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Comment by rbanffy | Hacker News Reader

As I'm not American, this whole cheerleading thing feels very weird to me. It's weird to see the role of boys to play sports while the girls cheer doing elaborate choreographies.

Does anyone else feels it weird from a different cultural framing?

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I'm an American and I've always found it very weird.

cheerleading is like nurses and teachers. male cheerleaders do exist, they are just a small minority. we are arguing for more male teachers and nurses, and we could just as well be arguing that there should be more male cheerleaders.

Back when I was in High School there were a handful of male cheerleaders. Their job was to fling the girls so high in the air that they could break bones if not successfully caught.

There’s also a band in the stands that marches in formation on the field at halftime.

In fact, the primary band program at my high school seemingly only existed to fulfill this role. I ultimately dropped it because I was sick of doing unpaid work for the football program outside school hours.

I'm pretty sure the extreme emphasis on marching-compatible instruments in high school music programs is entirely due to this, in fact. I wonder how many 17-year-olds play the tuba or trombone or clarinet in Europe, versus the US, for instance? In an ideal world I'd see all non-specialist students at that level learning piano/keyboard, or maybe guitar or ukulele. Something with good general utility, acceptable when played solo even at not-great skill levels, and relatively easy to reach a point where you can lead a sing-along. Nice, physical, evident mapping of notes and theory to the instrument, too, unlike wind and brass instruments.

I would guess that fewer kids in EU play instrument. And when they do, it is either classic or self taught hobby. Here, basically you can't start officially in high school. You are deemed too old.

No one cares that you play, unless you are from family that actively encourages it.

Afaik, cheerleading is very physically demanding. In terms of strength, agility and how many injuries happen as a result. They also have competitions that are quite serious.

As in, if you refuse to accept that it is real physical effort kind of like gymnastic or dance, both of which counts a sports, then maybe you should look again.

I'm just wondering how it reinforces stereotypes.

How about modelling? It's dominated by women while men are relegated to the proverbial shadows.

Haven't you watched Zoolander?

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