Netflix Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders

I binged watched this series on Netflix yesterday. I was really curious about what goes on in a cheerleader’s life. It seemed so easy and fun to be a cheerleader to me. But boy did the series give me a whole different view of what their life actually is. I never knew how hard it is. What they actually have to go through in the recruitment process every single year, is incredible. I can’t even imagine how stressful that must be for these girls, who are veterans and must go through the same process all over again, every year.

At first, over hundreds of girls of different ages have to do an approximately 1 minute solo dance, in a unique costume they picked. Veterans also have to go through this process again every year if they want to be picked for the team. They then go through rigorous practice dance camps to cut out girls that are not going to make it. Some of the girls get injured and since there is no time for them to recover fast enough, are released by the two women who have been cheerleaders many decades ago. The girls then have to go through a new hairdo to change their appearances and make them look the best they can, even if they might not get picked.

Costume fitting comes in later and each girl is measured and their bodies are analyzed to see if their shape is perfect for the costume. All this takes place until the very first game of the year, where all the 36 cheerleaders are finally picked and ready to perform. If you are too fat, too thin, not beautiful enough, you hurt yourself, you are out. I find it very degrading and superficial and a bad example for the little girls that aspire to be cheerleaders one day. They are bound to have their dreams crushed, like many of these girls who failed to pass the harsh and selective picking process.

A lot of people would be like” Well they choose to do this” but a lot of these girls, cheerleading is actually a dream, their whole life, or a really big goal to achieve, and it seems that they are taken advantage of, because of it. Their salary is absolutely ridiculous. They apparently make as much as a “Chick-fil-a” worker. They are working their butt off having a full time job to cover their expenses, unless living with their parents and having any financial help, with lengthy practicing hours, gym workouts to keep that perfect tiny shape, work on holidays by making appearances here and there at different events, shows, calendars photoshoot and so on. Just because they chose this, according to Charlotte, daughter of the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, they are apparently not entitled to make more money, even though the team is worth 9 billion dollar. They know the girls won’t dare to complain about the salary because they are all dying to be part of the team. Pssst girls ! Y’all should go on a strike at once, before you do your show next time ! It is absolutely disgusting and nothing to be proud of, to take advantage of hard working, human being.

They must watch their figure for the whole season to make sure that they fit in their tiny costumes. Later on, the girls are each given a barbie of their choices… during a ceremony where everyone congratulates each other…

While I admire their hard works, how pretty they are, I would never be able to go through such rigorous, degrading, superficial work. It’s mind blowing what these girls are put through and how hard they work for the little salary they make. I love the song Thunderstruck that is used as their introduction but I find the dance really outdated. The first part is nice but the high kick and jump split needs to go and be replaced with something new. They are apparently known for their “High kicks” according to Kelli, but no lady, that is a New York’s Rockette dance routine and just doesn’t fit the style of the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders. The jump split isn’t either and just plain awkward, especially the finale. The second part of their act is just awkward and not fitting at all. It should be changed. This isn’t 1976 anymore. Times have changed. Costumes, choreography need some serious changes.

The series was entertaining enough that I binged watch it. Some parts I did skip that I thought did not really have a place in the series or anything to do with cheerleading. I am happy to know that Victoria left and went to New York where she is going to thrive a lot more and appreciated for who she is. She seemed much happier living a normal life. I was disappointed that Charly Barby did not make the team. She is beautiful, talented, cheerful, full of life, and I just don’t understand the reasoning behind why they cut her out. I would have kept Charly over the annoying Reece Allman. Anisha Kurukulasuriya was my second favorite and unfortunately I think her injuring her ankle was the cause of her being cut. They were all really liking her until she hurt herself, giving her a ridiculous reason why she was cut.

As for Ari McClure who came back for the second year in a row after failing to make the squad the year before, ended up being cut during the final round of auditions, and it was in part due to her height. Although the DCC website lists that there are no height requirements, Charlotte Jones found her stature to be a problem, as she didn’t fit in with the other women. *Insert eye roll* I’m not sure what her daughter Haley was even doing selecting girls either. She looked like she had a perpetual serious/angry look on her face every time she was on screen. I guess when it’s a family business, it doesn’t matter if you don’t have any experience or your experience doesn’t match with today’s modern expectations.

I also find it kind of weird that it is always Kelli that has to cut or release the girls, and is always the one who has to do the dirty work. I am sure it’s not easy to do and I don’t even understand what Judy Trammell even bring to the team. She is supposedly the head choreographer but the choreography has never changed. Maybe there is a lot more going on behind the scene that I didn’t see from the series. It was very interesting to watch to say the least and how self important some of the people in the series are, it’s almost cringe. As much as some of what is expected from the girls, I would say. Other than that, I don’t know why this team is so special compared to others ? Maybe I just don’t get it. If this is what cheerleading is about now, I find it pretty sad. Are the 10 minutes or so, during a whole game, really worth the salary and what these girls go through ?

What are your thoughts ?