Pro football fans whose favorite team has cheerleaders are familiar with the energetic group of women who perform physically demanding dance routines on the sidelines. And while team owners, coaches, and players are well compensated for their work, most NFL team cheerleaders receive little or no pay, despite having to abide by strict rules and present themselves as a glamorous support team at games and other events. Director Yu Gu goes beneath the glam in this high energy documentary that mainly follows Lacy Thibodeaux-Fields and Maria Pinzone, two former cheerleaders who became disenchanted and filed lawsuits against their respective teams. Dance has always been an important part of Lacy’s life, and she was ecstatic after beating out 600 candidates to become a Raiderette, a member of the Oakland Raiders cheerleading squad. After failing her first tryout, Maria succeeded the next year in her quest to be a Buffalo Jill, cheering for her hometown favorite Buffalo Bills. The film follows both women over the course of more than five years through interviews and home, game, and courtroom footage that allows viewers to fully understand their frustrations and track their legal hurdles.
The Oakland Raiders required the women to pay for travel expenses and mandatory hair, nail, and tanning sessions. They finally received money at the end of the season for an amount calculated at approximately $5.00 per hour. Maria’s story as a Buffalo Jill is similar; attorneys looking over her contract find illegal provisions, including “wage theft with a gender aspect.” After Maria filed a class action suit, the team disbanded the Jills, angering many, though some fans at tailgate gatherings are supportive. Former Oakland Raiders cheerleaders meeting in Las Vegas for a reunion express dismay over the lawsuits, saying they never did it for money and “feel sorry for the girls bringing it forward.” Currently 10 of 26 NFL teams supporting a cheerleading team are facing lawsuits charging sexual harassment, low pay, unfair labor practices, and other inequities.
While the film occasionally meanders off course with scenes that seem incidental to the main theme, it quickly steers back in the right direction, making viewers aware of the devaluation of NFL cheerleaders. The Oakland Raiders never admitted any wrongdoing in awarding compensations and the Buffalo Bills still have not settled the 2014 class action lawsuit in which 65 former Buffalo cheerleaders opted out and 72 joined in. This eye-opening film is ready made for follow up discussions among fans, students, and other interested viewers. Recommended. Aud: C, P.