University of Washington Cheerleading Squad Slammed for Poster with Body Requirements

[Derec]

I'm sure it's entertainment and eye candy to you, but to some cheerleaders, it's a tough athletic thing requiring hard work.

I don't dispute it is.

Telling someone they have to wear a particular brand of lipstick is over-the-top in micro-managing.

Perhaps. Perhaps not. Is the flyer even mandating a particular brand? How are things handled at other universities?

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

I don't dispute it is.

You've got a conflict of interest in women's freedom.

Telling someone they have to wear a particular brand of lipstick is over-the-top in micro-managing.

Perhaps. Perhaps not. Is the flyer even mandating a particular brand?

read the flyer.

How are things handled at other universities?

They're not even handled this way at this university. It was some middle manager's temporary idea that turned out to be a bad idea so it got nixed from the bottom and was never supported by the top.

 

[laughing dog]

Natural or spray tan does not include natural skin tone - it means a natural tan (i.e. a tan not sprayed on).

I think you are misinterpreting the flyer but what else is new?

If you could read in context, your response would have been different. But that would be expecting too much.

 

[fromderinside]

What's wrong with pale skin?

And why is baring your midriff more 'athletic' than just wearing a t-shirt? Or biker shorts?

Apparently to get on the team, you need to be ready to show skin and be tan.

Because that's necessary to cheer.

Cheerlead.

Because if there are no girls with tans jumping up and down with pom-poms, the crowd would just mill about in confusion, mumbling 'Now what do we do?' when their team scores.

Male fans like to raise their arms over their heads in sequence thinking they're imitating a wave. There's always that.

 

[bilby]

Cheerlead.

Because if there are no girls with tans jumping up and down with pom-poms, the crowd would just mill about in confusion, mumbling 'Now what do we do?' when their team scores.

Male fans like to raise their arms over their heads in sequence thinking they're imitating a wave. There's always that.

Not always - once Trump is elected, he's going to build a wall.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

Well for one, those are the cheerleading uniforms. And second, it is entertainment.

If any college girl doesn't like it, she doesn't have to participate.

View attachment 6592

Roll Tide?

You can't cheerlead with nails like that. Not bad otherwise.

 

[credoconsolans]

And why is baring your midriff more 'athletic' than just wearing a t-shirt? Or biker shorts?
Apparently to get on the team, you need to be ready to show skin and be tan.

Well for one, those are the cheerleading uniforms. And second, it is entertainment.

If any college girl doesn't like it, she doesn't have to participate.

Wow, guess those football players have been upstaged.

No one is there to be entertained by the game they're playing. It's all about bare midriff, tanned cheerleaders in their shorty shorts jumping up and down.

So how about we close down the game and just open up a strip bar as that seems to be what some folks REALLY want these cheerleaders to be doing.

 

[whichphilosophy]

After a social media firestorm, the University of Washington cheerleading squad took down a poster with "do's and don'ts" of how people should look for their upcoming tryouts.

Twitter and Facebook users called out the squad, saying the poster encourages body shaming and prioritizes appearance over ability with "body do's" like being "physically fit" with an "athletic physique." They also ask that potential cheerleaders wear just a sports bra and mid-rise black shorts, while telling them not to wear any tops "that cover the midriff" or high-waisted shorts.

In a statement, the University of Washington athletic department said they instructed the squad to take down the poster after realizing that it could be seen as offensive.

http://www.people.com/article/university-of-washington-cheerleading-poster

In other words, best to keep people ignorant and hide the truth than to inform them on what will improve their odds of joining the cheer squad.

We can start pulling down keep fit ads and slimming posters next.

 

[Nice Squirrel]

And second, it is entertainment.

I'm sure it's entertainment and eye candy to you, but to some cheerleaders, it's a tough athletic thing requiring hard work. Telling someone they have to wear a particular brand of lipstick is over-the-top in micro-managing.

The lipstick is probably a sponsor of the cheer squad. (And the CEO may be at tryouts.) Must keep the sponsors happy! - - Trust me on that one.

I am involved in women's sports and we have a lipstick sponsor. I am supposed to wear black lipstick during sponsored events. Never have as I rarely attend events. Tryouts are in a few weeks and the women will be judged on their skills, athleticism, and "fit" for the team. That fit often includes willingness to work with sponsors.

 

[dismal]

Well, this ignores the fact that activities and performances that require athleticism and skills are clearly discriminatory against the differently-chubby, lazy people,and regular just run of the mill spazzes.

Cheerleading is about athleticism. Discrimination is a non-issue in that regard.

Nonsense. Activities that select based on athleticism discriminate against the differently-athletic.

- - - Updated - - -

So how about we close down the game and just open up a strip bar as that seems to be what some folks REALLY want these cheerleaders to be doing.

It's not an "or" situation, we can have both.

 

[Nice Squirrel]

Cheerleading is about athleticism. Discrimination is a non-issue in that regard.

Nonsense. Activities that select based on athleticism discriminate against the differently-athletic.

And how does this differ from other jobs that look at knowledge, skills and abilities?

 

[dismal]

Nonsense. Activities that select based on athleticism discriminate against the differently-athletic.

And how does this differ from other jobs that look at knowledge, skills and abilities?

Exactly.

 

[thebeave]

Why is cheerleading even still around? This is 2016, not the 1950's. A bunch of scantily clad girls dancing around yelling, "Go, Men!! Rah, Rah!!"? Its an insult to women everywhere. Instead of cheering on the boys and bouncing their boobs so everyone can objectify them, these women should be out in the real world rebuilding auto transmissions, paving roads and chopping down trees. Feminism still has a long road ahead...

 

[dismal]

Why is cheerleading even still around? This is 2016, not the 1950's. A bunch of scantily clad girls dancing around yelling, "Go, Men!! Rah, Rah!!"? Its an insult to women everywhere. Instead of cheering on the boys and bouncing their boobs so everyone can objectify them, these women should be out in the real world rebuilding auto transmissions, paving roads and chopping down trees. Feminism still has a long road ahead...

A feminism that does not support a woman's right to bounce her boobs if that is what she chooses to do with her body is a feminism of which I want no part.

 

[scombrid]

...nevermind...

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

Why is there an assumption by masculinists that this issue is about feminists protesting? While it's true that there are some elements of trying to control young women to be a certain way and there are also some elements of race here, the over-arching property of the flyer is mild authoritarianism. The flyer was forcing conformity and while it could be racist or sexist to some extent, people don't have to conform to those do's and dont's to be a good cheerleader.

These days you get a ton of negative feedback when you post something stupid on social media. So that's what happened. Some micro-manager made a dumb, mildly authoritarian flyer and got negative feedback from a million people. The feedback most likely varied for all sorts of reasons regarding particular unacceptable elements of the criteria being used to judge cheerleaders to rejecting the whole thing. And people probably also trolled the social media pages. Then they found out that they didn't even have authority to make these kinds of criteria in the first place.

This is what has happened with social media. Anyone can post feedback. The Intertubes have democratized communication. The negative feedback is correct largely but there will also be tons of incorrect opinions. Trying to take a slice out of the group and target them as feminists and make fun of them is really interesting. What's the real issue, anger that feminists are now part of the democratization of the feedback? Well, the motive to ridicule the critics certainly isn't in defense of the flyer because the flyer is stupid...

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Most of that pertains to attire and makeup--something that people are free to choose and thus not discriminatory at all.

They want an athletic physique--of course.

They want skin that doesn't look pale. So what?

What's wrong with pale skin?

Our culture doesn't care for it.

And why is baring your midriff more 'athletic' than just wearing a t-shirt? Or biker shorts?

Apparently to get on the team, you need to be ready to show skin and be tan.

Because that's necessary to cheer.

Showing skin is attire, not what you are. Thus it does not discriminate.

And the reality is that cheerleaders show skin.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

And second, it is entertainment.

I'm sure it's entertainment and eye candy to you, but to some cheerleaders, it's a tough athletic thing requiring hard work. Telling someone they have to wear a particular brand of lipstick is over-the-top in micro-managing.

Brand? All I saw was specifying color, not brand.

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

What's wrong with pale skin?

Our culture doesn't care for it.

First we don't have a monoculture and second diversity is great. I mean, [no offense to the ladies reading] I might have a fantasy about a tan woman, a pink woman, a very dark woman, or all three at the same time on any given day. I don't think I'm a rare individual in that regard either.

There just isn't a singular skin color that a woman has to have. And even if there were, she wouldn't need it to be a cheerleader.

And why is baring your midriff more 'athletic' than just wearing a t-shirt? Or biker shorts?

Apparently to get on the team, you need to be ready to show skin and be tan.

Because that's necessary to cheer.

Showing skin is attire, not what you are. Thus it does not discriminate.

And the reality is that cheerleaders show skin.

Skin color is not part of the attire. That's an absurd argument that makes no sense.

My high school had a great cheerleading team including one girl who had some pink in her white skin and another who was quite black.

What the flyer was trying to promote was conformity.

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

I'm sure it's entertainment and eye candy to you, but to some cheerleaders, it's a tough athletic thing requiring hard work. Telling someone they have to wear a particular brand of lipstick is over-the-top in micro-managing.

Brand? All I saw was specifying color, not brand.

http://www.temptalia.com/product/mac-cosmetics-lipstick/girl-about-town

but even if "girl about town" was not a product of mac-cosmetics, it would still be stupid to force people to that standard.