Would you be a cheerleader if it meant not getting paid? Would you ruin your credit, drive yourself into debt? Would you let someone instruct you in the washing of your vagina? That’s just a brief taste of what NFL cheerleaders have endured over the last decade. Several of them have sued their respective teams as a result.
We hit on this in April when the Buffalo Jills suit was filed. The details were both utterly fascinating and completely dehumanizing.
…the Jills were subjected to weekly “physique evaluations” during which defendants’ representatives tested the Jills’ bodies for “jiggling.” During the “Jiggle Test” defendants scrutinized the women’s stomach, arms, legs, hips, and butt while she does jumping jacks. The physique evaluations largely determine whether or not any particular Jill would be allowed to perform at the Bills’ next home game. Jills that failed to meet defendants’ physical standards received warnings, and in some cases were penalized, suspended or dismissed.
Tonight at 10pm on HBO’s Real Sports, Andrea Kremer sits down with a number of former cheerleader who are the plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuit.
Outside looking in, these girls need to unionize. Also, this is akin to slave labor. Disgusting.