Cheerleader Nation

southernbelle · March 13th, 2006, 04:40 PM

http://www.lifetimetv.com/shows/cheerleader/index.html

Quote:

PASADENA, Calif., Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Taking viewers inside the dizzying world of parenting teenage girls -- from rivalries, friendships, boyfriends, acne, teachers, and wrong shoes, to competing for a national athletic championship, Lifetime Television will premiere its new one-hour reality series about the roller coaster relationship of mothers and daughters on a high school cheerleading team in "Cheerleader Nation" premiering SUNDAY, MARCH 12 at 10:00 PM ET/PT.
"Cheerleader Nation" takes an inside look at Lexington Kentucky's Dunbar High School cheerleading squad. Having already won two national championships, they are now competing for the third -- a feat never achieved in the history of the sport. They'll need to keep smiling through physical exhaustion, social drama, demands they put on themselves, and the pressure set upon them by their parents. Among the featured girls from Dunbar High is a genetically lucky girl who seems to have it all; the rebel who wants to quit; the girl whose football-loving father has adopted the team as his passion project; and the freshman whose mother, also the squad's coach, has driven her since the age of five to be the best cheerleader of them all.

In announcing "Cheerleader Nation," her first non-scripted series since becoming President of Entertainment in September, Susanne Daniels said, "This is a story about 23 girls -- and 23 sets of parents. Filled with all the humor and heartbreak of adolescence, this series brings us into the lives of these competitive adolescent girls as they and their mothers struggle together to balance the difficult demands of high school. 'Cheerleader Nation' is as much about parenting as it is about cheerleading. It's a perfect show for Lifetime and we're delighted to work with Laurie Girion and Fox Television Studios on this terrific project."

I watched it last night and I have to say it definitely brought back some memories and I enjoyed it, but some of these moms are just over the top. One of moms was crying as she explained how her daughter's cheerleading is her (the mom's) life, and it's going to be so hard if she doesn't make the varsity squad. Another mom explained to her daughter that she could only get a cell phone when she landed a full. There was another entertaining scene in which three moms were having lunch together and they were talking about their daughters. Two of the moms had cheerleader daughters, and the third was telling them that her daughter had expressed interest in cheerleading but she wasn't sure if she wanted her to do it because she didn't know if she was willing to let such a serious time commitment take over her life. The other moms looked appalled as they informed her that "you can't just support you daughter some of the time. You really just have to make the decision... either you support her or you don't. You have to make sacrifices. It does take a lot of time but these are her dreams." I don't remember word for word but that was the idea.
There was one girl who was trying out for the squad but had a mental block and couldn't do a back handspring. For anyone familiar with cheerleading or the demands of being on a nationally competitive squad, this is a pretty serious problem. I felt bad for her, but I don't know why she would even bother to try out if she can't even do the most basic tumbling skills and isn't willing to get past her fear for tryouts. She ended up receiving a place as an alternate on the JV squad.
Did anyone else watch?

buttmunch · March 14th, 2006, 04:49 AM

Ok, let me just state for the record that I find cheerleading to be an absurd pursuit, particularly in light of the fact that, as far as I know, boys don't go out and cheerlead for the girls' teams. Yes, I know it's evolved beyond pom poms and saddle shoes, but it still has that whiff of a beauty pageant about it and attracts the nutty parents and kids who need something to live for. I remember a time when cheerleaders were basically the dorks of my school and treated as they deserved: with scathing, mocking scorn.

southernbelle · March 15th, 2006, 02:04 PM

The sickest thing is the way that these parents are living vicariously through their kids. It's super annoying watching these frumpy looking moms standing in front of a refrigerator covered in "flair", like little plastic megaphone magnets and similar crap, and pictures of their equally unattractive (but painted up with so much makeup its clownlike with big, curly cheerleader hair) daughters bragging, "mah baby girl is the purtiest most popular girl at her school. She's a cheerleader!"

travelbug · March 16th, 2006, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buttmunch

Ok, let me just state for the record that I find cheerleading to be an absurd pursuit, particularly in light of the fact that, as far as I know, boys don't go out and cheerlead for the girls' teams. Yes, I know it's evolved beyond pom poms and saddle shoes, but it still has that whiff of a beauty pageant about it and attracts the nutty parents and kids who need something to live for. I remember a time when cheerleaders were basically the dorks of my school and treated as they deserved: with scathing, mocking scorn.

Really? When did you go to junior high/high school? Cause when I was in there a girl would KILL to be a cheerleader. All the boys thought the cheerleaders were hot stuff, they were the most popular girls in the school, the trendsetters, etc. It was kind of like being a starlet. Take an otherwise average looking girl, put a cheerleading outfit (with the shortest skirt imaginable) on her, and she turned into a super hottie (in the boy's eyes). I guess it was a confidence thing. I hated cheerleaders SO much but still secretly wanted to be one. Most of the girl superlatives in the yearbook (most likely to...) went to the cheerleaders. And at my school they weren't just dumb pretty girls. Most of them were in the academically gifted classes. Boy, I sure am glad we don't have to worry about that stuff anymore!

UndercoverGator · March 16th, 2006, 04:20 PM

I think it depends on what part of the country you're in and the whole socio-enonomic-class thing as well. In my public middle school and a few weeks of public high school girls would have sold their souls to the devil to make the squad. But the private high school I attended with much wealthier kids no one gave a rats ass about cheerleading, in fact the cheerleaders were considered big losers and no where near pretty. One was a fat pig.

AKAMissy · March 16th, 2006, 07:33 PM

My baby sis is a cheerleader and has been through middle school and high school. So was my mom in her earlier years. But she never really encouraged us to be a cheerleader. Actually, she loathes it. But supports my sister anyway. Especially at the high school in our town, it's basically these snotty, slutty girls and their equally snotty and slutty moms who think they rule the world. And they think they're so much better than everyone. Whereas my mom and sister are just like 'whatever". I'm glad my mom isn't obsessed with being a "Cheer Mom". It's so funny to hear her imitate and mimic the other moms. They're idiots. Seriously, some of these people have issues. All in all, cheerleading has been a positive experience for my sister.
And the cost of cheering??? Outrageous!

Algernon · March 16th, 2006, 10:31 PM

I'm curious about the show from the previews I've seen. I love watching dysfuntional moms and daughters!!!

I never ever ever wanted to be a cheerleader, but I didn't particularly hate them or anything. They were actually one of the nicer cliques, even if it was fake. I was the girl with braces and big glasses sitting alone with a book. Never really wanted to be a part of all the high school weirdness, but it fascinates me today to watch these shows and see how much people really DID invest in those years.

Lobelia · March 17th, 2006, 01:13 AM

hotncmom, that's how it is here. The cheerleaders at my school were the girls most well-known, and almost all of them were A students. I wasn't one myself, but I was in the drill team (dance routines) & most of them were my friends. Not a nerdy girl among them. A promiscuous girl maybe, or a wild party girl, but not a nerdy girl among them.

I don't remember any cheerleading moms getting way involved, but I wasn't one of them, so I don't know. And I'm talking several years ago (I refuse to say a number!) but our high school cheerleaders didn't have to be olympic level athletes. They did tumbling & all that stuff, but fewer spinal cord injury-risking formations.

One cool thing that I've noticed, is that it has become increasingly accepted for boys to be cheerleaders, for whatever reason. It's a good scholarship venue, too.

buttmunch · March 17th, 2006, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hotncmom

Really? When did you go to junior high/high school? Cause when I was in there a girl would KILL to be a cheerleader. All the boys thought the cheerleaders were hot stuff, they were the most popular girls in the school, the trendsetters, etc. It was kind of like being a starlet. Take an otherwise average looking girl, put a cheerleading outfit (with the shortest skirt imaginable) on her, and she turned into a super hottie (in the boy's eyes). I guess it was a confidence thing. I hated cheerleaders SO much but still secretly wanted to be one. Most of the girl superlatives in the yearbook (most likely to...) went to the cheerleaders. And at my school they weren't just dumb pretty girls. Most of them were in the academically gifted classes. Boy, I sure am glad we don't have to worry about that stuff anymore!

I went back in the '80's and the only people who were hot for the cheerleaders were the football players, who weren't a big deal either at my school. Maybe I went to a strange school but in my high school, the kids that were cool were the ones who were doing alternative things. I can only say Thank God, because if I had had to grow up in a place where plastic fantastic ruled, I would've run away or killed myself.

SammysMom · March 17th, 2006, 06:44 AM

Remember the cheerleader's mom who had a hit out on the daughters "rival" here in Texas back in the early 90's? Crazy ass lady. Where I went to school the cheerleaders were not looked highly upon. Major scandal in our town when 5 out of the 10 cheerleaders where caught with the basketball coach and 4 of the teachers at a party with drugs and lots of condoms. Came out in the wash this was a every weekend thing. And I came from a small town.

MrsDark · March 17th, 2006, 10:42 AM

At every school I ever attended and schools of several friends of mine in the same area, the cheerleaders...with few exceptions...were the biggest whores of the school. And what was weird was how this seemed to be unbelievable to the adults who acted like the cheerleaders were these fine, upstanding girls whose shit didn't stink. Bet let a girl have purple tips on her hair or wear black nail polish and she was obviously a *bad apple* and that'd be the first person they'd think was doing something scandalous. It was always great gossip when one of them actually got busted doing some outlandish shit (usually involving drugs or inappropriate sex) that they were always known for but parents/teachers would not have believed if one of us had tried to tell them!

flecjill · March 17th, 2006, 10:59 AM

I have drove past that highschool many times, and I caught some of the first show and I love how all those girls act like they are above every one else and how they have a real "louis vuitton purse" and the cheerleading coach is an absolute bitch outside of that show when and acts like her shit doesn't stink when she has a relative in prison for murder.

southernbelle · March 24th, 2006, 07:00 PM

flecjill, are you talking about the coach at dunbar? i can't wait to watch this show again on Sunday. I missed the last episode. Cheerleaders at my school were a big deal, but it had more to do with who your parents made a donation to than skills or popularity.

sweetrebel · March 28th, 2006, 11:23 AM

I remember way back in the day (early 80's) cheerleading was about cheering and rooting for your team. It was about getting the crowd pumped up and into the game. They did some acrobatics, but nothing like it is today.
My youngest daughter tried out several years ago, and I was amazed at the requirements-they of course wanted you to have good grades, but the physical requirements were huge....if you hadn't been in gymnastics since first grade, you might as well throw in the towel.
I remember when my younger sister was in high school (early 90's) and they started doing more dance type routines.....remember the song "Da butt-or doing the butt"? Well, they had a bad ass routine to that song and one cheer mom decided it was too risque-pulled her kid out of the school....they toned it down some for a while and I haven't seen any routines in years.
I was always one of the wanna be's but could never be-poor, glasses, nerdy.
I love to watch the cheerleading competitions and am not ashamed to say I have seen Bring it On several times