Feminist football fans, rejoice: it seems a cheerleading revolution is upon us. The Oakland Raiderettes kicked off change with a lawsuit claiming crap pay for work on and off the field. Next, a Cincinnati Ben-Gals cheerleader followed suit. Now comes news of a lawsuit by members of the Buffalo Jills—and it's particularly un-cheer worthy.
As in the other cases, squad members are claiming pretty outrageous financial abuse, including an estimated 840 unpaid hours each year (while helping the Buffalo Bills pocket $256 million in revenue, natch).
Alas, that's not all. The ladies also claim they were forced to sell copies of the sexed-up calendars they posed in, facing financial penalties if they didn't hit set quotas. Oh, and did we mention they had to adhere to 17 "hygiene" rules, including dictums on how often they should change out their tampons (what. the. hell.) Worst of all? They reportedly had to parade around in swimsuits at (unpaid) events where they were freely groped and harassed.
This treatment is maddening, but not entirely shocking considering the general culture surrounding NFL cheerleaders. Oh, there's a break in the body-crushing machismo action?! Bring out the bouncing-breasted, scantily clad ladies to shake their pom-poms and lady parts! This is not to say cheerleading isn't a real sport—it definitely is—but rather that it's been treated for years as a sanctioned barrage of blatant misogyny.
We've come a long way since the days when women were routinely treated as sexualized props to successful manly men. So why have we allowed this particular job to remain carefully preserved in a twisted time capsule from the sexist past? And let's be real: it's not just dudes who participate in this culture. As a woman, you know you've watched these ladies eyes askant and rolling as they gyrated about and generally felt like they were air-headed distractions...right? Worse yet, have you ever allowed yourself to think, on some level, that they had all that leering and objectification coming? Be honest.
For this reason, these lawsuits are important not just because they're necessitating fair retribution, but because they could reshape how we view cheering in the first place. These women are expressing a lot of self-respect by rooting for themselves (for once!). Grab yer pom-poms bitches, it's time we started cheering for them, too.
Image: clsgraphics/ThinkStock
