Comments on: Equal Pay for Fat Male Cheerleaders http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2008/02/26/equal-pay-for-fat-male-cheerleaders/ Neil Kramer is a writer in Los Angeles. Citizen of the Month is his blog. Make yourself at home. Mon, 08 Sep 2008 05:21:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: better safe than sorry http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2008/02/26/equal-pay-for-fat-male-cheerleaders/#comment-221663 better safe than sorry Wed, 27 Feb 2008 22:24:51 +0000 http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2008/02/26/equal-pay-for-fat-male-cheerleaders/#comment-221663 i still don't think they should be paid, it should be done on an organized volunteer basis, and i have a huge problem with those that are paid volunteers. if they want to do a calendar, do some posters, whatever other perks they get from being associated with the team, that's great for them, but i think once you start paying cheerleaders, you lose some of the heart of them being there. i don't think of them as being a part of the pro team, they certainly don't go on the road with the players. there was a time when even the ushers at the sporting events here were unpaid, not sure if that still holds true today or not. as for the simpsons, why don't you write an episode for them for free, don't kid yourself, the publicity you would receive from doing that...maybe you're the fan they are waiting to hear from? i still don’t think they should be paid, it should be done on an organized volunteer basis, and i have a huge problem with those that are paid volunteers. if they want to do a calendar, do some posters, whatever other perks they get from being associated with the team, that’s great for them, but i think once you start paying cheerleaders, you lose some of the heart of them being there. i don’t think of them as being a part of the pro team, they certainly don’t go on the road with the players. there was a time when even the ushers at the sporting events here were unpaid, not sure if that still holds true today or not.
as for the simpsons, why don’t you write an episode for them for free, don’t kid yourself, the publicity you would receive from doing that…maybe you’re the fan they are waiting to hear from?

]]> By: communicatrix http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2008/02/26/equal-pay-for-fat-male-cheerleaders/#comment-221658 communicatrix Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:43:42 +0000 http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2008/02/26/equal-pay-for-fat-male-cheerleaders/#comment-221658 I think they should get paid more. They are, after all, shaking quite a bit more. Quite a bit... I think they should get paid more. They are, after all, shaking quite a bit more.

Quite a bit…

]]> By: Jennifer http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2008/02/26/equal-pay-for-fat-male-cheerleaders/#comment-221637 Jennifer Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:12:03 +0000 http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2008/02/26/equal-pay-for-fat-male-cheerleaders/#comment-221637 Most of those men have bigger boobs, so maybe they should go ahead and try out for the female squad! Most of those men have bigger boobs, so maybe they should go ahead and try out for the female squad!

]]> By: churlita http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2008/02/26/equal-pay-for-fat-male-cheerleaders/#comment-221636 churlita Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:29:02 +0000 http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2008/02/26/equal-pay-for-fat-male-cheerleaders/#comment-221636 I'm a girl, so I don't care about cheerleaders either male or female. I sure like watching the players though. I’m a girl, so I don’t care about cheerleaders either male or female. I sure like watching the players though.

]]> By: Neil http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2008/02/26/equal-pay-for-fat-male-cheerleaders/#comment-221633 Neil Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:45:22 +0000 http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2008/02/26/equal-pay-for-fat-male-cheerleaders/#comment-221633 Better Safe -- Maybe I'm not a huge sports fan, so I'm just approaching this from a Hollywood "entertainment" POV. Baseball, or any sport, is a big business. Owners are there to make money. Ballplayers are like movie stars, making huge salaries. The fans come to be entertained and pay their way. If they want to dress up like pieces of cheese, that's great. It is like people dressing up for the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Cheerleaders are employees of the team. The follow rules. They cannot do just do whatever they like, such as drink beer as they perform. They add to the entertainment value of the "show." They dance for the fans. They spice up the TV show by showing some T&A for the audience at home by dressing up in skimpy outfits. They don't have the choice to wear sweatsuits one day or gain weight. The women are not just a bunch of crazed fans wanting to do this for the team. I wouldn't be surprised if most of them didn't know a thing about baseball when they started this gig. Remember, this is not high school sports. This is professional sports. I love the Simpsons. Using your argument, why should they bother to pay me since I'm a fan, and it would give me great pleasure to write an episode of the show for free?! Why am I the only one feeling that these are "artists" being exploited just because they are so easily interchangeable? Better Safe — Maybe I’m not a huge sports fan, so I’m just approaching this from a Hollywood “entertainment” POV. Baseball, or any sport, is a big business. Owners are there to make money. Ballplayers are like movie stars, making huge salaries. The fans come to be entertained and pay their way. If they want to dress up like pieces of cheese, that’s great. It is like people dressing up for the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Cheerleaders are employees of the team. The follow rules. They cannot do just do whatever they like, such as drink beer as they perform. They add to the entertainment value of the “show.” They dance for the fans. They spice up the TV show by showing some T&A for the audience at home by dressing up in skimpy outfits. They don’t have the choice to wear sweatsuits one day or gain weight. The women are not just a bunch of crazed fans wanting to do this for the team. I wouldn’t be surprised if most of them didn’t know a thing about baseball when they started this gig. Remember, this is not high school sports. This is professional sports.

I love the Simpsons. Using your argument, why should they bother to pay me since I’m a fan, and it would give me great pleasure to write an episode of the show for free?!

Why am I the only one feeling that these are “artists” being exploited just because they are so easily interchangeable?

]]> By: better safe than sorry http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2008/02/26/equal-pay-for-fat-male-cheerleaders/#comment-221632 better safe than sorry Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:37:55 +0000 http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2008/02/26/equal-pay-for-fat-male-cheerleaders/#comment-221632 i don't think cheerleaders should be paid, they are there for a reason, as are the fans. aren't they really an extension of the fan base, organized to lead in cheer to support an organization they believe in and love? if you pay them, don't you have to pay the fans as well? i don’t think cheerleaders should be paid, they are there for a reason, as are the fans. aren’t they really an extension of the fan base, organized to lead in cheer to support an organization they believe in and love? if you pay them, don’t you have to pay the fans as well?

]]> By: JChevais http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2008/02/26/equal-pay-for-fat-male-cheerleaders/#comment-221629 JChevais Wed, 27 Feb 2008 09:46:48 +0000 http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2008/02/26/equal-pay-for-fat-male-cheerleaders/#comment-221629 I was a cheerleader to a junior high football team. Sadly, I made no money... and strangely, I have this odd feeling that I was the pity kid shown to others; "If SHE could get on the team, anyone could." That sort of thing... I didn't like the other girls. They looked like they ate make up for breakfast... I was a cheerleader to a junior high football team. Sadly, I made no money… and strangely, I have this odd feeling that I was the pity kid shown to others; “If SHE could get on the team, anyone could.” That sort of thing… I didn’t like the other girls. They looked like they ate make up for breakfast…

]]> By: Neil http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2008/02/26/equal-pay-for-fat-male-cheerleaders/#comment-221617 Neil Wed, 27 Feb 2008 05:36:08 +0000 http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2008/02/26/equal-pay-for-fat-male-cheerleaders/#comment-221617 Lou P. -- I don't buy that status line. Sure it's status. It's status being an intern at the New York Times where you work for nothing in the hope of working your way up to a real gig. But being a cheerleader for the Dallas Cowboys IS as far as you can go with cheerleading. Lou P. — I don’t buy that status line. Sure it’s status. It’s status being an intern at the New York Times where you work for nothing in the hope of working your way up to a real gig. But being a cheerleader for the Dallas Cowboys IS as far as you can go with cheerleading.

]]> By: Lou P. http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2008/02/26/equal-pay-for-fat-male-cheerleaders/#comment-221615 Lou P. Wed, 27 Feb 2008 05:02:38 +0000 http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2008/02/26/equal-pay-for-fat-male-cheerleaders/#comment-221615 It's a status thing to be an NFL cheerleader. I know a Titans cheerleader here in Nashville, and she's used that (along with being drop-dead gorgeous) on her resume to land acting/modeling gigs. It’s a status thing to be an NFL cheerleader. I know a Titans cheerleader here in Nashville, and she’s used that (along with being drop-dead gorgeous) on her resume to land acting/modeling gigs.

]]> By: Shelli http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2008/02/26/equal-pay-for-fat-male-cheerleaders/#comment-221612 Shelli Wed, 27 Feb 2008 02:27:22 +0000 http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2008/02/26/equal-pay-for-fat-male-cheerleaders/#comment-221612 But the women get $50.00 <i>and</i> they get to watch the game for free. But the women get $50.00 and they get to watch the game for free.

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