Cover that midriff, it’s making me anorexic
17 Apr 2006Those enlightened feminists over at Gymnastics Australia have ordered Australian cheerleaders to cover up their midriffs because it's feared "revealing costumes make sensitive teenagers feel uncomfortable about their weight and affect the self-esteem of [presumably less sensitive] others", reports the Sunday Mail in Queensland. Gymnastics Australia is "keen for cheerleaders to be seen as athletes in sports wear, rather than bimbos in bikinis".
Riiiiiiight. So that would explain why a pretty face, tiny body, unfeasibly large breasts and inch-thick makeup are also an obligatory part of the costume for these 'athletes in sports wear'. Let's not dwell on the exploitative and pervy skin-tight costumes worn by female gymnasts (if they were old enough to have pubic hair, they'd need to do some serious waxing).
I'm also wondering why a gymnastics board is the peak body for cheerleaders but not, say, ballet dancers. Cheerleading is hard work and requires high levels of skill and fitness, but so is arm wrestling, which is not covered by Gym Oz. On the other hand trampolining is, but not diving. Go figure.
It's nice that the Sunday Mail got into the spirit of things by accompanying the story with this delightful photo of some of the Queensland Reds' top athletes: Jasmine, Taryn and Bec. And you can clearly see how Bec, on the right with the bare belly, is the only one of the three who might give teenagers funny ideas about how they're supposed to look.
But, you know, it's good to see those Gymnastics Australia chaps taking a stand somewhere that will really make a difference. Once cheerleading fans are deprived of navel-gazing opportunities, teenage girls will have no more sources of poor body image. Except TV, movies, magazines, newspapers, the internet, posters, books and, of course, each other.
Ripoff.
Mashtah Mince, I reckon the gymnastics practised by Gymnastics Australia are completely different to what you understand by the term. Much less mess afterwards and fewer hygiene issues.
The doggy’s at scrape ok
re the photo: the girl - Taryn? - with the covered body is actually the only one with visual appeal. She looks healthy smart and feisty.
and I do agree with your post.
[...] I don't mean to be cynical . . . OK, I don't always mean to be cynical, but I have noticed this blog gets the most hits when I write about someone in the news who people are looking for pervy pictures of (Lara Bingle and the Queensland Reds cheerleaders, for instance). [...]
the problem with cheerleaders, esp the nrl ones, is that they are there to serve one purpose:to entertain a male audience.they do not wear skimpy costumes due to the athletic requirement of cheergirls, but to show off flesh to the boys. both male and female athletes wear skimpy or tight costumes because the material is very moveable, comfortable, and you try hardcore gym comps wearing trackies,etc. plus athletes are not competing for sexual gratification, but as a sport.cheergirls do not.they are eyecandy, no more no less.ii find it extremely sexist when the nrl attempts to promote the game as a family event, when cheergirls g rating around the field make it very obvious that the male fans come first.i luv league, but lets let the truth about gender politics in the game roam free
I totally agree with your post. Making these girls cover up won’t make one diff about how a teenager views herself. Its the beotches she goes to school with that make her feel like that.
jesus christ what are we? fucking muslims? i celebrate that barely legal nymphs can basically parade around with a statistically not too significant fear of being raped, as long as they’re chaperoned. and lets face it, fat chicks are more likely to put up with my shit.