Stand Against the Objectification of Women in the NFL

33 Responses on “Stand Against the Objectification of Women in the NFL”

1. Positively Present

   Definitely sending an email! Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

2. HarryB

   Why just the NFL? How about NBA, NHL, just about every college, high school, middle school, etc. in USA?

   And are you really sure that “Just about every woman finds them insulting on some level…”? Any objective data to back up this claim?

3. gretchen

   Harry – I didn’t write that, so I can’t claim anything, but I do think most women object on some level as to how they are presented. As I said on this thread on Facebook, I’m not opposed to cheerleading at all, but high school cheerleading and professional sports cheerleading are two TOTALLY different things.

4. HarryB

   I must be missing something here. I’ve been to a lot of NFL Games over the years and really see no difference between what the cheerleaders do and the image they present and, for example, the image of women presented by the Rockettes at the Radio City Music Hall in NYC. Or are the Rockettes on the hit list too?

   And while you all are writing to Goodell, don’t forget to demand that he tell the Washington Redskins Cheerleaders that this too is unacceptable:

   http://www.redskins.com/gen/articles/Junior_Redskins_448.jsp

   That’s all from me on this subject. I’m late for my “Women are not Objects” readjustment semimar!

5. db

   A little late to this topic.

   I too find the portrayal of women by NFL cheerleaders degrading. I find Harry’s second comment ironic as I live just outside of DC and let me tell you, the Redskins have surpassed the Cowboys in skimpiness of their uniforms. Even some men are ashamed for them.

   I find myself angrier at these women who let themselves get used this way than at the NFL itself. Some see it as women exercising their personal choice, I don’t think its so simple. When they go out there half naked, they contribute to the degradation of ALL women.

   That makes them fair game for criticism by me and any other feminists and men who also find them embarrassing.

   Truthfully, I generally don’t buy into stereotypes but I tend to think that the concept of the bimbo, airhead, cheerleader is valid when it comes to the NFL.

   With high intelligence, comes self-respect. Therefore, women of high intelligence and with self-respect would not dare put on those ultra skimpy uniforms. Low intelligence is requisite to lacking the shame for going out in front of tens of thousands almost naked.

6. gretchen

   DB – I agree with you for the most part. However, I don’t think these women are unintelligent. I just think they’ve more or less been brainwashed by our male-dominated culture to believe that what they are doing is perfectly normal and acceptable. The environment they are in does nothing but encourage what they do and on top of that they get rewarded to continue to do it. So why would they have any reason to believe they are hurting other women or degrading themselves?

   It takes a lot of self-introspection and digging before one can start to see “outside the box”.

   On the flip side, I don’t completely blame the girls for the problem. I don;t blame the marketers either. After all it is their job to attract business and what better way to do that than with sex appeal. The fault lies with the the consumers who continue to pour money into these things.

   It also infuriates me that men’s sports get so much more funding and attention than women’s sports. :-w

7. gretchen

   And Harry – I don’t get your photo for the Junior Redskins. That looks perfectly acceptable to me. What we object to are the skimpy, nearly non-existent outfits, the playboy-like poses for magazines, etc. If their purpose is to cheer on the team and rally the fans, they should be able to do that in warm-up suits (like your photo) and not bikinis, right?

   And why are there no male cheerleaders anymore? What was wrong with guys who led cheers?

8. HarryB

   Point is that Junior Redskins, who are sponsored by the Redskins cheerleaders, are being taught to perpetuate the very thing you are against. Who knows, some may even grow up and become real Redskins cheerleaders.

   Re…non-existent outfits…Don’t know about you, but I see skimnpy stuff at the beach every summer that makes Redskins cheerleaders look like prudes.

   Male cheerleaders still exist. See them at every basketball game I go to at my alma mater. Same for high schools in this area.

9. gretchen

   I know male cheerleaders exist on the high school and college level…so why not the pros? And high school and college cheerleaders typically have much more conservative attire – so why not the pros? Because it’s all about the M-O-N-E-Y. And well… sex sells.

   I still don’t get the Jr. Redskins issue. So they want to be cheerleaders? Granted their pro counterparts aren’t exactly the role models I would choose for them, but at their Jr. level I have no complaints about that photo.
   

   Ah yes – the swimsuit argument. Well I don’t exactly think all swimsuits are modest, do you? And I don’t exactly hang out at the beach here in Illinois but at least when I do go to a water park or whatever I do not have to have that kind of stuff “flashed” at me as entertainment like it is at a professional sporting event.

10. HarryB

    It goes beyond the photo and the clothes. The point is that they are being “conditioned” to look and act like their mentors, i.e., Redskins cheerleaders.

    Of course sports is about the money, even at the college level.

    Later…you have your view of the world and I have mine.

    Good luck with the email to Roger Goodell campaign!

11. kathy

    What a great campaign…i recently wrote an email to Roger Goodell, also…i read one viewer’s note that she doubts that Roger Goodell will respond…maybe not, but we have to realize something, that we have the control, not them…less than 5% of all people make complaints and that’s why nothing gets done….complain to whoever will listen. don’t stop sending the emails, encourage all your friends to do so and start boycotting their sponsors, that’s where it hits them in the belt….i’ll let you know if i get a response from Mr. goodell…thanks

12. Pamela

    You are all overreacting. I’m a Ravens fan, and I also cheered in high school, and I think you girls need to do some research before posting your comments. When I go to the Ravens games, there are at least 8 men on the cheer squads helping with the stunts, and in the colder months the girls are completely covered up in sweaters and leggings. They only wear the shorter outfits when it’s warm. Would you want to be doing sports in long clothes when it’s hot outside? Cheerleaders are talented athletes and community leaders and role models. When I cheered in high school, every single one of us on the squad made honor roll every quarter and the principal went out of his way to announce that fact to the entire student body. Being a cheerleader has helped me develop my social skills and my self esteem. There is absolutely nothing degrading about it, and I’ve never had a man think that I was dumb for being a cheerleader. The only other people who assumed I was dumb were other insecure women like you.

13. kate

    the topic was objectification of women in the NFL, not high school cheerleading….high school cheerleading is different. I too was a high school cheerleader and a gymnast and an athlete. most of the comments here were about the outfits of the cheerleaders. how can they do all their stunts when a silicone boob might pop out at any minute?

14. sue

    I agree. High school cheerleading is different. The NFL does not have male cheerleaders, it is only at college level that they do. Most of the professional cheerleaders do have degrees and only get paid between $30-$50 a game, yet they are willing to be reduced to nothing more than go-go dancers on the sidelines.When was the last time you saw a professional cheerleader featured for her brains? Maxim magazine? perhaps sports illustrated swimsuit?

15. db

    >> Being a cheerleader has helped me develop my social skills and my self esteem.

    HS maybe…I guess.

    But I don’t see how it helps anyone’s social skills at the pro level.

    As for self-esteem, I’m willing to bet most have self-esteem issues. Going out there almost naked is probably a cry for attention.

    >> There is absolutely nothing degrading about it, and I’ve never had a man think that I was dumb for being a cheerleader.

    I honestly don’t see how anyone can say that going out in front of thousands almost naked isn’t degrading.

    As a Ravens fan that you are, let me tell you, there is a team 35 miles from you whose cheerleaders wear the skimpiest uniforms imaginable. And I can tell you that there ARE men who are ashamed for these women…shame they don’t feel for themselves.

    >> The only other people who assumed I was dumb were other insecure women like you.

    If I had a nickel for everytime some cheeleader apologist said this to me.

    I don’t know about HS, but when it comes to the pro football, I sincerely believe that the stereotype of the bimbo, airhead cheerleader is valid.

    Wearing those skimpy uniforms requires a lack of self-respect. A lack of self-respect requires a lack of shame. A lack of shame requires low intelligence.

    I assure you it has nothing to do with any insecurity on my part. I guess its reassuring to cheerleader apologists to delude themselves into believing that critics of women who strut around almost naked have some kind of insecurity.

16. tyra

    i agree with db’s comments. I worked hard in high school on the track team and still to this day work out religiously and do some personal training. there were cheerleaders in HS. i admired them for their stunts and not once was i jealous of them. nor am i jealous of the pro cheerleaders in anyway but come on, when do you see men cheering for women’s sports? There is these dumb broads who cheer these men on at almost every man’s sport, just a piece of meat to be ogled at. i.e. pit girls, formula one girls, motorcycle girls, card girls at boxing games, pro cheerleaders who are half naked, fight league girls, the list goes on and on. this is an insult to me. these pro cheerleaders are dancers, talented as they may be at dancing, i have never seen them do any stunts. their stunts consist of putting left hand on hip, one foot in front of the other, waving pom-pom with one hand. jump up, feet together, clap clap. when their team scores, they are on the sidelines with a dumb grin on their face not even knowing what’s probably going on, both hands on hips, one foot in front of the other like statues. ridiculous. come on girls, keep sending those emails, this madness has to stop in some way, otherwise women will continue to be treated like pieces of meat if the only way they can be involved in a man’s sport is if their half naked or pretty instead of talented athletes!!!

17. Pamela

    I never said that other women had to be jealous of cheerleaders. To each their own. You do what you love. And if you love dancing. Then do it. My theory with the whole hot women at men’s sports thing is this- guys are idiots. They think if they spend too much time looking at other men, they’ll turn gay. So they have to look at a woman every now and then. But back to the Ravens Cheerleaders… i dont think anyone read my comment. There are about 10 guys on the squad and they do AMAZING stunts. Stunts you’ll see at college cheer competitions. They have two squads on the field… the stunt squad and the dance squad. The dance squads- yes look like man eye candy. But the stunt squads are really really good.

    And to your other point, men do cheer on women sports. I know tons of men who love and watch and attend women sports. Remember- in the 1940s cheerleading was a male dominated sport.

18. Pamela

    Here’s a video of The Ravens Cheerleader Stunt Squad- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_pFtIlMHy4

19. Sarah

    I am sorely disappointed at the idea of this thread. I understand why some women are offended by NFL cheerleaders ; watching their husbands drool over their skimpy outfits and stripper-esqe dance routines. I’m a PhD. in Art History and I’m a senior professor at a major university in the Midwest. I’m appalled that you don’t understand the importance the feminine form has had on almost ALL cultures since the beginning of recorded history, and even before it! The Feminine form is a POWERFUL symbol of how we as women hold the upper hand. If you think about it, the drooling and ogling shows just how much power and persuasion we can have over men. We can distract, and even get the FULL attention of our men with a few sly moves. Our form is worshipped, not degraded. Our form is beautiful, and should be taunted as a reminder that we control the population, we control the sex, we control….the money. We didn’t control the world; until now!

20. Pamela

    Great way of thinking about it, Sarah!! Love it! And also- there’s nothing wrong with a woman wanting to be beautiful and sexy.

21. Enstein

    Pamela, are you ok? I watched that video of the ravens cheer squad, that is not at all degrading. That is what you call hard core cheerleading! I agree that many NFL cheerleaders are degrading to women and that they should not wear skimpy outifts, but THAT video was a horrible example! It was just stunting. Try finding some better evidence!

22. Pamela

    @ Einstein: No if you read the previous posts I was disagreeing with the other people who said that cheerleading was degrading. I was showing them how the Ravens Cheerleaders are awesome and athletic and not degrading at all.

23. ILoveTalmud

    “Our form is beautiful, and should be taunted as a reminder that we control the population, we control the sex, we control….the money.”

    We control the sex??? Really? What about rape, an act of forced sex?

    Control the money??? Would you mind telling me which gender are 99% of world CEOs, presidents,etc???

    Your line of thinking is the biggest problem. Many women think they are in control when they are actually ENSLAVED. Their bodies exploited to sell products, entertain men, provide visual appeal, stripped of their dignity their honour, their inner-selves, their role as mothers, etc The only differene between this and old day slavery is that most of us support it THINKING it is liberation when it’s not. Does an underwear model have any say in the main political matters of the country? Even if she did, would anyone take her seriously? Why don’t the few female leaders we had like Merkel and Indira Ghandi wear cheerleading outfits to their meetings or even the harmless low cleavage and sleeveless tops? Gandhi (all blessings be upon her) was always wrapped in loose cloth and had her head covered 1/2 the time yet she was one the most revered Presidents in C20th. Female form is beautiful therefore should be valued by not decorating bill-boards and gentleman clubs. It should be valued by your partner but in public and political life it’s your mind, your dignity, your skill that should shine NOT your body! There is an occassion for everything and the work place is not an occassion for revealing the body.

24. d

    most feminist don’t like their sex,most are lesbians they hate men and their ugly.they are jealous of beautiful women because no one paied attention to them in school,to this day men still don’t pay attention to them ,alot of them are divorce unhappy women ,they are in the shadow of the pretty girls[cheerleaders] and they are insecure.if you don’t watch football why care about it that shows you are insecure

25. Liz

    Oh yea, every time a woman complains about something, it must mean because they “don’t like their sex” as “d” says. That’s ridiculous, and it is like saying that women shouldn’t be allowed to stick up for themselves. So, I guess African Americans when they fought against slavery did so because they didn’t like their race? Actually the opposite is true. I think women who love being women and respect womanhood fight for women. I love my gender and think very highly of women. That is one reason I find objectification of women wrong. I guarantee you that “d” is a man. That’s what men do when women fight back. They say ‘feminists’ are lesbians, hate men, don’t like their gender, and are ugly because they want to maintain the status quo for THEIR benefit. I can bet if men were objectified regularly, they wouldn’t like it.

    As for women, I think sometimes women say they don’t mind the cheerleaders because they believe there is nothing they can do about it, so they give in and try to convince themselves they don’t care. I think if women knew that if they signed a petition and the cheerleaders would be gone – many women would do it.

    If the sport is really that great, then what do you need cheerleaders for? They are there just for a sexual thrill. Men can always look up naked women on the internet if they are that enslaved by the female body. But they serve no purpose at a sporting event. It’s supposed to be about the sport, not sex.

    Oh, and yes, every woman who complains about objectification of women must be ugly, right? Wrong! It doesn’t have to do with a woman’s looks but a woman’s brains. The smarter the woman I find, (and more spiritual) the more she is against degrading women. It has to do with brains, not appearance. I was a child model, and have always been known for what I LOOK LIKE. I was given constant attention for what I look like. When in college, I had a few friends who tried to talk me into stripping as a way to make money. They thought I could make a lot of money stripping because of being attractive. I like myself too much to do that. I respect myself too much to see myself as someone just to serve men’s needs. That doesn’t mean I’m not sexual. People always talk about how I had the sex appeal thing going for me. It’s just that I’m too smart and value myself way too much to degrade myself. I know plenty of pretty women who think objectification of women is demeaning, and some unattractive women who think its okay. It’s about how women are being mistreated in society.

26. Liz

    And no Harry, they are no way near the Rockettes. You are comparing apples and oranges there. I don’t see the Rockettes as sexual. And they are part of the arts. A sporting event is about sports, not having a sex show on the sidelines. We all know that cheerleaders are sexualized. That’s why they sell the calendars, etc. Google NFL cheerleaders and all they are talking about is what they look like, their body parts, etc. I thought the NFL was supposed to be about football? I thought it was supposed to be a professional, mature sport? Can you imagine the WNBA basically having the equivalent of male strippers on the sidelines?

27. Kat

    i agree with liz…i wrote an email to Roger Goodell a while back and have heard nothing…i too am offended by the cheerleaders. don’t need them. football can survive without it. men would never let themselves be objectified like that but i would love to see a petition going…good idea liz..if there was a petition i would definitely sign it or at least make them wear appropriate uniforms.

28. Clovis

    All,

    It’s is so obvious that cheerleading is degrading to women that I cant believe somebody would have an argument to the contrary. Women’s soccer is very popular in the US, much more than men’s soccer. Where are the male cheerleaders in women’s soccer games? As a male foreigner who moved to the US 10 years ago, the shock to me was more evident, since I was not culturally brainwashed because “it has been like this forever. My mom, my grandmom and my great-grandmom were cheerleaders too”.

    The message I see: “Football is for tough guys. It’s no place for weak pretty girls. They should be on the side, wearing provocative clothes to get the stadium cheered up. Just smile, dont open your mouth. When the camera closes up (it’s like winning the lottery), dream that one day you may go to Hollywood or, in older times, date the popular guy in High School or find a rich husband right out of College”.

    No wonder soccer is so popular with girls. It was their silent cry for independence and proof that they can have and be their OWN SHOW.

    Clovis

29. Joy

    Dear Mr. Goodell,
    I am emailing you to complain about the appearance of Cheerleaders (AKA Strippers) in the Football games. I guess you know where this is going. I feel in love with and married my husband 3 years ago. His wife had passed away and my husband had died in the line of duty as a Firefighter. My first husband was not a sports nut so I was not subjected to watching Cheerleaders doing stripper moves wearing the least amount of clothing possible. The problem with the outfits is that they show everything and they are so thin you can see every crack and crevices. Then the humping moves up and down jumping for more shaking is too much.

    DON’T YOU THINK MEN WOULD WATCH FOOTBALL WITHOUT THE STRIPPERS???

    WELL GUESS WHAT WE WOULD WATCH IT WITH THEM AND LET THEM GO TO THE GAMES AND LET THEM BUY THE CHANNELS THEY WANT AND THE GEAR THEY WANT.

    Sorry to say we do run what happens in the house. I have put my foot down this year and for 3 months we have not had sex. He has watched half of one game with me and when the Cheerleaders started grinding and shaking their boobs my husband turned red and said, “Okay that is too much”. So he decided to turn the channel during the cheerleaders spot but by the time you find the remote and turn the channel it’s like the guy who says I only read playboy for the articles. Guess what you still see the pictures.

    I want to turn my husband on not sex thrown at him every game. Hey were are the Male Chippendale’s wearing speedoos…Shaking their stuff???? We women know you men would never NEVER show that on the game because you are not sure enough of yourselves. Just like commercials that are ran by men. It’s all women young, sexy, and dressed in almost nothing and the men in the commercial are Boobs, and fat and sloppy.

    So if you want more women going to the game. If you want more NFL channels ordered at home and all the gear that women okay their husbands to buy then get rid of cheerleaders or dress them and stop the stripper moves. You would be so rich you wouldn’t know what the hell happened. Trust me all of my Friend who go to the games and walk out and all the women who argue always. We used to put up with it but now we don’t we have had it. You if you care about the women who love football but hate the cheerleaders would understand. Just remember change out the female strippers and replace them with MEN IN SPEEDOOS DOING THE SAME MOVES. You men would freak out…

30. Steph

    Thanks for this article! I enjoyed it! I find the discussion of women athletes and their looks interesting. There’s something to be said for being a good looking athlete, just like male athletes, but it shouldn’t override their abilities. There’s a good discussion of this over at TC Huddle. I found your article looking for more opinions on this.

    This is a good article. Thanks! Here’s the article if you’re interested: http://www.tchuddle.com/2011/07/women-athletes-and-the-need-to-objectify/

31. Alison

    I don’t see any date on this post, but while I don’t make any demands on my husband about watching football, I don’t watch Redskins games with him anymore. It’s just my own way of not giving them my business. Seems things really went downhill when Daniel Snyder took over – the cheerleaders suddenly looked like they should be swinging on poles rather than waving pom poms around. Maybe it was a result of changing times, maybe it’s just the way the Redskins do business, or maybe it’s the influence of the NFL.

    I believe people have the freedom to do what they want, but these stripper-like cheerleaders make me uncomfortable as a woman, and as a result, I don’t watch the games anymore, which means I don’t see the commercials. Now, I wouldn’t say I’m a football fan on the same level as my husband and others, but the days of me getting excited on game day and cooking a big pot of chili every Sunday are over.

    Oh, well, I figure the NFL isn’t trying to attract a female fan like me, who just likes watching the game and having a few beers. It’s their choice…but I wonder how that’s working out for them?

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33. michelle

    I really don’t care about this much to be honest. I mean, my female friends and I that enjoy football often talk about how good looking some of the men are, not to mention when we see them in the locker rooms after games with their shirts off.

    Just an aside, but anyone think it’s weird how women reporters are allowed in men’s locker rooms after games but men reporters aren’t allowed in women’s locker rooms? Not that it really matter since I don’t watch the WNBA or other female sports, but it’s obviously a double standard.

    Speaking of which, in response to “I don’t see why women should get behind men’s sports (and put money in their pockets), while men do not generally support women’s sports.” I don’t think this doesn’t actually have anything to do men vs. women, it’s just wanting to watch the best at that particular game. I’m weird in that I’ll watch almost any sport/game/competition regardless of what it is. I’ll watch any physical sport, poker, chess, a Scrabble tournament, anything at all as long as I’m watching the best in the world. We need to be realistic, even the best WNBA teams can’t even come close to being as good as even sub-par NBA teams, which is why me, my sisters, mom, and friends all prefer to watch an NBA game rather than a WNBA team. It’s not that I don’t think these women aren’t extremely talented, but I want to watch the best. That’s it.

    And finally, like I said I don’t really care about skimpy cheerleading outfits or women who work at Hooters wearing somewhat revealing clothing. This is simply because no one is forcing them to do these jobs. They want to. I had a friend that worked at Hooters and loved it. She knew that guys were really nice to her, in large part, because of what she was wearing and how she looked, but she did like the fact that men found her attractive, and the tips were incredible that she could pay for a lot of her schooling. Back in school she wasn’t really anything special, but as she got older she did get much more attractive and did look really good in those orange shorts. In any case, she liked this job, and I’m willing to bet all those cheerleaders also enjoy being out in the middle of 70,000+ fans, plus millions more at home, and be the center of attention for a bit. It’s not like cheerleaders really make a lot of money, and even still, even the skimpiest NFL cheerleader outfits still cover more than the average bikini you see at the beach. I really think everyone is just overreacting here. Just my opinion.

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