Like most jobs, it’s not always what it’s cracked up to be.
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1. If you become an NFL (National Football League) cheerleader, you’re not doing it for the money. On average, they make under $10/hour and with practices, appearances and games they put in 30-40 hour weeks during the season. For the most part, they are not reimbursed for money spent maintaining their team defined appearance. (Think coloring their hair, uniforms, makeup, etc). Cheerleaders are often required to have another full-time job or be a full-time student. (Yes, being a mother does count as a full-time job in this case). There have been a multitude of lawsuits against teams over their pay and some teams have settled but in the case of the Buffalo Bills, they disbanded their cheer squad all together. SEEKING THE SILVER LINING
2. The NFL’s most famous pom-pom wielding gals, the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, have a vigorous application process that includes a written test with questions like “Name a member of Trump’s cabinet? or “How many yards are assessed for a personal foul penalty?” In fact, a few years back ESPN talked 12 Cowboys players into taking the test and…they failed. BRAINS AND BEAUTY
3. The cheerleaders are required to maintain a certain look (see above) because if they don't they can be benched without pay for violating their contract. Some team’s cheer coaches conduct “jiggle tests” to assess the firmness of the cheerleader's bodies during the season and if they don’t pass the test, they’re benched. Others have a height to weight ratio requirement, with the intention of making sure the cheerleaders do not become too skinny. (NOT) BODY POSITIVE
4. While there are six NFL teams without cheerleaders - Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers – the Los Angeles Rams broke down barriers by having two male cheerleaders on their Super Bowl squad last season. SHARING THE SIDELINE
5. Hitting the film festival scene is “A Woman’s Work: The NFL’s Cheerleader Problem.” The film follows the league’s "general insensitivity toward women" and the lawsuits over low pay (crediting the NFL’s greed). It even covers some of the inner workings of the sport such as cheerleader handbooks that “patronizingly mansplain how to use cutlery and tampons.” It’s not streaming yet but can be seen on the film festival rotation. WATCH IT WITH POPCORN, IF THERE’S NO JIGGLE TEST AFTER
