# cheerleaders
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheerleaders/74202
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [July 30, 2001, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheerleaders/74202 "2001-07-30T06:54:58Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2001, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheerleaders/74202/1 "2001-07-30T06:54:58Z")
What exactly is the purpose of cheerleaders?
I understand that they “cheer” the team…but is this really needed?
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### Author:  [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2001, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheerleaders/74202/2 "2001-07-30T07:35:59Z")
It’s not to get the team going, but to get the audience of fans cheering along with them, and therefore encourage the team.
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### Author:  [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2001, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheerleaders/74202/3 "2001-07-30T08:01:02Z")
Hot chicks in skirts, jumping around.
What’s not to get?
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### Author:  [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2001, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheerleaders/74202/4 "2001-07-30T08:23:28Z")
Exactly.
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### Author:  [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2001, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheerleaders/74202/5 "2001-07-30T09:11:07Z")
what exactly is the purpose of sports teams?
what exactly is the purpose of this question?
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### Author:  [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2001, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheerleaders/74202/6 "2001-07-30T09:53:57Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Bill H. \*
> \*\*what exactly is the purpose of sports teams?
> \*\*
At the grade school level, it’s an excuse for parents to hand their little monsters over to somebody else for a few hours and get a little rest.
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### Author:  [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2001, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheerleaders/74202/7 "2001-07-30T10:23:16Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by spooje \*
> \*\*Hot chicks in skirts, jumping around.
>
> What’s not to get? \*\*
Except that cheerleading used to be a male dominated endeavor. Are cheerleaders necessary, no. And not every school or professional team has a cheerleading squad. The idea behind them is a bunch of students with a lot of school spirit who lead the other students in support of the home team. Of course now days cheerleading is practically a sport in and of itself for some odd reason.
Marc
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### Author:  [@sk8rixtx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sk8rixtx)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2001, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheerleaders/74202/8 "2001-07-30T15:05:09Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Snooooopy \*
> \*\*
>
> > [@](#):
> >
> > \*Originally posted by Bill H. \*
> > \*\*what exactly is the purpose of sports teams?
> > \*\*
>
> At the grade school level, it’s an excuse for parents to hand their little monsters over to somebody else for a few hours and get a little rest. \*\*
I thought thats what school’s for though.
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### Author:  [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2001, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheerleaders/74202/9 "2001-07-30T19:55:33Z")
The purpose of school-aged cheerleaders is to reafirm the opinion of a small handful of girls that they are “cooler” than the rest of the girls at the school.
The purpose of professional cheerleaders is to reafirm the opinion of many American males that the main thing women are good for (other than the obvious, of course) is for parts of their bodies to jiggle and bounce.
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### Author:  [@imthjckaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imthjckaz)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2001, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheerleaders/74202/10 "2001-07-31T03:16:03Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by TV time \*
> \*\*The purpose of professional cheerleaders is to reafirm the opinion of many American males that the main thing women are good for (other than the obvious, of course) is for parts of their bodies to jiggle and bounce. \*\*
You say that like it’s a bad thing.
😃
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### Author:  [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2001, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheerleaders/74202/11 "2001-07-31T04:28:24Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by GuanoLad \*
> \*\*It’s not to get the team going, but to get the audience of fans cheering along with them, and therefore encourage the team. \*\*
see, in my high school, no one paid any attention. For sure no one cheered when the cheerleaders “got us going”
see, this kind of reminds me of this thread:
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=79152](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=79152)
I just don’t really see the difference is all and was wondering if anyone else did.
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### Author:  [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2001, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheerleaders/74202/12 "2001-07-31T05:11:28Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Gekiganger \*
> \*\*
>
> > [@](#):
> >
> > \*Originally posted by Snooooopy \*
> > \*\*
> >
> > > [@](#):
> > >
> > > \*Originally posted by Bill H. \*
> > > \*\*what exactly is the purpose of sports teams?
> > > \*\*
> >
> > At the grade school level, it’s an excuse for parents to hand their little monsters over to somebody else for a few hours and get a little rest. \*\*
>
> I thought thats what school’s for though. \*\*
I mean for after-school activities, plus week-long camps during the summer.
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### Author:  [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2001, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheerleaders/74202/13 "2001-07-31T06:36:17Z")
> [@](#):
>
> …The purpose of professional cheerleaders is to reafirm the opinion of many American males that the main thing women are good for (other than the obvious, of course) is for parts of their bodies to jiggle and bounce… - TV time
-
-
- Well how is watching them wash dishes and do laundry at the foot of the bleachers gonna help anything? All the dishes are paper and the football uniforms can’t be washed till after the game anyway. Duh! Are you all stupids or somethings? - MC
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### Author:  [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2001, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheerleaders/74202/14 "2001-07-31T12:30:17Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by MGibson \*
> \*\*Of course now days cheerleading is practically a sport in and of itself for some odd reason.
> \*\*
Oh, maybe because it requires skill, athleticism, coordination and practice, and is at some level indistinguishable from gymnastics, which is an Olympic event? Just off the top of my head.
I’d say that, based on the direction cheerleading has taken over the years, with its increased emphasis on movement and difficult formations, being a cheerleader is at least as much an athletic endeavour as being a catcher or a kick returner.
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### Author:  [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2001, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheerleaders/74202/15 "2001-07-31T15:32:22Z")
When few or no athletic options were available to high school girls, Cheerleeding was pretty much the one outlet available (and yes it is pretty tough when practiced at the highest levels as previously mentioned).
I was reading (in the Detroit Free Press, see below), that interest in Cheerleading is declining because girls see it as being sort of irrelevant, now that they can play on the field.
[http://www.freep.com/news/metro/qcheer14.htm](http://www.freep.com/news/metro/qcheer14.htm)
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### Author:  [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2001, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheerleaders/74202/16 "2001-07-31T15:34:44Z")
Oh, and the other point the article makes is that the keep interest alive, Cheerleading has had to evolve from cheering for someone else to being a competitive sport in its own right.
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### Author:  [@Wildest\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildest_Bill)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2001, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheerleaders/74202/17 "2001-07-31T15:45:08Z")
Besides where else could they get away with wearing those uniforms(which I like) 😃
And I would get bored without them because who cares about watching a bunch guys touching and tackling each other when you could look at cheerleaders. There’s no caparison.
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### Author:  [@Wildest\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildest_Bill)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2001, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheerleaders/74202/18 "2001-07-31T15:48:05Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by TV time \*
> \*\*
>
> The purpose of professional cheerleaders is to reafirm the opinion of many American males that the main thing women are good for (other than the obvious, of course) is for parts of their bodies to jiggle and bounce. \*\*
Hey don’t forget about cooking, cleaning and popping out kiddies. 😃
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### Author:  [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2001, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheerleaders/74202/19 "2001-07-31T22:29:55Z")
My friends and I were talking about this…
(hijack)
and we started to think about it…
but why is it then, that all (that I can think of)“women’s” sports feature the skimpiest of outfits?
ice skating
gymnastics
tennis
cheerleading
I mean, I know _why_…
but its hard to justify it when the men in those sports wear ‘modest’ clothes.
and please don’t say that it’s to appreciate the female form…males have a nice form too, ya know! 😉
and it’s not that it bothers me, per say…I just think its hard to be taken seriously as an athletic equal.
does anyone else feel this way?
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### Author:  [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2001, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheerleaders/74202/20 "2001-07-31T22:55:02Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by TV time \*
> \*\*
> The purpose of school-aged cheerleaders is to reafirm the opinion of a small handful of girls that they are “cooler” than the rest of the girls at the school. \*\*
Darn right!
How the heck else would we have known?? 😃
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