Dallas Cowboy’s Cheerleaders

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders has their “making the team” show for the 3rd season now. I started watching it last year, only because one of my professors told us that one of the recent grads made the team. So I thought it would be really neat to be able to see her on tv (which it was!). I remember watching it last year and getting really mad sometimes, one time even driven to tears.

I was watching it again today and I again got very upset. Whenever I get upset at the show is when the coaches calls out one of the girls for being “fat.” Last year I got really upset because I was (and still am) struggling with and improving my self esteem and body image (as I’m sure many women are) and to see these absolutely gorgeous women be told they are fat broke my heart! I remember wondering how many 14 year olds are probably watching this show right now dreaming of one day being a cowboys cheerleader but now realizing that she better always be skinny and never put on a single pound. Today I wasn’t driven to tears but it was a similar concept. They were measuring the body fat percentage on all the girls. They are supposed to be between 11-14%. One girl I think ended up being 18. I thought her body was flawless. But the person doing the measuring said “you don’t want to put THAT body in that teeny tiny uniform!” I guess I’m just not looking for the same imperfections. Then later in the show they talk to one of the veteran cheerleaders about how her 10 pound weight gain from last season is unacceptable and that her 22% body fat is the highest of any of the girls in the training camp. They wear two piece outfits and she was sitting down so there MAY have been a little roll (probably of skin) or something, but honestly I don’t even think that was there and I thought she looked amazing. Now at the same time, yes those outfits ARE very tiny. But I just can’t see any of those girls as not looking amazing in them!
All of this got me thinking even more. The demands that society places on us to look “perfect” is so intense. Seeing this just made it worse. Yet I wanted to keep watching. I tell myself it’s for the dancing (I was a dancer growing up) but not a lot of the show really shows the dancing. Then I realized that even though I am aware of the demands now I am still very much influenced by them. I’m drawn to the show because these are the women who are “perfect.” Oh, I want to look like that! I think to myself. (And I really dont look bad, I lost 30 pounds a year ago and while I doubt I’d pass the standards to be a cheerleader I think I look really good) It just breaks my heart that I am affected but know about it. What about all the girls who don’t even realize that striving to look like that is not what’s most important (if it’s even important at all?). I just hope there comes a time in the future where advertisements aren’t so driven by “beauty” or better yet that the definition of beauty is drastically broadened.