Cheerleaders make the world a better place. That much can’t be disputed, right?
Feminist groups describe professional cheerleaders as scantily-clad women, prancing around half-naked for the enjoyment of men. In some cases, these groups have labeled cheerleaders “exploited”, and would like nothing more than for the NFL to get rid of them for good.
There’s a problem… NFL cheerleaders claim they are satisfied with their part-time jobs. They love the camaraderie. It’s an extremely strong sisterhood — an exclusive club. You rarely hear a professional football cheerleader complain, at least publicly.
But being an NFL cheerleader isn’t a three-hour-a-week job, as many of us might assume. And there’s a murmured concern that the 26 groups of ladies who complement the action on NFL sidelines are being exploited for their beauty.
Journalist Amanda Hess breaks down the expenses of just trying out for a slot as a Washington Washington Football Team cheerleader, which total in the hundreds of dollars.
Hess calculated the approximate total financial investment an aspiring cheerleader has to make. When you take into account the total cost of makeup, hair, gym memberships, audition fees, attire and prep classes, you have a number in excess of $500.
Hess focused on the Washington Football Team’s squad. In Washington, the ladies are paid $75 dollars per game, which works out to $750 per year if the ‘Skins fail to make the playoffs (as they usually do).
They do have opportunities to make paid appearances throughout the season and offseason, but many are voluntary. Teams don’t typically reveal what cheerleaders are paid for appearances, but Hess did discover that the Redskinettes do not have the ability to set their own fees.
So it’s obvious that professional cheerleaders don’t net much, if any, money.
But then there are the benefits, which sweeten the gig. Typically, the ladies are paid to offset the aforementioned costs of being a cheerleader. But that’s not the end of the story. As Hess points out, Washington Football Team cheerleaders receive two season tickets and are rewarded with an all-expenses paid trip to an exotic location to take part in a calendar shoot each year.
Throw in the mild fame, the exposure that could lead to careers in modeling and related fields and the lifetime memories made and being a cheerleader doesn’t exactly sound like sweatshop work.
That’s the thing about being a cheerleader for a pro football team: it’s friggin’ cool. There are thousands of women who try and fail at cheerleading auditions around the NFL each year. The position is in high demand — the employee is not.
That doesn’t make it okay for teams to exploit the cheerleaders who do make it, but it makes it significantly harder for everyone else to feel bad for them.
Is it time to put an end to half-naked women gyrating and dancing for the enjoyment of men. They should use their brains for more.
Let’s talk about it…
