If you were annoyed at the support being shown for state regulation of fashion modelling, check out what they want to do to cheerleading.
Texas Representative Al Edwards wants state funding of schools to be cut for those schools that knowingly permit “sexually suggestive” cheerleading performances. Because everyone knows how hard it is for a bunch of jailbait dancing around in mini-skirts and showing their underwear to be “sexually suggestive,” right? According to Edwards:
It’s just too sexually oriented, you know, the way they’re shaking their behinds and going on, breaking it down…And then we say to them, ‘don’t get involved in sex unless it’s marriage or love, it’s dangerous out there’ and yet the teachers and directors are helping them go through those kind of gyrations.
That the state should not be instructing any children when it comes to sex, marriage, and love in the first place would no doubt never occur to this politician. More discouraging is the reaction from constituents.
J.M. Farias, owner of Austin Cheer Factory, said cheerleading aficionados would welcome the law. Cheering competitions, he said, penalize for suggestive movements or any vulgarity.
[…]
“I don’t think this law would really shake the industry at all. In fact, it would give parents a better feeling, mostly dads and boyfriends, too,” Farias said.
Gosh, if making dads and boyfriends feel better isn’t a good excuse to create more laws, what is?
This is actually one of the most amusing contradictions that’s so visible but so intangible to most americans – that cheerleading is entirely about using sex and ‘nubility’ (not that that’s really a word) as a tool.
No-one seems to get it, and when you mention to them ‘I wouldn’t want my daughter bouncing around in a short skirt in front of 1000 horny dads watching their kids play ball’ they are like ‘uhhh…’
Pretty weird. I don’t think we have cheerleaders in England, but I’m not entirely sure.
Some of the strongest proponents of high school cheerleading with all the suggestions of sex and nubility (good word!) comes from the girls’…..MOTHERS!
When a girl gets cut from a cheerleading tryout, there can be all hell to pay from the “wronged” mother of the castaway.
Concerned dads and boyfriends are just bit players in that coming of age drama.
Good luck to the Representative from Texas. Any reason to cut State funding of schools is a good one, in my book.
It is a word. It means the state of being marriageable, derived from “nubile” which means (of females) marriageable or sexually mature.
EG
Euan, you do smile when you write these things, right?
Oh, and Jackie: “Give me a C…”.
And, of course, nublesse oblige is what prompts the head cheerleader to offer herself to the captain of the football team …
There’s no end to the degree of parental responsibility many parents will turn over to the state so that those pesky kids won’t distract them from their careers and hobbies.
Oh, yes. It’s just that my sense of humour is arid to the point of dessication. Being British, I naturally suppress any open display of emotion since one doesn’t want to lower oneself to the standards of Johnny Foreigner, but rest assured that inwardly I am laughing.
That one even prompted a outward grin 🙂
EG
Naturally, I am resting assured. Nice smile, BTW:-)
Would it be OK if they did their cheeleading in burkas?
Harvey – why stop at the cheering squad? There might be pesky “horny dads” at volleyball games, as well. Should girls not try out for the team? What about swimming – those wet swimsuits reveal far more than a cheer uniform. That’s right out, too. If school girls are going to have their activities dictated by the avoidance of enthusiastic males, they why did we fight the Taliban? (By the way, it’s not “underwear” – it’s part of the uniform, and it’s supposed to show).
The dads who show up to the games are there to support their kids and the school, not leer – give them some credit.
As for cheerleading being “entirely about sex” – you don’t know what you’re talking about. Cheerleading has changed considerably in the past 20 years or so to incorporate dance routines, rather than the rigid, almost militaristic moves that cheers used to involve. It takes an incredible amount of committment, to the point of giving up almost all other social activity, just to practice, keep fit enough to stay on the squad, and attend all of the games. The opportunity for injury is huge, because, unlike the various team players themselves, there is no “off season”. The girls are expected to show up to do the pikes, pyramids and one armed back flips throughout the year. Any serious cheer coach looks for gymnastic athleticism above all else in tryouts, certainly above sex appeal.
And John C., you could say the same thing about soccer moms, ice hockey dads, football dads, Nascar dads…
Any serious cheer coach looks for gymnastic athleticism above all else in tryouts, certainly above sex appeal.
Of course, how obvious. *snigger*
Rich
Right, and Anna Kournikova was purely admired for her athletic abilities too, sex has nothing to do with it. hehehe.
Sorry but the only and I do mean ONLY reason I would watch cheerleaders was to see young athletic babes shaking their whatevers and a large proportion of the people watching would probably agree if they are being honest.
What a relief for them that you’re disinclined to lower yourself, then.
I watched a NFL game in Austin, TX last year and I strongly urge the cheerleading phenomenon to take off here in lil ‘ol England. Beats watching the game, which bored me senseless.
Guys,
I live in Texas. Unless you have been to high school football games you don’t know what those cheerleaders do! They are getting pretty close to the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders! That’s allot of bump and grinding. Brittny Spears has nothing on them.
We Texans tend to like our guns, trucks, and gals a certain way. Now these girls are 15 or 16 years old (and unlike the English 16 years old is a no-no.) And in many a town there are far more churches than pubs.
Ok, while it is kind of a waste of time, if we can get back a little decency, and after all school IS supposed to promote morality, then I’m all for it.
Keep in mind the government is supposed to ‘promote the general welfare’. Decency is part of that.
lol dis is stupid¬go fuck 16 year old pussy