Lawmaker Seeks to End 'Sexy' Cheerleading

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - The Friday night lights in Texas could soon be without bumpin' and grindin' cheerleaders. Legislation filed by Rep. Al Edwards would put an end to "sexually suggestive" performances at athletic events and other extracurricular competitions.

"It's just too sexually oriented, you know, the way they're shaking their behinds and going on, breaking it down," said Edwards, a 26-year veteran of the Texas House. "And then we say to them, 'don't get involved in sex unless it's marriage or love, it's dangerous out there' and yet the teachers and directors are helping them go through those kind of gyrations."

Under Edwards' bill, if a school district knowingly permits such a performance, funds from the state would be reduced in an amount to be determined by the education commissioner.

Edwards said he filed the bill as a result of several instances of seeing such ribald performances in his district.

J.M. Farias, owner of Austin Cheer Factory, said cheerleading aficionados would welcome the law. Cheering competitions, he said, penalize for suggestive movements or any vulgarity.

"Any coaches that are good won't put that in their routines," he said. And, most girls cheering on Friday nights were trained by professionals who know better, he said.

"I don't think this law would really shake the industry at all. In fact, it would give parents a better feeling, mostly dads and boyfriends, too," Farias said.

Although cheerleaders must meet the same no-pass, no-play academic requirements of athletes, cheerleading is not a competition sanctioned by the University Interscholastic League, the governing body of Texas high school sports.

The UIL also does not have performance regulations for squads who cheer for their teams at state championships, said Athletic Coordinator Peter Contreras.

"I think it should have been cut out a long time ago," Edwards said. "It surely needs to be toned down."

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20050319/D88TOT8O0.html

Oh Mickey, you're so fine....

Give me a break!

Originally posted by skin-n-vegas

Give me a break!

Have you seen some of the dances they do? In our town the volunteer firemen (I am one) serve as fire police at any public event which will have more than 50 people on city property. So last year I had the duty of the high school cheerleading competition for the local schools.

Quite honestly, if one of my daughters were up there doing that...as their parent I would have walked up on stage and dragged them off. This wasn't rah-rah-shishboombah let's make a human pyramid cheerleading. It was very suggestive.

I'm not sure I'd go to the length of removing funding for schools if there was a violation...but I was shocked at the behavior.

Originally posted by skin-n-vegas

Give me a break!

We don't have any legislation, but I kid you not, at Hampton High school, they had to terminate the dance line because of the dances and outfits that the team was wearing.

Some of the outfits were so form fitting that the girls looked nude. Seriously, you could see things you shouldn't see on HS girls.

The parents threw a fit and they allowed the dance team back, but they had new outfits that covered the girls up better and they got rid of some of the "grinding" stuff.... The whole thing was a big deal in the community.

Originally posted by codeorama

We don't have any legislation, but I kid you not, at Hampton High school, they had to terminate the dance line because of the dances and outfits that the team was wearing.

Some of the outfits were so form fitting that the girls looked nude. Seriously, you could see things you shouldn't see on HS girls.

The parents threw a fit and they allowed the dance team back, but they had new outfits that covered the girls up better and they got rid of some of the "grinding" stuff.... The whole thing was a big deal in the community.

I think that is the proper way to handle it and leave lawmakers to laws that protect us instead.

Man, I am dreading my little girls growing up sometimes!!!

I hope they arent going to school topless by the time they are in school!

I would normally think this was someone being prude, but these are High School kids we're talking about here. Minors. Someone's children who are still just children. There has to be a line drawn somewhere.

Nick

:doh:

Originally posted by skin-n-vegas

I think that is the proper way to handle it and leave lawmakers to laws that protect us instead.

Man, I am dreading my little girls growing up sometimes!!!

I hope they arent going to school topless by the time they are in school!

Totally agree, I don't think there needs to be a law, however, what is going on is unacceptable, but the parents and school admins need to handle it.

There's no way I'd let a daugher of mine do the things I've seen done out there. I find it hard to believe that the sponsor thought it was ok...

I remember a similar complaint was made against a female swim team once because when they got in the water, lets just say ummm, the bathing suit could only hold so much in from "poking through" the suits.

The problem with this kind of legislation is, WHO DECIDES what is too sexy?

At my highschool, we had pretty cheerleaders, but the student body was much more concerned about the football game........and changing cheerleading is hardly the answer to curbing sexual behavior in teens.

I forgot who it was but someone semi-famous recently said that the sexual laws and unwritten laws in this country are entirely out of whack. For example, child molesting is bad(and yes I agree it is) however advertisers such as calvin klein will go after girls that look like they are twelve and have them open their legs for poses, for kids undergarments.

Originally posted by codeorama

We don't have any legislation, but I kid you not, at Hampton High school, they had to terminate the dance line because of the dances and outfits that the team was wearing.

Some of the outfits were so form fitting that the girls looked nude. Seriously, you could see things you shouldn't see on HS girls.

The parents threw a fit and they allowed the dance team back, but they had new outfits that covered the girls up better and they got rid of some of the "grinding" stuff.... The whole thing was a big deal in the community.

Code I have seen the Hampton Cheerleaders and I really couldnt even keep my eyes on the game. I LOVED IT.

Originally posted by NoCalMike

I remember a similar complaint was made against a female swim team once because when they got in the water, lets just say ummm, the bathing suit could only hold so much in from "poking through" the suits.

The problem with this kind of legislation is, WHO DECIDES what is too sexy?

At my highschool, we had pretty cheerleaders, but the student body was much more concerned about the football game........and changing cheerleading is hardly the answer to curbing sexual behavior in teens.

Dude, you are on a roll of great posts today!

My thoughts exactly, who decides?

Originally posted by skin-n-vegas

Dude, you are on a roll of great posts today!

My thoughts exactly, who decides?

Haha, well maybe it was because I ate "fresh" today for lunch....a tuna sub from Subway with all the veggies.......

We never had that problem when I went to school.

Seriously, my stepdaughter was a cheerleader when in high school. Honestly don't remember anything like being mentioned

here. At football games I mainly watched the game, so didn't

pay attention to the cheerleaders.

I actually think providing more funding for cheerleading would solve this problem, because a top-notch cheer squad wouldn't be doing these things. As the article mentions, competitive cheerleading frowns on the more suggestive moves and is generally much more focused on acrobatics. So let's throw money at the problem ... mmm ... big government

...the problem generally won't be with cheerleaders though, I imagine - it's the dance teams, whom learn all their moves from hip-hop videos. It'll be hard to curb all that behavior when that's what everyone sees on MTV.

Originally posted by NoCalMike

Haha, well maybe it was because I ate "fresh" today for lunch....a tuna sub from Subway with all the veggies.......

:laugh: Jared would be proud!

kinda made me hungry too!

Seriously, keep the government out of it...

There is no need to get for the government to get involved in something that is easily regulated by the communtiy. If the parents of the children wearing these outfits and doing these routines get upset they have the right to censor their kids, and fight to change the organization. Same with people that might be forced to be exposed to these routines.

Community standards should be just that....determined by the community.

Here I go again.

The administrator speaks.

I am not sure this will pass, however, being an administrator who sometimes works games and has a voice in these things........some of the movements and outfits are more than suggestive. They reek of sex.

And the sad part is this. These girls moms will THROW A FIT if anyone suggests the movements are over the line. These moms WANT their daughter to be the "most noticed."

I have seen less humping during a night on the porn channel. During pep rallies.......these girls........along with the drill teams.....will grind for the players.

I have been in several high schools......as a staff member.

It gets way out of line sometime. And it has been stopped more than once.

As it should.

Blondie

Originally posted by fwo40

There is no need to get for the government to get involved in something that is easily regulated by the communtiy. If the parents of the children wearing these outfits and doing these routines get upset they have the right to censor their kids, and fight to change the organization. Same with people that might be forced to be exposed to these routines.

Community standards should be just that....determined by the community.

Several people in this thread have said something along these lines, but it begs the question:

Where does the community stop and the government begin?

If the PTA discusses the issue and helps the school write a policy, is that the community or the government?

If the principal makes a decision after several parents complain, is that the community or the government?

If the city council calls a town hall meeting and then passes an ordinance, is that the community or the government?

If the local school board calls a town hall meeting then drafts a policy is that the community or the government?

I guess what I'm getting at is, isn't the government, at a fundamental, the same thing as the community? Didn't we create government as a way for the community to make decisions?

I think what people want is local government instead of government from the state house or Washington ... it's not that government is bad, it's the particular flavor of government that you like.

Originally posted by flyingtiger1013

Al Edwards would put an end to "sexually suggestive" performances at athletic events

Al Edwards... must die. :kungfu:

:boobies: :dribble: :flash: