Sports test the limits of human beings, but there are limits to women that cannot be crossed. Sports seen through women’s eyes are fiercely discriminatory. This discriminatory board cries out for discomfort so that it does not end with a cold game. <Editor’s note>
There is an invisible limit to sports that test human limits. Men sweating on one side and women cheering on the other wearing short skirts are a common sight at sports venues regardless of the sport. Conversely, when women play, do men take on the role of cheering? No, cheering is still a woman’s job.
A child appeared on the tilted playing field. Younger girls who look like elementary school students wear heavy makeup and short outfits. The crowd cheers as they show off their waves. A bizarre scene where children pretend to be adults to cheer up adults. How long will sports insist on supporting young women?
The emergence of children’s cheerleaders
It was in 2007 that child cheerleaders first appeared in domestic professional basketball. Incheon E-Land formed ‘Little Farm Farm’ consisting of female children between the ages of 5 and 12, and since then, several clubs have shown children’s cheerleading. Cheerleaders for children such as Anyang KGC Ginseng Corporation’s ‘Little Red Holic’, SK Knights’ ‘Popcorn’, and Goyang Carrot’s ‘Angels’ are still active. The teams are operated through contracts with outside companies, rather than being entirely managed by the club.
Children’s cheerleaders consist of girls from elementary school to middle school. Although there is no gender restriction, it is mainly girls who go on stage. They often perform jointly with adult cheerleaders, in addition to one stage where only children perform.
On stage, they wear costumes that have been repaired from club uniforms or costumes that are self-made by the cheerleading team. It is common for the costumes to be short and tight, revealing the body line and completely exposing the stomach and legs. If you add heavy makeup to it, you have the perfect ‘adult cheerleader’ look.
The performance consists of movements using girl group choreography or general cheerleading movements, but the problem is that the choreography targeting the female body is mixed. The choreography that highlights a specific body by bouncing waves or waist seems unsuitable for minors to follow, but it is unfolded under the name of cheering.
It was said that the difference between them and adult cheerleaders is that they show childlike liveliness, but their appearance is overly mature. Wearing a costume that looks like an adult cheerleader’s design and reduced in size, and dancing sexually objectified choreography, it’s not like a ‘child’ at all. It is questionable whether the liveliness they mentioned reflects the image of a ‘young woman’ that adults want rather than a real child’s face.
Clubs that stand by the sidelines for children’s cheerleaders
Who set up kid cheerleaders in the arena? The answer lies in the sports team that oversees the entire game. According to an official from Ginseng Corporation KGC, “Cheerleaders do not belong to the club, and each game only contracts with the cheerleading team operated by the event company, and the overall selection and composition of the performance is the responsibility of the hired team.”
On the other hand, the cheerleading teams hired by the club gave similar answers even though they were from different companies. One company said, “We try to show a stage that is not too adult-like by dividing into a group of elementary school students and senior students.” Another company also said, “Only children under the age of 15 participate and present a stage that can bring out the youthful spirit of children.”
Contrary to the application announcement that all children who want to stand on stage are welcome, it is young girls who stand on the stage. Regarding this, one company replied, “There are few boys who support, and it reflects the perception that ‘cheerleaders are women’.” Children have already recognized women as a supporting role in gender stereotypes, and the children’s cheerleading team, which is mainly composed of girls, is reinforcing this perception.
If so, are clubs aware of the selection process for child cheerleaders and the influence they have on children? KGC replied, “We are not involved in the selection of cheerleaders at all.” The Goyang Carrot Jumpers also replied, “We do not manage the cheering squad on our own.”
Even if they are not directly selected, the place where children’s cheerleaders perform is under the jurisdiction of the stadium and, of course, the sports team.
The crowd’s reaction to the grown-up and child cheerleaders who weren’t thrilled with their cheering was mixed. There were many audiences who smiled at their mothers and fathers as they watched the children dancing happily, but there were also adults who complained of discomfort.
Many responded, “It looks uncomfortable to run around in a short skirt” and “It’s strange when a child imitates an adult and adults laugh at it.” 메이저사이트
Can’t we break the unspoken rule of ‘cheerleader = woman’? An alternative culture is also emerging. In 2019, a male cheerleader appeared on the stage of the Super Bowl for the first time ever in the National Football League (NFL). In addition, ‘Scrimmy People’, which was founded in 2016 and is active based in France, is a cheerleading team composed of only middle-aged men, breaking away from the traditional male image and overturning gender stereotypes of cheerleading.
Cheerleading is literally the role of supporting sports players and teams with spectators. It is never a playful element for spectators to watch, and all forms of cheering should not be allowed just because it is enjoyable. However, child cheerleaders are encouraging adults without losing their childlikeness. Now it’s the adults’ turn to cheer them on properly so that they can cheer them on like children.