High Kicks and Low Wages: The price of being a NFL Cheerleader.

[dismal]

The difference is that people pay big bucks to watch the football players live and spend time to watch them play on TV, and more so if the team is a _winning_ team. Not so for the cheerleaders. In other words, there is a _huge_ discrepancy in the demand for football talent vs. cheer-leading talent. Not only that, but weather a cheerleader is in the top .01% or just the top 5% of all cheerleaders makes basically no difference to the spectators. Therefore, there will be minimal increase in pay between the top .01% and the top 5%. Arguably, looks are more important to the spectators than talent.

There is no discrepancy so large that it justifies cheerleaders being paid $5.00 an hour when the federal minimum wages is $7.25.

Why can't they make it a volunteer organization?

 

[AthenaAwakened]

There is no discrepancy so large that it justifies cheerleaders being paid $5.00 an hour when the federal minimum wages is $7.25.

Why can't they make it a volunteer organization?

Ask the NFL

 

[Bronzeage]

We should just get rid of cheerleaders altogether. Maybe I'm missing something, but isn't it wrong to objectify women in the first place?

No more wrong than to exploit a man for his physical abilities and then leave him to die of cumulative trauma and brain damage when he can no longer perform.

 

[laughing dog]

Sounds to me like these cheerleaders need a union.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Hold on there: how do you know that the women who make the professional cheer leading squads don't similarly represent the top 0.01%?

Personally, I have less than zero use for the NFL and not much for the idea of cheer leading either but the truth is that it takes a great deal of training, skill, talent and athleticism to be able to perform professional cheer leading routines.

Whether performing cheer routines is a worthwhile endeavor is a separate issue. In my opinion, it is no less a waste of time effort and talent than playing pro football.

The difference is that people pay big bucks to watch the football players live and spend time to watch them play on TV, and more so if the team is a _winning_ team. Not so for the cheerleaders. In other words, there is a _huge_ discrepancy in the demand for football talent vs. cheer-leading talent.

How many people pay to see some secretary work as an assistant to the General Manager?

 

[ZiprHead]

Sounds to me like these cheerleaders need a union.

They would have to be declared employees, not contractors, first.

 

[coloradoatheist]

The difference is that people pay big bucks to watch the football players live and spend time to watch them play on TV, and more so if the team is a _winning_ team. Not so for the cheerleaders. In other words, there is a _huge_ discrepancy in the demand for football talent vs. cheer-leading talent.

How many people pay to see some secretary work as an assistant to the General Manager?

The question is still what is the value each person adds to the final product that people are willing to pay for? Would football be the same without the cheerleaders?

 

[Tom Sawyer]

How many people pay to see some secretary work as an assistant to the General Manager?

The question is still what is the value each person adds to the final product that people are willing to pay for? Would football be the same without the cheerleaders?

They can put the cheerleaders in charge of making sure all the footballs are properly inflated. That way, the hot girls in tight outfits will have the official title of Ball Inspector.

 

[ZiprHead]

Can I be their trainer?

 

[coloradoatheist]

The question is still what is the value each person adds to the final product that people are willing to pay for? Would football be the same without the cheerleaders?

They can put the cheerleaders in charge of making sure all the footballs are properly inflated. That way, the hot girls in tight outfits will have the official title of Ball Inspector.

They will be paid a lot more in NE to "look the other way"

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

The question is still what is the value each person adds to the final product that people are willing to pay for? Would football be the same without the cheerleaders?

On the field yes, but apparently off the field they are involved in a bit more than just the game and certainly have a greater reflective presence than say that secretary assistant to the General Manager, who most people don't even know exist.

Of course, the value of the position is based on a rigorous calculus called "As Little As Can Be Gotten Away With" or ALACBGAW for short.

 

[coloradoatheist]

The question is still what is the value each person adds to the final product that people are willing to pay for? Would football be the same without the cheerleaders?

On the field yes, but apparently off the field they are involved in a bit more than just the game and certainly have a greater reflective presence than say that secretary assistant to the General Manager, who most people don't even know exist.

Of course, the value of the position is based on a rigorous calculus called "As Little As Can Be Gotten Away With" or ALACBGAW for short.

Just think if they still charged $75 a ticket an only paid the football players $50K a year. Think how many billions of dollars they would make. The thing is the teams can find the talent they need for what they offering and it wouldn't make a big deal even with their PR activities.

 

[coloradoatheist]

The question is still what is the value each person adds to the final product that people are willing to pay for? Would football be the same without the cheerleaders?

On the field yes, but apparently off the field they are involved in a bit more than just the game and certainly have a greater reflective presence than say that secretary assistant to the General Manager, who most people don't even know exist.

Of course, the value of the position is based on a rigorous calculus called "As Little As Can Be Gotten Away With" or ALACBGAW for short.

If you want to pay cheerleaders a lot, start your own organization that employees cheerleaders and sell tickets to their shows.

 

[AthenaAwakened]

How many people pay to see some secretary work as an assistant to the General Manager?

The question is still what is the value each person adds to the final product that people are willing to pay for?

Actually that isn't the question and if it were, no one here would have ever made more than 25 cents a day because accountants would have seen to it that no matter the job, the value would show up in the books as 25 cents.

Would football be the same without the cheerleaders?

Would football be the same without commentators? And yet they make millions.

getting back to the ACTUAL REALITY, women are working for the franchise, improving the goodwill of the franchise and being paid less than legal wages for doing so.

 

[AthenaAwakened]

On the field yes, but apparently off the field they are involved in a bit more than just the game and certainly have a greater reflective presence than say that secretary assistant to the General Manager, who most people don't even know exist.

Of course, the value of the position is based on a rigorous calculus called "As Little As Can Be Gotten Away With" or ALACBGAW for short.

If you want to pay cheerleaders a lot, start your own organization that employees cheerleaders and sell tickets to their shows.

No one has said anything about paying cheerleaders alot (whatever that is). So far, the law only requires $7.25 an hour, and this seems like "alot" to you?

 

[hurtinbuckaroo]

A cheerleaders' union would probably lead to the termination of the cheerleading squads, which would be fine with me. They're on-screen for maybe 45 seconds in a 3+ hour broadcast, just for the jiggle factor. When I'm attending a game, I barely notice them. And they don't lead cheers.

But I don't see why a multi-billion dollar organization can't find enough loose change under the sofa cushions to pay them minimum wage.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

If you want to pay cheerleaders a lot, start your own organization that employees cheerleaders and sell tickets to their shows.

No one has said anything about paying cheerleaders alot (whatever that is). So far, the law only requires $7.25 an hour, and this seems like "alot" to you?

I know, I know... Cheerleaders should form their own Football League and set high pay rates for cheerleaders in their own football league!

 

[coloradoatheist]

The question is still what is the value each person adds to the final product that people are willing to pay for?

Actually that isn't the question and if it were, no one here would have ever made more than 25 cents a day because accountants would have seen to it that no matter the job, the value would show up in the books as 25 cents.

Would football be the same without the cheerleaders?

Would football be the same without commentators? And yet they make millions.

getting back to the ACTUAL REALITY, women are working for the franchise, improving the goodwill of the franchise and being paid less than legal wages for doing so.

And the organization that pays the commentators is trying to make money too. Why aren't the announcers paid $5 an hour too?

The women voluntarily join too. If there are making below min wage, why aren't they working as a cashier at Target? You don't think those opportunities provide a better long term payoff for them than other min wage jobs?

 

[hurtinbuckaroo]

Would football be the same without commentators? And yet they make millions.

NBC performed an experiment in 1980 by broadcasting a game without commentators. It was interesting, and a bit strange, but people would have gotten tired of it quickly as the novelty wore off. So, to answer your question, no, football would not be the same without commentators.

 

[AthenaAwakened]

Actually that isn't the question and if it were, no one here would have ever made more than 25 cents a day because accountants would have seen to it that no matter the job, the value would show up in the books as 25 cents.

Would football be the same without the cheerleaders?

Would football be the same without commentators? And yet they make millions.

getting back to the ACTUAL REALITY, women are working for the franchise, improving the goodwill of the franchise and being paid less than legal wages for doing so.

And the organization that pays the commentators is trying to make money too. Why aren't the announcers paid $5 an hour too?

Good question since they don't add to actual game. They don't devise or call plays, they don't touch the ball, and they don't referee.

You argument is that the cheerleaders are being paid according the value they add. Commentators, by their very existence proves that the value added has nothing to do with wages earned.

The women voluntarily join too. If there are making below min wage, why aren't they working as a cashier at Target? You don't think those opportunities provide a better long term payoff for them than other min wage jobs?

Do you not understand what the word LAW means? how about LEGAL? How about multiple lawsuits against the league and various franchises asserting the willful breaking of the law and damages suffered? This isn't a joke and neither are grown people trying to make a living. Even when they are grown people with ovaries.