active in producing ideas, not just reflecting, ideas about gender--specifically of femininity. More specifically, why is it that cheerleaders end up looking the way they do? And is it necessarily fair that we blame them for those particular representations?

The general stereotype goes that cheerleaders are expected to be attractive. Heck, my standards of "attractiveness" are often more a priority in how I judge cheerleaders than dance skills. Sometimes I could careless about dancing skill, but that’s probably because I’m not a great judge of great dancing (I’ll leave that to my girl, Laurie Ann Gibson). But my discussion is not whether it’s an either/or or both, but rather why cheerleaders exist in the first place and if they do, why are they represented the way they are. I commented on the contradictory expectations of women in sports to be both (hetero)sexual but also somewhat "virginal" at the same time. Cheerleaders are expected to arouse our senses. Yet, if the coverage of the Carolina Panther cheerleaders a while back was any indication, it was more of a crime that two women were making out in the bathroom of the restaurant than their actual crime of disorderly, intoxicated conduct at a restaurant. If we trace the origins of cheerleading in sports, these contradictions get even messier.

As it turns out, cheerleading in American culture started as a male thing. In Go! Fight! Win! Cheerleading in American Culture, Mary Ellen Hanson archival work suggests that it actually was an elite male activity in the late 19th century. Once an informal practice gradually became "feminized" in the 1920s. With the development of professional sports in addition to the conditions of spectatorship being taken out of the hands of fans and into the control of culture industries, gender roles and expectations became reinforced. Hanson basically makes the argument that the voyeuristic gaze is also masculine as the women are expected to look and act a specific way.

Apparently, the sexualization of cheerleaders has become quite a controversy that even Russell Crowe has something to say about it. Crowe, who owns a professional rugby team in Australia, dismissed the current squad of cheerleaders for their scantily clad wardrobes in favor of a male and female marching band. As the story goes, fans of the team, his wife included, were disturbed by what the cheerleading wardrobes might suggest to young girls about how women should look like. But further, that what they represented was no longer what he thought cheerleading was about.

Interestingly, the problem with the cheerleaders and whether they are necessary is actual a larger discussion of the behavior of male rugby fans at games and the disrespectful attitudes they have experienced from some fans.

But does this example with Russell Crowe suggest that the dancer’s outfits are partially dependent on the audience, largely male? If, as in the case of rugby, sports fans are beer guzzling making testosterone overflowing men watching social practices that define what we perceive to be the conduct of "hyper-manly men," then don’t women, in essence, have to embody the opposite to be considered "feminine?" In the diary, "Old and New,"Bojangles responds to some stereotypical representations of cheerleaders:

Many women in this industry hold a full-time job whilst dancing or cheering for a professional team. With college degrees in the works or completed, the intelligence of a dancer should not be discounted just because the women are talented in other aspects of life. This is a job-the women are there to do their job-just like you do your job everyday. Just because their job happens to be entertaining over 17,000+ people doesn't mean they lack any personality traits, smarts, social skills, or are easy.

So, despite these cheerleaders going on TV telling us that they’re school teachers or having their bios posted describing their status as full-time students, why do some of us (myself included) continue to think of cheerleading and cheerleaders as irrelevant? If they are as irrelevant as several people here claim them to be (during the whole Warrior girl debacle of a few weeks past), then why are cheerleaders ubiquitous in basketball, football, college sports, and even high school sports? Why do we continually devalue cheerleading but find it everywhere? Why do we continually see cheerleaders as, what Bojangles describes, "a fake-breasted, bleached blonde, player-chasing ditz" stereotype?

Though I don’t have any answers, I am curious to see what people think about these contradictions. There’s no homogenous answer, as the Warrior girl issue was any indication of the varied positions we have on the subject. But, why do we make of these cheerleading dilemmas?

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Comments

well

my opinion people think that way of cheerleaders because the job seems degrading, as they show off there body. its like how some people would have a opinion over a girl wearing a short skirt or short shorts thinking shes a slut, when mostly they are just trying to feel cold in the hot weather.

personally i don't find them degrading, more entertaining, but though we still live in a more free society just look at how women look like in Halloween now, we still have a lot of people who have a conservative mind and think that looking like that is bad.

as for them being smart i know they probably are, its just a stereotype that has been created, just like how many people get surprised when they find out most porn stars are way more intelligent than most people, but people think of the job as something that is in the low end, and that doing something enjoyable is just something that is degrading.

i was disappointed at how a lot of people didn't show them support they are a part of the team and they just want to enjoy life and do there job. a warrior girl is not that much different than the players, in the end both of them just want to entertain the fans.

What you thought that I only played basketball? I AM A Golden State WARRIOR!

by 24k state fan since 87 on Aug 16, 2007 11:52 PM PDT 0 recs

Well...

I just wanted to point out the fact the the NBA calls their cheerleaders "dancers" whereas the NFL still refers to them as cheerleaders. It may be an irrelavent point, but at football games i believe the cheerleaders still lead the cheers of the fans. They coax chants and spirit from the crowds and that's what i think they are there for.

NBA dancers on the other hand are there to dance and entertain. Sports are basically just a form of entertainment anyway and i believe that the dancers are there as another component of the entertainment experience you get at the games.

They often do routines in costumes that are not figure flaunting if you've noticed. Personally, i do like them as eye-candy but i respect the fact that they are serious and dedicated to their jobs as well.

Some things are just a part of the whole experience and i have no problem with it just as I have no problem possibly catching free tshirts from the cannon or winning a toyota by making a few shots (i wish). They perform during timeouts and at halftime so it doesn't take away from the game.

Just my 2 cents.

by ssmokinjoe on Aug 17, 2007 12:40 AM PDT 0 recs

I did a quick read through....

of your article and I can say that cheerleeders are here today for boobs & ass. That's it. plain and simple. Also... I will never watch another Russel Crowe movie. If these women don't care about shakin' what their momma gave em', then why should we? I'd shake my ass too if people wanted to see it! They're beautiful if they wanna dance or not. Keep it up Warrior Girls!

by Bake Da Ripper on Aug 17, 2007 2:22 AM PDT 0 recs

Hey bake...

did you make that banner? It's swell!

by Tony.psd on Aug 17, 2007 9:38 AM PDT up 0 recs

No I didn't make it......

I got it on hoops4life.com

by Bake Da Ripper on Aug 19, 2007 2:52 PM PDT up 0 recs

here's the link

http://www.hoops4life.com/gallery/index.php

by Bake Da Ripper on Aug 19, 2007 3:05 PM PDT up 0 recs

who cares?

not me

stuff that sometimes woman get paid just for the way she loox is common allaroundtheworld nomatterwhatcentury

world isn't changin -not to bright not to dark side

if some people have problem with that -that's them problem

i'll never understand why some people think that human must be just some moral/mental construction
if some girl cheer my sexuality -im glad aboutit

entertainment always is based on sex
if someone is sayin that it isn't so i must say that he have problem to avow that people are just people

by Lat We N Trash on Aug 17, 2007 2:56 AM PDT 0 recs

what

i love cheerleaders

like these 1's

<--------------------------------
<--------------------------------

Best seat in the House

by kaszowski on Aug 17, 2007 4:07 AM PDT 0 recs

Very well-written article, Fuzzy

Brings up some cogent points about something that a lot of people, including me, don't generally take the time to question.

(Also interesting because you bring up an example where Russell Crowe doesn't come off as a violent egomaniac, but that's another issue altogether).

I don't have any easy answers on this either.

by sarchasmic on Aug 17, 2007 7:19 AM PDT 0 recs

You lose some... You win some

When you are part of a profession you have to suck it up and sometimes live with the stereotypes of the job. No matter what, there are going to be people who believe in those stereotypes, make fun of them, joke about them, or just don't believe in them.

Take any job for example, there is always a stereotype. People think garbage men and janitors are dumb and can't get any other job... lawyers are jerks... doctors are caring... school teachers love kids... auto mechanics want to rip women off. Some stereotypes are good and some may be less likeable, but its the way that the individual perceives his/her profession and how he/she feels about her job.

If they really were that concerned and worried about what people felt, they would choose a different profession (this goes for all people). You are who you are and the life you choose. Cheerleaders/dancers/entertainers... I think that this situation is more blown out of proportion because someone got pissed about some rude comments. I have never once been to a sporting event and heard a man, woman, child, senior citizen, living creature, state they wanted the cheerleaders/dancers/entertainers to GTFO when they were on the field.

If you are offended by cheerleaders/dancers because of their looks or what they are wearing, its just as easy to close your eyes/look the other way and just to STFU. Nobody is forcing you to look at them, they aren't even the main event (at least for most people). Its a two way street, the organization puts entertainment in the oracle, you as fans can choose what you want to watch.

by david240z on Aug 17, 2007 8:37 AM PDT 0 recs

Cheerleaders

Cheerleaders get singled out and discriminated against more than other athletes. The gymnastic involved in some of the advanced stuff is nothing short of athletics. And it's dangerous.

I sat on a School Board that denied our own cheerleaders a trip to perform at the NFL Pro Bowl for winning a competition. We would never have done that to our football team or our wrestlers.

I eventually got the vote reversed, though it was quite difficult. When I met the cheerleaders and their parents I found out they were the high performing students who had GPA's all above 3.0. They were community volunteers, and they worked very hard at practice to win the competition.

In high school I thought the cheerleaders were stuck up and full of themselves. Meeting them as an adult, I find them to be hard working, smart, athletic women.

I have seen the bias go through our entire community. It's sad for those girls to be judged that way.

by Gain on 10 on Aug 17, 2007 8:47 AM PDT 0 recs

That's a lot of questions . . .

And if we love them, why do we only love them if they're fine? Why do cheerleaders even matter to sports? We take cheerleaders performing at sporting events as a natural phenomenon?

They matter to the extent that the target demographic for pro sports are, presumably heterosexual, males. If you look at the commercials during games, you'll see a lot of beer, meat and hot chicks. Along with sports, that's what American men are supposed to like.

So I think the cheerleaders are part of the male bonding package that the pro-sports experience has been traditionally sold as. When you go to a game you have all of the things I mentioned above. Conversely, if you look at the WNBA teams that do have some sort of dance team, they don't even loosely resemble the "sex that moves to music" that male professional sports teams employ.

Meet your 2005 Indiana Fever Dance Team!

Looks like they let the concessionaires do the halftime shows.

How many guys do you know that are WNBA fans? The strippers/cheerleaders at male pro sporting events are there for who the league believes to be its target audience: The beer drinking, meat eating, hot chick ogling, sports watching male.

A few folks that commented on GSoM recently accused cheerleaders of looking like prostitutes. Are the Warrior girls necessarily to blame for their outfits? Who provides the costumes and why? We have had some intriguing dialogues here on GSoM about the significance of race to sports, but we rarely interrogate how sports is active in producing ideas, not just reflecting, ideas about gender--specifically of femininity. More specifically, why is it that cheerleaders end up looking the way they do? And is it necessarily fair that we blame them for those particular representations?

The girls are entirely to blame for the outfits to the extent that no Warrior Girl has ever been kidnapped and forced into a life of cheering. If they couldn't get anyone to take the job with wearing "sexy" outfits as a condition of employment, then they couldn't use those kinds of outfits. So, yes, they choose to look like sex objects. If that's how they want to earn a living, more power to them. But the girls are not, in any way shape or form, victims in this. This is willful employment and we all have choices.

I assume the team provides the costumes based on what they think will be the most marketable. The "why" is explained in my first answer.

The general stereotype goes that cheerleaders are expected to be attractive. Heck, my standards of "attractiveness" are often more a priority in how I judge cheerleaders than dance skills. Sometimes I could careless about dancing skill, but that's probably because I'm not a great judge of great dancing (I'll leave that to my girl, Laurie Ann Gibson).

I think the dancing is just a way to attempt to legitimize selling sex. It's a "look at our bodies" show not a "look at the skill with which we dance" show.

Personally, I think cheer-leading is lame and I think they look ridiculous in the context of a sporting event. I guess I don't like mixing sexuality with basketball, or meat for that matter (I don't get those dudes who eat steak at a strip club). But mostly, I just think they look silly and I would be happier with the product if the game was followed by a bunch of naked chicks making out. But not during the game!!!

Here's a link to the "Professional Cheerleader's Blog": http://www.inblogs.net/nflcheerleader

Maybe they have a Q&A about femininity, exploitation and meat.

Oh and I forgot cars!!! You can't be a man and not like cars!

by bloodsweatndonuts on Aug 17, 2007 8:53 AM PDT 0 recs

"Look at their bodies"

Let's ask Baron if the women going to BBall games are interested in his assist average going up versus his turnovers...

by Gain on 10 on Aug 17, 2007 9:23 AM PDT 0 recs

Which point are you trying to make?

I can see you are taking issue with what I said, but I'm not sure what you are specifically saying. Are you saying that women watch Baron because he is good at basketball or are you saying the opposite?

Can you spell it out for me? I'm a little slow this morning.

by bloodsweatndonuts on Aug 17, 2007 9:34 AM PDT up 0 recs

No sweat

I'm being sort of sarcastic, but yeah, I'm saying all fans, male and female at some level go for the physical attractivness of the athletes. I particularly like college volleyball due to the cute girls in tight shorts. Sue me. So, cheerleaders are really no different than any other athlete.

by Gain on 10 on Aug 17, 2007 10:11 AM PDT up 0 recs

The

warrior cheerleaders are not good looking at all. when u see them during warmups they are pretty fugly without makeup. i actually like the junior jam better. but i do however will agree that some of the cheerleaders have a nice ass and a pair of good twins to look at.

by baller90210 on Aug 17, 2007 9:23 AM PDT 0 recs

uh...

i think the point of the article is about questioning why we expect cheerleaders/dancers to look a certain way, not that they should be.

by dj fuzzylogic on Aug 17, 2007 9:43 AM PDT up 0 recs

dude

-half the cheerleaders wont even understand this article.

-its not a love/hate issue. NO ONE CARES. i wanna see some warrior basketball, who cares about the cheerleaders. if theyre fine, so be it. if fugly, ill make comments to my friends. but basketball is key.

obviously, this is the offseason

by jrizzle on Aug 17, 2007 9:36 AM PDT 0 recs

you care enough

to comment. and so have many others in the last few weeks of the necessity and disavowal of cheerleaders. to deny that cheerleading matters in sports is to deny the billion dollar industry that cheerleading has become.

by dj fuzzylogic on Aug 17, 2007 9:48 AM PDT up 0 recs

yo dj

dude, who the hell goes to basketball games to see the cheerleaders. cheerleading defently doesn't matter in sports. its only basketball and football that have cheerleading. and tell me a time where u are paying attention to the cheerleaders during the game and not halftime.

by baller90210 on Aug 17, 2007 9:53 AM PDT 0 recs

did i actually say

that people go to games to look at cheerleaders? i'm not saying they are the focus, but to deny that they matter AT ALL doesn't explain why they are in sports to begin with. granted, people go watch the sport itself, but I think there is a difference between thinking about sports as athletic activity versus sports as an industry. i'm interested in bringing those two together some more as we have in the past.

by dj fuzzylogic on Aug 17, 2007 10:07 AM PDT up 0 recs

they

dont matter at all

by jrizzle on Aug 17, 2007 1:21 PM PDT up 0 recs

you're missing the point

my point is not to describe how cheerleaders actually matter to the game of professional basketball. do i actually think what Grey or Gerilyn did on the court shaped how the outcome of the game?

the comment earlier by someone that "sex" eternally "sells" is an interesting starting point. but would "sex sell"? is this the "law of nature"?

Just telling me that "it doesn't matter" doesn't actually say anything besides tell me you're not actually reading what i'm writing. if that's the case, then why bother responding.

by dj fuzzylogic on Aug 17, 2007 1:40 PM PDT up 0 recs

dj

pretty spot on. i skimmed.

what i did read:

seemed pretty well written and looks like u spent some time on it, which is cool espeicially since its the offseason and subjects are more hard to come by.

however, MY point is....dude, cheerleaders? that whole thing awhile back about them being mistreated was SO DUMB(surprise). This, while intelligently written, is a dumb subject. When its a time out, and the girls are fine, ill watch, its kinda nice. Just like every other guy will check out a fine girl no matter if ur at a warriors game or at the store. whatev.

go dubs

by jrizzle on Aug 17, 2007 1:50 PM PDT up 0 recs

answering the question by

actually evading the question doesn't do anything. do say cheerleaders are a "dumb subject" doesn't tell me why YOU think its dumb. Nor does it really reflect what I am asking. If you don't want to talk about cheerleaders, then fine, that's one thing. But if you have no way of even responding to the questions posed beyond saying "it' dumb", you again tell me nothing of what you actually mean or think.

by dj fuzzylogic on Aug 18, 2007 5:49 PM PDT up 0 recs

It's like the National Anthem

Is this a sporting event or a loyalty test...holy christ, I'm going for a beer while you all stand and sing.

Even the TV stations run a commercial for beer, usually starring a cheerleader.

by Gain on 10 on Aug 17, 2007 10:12 AM PDT 0 recs

Drop the Warrior girls! Please.

I'm a man, I love sexy woman as much as the next guy. But for a woman to be sexy, they need to be a real woman. This includes being sexy (which is very subjective), but also includes being smart, funny, confident, etc... The cheerleaders may have these qualities, but the Warriors organization makes them look like dumb girls (which is a shame). The Warriors make them look like porn stars.

But worse, my little girl (4 years old), loves coming to games with me (I'll probably bring her to GSoM II night). She love's the game, the crowd, the half time show, the blimp, Thunder - all of it. But, she also loves the cheerleaders. That drives me nuts! The Warriors have these girls out of the floor looking like whores and this is the only female representation at the game... ...this is what my daughter sees for women as she says, 'Daddy, I want to be cheerleader too.'

The Warrior girl's deserve better, women deserve better, fans deserve better, my baby-girl deserves better.

Thanks for bringing this topic up Fuzzy.

by oaktownchicken on Aug 17, 2007 10:13 AM PDT 0 recs

Huh?

Unless you're counting porn as part of "the cheerleading industry", then it certainly isn't a billion dollar enterprise.

People hate cheerleaders because they're paid to dance and look sexy, not to actually lead cheers. People who say it's because they're sexualized are just doing it because they're either whipped (in Russell Crowe's case) or ugly. No one would rather have them replaced by a co-ed team. I'd rather they just get rid of them all-together.

by SpreeForThree on Aug 17, 2007 11:43 AM PDT 0 recs

Hold it down Fuzz...

Great article Fuzz, you opened up a lot of eyes... man it's such a bummer 2 see how negative some people get over issues like cheerleading, but you know what... beggers can't be chosers, I can understand GSoM is an open forum for peeps to write off their thoughts, idea's and frustrations... so here are my thoughts...

if heads are so fed up of cheerleaders for actin' sexy or showin' goods off... why not b!tch about how stupid the roof troop looks... or how short Franco Fin Looks on the Jumbo Tron... lets b!tch about how nasty Thunder is when you touch him with sweat dripping down his costume and the smell it leaves on your hand... We should complain about how nasty our food is at the arena too... lets even write up a story telling everyone to boycott buying Team apparel because the logo looks super lame!

Whether or not our Cheerleaders suck, and if they don't cheer our team on... who are we to judge? We don't write their checks. it's all part of that entertainment we all pay for going to the arena... you sandwich together The Warrior Girls, Franco Finn, The Hoop Troop and their free give aways, the bad food and everyone wearing a swingman GSW Jersey.... and what do you get? A good a$$ time at the Oracle! I never complain when I'm at any game... give or take who's cheering a team on... when your at a game...

it's all fun for Mr. and Mrs. Psd... do you guys b!tch and complain at games? It's entertainment! Close your eye's if you don't wanna look at em'! Shoot! Stay home and watch TV (they barely show Cheerleaders on TV)!

Let the Warrior Girls (if not any cheer squad) dance.
(Damn, now I'm mad)

by Tony.psd on Aug 17, 2007 12:01 PM PDT 0 recs

its not so much about complaining

just that....who cares?

by jrizzle on Aug 17, 2007 1:32 PM PDT up 0 recs

Exactly...

ahhhh... on a brighter note... my new concoction ala .psd

by Tony.psd on Aug 17, 2007 2:12 PM PDT up 0 recs

thats a tight pic

by jrizzle on Aug 17, 2007 2:30 PM PDT up 0 recs

I don't like them.

Basketball cheerleaders, for the most part, are just flaunting their bodies. I saw all of the "Honeybees" (Hornets Dance Team) moves, and I swear I could do those moves. My Grandpa could do those moves.

Now, I haven't seen other teams, but I assume this is prevalent around the league. It requires all body and no skill to be a NBA dance team member.

Now college basketball cheerleaders, they need skill. They do all of their routines and things, definately love their team, AND they look good to boot. They also lead the crowd in chants. Why not make NBA cheerleading more like this? They don't have to wear the college cheerleading uniforms, but they could at least do the moves!

As for Football, I don't know as I've only been to a few college, and 0 pro football games.

I would say it's time for a change, but Lat We N Trash carries the main point. Throughout the ages: Sex sells.

Adonal Foyle Forever.... Member #1 of the "Bring Back Adonal" Movement!!!!

by Zorgon on Aug 17, 2007 12:18 PM PDT 0 recs

Hit the button too early

So I won't moan or complain, but I will keep my internal dislike of dance teams, and try to look the other way when they come on the floor.

And as for DJ, it was a good article, but it strains me that no answers were provided. My head just swims with questions.

Adonal Foyle Forever.... Member #1 of the "Bring Back Adonal" Movement!!!!

by Zorgon on Aug 17, 2007 12:24 PM PDT up 0 recs

Man

Those Honeybees are really hot! They are a lot better than the WG.

by ballin on Aug 18, 2007 8:37 AM PDT up 0 recs

what a waste

come on man you coulda found something better write about then cheerleaders their just there when the team is taking a break and we need something else to keep our eyes focused before we go to the bathroom or get something else.

by gswLLBatman on Aug 17, 2007 12:28 PM PDT 0 recs

gimme a break, man

fall semester starts in like in 10 days. Until then, I'd rather just watch dunk videos and wax salary. This is some serious sociological... stuff.

by Jeremy Belvins on Aug 17, 2007 1:37 PM PDT 0 recs

oops that post read kinda negative

I want to be clear: That was a GREAT article and I read the whole thing. I was just jokin' because it reminded me of the fact I'm going to have to back to work soon.

by Jeremy Belvins on Aug 17, 2007 1:40 PM PDT up 0 recs

rah! rah!

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0708/cheerleaders.nfl.preseason1/content.1 .html

by streetballer on Aug 17, 2007 3:31 PM PDT 0 recs

Cheerleaders

are there for the looks, and as one more way to attract their target audience: men. They provide one more way for people to "support" their teams; people actually do get cheerleaders' autographs at the team's events, and I think there are people out there (or here) that would be drawn to those kinds of events because of the cheerleaders. Sadly, the whole point of the cheerleaders (or "dance team") is that they sell sex. It is exactly why their outfits look that way. Who actually look at the cheerleaders for how they dance? Remember on NBA.com there was a bracket race for the "best cheerleading" team in the NBA, did we get to see footages of how they dance? No, they only show us "official" pictures of those dance teams and let the people judge them base on their looks. Was the team that won really the "best" dance team? Nobody cared, at least only very few people cared.
That was a great article; it somewhat sounds like a college sociology paper. For me personally, I don't think cheerleaders add to sports at all, they're just a way to fill up the empty times (like timeouts at the end of 4th quarter in a tight game).

by semarubaka on Aug 17, 2007 4:10 PM PDT 0 recs

news

I found this - you guys might like it

http://www.mysportsscoop.com/warriors/

by drodd1039 on Aug 17, 2007 5:59 PM PDT 0 recs

ok................

I love watching the Warriors girl, but isn't this a Warrior blog?

by warriorfan4life on Aug 17, 2007 11:47 PM PDT 0 recs

I love cheerleaders!

They get paid to do what the do, and the girls that cheer decided to go into that career so they should have no problem having fans stare at there behinds and breasts. They should also expect sterotypes just like celebrities because they are girls and girls attract attention. Cheerleaders are one of the many things that make the NBA great. Without them, the game wouldnt seem right, or exciting.

by ballin on Aug 18, 2007 8:35 AM PDT 0 recs

Ah yes

Life must seem pretty simple when you don't question your assumptions. Try reading DJFL's great diary or BloodSweatandDonuts' awesome post again and really thinking about the questions they raise. Specifically...

Why do you think of it an as such an integral part of the sport? When you and your friends play pickup games, do you hire a bunch of local women to jump around and cheer you on? Also: where are the baseball cheerleaders? And where are the cheerleaders when I sit down at my computer and start my work day?
Where do you draw the line on the T&A we all love so much? If, as BSD suggested, the cheerleaders all took off their skimpy unis and started getting it on at halftime, would that improve the NBA experience? If not, why not?
Suppose it were your wife, sister, or daughter up there shaking her stuff, and a fan next to you making comments about her behind and breasts. Would that not bug you at all?

I can't say I hate cheerleading, but I do think it's about as integral to hoops as dot racing is to baseball. In general I group it with all the other stupid bells and whistles that distract from the game itself: headachy piped-in music, cartoony sound effects, Thunder, etc. I'd love to do away with it all.

I'm a basketball fan. Last I checked there were a few other venues (clubs, websites, etc.) for checking out hot women. As much as love real T&A, I don't really want images of it in my face 24/7. It's both demeaning to women and sexually frustrating. As a society we need spaces that are free of crass sexual objectification of women. Take GSoM: do you understand why DJFL, Atma and co. frown upon posting of raunchy porn here, or do you just think they're a bunch of prudes?

by Sleepy Freud on Aug 18, 2007 3:51 PM PDT up 0 recs

Awesome post

but I do feel that Thunder is awesome, reguardless. Everything else can go.

But it does make a good point: It doesn't need to be in your face 24/7, and the basketball is much, much more interesting.

Adonal Foyle Forever.... Member #1 of the "Bring Back Adonal" Movement!!!!

by Zorgon on Aug 19, 2007 11:24 AM PDT up 0 recs

FIRST OFF....

We are NOT cheerleaders!! NBA is not, NFL is... What most people fail to be told.... is that dancers in the NBA are not there only there to be half naked and shake their stuff. Our teams consist of many professionals such as dentist, doctors and accoutants. Not what you would find at your local strip club... None of us try out because of the skimpy outfits. However, the nauture of the game (no pun intended) is to be pretty, personable, and in little outfits. If all dance teams always wore sweats, half of you guys (and maybe girls) would lose interest really fast as for the average person has no formal dance training and is actually interested in the performance. We are there for the entertaiment as well as are all the promos and contest held throuought the game. Fans pay good money to go to a game and be entertained. The Warriors want you to walk away with a good experience and wanting to come back to support the team. The Warrior Girls, Jr. Jam, Thunder... all of this is to give you a good time! There is a lot of time, effort, and energy put into every game at Oracle and our #1 goal is to give you a good time! There is a huge stereotype out there (Carolina Panhters reference being one...) that people are so quick to believe. Most of which are only passed around due to a very select and embarassing few in the professional dance world. Please DO NOT hold that against any of us!

I Believe!

by warriorgirl1 on Aug 19, 2007 12:59 AM PDT 0 recs

It kind of still boils down to this

If all dance teams always wore sweats, half of you guys (and maybe girls) would lose interest really fast as for the average person has no formal dance training and is actually interested in the performance.

No matter how good the dancing is. I'm sure y'all work hard and are good dancers, but as you can see from most of the posts above, the average NBA fan (mostly heterosexual males) only look because you are hot and wear sexy outfits. It doesn't invalidate what you do, but we should all honestly acknowledge what the primary appeal of dancers/cheerleaders is.

by bloodsweatndonuts on Aug 19, 2007 2:43 AM PDT up 0 recs

Well

My pre-adolescent niece loves to dance and takes dance classes and participates in dance competitions. The moves they do are fun and energetic and for their ages are not designed to titalate. Some of her dance moves are flirty and feminine, but the intent is definitely not to tell the audience "hey i want u to wanna F me." The same moves are done by pro dancers, and i think the intent is the same. Be sexy, and flirty, and fun.

Her love of dance is genuine and has nothing to do with a desire to turn anyone on. If she grows up and decides to pursue dance as a career, i dont think that that truth will change. She will still dance for the love of it.

Will guys view her as an object? Will guys be checking out her figure? Will guys value her looks over her talent? Unfortunately, yes.

Is this what she wants to get into dance for? Nope. A lot of guys here are ready to admit that they think this way, but are not ready to admit that it's wrong to do so. So instead they blame the dancers for making them think this way by the way they dance and dress.

The girls just dance. You percieve them the way you want to.

by ssmokinjoe on Aug 23, 2007 1:49 AM PDT up 0 recs

It's thier choice and they're not oblivious

The girls may be in it for the dancing, but the vast majority of the males do not watch it for the dancing. Mens professional sports teams cater to the American male stereotype. From the teams' and, for the most part, the target audience's standpoint, they are viewed as sex objects. Regardless of whether they have a love of dance, the girls know this and participate willingly. They are not victims.

by bloodsweatndonuts on Aug 23, 2007 12:31 PM PDT up 0 recs

I Love the Dancers!!!

They are talented athletes. They work very hard and are very intelligent.

If we didn't have them, they'd parade giant coke cans and hot dogs around the arena during time outs. Please.

Support these wonderful women!

by Gain on 10 on Aug 19, 2007 7:56 AM PDT 0 recs

OK...

As Sleepy and BSD both observe, this is NOT a post about whether or not cheerleaders/dancers matter to sports. I'm not here to justify why there should or shouldn't be cheerleaders and what effect that actually have on the game (or outcome as jrizzle seems to think I am suggesting).

The question I am posing is why cheerleading/dancing in devalued or considered irrelevant (as many of you have mentioned above), yet at the same time, you demand certain expectations of them (either as good dancers or to be of a certain look or to dress a certain way as Warriorgirl1 just mentioned above).

The point of the post was to consider the expectations we have of women in sports and why. At the same time, what does this say about what men think to be "masculine." Does Russell Crowe end up throwing a wrench into our usual logic for how we typically think cheerleaders by FIRING his sexually clad cheerleaders opting instead for a co-ed band?

If cheerleading in fact started as an all-male activity, what does it say about our society now if MOSTLY women are cheerleaders and dressed half-nude and any man who is a cheerleader is consider "gay."

I'm NOT saying we should all be prudes or that we can't enjoy it or that we should boycott the Warrior girls. That's ridiculous. But what I am suggesting is that if people believe in the natural law that "sex sells" then they simultaneously agree that sexism is also the rule of thumb in our society. That is, sexism in the sense that cheerleaders are forced to act/look a certain way for them to be appealing to a predominately male audience.

Instead of thinking how much more Cheerleaders NEED to arouse me sexually, perhaps we should think about what that says about masculinity and our spectations of what women in sports should look like and whether or not that's fair. i'm pretty sure some of the dancers or many of you reading are going to say "well, what if they pick their own outfits, that's their own choice." Yea, that's true, that is their own choice. But what does it say when the director says "we're going for 'Pussy Cat Dolls'" instead of say "Janet Jackson" who many professional and amateur dancers laud as having some of the best choreography? The post is to get you to think about your assumptions to that if a girl dresses like that to dance that she's not a "ho." Further, that there is probably a reason why she dances or dresses that way, which is probably to appease a predominately audience which already has sexist expectations of how women should look in a sports arena.

by dj fuzzylogic on Aug 19, 2007 8:14 AM PDT 0 recs

Honestly,

I've been guilty of the crime of objectifying the WarriorGirls. The only time I actually thought about a warriorgirl was when 1 catches my eye and I think to myself, "Damn, she's fine."(With the same facial expression Foyle had after the BD vs AK47 dunk.)

But after listening to some of the comments of some of the guys here, I don't feel so guilty. I mean, why the hate? They may not mean squat in the context of the actual game, but honestly, who doesn't agree that, as fans, our lives are little more colorful with them, than without them.

I agree that the little warriorgirl fiasco a couple weeks back left a bad taste in all our collective mouths, but hey, $#!+ happens. I'm sure grocery baggers have worksite drama, too.

Give the girls a break. We shouldn't be comparing them to strippers, cuz if all they wanted to do was flaunt sexuality, I'm sure they'd be actual strippers(cuz they probably would make more money, IMO). They are Warrior girls BECAUSE they ARE NOT strippers and don't wanna be.

Dancers are not a NECESSISITY in the NBA. That is a FACT. But come on, if the only things in your life are things that are completely necessary, then it would suck to be you. It is the unnecessary things in life, IMO, that makes ones life rich.

Thunder, Thunder, Golden State, Ho!!!

by Tim N Chris Burger on Aug 19, 2007 3:24 PM PDT up 0 recs

Hmm,,,

There was a very very similar article in The Dallas Morning News a few months ago...even down to the Russell Crowe mention...hmm...fishy!!
What some of you don't understand is that these "dancers/cheerleaders" have real jobs outside of these. One of my cheerleader coaches in high school also had a degree and taught English, she then danced with the Mavs and Cowboys on the side. It's not degrading, it's just a hobby really.

by BigTex84 on Aug 19, 2007 3:55 PM PDT 0 recs

the warrior girls are hella tight

they put on a great show and they look good and they are talented. theres nothin wrong with lookin good and its pretty simple - if your a cheerleader you gotta look good. thats just the way it is. is it a problem. yeah if you don't look good and your jelous or want to be cheerleader.

i feel bad for the warrior girls that were mis treated cuz they are hella cool and it sounds like they work hard.

down with susan

i strongly support the fire susan movement.