Radical cheerleading

Last updated
The Resistin Radicatz Resistin radicatz.jpg
The Resistin Radicatz

Radical cheerleading is a performative style of political activism, derived from mainstream cheerleading. [1] Radical cheerleading combines elements of peaceful protest or non-violent direct action with theatrical elements including costuming, spectacle and choreographed dance. Radical cheerleading was created by sisters Cara Jennings, Aimee Jennings and Coleen Jennings in Miami, Florida, USA in 1996. [2] [3] It grew to become an international movement with squads in the United States, Canada and the European Union. [4] Radical cheerleaders create and adapt cheers that promote feminism and left-wing ideals. [5]

Contents

Subculture

Radical cheerleading developed as subculture apart from cheerleading. Mainstream cheerleading reached new heights of popularity in the 1990s, as it transformed from a form of entertainment to being understood as an athletic sport. [6] The first Cheerleading World Championship took place in 2001, asserting cheerleading as a competitive sport. During this time the popular view of cheerleaders in the United States was highly gendered and highly sexualized, including the Bring It On franchise of films. [7] The satirical practice of radical cheerleading developed alongside the growing popularity of cheerleading in popular culture. Author Christine Ro writes, "the popular image of cheerleading was still very much of the minimally dressed female cheerleader on the sidelines of a male sports event. This was the image radical cheerleaders seized upon in order to subvert gender messages while serving up peppy support for social justice causes." [7]

Gender non-conformity

Gender non-conformity is a foundation upon which the subculture of radical cheerleading developed. [2] Since its creation, radical cheerleading has been a movement open to all: participants may be male, female, transgender, non-binary or non-gender identified. [8] Often, radical cheerleaders subvert gender norms through costuming and aesthetics. According to author and radical cheerleader Jeanne Vaccaro, the movement was responsible for "cultivating a queer sensibility." [2]

Radical cheerleaders at climate change action.jpg

Aesthetics

Radical cheerleaders reappropriate the aesthetics of cheerleading, sometimes in an ironic fashion. [7] Radical cheerleaders dress in diverse ways. Radical cheerleading is often marked by a DIY aesthetic, with handmade costumes and props. Some radical cheerleaders make pom-poms using garbage bags by folding them in half, tying off one side with a rubber band and then cutting strips from the other end. [9]

Every squad has a unique aesthetic of its own. The Dirty Southern Belles, from Memphis, Tennessee, wear the colors pink and black to cheer for gay pride. The Pirate Cheerleaders, a squad from Milwaukee, wear black skirts with white pleats, and shirts with pirate logos when performing at basement punk shows. The New Paltz Rads, a squad from the State University of New York at New Paltz, sport signature colors black and red. [10]

Notable demonstrations

S15 Radical Cheerleading 1.jpg

Radical cheerleaders often perform at political demonstrations, festivals and other feminist events, where they lead protest chants. [11] Radical cheerleading is used at demonstrations to promote political messages in a media-friendly, people-friendly way. Radical cheerleaders may also perform on stage at music venues, to bring political issues (as well as entertainment) to an unsuspecting crowd.

A notable demonstration took place at a Taco Bell restaurant in Auburn, Alabama in 2001, where radical cheerleaders gathered to protest for fair wages. Dubbed the "Taco Bell Protest," participants explained to police that the purpose of their demonstration was to protest the business relationship between corporate Taco Bell and the Six L's Packing Company, Inc., a firm that pays employees low wages with zero benefits. [12]

Radical cheerleaders demonstrated at the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York, [7] the March for Women's Lives in Washington, D.C., on April 25, 2004, [13] and The Resistin' Radicatz, a radical cheerleading squad, performed at the 2004 Million Worker March. [7]

Cheer content

Cheers are usually written from scratch or by rewriting the words of popular and historic songs. The first radical cheer book was published in 1997. [2]

An example of a radical cheer, led by creator Cara Jennings, performed at the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York:

Sound off! I don’t wanna work anymore! What did you say? I said the system doesn’t work anymore! What did you say? I said STOMP, smash the state, Let's liberate, Acknowledge me or go to hell, another womyn to rebel, let's liberate, Stomp, smash the state, let's liberate, organize and raise some hell, act up, unite and rebel! [2]

An example of a cheer performed by the Radical Teen Cheer Squad: "We're teens, we're cute, we're radical to boot! We're angry, we're tough, and we have had enough!" [10]

Media

In Give Me An F: Radical Cheerleading and Feminist Performance, radical cheerleader and Author Jeanne Vaccaro describes the process of archiving radical cheerleading through the examination of cheers, zines, photographs and personal testimony from fellow radical cheerleader Mary Xmas. [2]

In a speech at the National Women's Studies Association in 2004, feminist magazine director Lisa Jervis placed radical cheerleading within a tradition of playful feminist comment on popular culture. [7]

In August 2004 the New York City Radical Cheerleaders completed Don't Let the System Get You Down—Cheer Up, a video documentary of the Radical Cheerblock at the March for Women's Lives. The video was released in time to celebrate and honor and inspire the hundreds of radical cheerleaders who converged in New York to protest the Republican National Convention. [2]

Responses

Radical cheerleading is a style of performance, and is inherently defined by the element of spectacle. Responses within the media have ranged from positive to negative. Sheila Noone, the editorial director of American Cheerleader magazine, commented that cheerleaders are involved in an "uphill battle" towards gaining respect, [10] asserting that radical cheerleading makes this even more difficult. In contrast, Lauren Jack, member of Harvard University's Cheerleading squad, made the statement that cheerleading is "all about trying to get everyone else excited about your causes, so it's perfect for political activism." [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheerleading</span> Athletic activity based on cheering for a team

Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to entertain the audience, or for competition. Cheerleading routines typically range anywhere from one to three minutes, and contain components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protest</span> Public expression of objection, typically political

A protest is a public expression of objection, disapproval or dissent towards an idea or action, typically a political one. Protests can be thought of as acts of cooperation in which numerous people cooperate by attending, and share the potential costs and risks of doing so. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass political demonstrations. Protesters may organize a protest as a way of publicly making their opinions heard in an attempt to influence public opinion or government policy, or they may undertake direct action in an attempt to enact desired changes themselves. Where protests are part of a systematic and peaceful nonviolent campaign to achieve a particular objective, and involve the use of pressure as well as persuasion, they go beyond mere protest and may be better described as a type of protest called civil resistance or nonviolent resistance.

<i>Bring It On</i> (film) 2000 film directed by Peyton Reed

Bring It On is a 2000 American teen comedy film directed by Peyton Reed and written by Jessica Bendinger. The film stars Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford and Gabrielle Union. The plot of the film centers around two high school cheerleading teams' preparation for a national competition.

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are the National Football League cheerleading squad representing the Dallas Cowboys team.

A dance squad or dance team, sometimes called a pom squad or song team, is a team that participates in competitive dance. A dance squad can also include: a jazz squad, ballet squad, or any kind of religion dance squad. Dance squads are a type of performance dance.

Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team is an American reality television series that premiered in 2006 on CMT. The series follows the auditioning process and the forming of the Dallas Cowboys' annual Cheerleading squad. The series features director Kelli McGonagill Finglass and choreographer Judy Trammell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buffalo Jills</span> Defunct NFL cheerleader squad

The Buffalo Jills were the cheerleading squad for the Buffalo Bills professional American football team.

National Football League Cheerleading or simply NFL Cheerleading, is a group of professional cheerleading organizations in the United States. 24 of the 32 NFL teams include a cheerleading squad in their franchise. Cheerleaders are a popular attraction that can give a team more coverage/airtime, popular local support, and increased media image. In 1954, the Baltimore Colts became the first NFL team to have cheerleaders. They were part of Baltimore's Marching Colts.

The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers Spirit Squads comprise the cheerleading organization at the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. Being the first program ever to form worldwide, the University of Minnesota is consequently considered the "Birthplace of Cheerleading". Today, the Gopher Spirit Squads consist of four separate squads: a cheer squad, a dance team, a hockey cheer squad, and the school's mascot, Goldy Gopher. The squads consistently perform well at national competitions including 21 national championships in dance since 2003, a 2nd-place finish for All-Girl in 2013, a fifth-place finish in 2017, and four-time national champion Goldy Gopher in 2011, 2013, 2017, and 2018. The current head coach is Sam Owens.

The University of Kentucky cheerleading squad represents the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky. It was founded in 1905 and its first cheerleaders were yell leaders who were usually male. University of Kentucky's first coed squad began in 1938, consisting of four males and four females. The coed squad became the norm in the late 60s, early 70s. T. Lynn Williamson was the cheerleading advisor from 1978 until his retirement in 2020. Williamson oversaw the program and brought in coaches to help build and advance the cheerleading program. Willimason's role encouraged Dale Baldwin to attend the University of Kentucky, who was a member of the University of Kentucky Cheerleading squad when the team won its first national championship in 1985. The University of Kentucky cheerleading squad has won the Universal Cheerleaders Association National College Cheerleading Championship twenty-four times.

Cheerleading is a sport that is practised all throughout the world, with increasing popularity within the United Kingdom. Cheerleading has over 89,000 athletes within the United Kingdom, with just over 900 teams in England alone, with the newfound success and passion of UK based teams on the international stage helping to change perceptions within the region. Teams from the United Kingdom have gained international recognition, with the Olympic Channel producing a 10 minute short documentary following United Allstars' team Ruby to highlight the increase momentum of competitive cheerleading within the United Kingdom.

Lawrence Russell Herkimer was an American innovator in the field of cheerleading. He created the Herkie cheerleading jump, which was named after him, and received a patent for the pom-pom. Herkimer described his contribution to the field as taking it "from the raccoon coat and pennant to greater heights".

The US National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) was established as a way to bring cheerleaders together to learn new skills. Since 1951, the NCA has held summer camps, and is credited with the invention of the herkie jump, the pom pom, the spirit stick and being the first uniform manufacturer.

Memphis Pom is a collegiate dance team from the University of Memphis. The team has won 15 national titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders</span> NFL cheerleader squad

The Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders is the professional cheerleading squad of the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. The squad performs a variety of dance moves at the Hard Rock Stadium, the home stadium of the Dolphins. The Dolphins Cheerleaders released an annual swimsuit calendar every year. The squad hosts auditions every May. Like most other squads in the league, the MDC also has a youth cheer squad and help mentor young girls in the Miami area. The squad also makes USO trips. Every year, the MDC sends a cheerleader to the Pro Bowl. The MDC also sends a number of alumni to the Indian Premier League every year.

The Chicago Honey Bears were a cheerleading squad for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The group performed at Bears games at Soldier Field. After Super Bowl XX, the squad was disbanded, and currently, the Bears are one of the seven NFL teams that do not have cheerleaders, along with the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, New York Jets, Los Angeles Chargers, and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Laura Lynette Vikmanis is an American dietitian, personal trainer, and dancer who was a professional cheerleader for the Cincinnati Ben–Gals, the cheerleading squad of the Cincinnati Bengals. She was the oldest cheerleader in National Football League history, at 40 years of age when she joined in 2009. She is also a co-author of the book It's Not About the Pom-Poms.

<i>Poms</i> (film) 2019 American film

Poms is a 2019 American comedy film directed by Zara Hayes, starring Diane Keaton, Jacki Weaver, Pam Grier, Celia Weston, Alisha Boe, Phyllis Somerville, Charlie Tahan, Bruce McGill, and Rhea Perlman. The film follows a group of women from a retirement community who decide to start a cheerleading squad. It was theatrically released in North America on May 10, 2019, by STX Entertainment.

<i>Cheer</i> (TV series) American TV docuseries about Navarros competitive cheer team

Cheer is an American sport television docuseries airing on Netflix starting in January 2020. The six-part series follows the nationally ranked forty-member Navarro College Bulldogs Cheer Team from Corsicana, Texas, under the direction of coach Monica Aldama, as they prepare to compete in the National Cheerleading Championship held annually in Daytona Beach, Florida. The episodes focus especially on five individual Cheer Team members and include elements of the history of cheerleading, including the formation of the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pom Pom Squad</span>

Pom Pom Squad is an American indie rock/grunge band from Brooklyn, New York. It is the solo project of frontwoman Mia Berrin, and features permanent members Shelby Keller (drums) and Alex Mercuri (guitar).

References

  1. Gabriel., Kuhn (2015-03-30). Playing as if the world mattered : an illustrated history of activism in sports. Oakland, CA. ISBN   9781629631349. OCLC   907774602.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Vaccaro, Jeanne (January 2018). "Give Me an F: Radical Cheerleading and Feminist Performance" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on April 19, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  3. "30 Under 30: Young Movers and Shakers". Utne Reader. Sep 2002. The Jennings Sisters: Aimee, 28, Cara, 25, and Coleen, 23
  4. "Radical Cheerleaders Raise Ruckus". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  5. Grindstaff, Laura Anne (2009). "Cheerleading: The Gender Politics of Contemporary Cheerleading". Encyclopedia of Gender and Society. Los Angeles: SAGE. p. 126. ISBN   978-1-4129-0916-7.
  6. Grindstaff, Laura (November 2006). "Cheerleading and the Gendered Politics of Sport". Social Problems. 53 (4): 500–518. doi:10.1525/sp.2006.53.4.500 via JSTOR.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ro, Christine (August 10, 2016). "HEY HEY! HO HO! WHERE DID RADICAL CHEERLEADERS GO?".
  8. Adams, Natalie Guice; Bettis, Pamela (2003). Cheerleader!: An American Icon. New York: Palgrave. pp. 36–39. ISBN   978-1-4039-6184-6.
  9. Campbell, Duncan (2003-05-11). "Cheerleaders twirl pom-poms of protest". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Kantrowitz, Barbara (September 28, 2003). "We're Here! We Cheer! Get Used to It!". Newsweek. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  11. Atkinson, Joshua D. (2010). Alternative Media and Politics of Resistance: A Communication Perspective. New York: Peter Lang. pp. 126–128. ISBN   978-1-4331-0517-3.
  12. Roe, Amy (August 2, 2001). "Gimme an A!". Broward Palm Beach New Times. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  13. "Behind the scenes at the March for Women's Lives". Salon. 2004-04-26. Retrieved 2019-03-19.