Yet, today we think we have reached some zenith of equality. That our ‘freedom to be sexy’ is some how more liberating than the corset. I wonder, sometimes, if our modern view of the female is not in many ways more damaging.
Today’s post is short and sweet.
Here are cheerleaders from 1956, you will notice both men and women. The girls skirts are long and they are as covered as the men, so in my assumption, they are there to cheer the team and garner ‘team spirit’ and crowd support.
Here are modern cheerleaders, what do you think it is they are meant to garner? And what message does this send to modern girls? I think we need to stop the idea that the past was only bad and full of bad ideas, the good is perfect. I am amazed since my 1950’s journey how we actually are silently ‘training’ our future women. And as a similiar comparison how about teen stars in which to aspire to as role models. 1956 Debbie Reynolds
Natalie Wood
and Today 
Bravo. I was a cheerleader in the 1970's and we still were covered up. Our skirts were a bit shorter but nothing like today.
ReplyDeleteIt isn't just about the coverage either, though that is a pretty powerful message, but the overall actions. Once it was a matter of getting the crowd together for a game and fun, now it is about tittalating them. So, in a way, it seems to pandor to a certain age of young men, while the family as a whole is not really regarded. And, the movements and dance of modern cheerleaders is almost like strip show movements. The Burlesque of the 50's is tame compared to it and back then a family would not have sat by idly smiling as their teen daughter performed a burlesque in front of crowds of teen boys. It isn't even about modesty and being a prude, but about considering people as a whole and females as more than an object. We seem to have fallen into the demographic machine used by advertising and simply try to aim towards the 18-30 year old male population in all we do. How that is considered equality, I don't know.
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking of this concept the other day and was delighted to see your post. What's liberating about showing all that skin? It reduces you from being a person to an object.
ReplyDeleteWhy do the modern cheerleaders and stars have to look like hardcore porn models??? :(
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. And now that I've got my baby girl on the way, I'm horrified to watch the Disney shows and pre-teen girl shows...instead of being what I consider to be good role models, the girls on the shows are bratty, sassy, disrespectful to their parents, and spend the majority of the show sneaking around getting up to no good. I've already decided that I don't want my baby girl growing up watching this on TV and thinking it's acceptable behavior...I think that's just as detrimental as the scantily clad cheerleaders. I also would love to see my daughter get into dance classes and performances once she's older, but I already know that I will put my foot firmly down on any revealing costumes or outfits...some of the 6 year old recitals I've seen are ridiculous in the tummy-baring, short shorts costumes that they wear! Keep up the good work 50's gal, love the blog!
ReplyDeleteThe girls of the 50s may have been trained to look toward domesticity more, but they were also taught to have style, grace, intelligence and manners.
ReplyDeleteThe two modern "stars" you've given us definitely illustrate what modern girls are trained to have/use.
BTW, my mother-in-law graduated high school in 1956, and became an OB/GYN, so you're quite right, while home was the goal of most, there were definitely other possibilities!
I agree with you and all the commentors here so far. Garnering attention for yourself is selfish, not helpful to whatever cause you are cheering for, and if we have to bare our bodies to become sex objects, how can that be women's liberation? Women have always had possibilities.
ReplyDeleteAnother fabulous post! I completely agree with you and the others who have made comments. I have two very young daughters and I am horrified by these so-called 'role models' I don't know when the desire for women's equality shifted to the 'right' to be overtly sexual. My parents would never have let me walk out in clothes like that. I am not planning on letting my children do that either. In my opinion, "get back inside and find the rest of your outfit!"
ReplyDeleteI agree with you 100%. I think gearing women towards homemaking and motherhood was far less damaging than gearing them to bulimia, drug use, partying 'til dawn, getting arrested...
ReplyDeleteAnd Disney...what the hell happened to Disney? Walt would be appalled.
I am also embarking on the worthy project and reading this WHOLE blog! Fascinating!
ReplyDeleteWith four grown daughters and a new generation of girls coming up soon, I can attest to the fact that our girls have it much harder than my own mom did in the 50's and 60's and I ever did in the 70's. Body image is probably one of the hardest things I've had to deal with not only in myself but especially in my girls. These days, my daughters are going to have especially vigilant about the messsages that their daughters get, unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteThe cheerleaders' clothes, modern ones, aren't as shocking as some of the halloween costumes I saw for my daughters this past halloween. Luckily my girls have a good sense of self and weren't interested in the midriff baring or skimpy costumes but I can tell you it was hard to avoid them because there aren't many manufacturers. Many stores had the same costumes. I saw some girls in these but most were wearing a t-shirt and leggings underneath.
ReplyDeleteI think the first picture of the 50's cheerleaders, while quite old fashioned, brings to mind that the clothing makes the girls be equal to the boys but still feminine. Now it seems some women interpret being equal with hiding their femininity. This is certainly better than dressing trashy but still makes a woman hide a part of who she is.
Sarah
Sarah-exactly! Why is it that when the girls had the same amount of clothing on as the boys it was prudish. Then you look at mens swim trunk back then and they were SKIMPY ( I think they look nicer than today) and today they wear loose trunks past their knees while the women have almost nothing on! I think one of the main pushes towards this is the advertising over-consuming world. I only really made this connection the other day, as we live IN the advertising so we are to become walking beer ads for the 18 -24 male market. This also tells that market to expect this of women and that they ARE that hot or non-existent. Sad, really sad.
ReplyDelete"hot or non-existent". That is so true and very disturbing. The only ad trend I've found encouraging in the past few years is car ads to attract women who are moms by acknowledging they're WOMEN too. Sometimes sexy women but not trashy. There was a funny one from Cadillac. The Toyota mini van one that was selling to dads like they're competent parents, not just mom's bumbling side kick. But for the most part I agree it's either hot or nothing.
ReplyDeleteSarah
Yeah! More t+a!
ReplyDelete