Cheerleaders and enduring sexual harassment

[jimmer]

This article makes me sad and pisses me off in equal measure.  The Philly fan, of course, does his people proud.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/pro-cheerleaders-say-groping-and-sexual-harassment-are-part-of-the-job/ar-AAvHOb8?li=BBnb7Kz

 

On a side note,at what point do we stop parading women around in skimpy outfits?  Can't they dance and cheerlead full clothed?  Before anyone suggests otherwise, I am NOT saying it's their fault they get harassed because they wear those outfits.  

Edited April 11, 2018 by jimmer

[gunnarthor]

 

This article makes me sad and pisses me off in equal measure.  The Philly fan, of course, does his people proud.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/pro-cheerleaders-say-groping-and-sexual-harassment-are-part-of-the-job/ar-AAvHOb8?li=BBnb7Kz

 

On a side note,at what point do we stop parading women around in skimpy outfits?  Can't they dance and cheerlead full clothed?  Before anyone suggests otherwise, I am NOT saying it's their fault they get harassed because they wear those outfits.  

A decade or so ago when I lived in Philly there was an article about how much revenue the Eagles Cheerleaders brought in for the team. This was right around the time the cheerleaders started wearing really skimpy clothing and got national notice - ESPN talked about them non-stop all season. Their calendar outsold the Cowboy's calendars. I don't remember how much money they brought in but it was a lot. The team got money from the calendar, modeling gigs, you could hire them for parties, etc. And they didn't have to pay the cheerleaders much at all. And you saw other teams follow that trend in the early 2000s. If you're old enough to remember Gregg Easterbrook writing for ESPN, you'd remember how much he talked up the change in cheerleader attire (and he talked about the Vikings cheer squad as well).

 

So my guess is that teams make a lot of money from cheerleaders with very little cost to them, that the skimpier outfits have been part of the gig for all teams for a decade plus and the teams probably think that has a lot to do with the revenue stream so are unlikely to change anything.

 

But, as you said, the costumes aren't really the problem. My guess is that litigation on a variety of issues involving pay, work categorization, sexual harassment, age discrimination, etc will pop up even more in the next decade and probably significantly change cheer leading.

[gunnarthor]

As another side note, not sure if this is the right place for it but it seems like it goes with this. SI has an extra mustard thing that's fairly popular in part because it included a lovely lade of the day, often a cheerleader. The new guy said he's stopping that and has received lots of angry comments for it. He labeled that section "The Elephant in the Room".  

 

https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2018/04/11/wednesday-hot-clicks-tristan-thompson-khloe-kardashian-nhl-playoffs

[Mike Sixel]

I've never understood why cheerleading still exists.

[ashbury]

So my guess is that teams make a lot of money from cheerleaders with very little cost to them

 

I've never understood why cheerleading still exists.

Don't you think Gunnar has put his finger on your answer for you?

[twinsnorth49]

Cheerleading will stop when parents decide to teach their daughters they are worth more than parading around in front of crowds of people, dancing in skimpy outfits and celebrating the accomplishments of boys and men. 

 

 

[Mike Sixel]

Don't you think Gunnar has put his finger on your answer for you?

Yea, alas.

[ashbury]

Cheerleading will stop when parents decide to teach their daughters they are worth more than parading around in front of crowds of people, dancing in skimpy outfits and celebrating the accomplishments of boys and men. 

Do you subscribe more to supply-side or demand-side economics?

[twinsnorth49]

 

Do you subscribe more to supply-side or demand-side economics?

Yes

 

 

 

 

obligatory

[Vanimal46]

Cheerleading fits for high school and college sports. There's at least some tradition in cheerleading at those levels.

 

Cheerleaders in professional sports serves no purpose other than satisfying mouth breathers in the stands. They should fight for liveable wages, and protection from mouth breathers. If they can't come to an agreement just cut it all together.

[biggentleben]

Heck, the state of Minnesota can claim being the founder of cheerleading...at the University of Minnesota.

[Ultima Ratio]

A squad of North Korean cheerleaders for each team would be dynamite. 

 

[D. Hocking]

Classy organization:

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/02/sports/redskins-cheerleaders-nfl.html