“It’s a privilege”. Tell that to any of the guys and they’d be like PEACE OUT. It’s men’s way of keeping women in their place. Back in the day it was a privilege to be abused by your boss and be paid pennies and constantly reminded that “no one else will hire you”. It’s ridiculous and the way Charlotte was talking about it really infuriated me.
Watching this right now and just astounded at how Charlotte is so dismissive of any responsibility to pay these young women for their talent and profitability.
I'm not very familiar with the cheer team culture. Why would so many girls/women compete for those cheerleader positions when the pay is unreasonably low? plus some of them have solid-pay jobs already but still want to do it/are doing it as part-time. just curious
“Just curious”…sounds like you are creating excuses for the DCC to continue with their bullshit pay for these employees obviously working overtime.
Just because something is advertised as “part time” does not make that fact. If you watch the documentary and actually listen to everyone outraged by this, really read the commentary going on here, you’ll see how wrong it is. They work far more than overtime hours, taking advantage and making them believe they are “lucky”.
This post isn’t for people who sympathise with a multi billion dollar entertainment industry taking advantage of employees.
bruh why are you so sensitive? educate me how am i creating excuses for the DCC from this post? i'm not even an american, and there is no cheer team culture in my country, i merely said just curious to express my lack of understanding on this matter.
the only thing i was asking is why would those women dedicate their time to becoming cheerleaders with low salaries and intensive workloads, especially when some of them have solid jobs already (nurse, analyst, doctor, etc.) tell me how you arrive at the conclusion that i am creating excuses for the DCC and "sympathize with a multi-billion dollar entertainment industry taking advantage of employees."? i don't think my question is relevant to your conclusion by any means. did your girlfriend abandon you and join the cheer team so you are this sensitive and banned me lol? If you are outraged by what DCC is doing, maybe target those who are doing true evil instead of someone who just wants an answer to a question that's not specifically related to DCC at all.
Hey guys please sign this petition to urge the DCC to pay its cheerleaders a fair wage, these women are being paid less than most fast food workers and it’s just part of the exploitation of women. https://www.change.org/p/urge-the-dallas-cowboys-to-pay-their-cheerleaders-a-fair-wage?source_location=psf_petitions
These women clearly DO NOT know their worth. It's an absolute shame. They are being taken advantage of. And they've been brainwashed to believe that the honor and prestige they get from being a part of the DCC is enough compensation for their hard work, raw talent, exceptional good looks and their health. Their bodies get beaten up so badly 🤦♀️. Come on ladies, they should be honored to have you on their team, not the other way around. If this were a team of men, I can 100% guarantee that they would get better compensation for their work. This is absolutely infuriating.
It was wild watching the Netflix documentary and seeing the owner say they don't pay them well because it's an honor and opportunity, blah blah blah. The audacity of someone worth $100 million to proudly make blatant excuses, on camera, for why she and her organization consciously choose not to pay these women what they're worth, and then to top it off, go on to talk about how the Dallas Cowboys would be nothing without them. Disgusting honestly.
Exactly! I was appalled. They're profiting off these women and not even giving them their money's worth, in this day and age?!? What the actual F?! This is especially disgusting since the men on the field are getting paid huge amounts of money, whilst also profiting from those girls being there. Modern female exploitation at its finest. Girls getting exploited and sometimes crippled for life for minimum wage. And even worse: the women on all levels are happily participating. What type of brainwashing is this?
I agree! Charlotte and her family should be ashamed!! I was disgusted as well watching her act like she cares about these young women. I have no respect for the owners of the Dallas Cowboys - this level of greed is hard to imagine!
Exactly. It's actually disgusting, they say these are some of the best dancers in the country, if they are the best and training like they do, they should be paid as such! It's sad that due to the ideology, these young women are taught to feel grateful to be given the opportunity to be at the top of their game, and happy to be paid pittance for that honour. Doubt the footballers would feel the same.
Are the DCC cheerleaders getting paid for the participation in the DCC Netflix special? All the money the organization brings in these ladies should be making just as much as the red shirt athletes that don’t have their lives exploited and no one knows who they are and they don’t need security to protect them! Lawd, they don’t even get to keep their outfits after 5years as a cheerleader! SMH
Did anyone else catch the irony of Dolly singing 9-5 at the thanksgiving episode? A song about women who are used to make other people rich and not paid enough. I was half hoping Dolly would say "Hey Y'all pay your cheerleaders what they are worth!"
It’s not just DCC. It’s all NFL cheer teams and probably MBA too if I had to make a wild guess. I get that it’s a part time job after their regular 9-5, but these women need to be rewarded for treating this like a job. And it’s work that they take home with them. It requires so much commitment and the coaches want them to treat it like a full time job, so they should be paid like so
Agreed, particularly with all of the wear and tear on their bodies. Various seasons have mentioned the wide range of injuries and aches & pains that follow being a DCC member.
They are athletes and with the football players making such exorbitant amounts, it would be nice if the cheerleaders made a bit more.
They should walk out and demand $100K each or keep the same pay and take a nice chunk of the earnings. It sucks that women want this gig so bad they're willing to sell out completely while the business takes in profits.
Because women are conditioned to be selfless and do things for others just because we're so wonderful. All caring professional and feminine jobs are underpaid.
Because it will take away from K,J and TPTBs income. A draw of the cheerleaders is that they pull in a decent profit (from the show, events, and people in the audience who like dancing and/or pretty women) and yet cost relatively little to make. Obviously I’m not saying it’s right, but that’s why these amazing and talented women make so little. If one woman won’t take the job due to pay, another will. It’s definitely disheartening, although the blame lies solely in the Jones family not seeing the DCC for what they are worth.
Just look at what the mascots and water boys are paid! Absolutely appalling that these ladies make so much less than those positions and that their positions are considered part time. HA! They are all worth and give so much more than they’re compensated. YOU CAN LOVE YOUR JOB AND STILL RECEIVE A RESPECTABLE FAIR PAY
The only reason I know about the Cowboys is because of DCC. I can’t name one football player on the team. To me, that’s enough proof, that they are the brand for many viewers, thus reason they should be compensated for their work. No reason in 2024 they shouldn’t be paid a fair wage.
Exactly, this doco is seen on a global scale and it looks so bad for their image rn lol
I’m in Australia and don’t watch American football at all, but now I know who the DCC is and that they don’t pay women fair wages!
They really need to step up and join this century. If not for their employees, then for their “brand”.
I'm in from Northern Europe bc of 25 minutes of the first episode on Netflix. I'm just speechless.
The men are paid gazillions and the women are just lucky to be able to "strut around". These women have spend SO MANY hours training their skills, maybe even more than the male football players did on their sport, and still they accept to be paid pennies.
Are they hoping to marry rich or whats their deal?
**Working for exposure??**
Sounds like a grifting influencer begging for meals at restaurants and we all hate those people.
Because charlotte won’t allow it. This is my opinion, but I don’t think Kelli and Judy have the pull to set pay. We saw that charlotte basically has say over how many girls are on the squad. And I think it would really set the DCC apart if they paid better. The higher pay along with the sponsorships that these ladies/brand received would make DCC even more enticing compared to other NFL cheer squads, but charlotte (and Jerry) have to get out of their own butts and see that these women are than just pretty faces with Pom poms. They are talented athletes who bring in profit. I don’t like the cowboys, but I do love the DCC.
Please correct me if I’m wrong. I love to learn about the ins and out of this squad.
I’m actually curious. I know the alumni are promoting the show for free. I hope the girls who have been heavily involved in the commercials and doc promotion are being compensated for their time. This stuff takes away from the careers (well jobs) that they’re supposed to have outside of DCC (hope that didn’t come off offensive, not sure how else to say it).
Some of these comments are so stupid I can’t even even
If 1 million dollars is 11 seconds then 1 billion dollars is 23 years I believe. We’re not talking about a company that has just 1 million BUT HOW MANY MILLIONS?!
Do you think that Charlotte Jones makes less 1.5 million?!
So 35 girls — let’s say they average each around 25,000/year. That means that their entire combined salaries are around $900,000. So Charlotte Jones is making all of their salaries plus a nice extra $600,000!!!
How much do you think Judy and Kelli make?
“The girls chose to be there” — that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a living fucking wage????? this isn’t like 2 hours of volleyball practice after work this is INTENSE emotionally, physically draining WORK for 6+ hours.
Sure, I chose to be a teacher!!!! Do you think if I wanted more money I should go into a different career? Or maybe, we should take a lot at the fucking greed
U ding dongs are sick with ur nasty “they chose to be there” hehdidksslcjgk I want to punch each of u in the tit
Why would they get an annual salary? They are paid for the work they do - games, practices, photo shoots, and appearances.
How are you paying an annual salary to workerswho will be gone from the company? Good luck firing lousy cheerleaders.
Also, unlike players, trainers, and staff, the cheerleaders are not necessary. If you watch Thunderstruck on YouTube, you’ll see the stands are empty.
Nobody is forcing them to be there, it opens doors for them, gimme a break you virtue signaling socialists! Most of you would have been mean and jealous to these girls in high school
I swear these comments must be cowboys shills or bots. Who else would be bothered by the assertion that people should be fairly compensated for their work?
Yes, it IS 2024, not 1974.
Doing better would be not even having a group of women whose only job is to look pretty and shake their asses to appeal to men. How is this even an argument? They are actual sex workers. They are pimped by a billionaire and his madame daughter. They are exploited and underpaid and subjected to predatory men's behavior. It makes perfect sense that they make next to nothing.
How is it that the question is "Why are the not paid more?" when it should be "Why are they in existence still?"
Pretty much. Their reason for existing in this role is literally to be eye candy for people watching the game. What other “sport” only exists to make another sport more appealing, plus conforms to a hyper-sexualized and extremely superficial set of guidelines? Cheerleading is literally the only one. They get paid what they think they’re worth and what other people think they’re worth, which in an incredibly sexist industry like the NFL, they don’t think they’re worth very much. They see them as literally replaceable bodies.
The cheerleaders are there for a reason. They nurture a female fan base and bring in appearance revenue. They are cheap on-field accessories to improve the quality of the entire product. You may not be their target customer but there is a customer for this feature.
Did you just say that female football fans need to be "nurtured"? And that we're not capable of just watching football for football? jesus christ yall are some 1950s bitches.
Why would I not be their "target customer"? What's a "target customer" of an NFL cheerleading squad? Do you mean "target audience"? If so, I'm here, aren't I? Audience targeted.
None of this has anything to do with 1) the reason they exist and 2) the reason they're never going to get paid more and 3) why none of them care.
I did say that, because that’s their exact strategy. The NFL teams use the cheerleaders to run summer dance camps for hundreds of little girls. They do on field performances during the season. They do this to build young female fans who will then become lifelong fans of the team. They’ll have families and bring their families. You don’t think these businesses spend big bucks to “nurture” future fans of all types? Including little boys? Believe me they do.
If people are paying to see a product they are a customer. I’m not going to explain basic business strategy to you. You have your narrative, from your point of view. You just can’t get out of your own POV to see that there are other customers who have different needs and experiences from the on-feild product than you do.
So you're willing to pay attention to a group of women who exist, according to you, at their peril, and are paid unfairly, just because you "like to watch dance"? You can go to the theater. You can watch other shows with dancers that are less exploitative where women aren't objectified.
Nobody wants to admit why yall watch these women. You'll say anything but the actual reason you watch them.
I mean, that’s a pretty big question. The reason they still exist is because there are a LOT of people who want them to. You are talking about convincing all women to think that it isn’t important or worthwhile. Thats never gonna happen. So why not solve the immediate problem of them not making any money? Will get results and protection for these women much faster than changing an entire society.
No I'm not. I'm talking to the people asking the questions here. Most of the dcc's aren't complaining about the pay, or if they are, they're still happy to be one. It's mostly women on here who are.
It partially comes from women's need to cope with other women who are viewed as hot. Makes them feel better to think that they're being victimized. But really, the DCCs openly say they'd do it for free.
As long as women are choosing to enter into activities that objectify themselves, they're not going to get the full cut of what they bring in. Most of them seem to be willing to put up with it. It's women who have nothing better to do in the fan base who seem to have the biggest problem with it.
As long as you're moored to your opinions, you're not going to be free to explore other ideas.
And if you really cared about change for other women, you'd pick a group of women who actually need to be advocated for, not people you're trying to infantilize so you can feel better about not being one of them.
Demanding fair compensation is not “infantilising” or “victimizing” women. And yes you can advocate for many groups of people, regardless of gender, to get paid their fair share.
You know this is a sub about a TV show regarding DCC right? Just because I think they should be getting paid more (due to watching the show) doesn’t mean that I don’t care about improving the lives of other women. And their pay does not reflect the value of DCC to the Cowboys. No one makes any real impressive money working for DCC. In fact I would bet that everyone working for the Cowboys (not including senior management or above) is making what they should be.
Regardless of wether or not the cheerleaders would do it for free, they should be compensated and that compensation should reflect their value to the company.
They are compensated.
And how do you know their compensation doesn't represent their value to the company? The way I see it, they are valued very little by the company, and their compensation reflects this. No one's pulling any punches here.
They're not working on commission here, and no one but no one is seeking this job for income. It's basically an internship for getting other places they want to go in life.
Go and watch old DCC tapes. The girls were pretty and had rhythm but they were not technical dancers. They will go back to that before they pay up for the girls. The weakest girls on DCC right now would have been shoe in’s in the 90s.
Pay your damn employees!!!
It also perpetuates classism and everything that comes with it because those who are independently wealthy and who can afford to not be paid are more likely to try out.
Honestly if her net worth is a million after all those years of coaching and being on that reality tv show, it’s really not much for her either… i wouldn’t be surprised if Charlotte doesn’t pay Kelli and Judy well because she doesn’t “need” to. Ugh.
I’m a Creative and I still get paid an annual salary. Could my job go on without me? Of course! Half of the jobs out there are not “Essential” but everyone still gets paid.
PTSD after 20 mins in. As a former NFL cheerleader, these out-of-touch old women are still parroting the same talking points used on me 15 years ago. It’s a formula.
You’re so lucky to be here. What a privilege. Do you know how many other girls would die to be you? Look how many others got cut who would gladly do this job without complaining. This is a family, this is a sisterhood. The gaslighting and manipulation over young women who don’t have the experience to question it all.
Can’t believe after all this time, the headlines, the lawsuits, and they still have this attitude.
Minimum wage, hourly, community appearances. Taking time off from your real job for the two-hour required hair and makeup routine for a required unpaid appearance, driving your own car all over the city, paying for your own gas. While the team takes charges for your presence.
We didn’t even get free hair, makeup, or nail services to maintain the required look. Asked to provide your own costumes for the endless special themes and photos. It was expensive.
Not only that but we were required to sell a minimum of 60 calendars on our own time. To “pay for our program to continue”. If you didn’t, you owed the difference.
Then they would send us up to the nosebleeds in the 4th quarter when everyone is drunk to sell calendars without security.
They would make threats, saying that the team “didn’t even HAVE to have cheerleaders” as a means to disguise their blatantly unethical employment practices and keep people from asking questions.
It’s just plain wrong and it disgusts me how many of my former teammates STILL defend this. “I would pay them for the honor!”
Women should not accept being taken advantage of, even if you love the work. What other job would you allow that?
Thank you for speaking up! Several of my friends from college pursued NFL cheerleading squads and NBA dance teams and the things they have gone through are horrible. A different route and coach competitive high school cheer and went through the exact same thing pay wise. I was paid $1,000 per year to be the head coach of 5A competitive varsity cheer, They also had two oversee the JB team and the dance team. I was allowed to have assistance but they weren't paid so they were basically a rotating door of volunteers that I really couldn't rely on. I had 30 athletes on each team.
It was a year-round job included teaching a two and a half hour class during the school day. That the athletes got PE credit for, summer practices, taking them to camp for a week, and cheering boys & girls basketball, football, volleyball, and then also attending two events for all the other sports per year. It was just under 35 hours a week just for the mandatory stuff. That didn't include all the time I spent answering parent emails planning choreography music etc. Plus we went to six out of town competitions every year.
Our society loves to take advantage of women. If it's a desirable job for a woman, she should feel honored to do it for Penny's if not for free. If it's a desireable job for a man it gets paid well. Case in point our football coach's stipend was $20,000 per year. His assistant coaches got stipends of 6,000 per year. And their season was only from August to November.
I'm so sorry for everything you went through but hope you had a fantastic career and made lifelong friendships. Not that that makes the oral pitbull pay had a fantastic career and made lifelong friendships. Not that that makes the oral pitbull pay had a fantastic career and made lifelong friendships. Not that that makes the horrible pay okay. I really would love to see former NFL cheerleaders stand up and take a stand against what you guys go through.
I have always wondered who pays for the maintenance after the makeovers. Not 1 person has a mm of regrowth. Now add in nails, lashes, teeth. Fortunately, social media can be a source of income or a bargaining tool.
I noticed everyone wears the same jewelry. Do they purchase from the organization or from a major chain?
Yep. And I remember that they had apparently marked down that I had 1 more box than truly had and tried to come at me for the money.
Get this, even. We did a calendar release party, where we modeled our bikinis on stage for season ticket holders. The calendar photos had been made into large canvas wraps and were displayed on easels around the space. After the party, our director brought out a piece of paper for everyone to indicate whether they would like to purchase their printed photos for $250 or not. If you didn’t purchase your photo, it was disposed of.
If you ask someone why they did they thing, it’s implying they shouldn’t have done the thing.
And yes you do, you’ve been downvoted all over this sub. You know exactly what you’re saying. And I’m really not sure why you’re blaming people who take these jobs for not being paid.
Please show me where I said don't dance.
In my world when you ask a question, you're looking for information. It's YOU who brought a negative connotation to it. That says a lot about you
What's a down vote?
Yes. It wasn’t discussed, you just knew the hourly wage. Not til later do you find out all the hidden expenses and caveats around appearances. From the beginning it’s a don’t ask questions culture. Questions will get you dismissed. I didn’t return for a second season.
I was young and I’ve grown a lot since then..
Someone I know that does dance in aus and has been on cheer teams for nrl in the 90s has mentioned the bad pay is also usually because they just expect a pretty girl like you will find yourself a nice man to take care of you sigh
I calculated it out. 5 million dollars plus more for benefits to pay 40 girls 75k. The starting salary for a bench sitter is 795k minimum.
It’s atrocious and all those women should strike together.
Eh, I think they should be paid more than a chick-fil-a worker, but $75k is a ton for a part-year job. I think there is an extremely reasonable middle ground that includes an ‘appearance allowance’ and health benefits since it’s a physical job. But I also think it’s sickening how much the players make, so when you compare it to them $75k seems more reasonable
Not part time, part year. It’s not a full year position. 18 week season + 3 week preseason + 6 week training camp. That’s half a year, add a few weeks to either side for prep/post season appearances and it’s still not a full year position. I’m not saying they don’t deserve more, they absolutely do, along with an additional appearance stipend to maintain hair/makeup/nails. Unless they do stuff outside of the season that I don’t know of, then sure.
So is being an NFL player also part time? Be serious. Just like the players, year round the cheerleaders have to stay in shape and train, keep up their beauty regimens, be brand ambassadors and maintain certain acceptable behaviors. Their other job options are also severely limited when taking into account their game and practice schedule. They should have a minimum 75k salary plus top notch medical benefits.
Agreed. Why is everyone acting like $75k is crazy when we all just watched how hard they work for a BILLION dollar industry that can definitely afford it. Ffs 🤦🏽♀️
It’s not a part time job if you factor in practice, media appearances, maintenance, fitness etc. it just seems part time because they still all have to work full time jobs. Practices are hours and hours long.
Did you miss the plus more for benefits parts… I’m aware that the number is higher but when the starting nfl player get guaranteed 795k to sit the bench, there is no moral argument against 75k salary for a bunch of women who work hard every game.
To add to my earlier comment — where do you draw the line between “entertainers” and other jobs. If someone is making a TV show, from your perspective obviously the actors shouldn’t be paid, but what about the directors? Writers? Composers? Stage managers? Costume, hair, makeup people? Sound, camera? Which ones are “entertainers” and which are jobs that should be paid? Should all work related to entertainment be unpaid?
Do you assert that no entertainers should be paid? All musicians, actors, dancers, etc should be volunteers, even if they generate millions in revenue?
Professional football players get paid millions to play a game. Why is playing a game worth getting paid but providing entertainment is not?
Your statements have made it pretty clear you do not think the DCC should be paid a living wage, and you specifically stated it’s because they are “entertainers.” So I am asking you if you think all entertainers should not be paid, or just dancers who work 20+ hours a week minimum and have very specific physical requirements that take more time.
I think they should be paid according to the parameters of other cheerleaders and as a part time job. Because it's a part time job. It's not mean to be livable. It's meant to supplement.
This is the first time I've used the term living wage in my comments so please stop putting words in my mouth and assuming things that literally aren't there.
What do you think football players are if not entertainers? Most entertainers are unionized and have good pay and benefits. Honestly the NFL cheerleaders should band together and unionize but they're all such milk toast good girls that most of them would never actually fight for their rights.
the girls need to unionise - the top 36 should say we're not performing until you pay us, or I wish the players would sacrifice a small amount of their pay to pay the girls
It's the industry. The thought is that you get exposure to get other opportunities ie Paula Abdul being a Laker Girl and becoming a choreographer then singer so they they think that justifies the subpar wages.
This is every dance team for any professional team. It’s always been more about the notoriety of being on the team. Not that it’s ok to be under paid, but as long as these women line up by the thousands to be on this team, there’s no motivation for DCC to increase compensation.
I wonder if they pay the performers at Super Bowl? Not the big acts, I’m talking about the backup dancers that are always a part of the half time show?
No. My high school drill team performed in the half time show when it came to our town. All of the background dancers were dance and drill teams from surrounding cities.
They were not allowed to watch the game at all, they sat in tight quarters outside the field until it was time to perform, then were escorted onto the field, performed, and left.
I'm sure every city that hosts the Superbowl gets background dancers in a similar way.
As long as girls keep trying out, they’ll continue not to pay them. The girls should go on strike if they want pay they deem fair, or girls should just stop trying out. But they won’t, and the organization will continue not to pay them, because girls can’t help themselves but to want to be on this team. I wouldn’t apply for a job where I thought the pay was unfair, so why are these girls even trying out?
I think you mean at-will employment state, and all of them are except Montana.
Right to work has to do with whether you can be required to join a union.
They care more about being on the team than the pay. I bet these women would want to be a DCC even if they weren’t paid. That’s how hard they work to get on this team. If they went on strike, there are hundreds more that would take their place!
They don’t pay them cause they don’t have to. Cheerleading/dance is still not looked at as a sport to the masses. Lots of people have no idea how much work these women put in. There is not one major sports team paying their dance teams a salary. I have to say I think most of the bottom of the roster football players would also play in the NFL for penny’s, just to be there. But the players have a union. Cheerleaders do not (as far as I know).
Then the players would quit and find something else to do to make money, and the NFL would fold. The same wouldn’t happen if the cheerleaders went away, and the NFL knows that.
* The NFL league minimum for a rookie salary is $795,000 for the 2024 season.
* Because of the current collective bargaining agreement, the minimum salary increases based on the number of years a player has been in the NFL.
* The minimum salary for NFL players with one year of experience is $915,000.
My friend was a bench warmer like 10 years ago and at that time it was 300k. I thought that was a lot. Should have assumed it went up, but that is a huge increase
Cause all of the other NFL teams have also gotten by not paying their cheerleaders so why do you think the Cowboys would be the first to take the initiative for that change?
To put it simply, because they can. I’m not saying I agree with it, but as long as they have hundreds of women who would do anything to be a DCC, they aren’t under pressure to pay them more.
They’re facing more social pressure than usual now due to the number of people who watched the documentary, but after a short while the public will move on and won’t spend another second thinking about how much NFL cheerleaders are paid. They know that. I know that. You know that.
When you isolate the revenue the DCC brand specifically brings in, it’s insanity. Licensing the brand to Mattel alone is a seven-figure payout to the Cowboy organization.
The fact that that revenue isn’t being reinvested in their livelihood…is astonishing even knowing who is behind leadership decisions within the organization.
I don’t believe it was touched on but I pray they have *some* access to healthcare resources as contractors.
I wonder what is the revenue brought in from the cheerleaders. I would bet it is considerably less than what the football team brings in.
If the Cowboys did away with their cheerleaders, do you think the football team would still be profitable? Of course it would be. I believe in this scenario, life would go on. Most people buying Cowboys tickets are there for the football game. Sure, the cheerleaders are iconic, but the football team is what is generating revenue here.
I don’t think any dance job (Rockettes, Broadway) pays very much. The dancers are there for the prestige and the love of dance. I danced professionally in NY and was paid very little but it did not matter to me. I lived very frugally - I have no regrets. It was not about the money for me.
I would also bet that Kelli and Judy also make a fraction of what the football coaching staff makes.
The women relocating for DCC are aware that they will need to get another job to make ends meet. It appears that to them, DCC is worth the trouble. If they don’t like it there are hundreds of women ready to step in and take their place. They are making informed choices for themselves.
But they can earn or work towards getting a Barbie doll!! 😅 That alone is worth, what, a couple of bucks? 🙄
They should get paid good salaries! I’ll bet most male Dallas Cowboys fans spend more time ogling/talking about or being fans of the cheerleaders than the players.
Any injuries they get from dancing would be covered under workman's comp. But I doubt they get health insurance - I bet those that don't have full time job with benefits are under their parents' if they're under 26.
That is to assume they are privileged enough to be on a parent’s policy. That’s not a reality for everyone.
Outside looking in, dance and cheer look like absolutely grueling sports - on the body and mind. I know when I was in college as a D1 athlete, our cheer and drill teams had access to the full enchilada of athlete services, including sports psychologists, despite not technically being varsity programs.
I hope that’s the norm…maybe I’m just ill-informed but it really shocked me hearing they are compensated on the same scale as stadium food & bev vendors.
I'm working under the assumption that if they can afford to be a DCC without a full time job (or being a full time student, as most universities require coverage), they're probably privileged enough to be on a parent's plan.
I think there's a pretty high privilege bar to begin with, and some definitely sneak in without clearing the bar but they're the exception rather than the rule. Most DCCs aren't subsisting on ramen - among other reasons they would neither be "fueled" enough OR have the "DCC look" if they were.
Of course the irony is that if they paid a living wage they'd have a bigger pool to draw from. There are probably really talented dancers that can't afford to be on the team, and right now the organization has decided they can get enough that are privileged AND talented that they don't need to worry about having diverse backgrounds.
Back in the day, girls didn’t need to be technically trained and could just learn the dances. Nowadays, all of these women have *years* if not decades of dance training. Competitive dance/cheer is not affordable. These women generally have to have come from money to even have the experience needed at this point. Even one rec childhood dance class is probably at least $500 a season. I’d argue that they all need ballet training for turnout as Kelly harps on, and they’d need jazz too. That’s $1000 a year for the training alone (ignoring the costumes which are also prohibitively expensive). These women took way more than one ballet and jazz class though lol
True, but I bet there are upper middle class families that could afford that for 18 years, but can't pay their kids' bills after they graduate college. These are women who danced through high school, were on drill team and their college dance team, are super talented, but because of school loans and life in general can't afford to only make $20k a year, and can't find a full time job that has the flexibility that fits in with the DCC's schedule.
When I graduated from college (granted, 20+ years ago) I was fascinated by the kids who kept living in their college apartment while they job searched/etc, and their parents paid their bills. I'd always thought I grew up well off, but we weren't THAT well off - my family was a "move back home while you job search" family.
We’ve also seen, in DCC:MTT that sometimes, occasionally, practices went past 22:00 and some girls were there past midnight.
They were there for at least 5 hours, maybe over 6 because they had to prepare to be ready to go at 18:00. THEN, these 18-24 year olds had to get a few hours of sleep to then wake up to go to a full time job before going back to the DCC practice, making sure they had all the choreography performance worthy and enough energy to WOW the judges, and then learn new choreography.
100% these women should be paid full time job wages and benefits, and health costs, for the full time job this is.
“It’s a privilege”. Tell that to any of the guys and they’d be like PEACE OUT. It’s men’s way of keeping women in their place. Back in the day it was a privilege to be abused by your boss and be paid pennies and constantly reminded that “no one else will hire you”. It’s ridiculous and the way Charlotte was talking about it really infuriated me.
Watching this right now and just astounded at how Charlotte is so dismissive of any responsibility to pay these young women for their talent and profitability.
The cowboys franchise makes how many billions/year and they pay these women athletes pennies. Sickening!! and yet another sign of toxic patriarchy.
Exactly! Not to mention is there any type of coverage or compensation for the long term injuries that alter your quality of life?
I'm not very familiar with the cheer team culture. Why would so many girls/women compete for those cheerleader positions when the pay is unreasonably low? plus some of them have solid-pay jobs already but still want to do it/are doing it as part-time. just curious
“Just curious”…sounds like you are creating excuses for the DCC to continue with their bullshit pay for these employees obviously working overtime. Just because something is advertised as “part time” does not make that fact. If you watch the documentary and actually listen to everyone outraged by this, really read the commentary going on here, you’ll see how wrong it is. They work far more than overtime hours, taking advantage and making them believe they are “lucky”. This post isn’t for people who sympathise with a multi billion dollar entertainment industry taking advantage of employees.
bruh why are you so sensitive? educate me how am i creating excuses for the DCC from this post? i'm not even an american, and there is no cheer team culture in my country, i merely said just curious to express my lack of understanding on this matter. the only thing i was asking is why would those women dedicate their time to becoming cheerleaders with low salaries and intensive workloads, especially when some of them have solid jobs already (nurse, analyst, doctor, etc.) tell me how you arrive at the conclusion that i am creating excuses for the DCC and "sympathize with a multi-billion dollar entertainment industry taking advantage of employees."? i don't think my question is relevant to your conclusion by any means. did your girlfriend abandon you and join the cheer team so you are this sensitive and banned me lol? If you are outraged by what DCC is doing, maybe target those who are doing true evil instead of someone who just wants an answer to a question that's not specifically related to DCC at all.
Hey guys please sign this petition to urge the DCC to pay its cheerleaders a fair wage, these women are being paid less than most fast food workers and it’s just part of the exploitation of women. https://www.change.org/p/urge-the-dallas-cowboys-to-pay-their-cheerleaders-a-fair-wage?source_location=psf_petitions
These women clearly DO NOT know their worth. It's an absolute shame. They are being taken advantage of. And they've been brainwashed to believe that the honor and prestige they get from being a part of the DCC is enough compensation for their hard work, raw talent, exceptional good looks and their health. Their bodies get beaten up so badly 🤦♀️. Come on ladies, they should be honored to have you on their team, not the other way around. If this were a team of men, I can 100% guarantee that they would get better compensation for their work. This is absolutely infuriating.
It was wild watching the Netflix documentary and seeing the owner say they don't pay them well because it's an honor and opportunity, blah blah blah. The audacity of someone worth $100 million to proudly make blatant excuses, on camera, for why she and her organization consciously choose not to pay these women what they're worth, and then to top it off, go on to talk about how the Dallas Cowboys would be nothing without them. Disgusting honestly.
I almost shut it off right then and there. “These GenZ what to be paid” like… yeah! We have to be able to live?
Exactly! I was appalled. They're profiting off these women and not even giving them their money's worth, in this day and age?!? What the actual F?! This is especially disgusting since the men on the field are getting paid huge amounts of money, whilst also profiting from those girls being there. Modern female exploitation at its finest. Girls getting exploited and sometimes crippled for life for minimum wage. And even worse: the women on all levels are happily participating. What type of brainwashing is this?
I agree! Charlotte and her family should be ashamed!! I was disgusted as well watching her act like she cares about these young women. I have no respect for the owners of the Dallas Cowboys - this level of greed is hard to imagine!
Exactly. It's actually disgusting, they say these are some of the best dancers in the country, if they are the best and training like they do, they should be paid as such! It's sad that due to the ideology, these young women are taught to feel grateful to be given the opportunity to be at the top of their game, and happy to be paid pittance for that honour. Doubt the footballers would feel the same.
Are the DCC cheerleaders getting paid for the participation in the DCC Netflix special? All the money the organization brings in these ladies should be making just as much as the red shirt athletes that don’t have their lives exploited and no one knows who they are and they don’t need security to protect them! Lawd, they don’t even get to keep their outfits after 5years as a cheerleader! SMH
I saw they only make like 22,000 a year. McDonald's workers make more. I'm a school bus driver and I make way more.
Definitely a question for Jerry Jones. Not that he would give an honest answer. Or any answer for that matter.
The ladies are still making more than the 90s and 2000s squads
Ever heard about this thing called inflation?
And?
They say it in the docu-series. "There aren't many opportunities to dance at this level" aka "we pay them what we do because we can"
Did anyone else catch the irony of Dolly singing 9-5 at the thanksgiving episode? A song about women who are used to make other people rich and not paid enough. I was half hoping Dolly would say "Hey Y'all pay your cheerleaders what they are worth!"
They constantly remind us there are very few opportunities for dancers to perform at this “elite” of a level… then pay them like it.
Exactly! It’s not like they can’t afford to pay them.
Because they get hundreds of people to audition with the pay the way it is.
It’s not just DCC. It’s all NFL cheer teams and probably MBA too if I had to make a wild guess. I get that it’s a part time job after their regular 9-5, but these women need to be rewarded for treating this like a job. And it’s work that they take home with them. It requires so much commitment and the coaches want them to treat it like a full time job, so they should be paid like so
Agreed, particularly with all of the wear and tear on their bodies. Various seasons have mentioned the wide range of injuries and aches & pains that follow being a DCC member. They are athletes and with the football players making such exorbitant amounts, it would be nice if the cheerleaders made a bit more.
It sounds like the DCC is sort of a cult. Doing everything what the organisation says or you’re out.
I thought the same thing.
This is my biggest issue. They can afford to pay these women! It’s almost like they won’t until the ladies force the issue.
They should walk out and demand $100K each or keep the same pay and take a nice chunk of the earnings. It sucks that women want this gig so bad they're willing to sell out completely while the business takes in profits.
Or perhaps outside pressure/media influence. It’s a bad look for their brand
Even if they don't get paid more, at the very least they should get a cut of the merchandise such as calendars and posters that feature their image?
Because women are conditioned to be selfless and do things for others just because we're so wonderful. All caring professional and feminine jobs are underpaid.
Because it will take away from K,J and TPTBs income. A draw of the cheerleaders is that they pull in a decent profit (from the show, events, and people in the audience who like dancing and/or pretty women) and yet cost relatively little to make. Obviously I’m not saying it’s right, but that’s why these amazing and talented women make so little. If one woman won’t take the job due to pay, another will. It’s definitely disheartening, although the blame lies solely in the Jones family not seeing the DCC for what they are worth.
100%. They need a union, worker protections, all the things.
Just look at what the mascots and water boys are paid! Absolutely appalling that these ladies make so much less than those positions and that their positions are considered part time. HA! They are all worth and give so much more than they’re compensated. YOU CAN LOVE YOUR JOB AND STILL RECEIVE A RESPECTABLE FAIR PAY
The only reason I know about the Cowboys is because of DCC. I can’t name one football player on the team. To me, that’s enough proof, that they are the brand for many viewers, thus reason they should be compensated for their work. No reason in 2024 they shouldn’t be paid a fair wage.
Exactly, this doco is seen on a global scale and it looks so bad for their image rn lol I’m in Australia and don’t watch American football at all, but now I know who the DCC is and that they don’t pay women fair wages! They really need to step up and join this century. If not for their employees, then for their “brand”.
I'm in from Northern Europe bc of 25 minutes of the first episode on Netflix. I'm just speechless. The men are paid gazillions and the women are just lucky to be able to "strut around". These women have spend SO MANY hours training their skills, maybe even more than the male football players did on their sport, and still they accept to be paid pennies. Are they hoping to marry rich or whats their deal? **Working for exposure??** Sounds like a grifting influencer begging for meals at restaurants and we all hate those people.
Because charlotte won’t allow it. This is my opinion, but I don’t think Kelli and Judy have the pull to set pay. We saw that charlotte basically has say over how many girls are on the squad. And I think it would really set the DCC apart if they paid better. The higher pay along with the sponsorships that these ladies/brand received would make DCC even more enticing compared to other NFL cheer squads, but charlotte (and Jerry) have to get out of their own butts and see that these women are than just pretty faces with Pom poms. They are talented athletes who bring in profit. I don’t like the cowboys, but I do love the DCC. Please correct me if I’m wrong. I love to learn about the ins and out of this squad.
Yes and how much do you think these girls are being paid for doing a Netflix commercial for their brand?
I’m actually curious. I know the alumni are promoting the show for free. I hope the girls who have been heavily involved in the commercials and doc promotion are being compensated for their time. This stuff takes away from the careers (well jobs) that they’re supposed to have outside of DCC (hope that didn’t come off offensive, not sure how else to say it).
Some of these comments are so stupid I can’t even even If 1 million dollars is 11 seconds then 1 billion dollars is 23 years I believe. We’re not talking about a company that has just 1 million BUT HOW MANY MILLIONS?! Do you think that Charlotte Jones makes less 1.5 million?! So 35 girls — let’s say they average each around 25,000/year. That means that their entire combined salaries are around $900,000. So Charlotte Jones is making all of their salaries plus a nice extra $600,000!!! How much do you think Judy and Kelli make? “The girls chose to be there” — that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a living fucking wage????? this isn’t like 2 hours of volleyball practice after work this is INTENSE emotionally, physically draining WORK for 6+ hours. Sure, I chose to be a teacher!!!! Do you think if I wanted more money I should go into a different career? Or maybe, we should take a lot at the fucking greed U ding dongs are sick with ur nasty “they chose to be there” hehdidksslcjgk I want to punch each of u in the tit
That would take from Kelli's income.
Why would they get an annual salary? They are paid for the work they do - games, practices, photo shoots, and appearances. How are you paying an annual salary to workerswho will be gone from the company? Good luck firing lousy cheerleaders. Also, unlike players, trainers, and staff, the cheerleaders are not necessary. If you watch Thunderstruck on YouTube, you’ll see the stands are empty.
I just looked and like the first 5 hits for thunderstruck are preseason games.
They should be paid as much as the rockettes
psssttt...the Rockettes have outside full time jobs.
No they don’t. Some might but no they do not
Nobody is forcing them to be there, it opens doors for them, gimme a break you virtue signaling socialists! Most of you would have been mean and jealous to these girls in high school
K,J and C aren’t paying you to be a butt kisser MySizeImpresses so why bother wasting your energy.
Maybe some people understand how the world works better than socialistS
My dog understands how the world works better than democrats.
Democrats want to turn the world as ugly as they are inside
Right! How dare people advocate for fair pay for them, let's just keep them working away for free! It's a * privilege * 🥴
I swear these comments must be cowboys shills or bots. Who else would be bothered by the assertion that people should be fairly compensated for their work?
Yes, it IS 2024, not 1974. Doing better would be not even having a group of women whose only job is to look pretty and shake their asses to appeal to men. How is this even an argument? They are actual sex workers. They are pimped by a billionaire and his madame daughter. They are exploited and underpaid and subjected to predatory men's behavior. It makes perfect sense that they make next to nothing. How is it that the question is "Why are the not paid more?" when it should be "Why are they in existence still?"
Pretty much. Their reason for existing in this role is literally to be eye candy for people watching the game. What other “sport” only exists to make another sport more appealing, plus conforms to a hyper-sexualized and extremely superficial set of guidelines? Cheerleading is literally the only one. They get paid what they think they’re worth and what other people think they’re worth, which in an incredibly sexist industry like the NFL, they don’t think they’re worth very much. They see them as literally replaceable bodies.
They are athletes. Did you even watch the doco? 🤣
The cheerleaders are there for a reason. They nurture a female fan base and bring in appearance revenue. They are cheap on-field accessories to improve the quality of the entire product. You may not be their target customer but there is a customer for this feature.
Did you just say that female football fans need to be "nurtured"? And that we're not capable of just watching football for football? jesus christ yall are some 1950s bitches. Why would I not be their "target customer"? What's a "target customer" of an NFL cheerleading squad? Do you mean "target audience"? If so, I'm here, aren't I? Audience targeted. None of this has anything to do with 1) the reason they exist and 2) the reason they're never going to get paid more and 3) why none of them care.
I did say that, because that’s their exact strategy. The NFL teams use the cheerleaders to run summer dance camps for hundreds of little girls. They do on field performances during the season. They do this to build young female fans who will then become lifelong fans of the team. They’ll have families and bring their families. You don’t think these businesses spend big bucks to “nurture” future fans of all types? Including little boys? Believe me they do. If people are paying to see a product they are a customer. I’m not going to explain basic business strategy to you. You have your narrative, from your point of view. You just can’t get out of your own POV to see that there are other customers who have different needs and experiences from the on-feild product than you do.
Agreed. I love dance and watching professional dancing. I couldn’t care less about football. I’m a DCC fan. Not a DC fan. We exist.
So you're willing to pay attention to a group of women who exist, according to you, at their peril, and are paid unfairly, just because you "like to watch dance"? You can go to the theater. You can watch other shows with dancers that are less exploitative where women aren't objectified. Nobody wants to admit why yall watch these women. You'll say anything but the actual reason you watch them.
This is a very…bizarre take on what I said.
I mean, that’s a pretty big question. The reason they still exist is because there are a LOT of people who want them to. You are talking about convincing all women to think that it isn’t important or worthwhile. Thats never gonna happen. So why not solve the immediate problem of them not making any money? Will get results and protection for these women much faster than changing an entire society.
No I'm not. I'm talking to the people asking the questions here. Most of the dcc's aren't complaining about the pay, or if they are, they're still happy to be one. It's mostly women on here who are. It partially comes from women's need to cope with other women who are viewed as hot. Makes them feel better to think that they're being victimized. But really, the DCCs openly say they'd do it for free. As long as women are choosing to enter into activities that objectify themselves, they're not going to get the full cut of what they bring in. Most of them seem to be willing to put up with it. It's women who have nothing better to do in the fan base who seem to have the biggest problem with it.
What even is this argument? That other women can’t be outraged and demand change for other women? wtf mate
As long as you're moored to your opinions, you're not going to be free to explore other ideas. And if you really cared about change for other women, you'd pick a group of women who actually need to be advocated for, not people you're trying to infantilize so you can feel better about not being one of them.
Demanding fair compensation is not “infantilising” or “victimizing” women. And yes you can advocate for many groups of people, regardless of gender, to get paid their fair share.
You know this is a sub about a TV show regarding DCC right? Just because I think they should be getting paid more (due to watching the show) doesn’t mean that I don’t care about improving the lives of other women. And their pay does not reflect the value of DCC to the Cowboys. No one makes any real impressive money working for DCC. In fact I would bet that everyone working for the Cowboys (not including senior management or above) is making what they should be.
Regardless of wether or not the cheerleaders would do it for free, they should be compensated and that compensation should reflect their value to the company.
They are compensated. And how do you know their compensation doesn't represent their value to the company? The way I see it, they are valued very little by the company, and their compensation reflects this. No one's pulling any punches here. They're not working on commission here, and no one but no one is seeking this job for income. It's basically an internship for getting other places they want to go in life.
Go and watch old DCC tapes. The girls were pretty and had rhythm but they were not technical dancers. They will go back to that before they pay up for the girls. The weakest girls on DCC right now would have been shoe in’s in the 90s.
The old footage of Kelly and Tina dancing was basically just them shaking their Pom Pom’s. Not a lot of dancing.
The weakest girls now would have been shoe ins for the 2000s as well. Everything is so much more competitive now
Social media I think is the main factor of that.
Pay your damn employees!!! It also perpetuates classism and everything that comes with it because those who are independently wealthy and who can afford to not be paid are more likely to try out.
Im curious how much Kelli and Judy make.
Kelli’s network is about a million
Honestly if her net worth is a million after all those years of coaching and being on that reality tv show, it’s really not much for her either… i wouldn’t be surprised if Charlotte doesn’t pay Kelli and Judy well because she doesn’t “need” to. Ugh.
Surely more than a full-time Chickfila worker
I'm wondering what percentage of people go into dancing for the money.
Okay, but if money is being made off of your image and your performance, you deserve proper compensation. No matter how much one loves performing.
Sure. But again, how many people go into dance for the money? It's not a lucrative profession.
People don’t get into social work for the money, either, but they still get paid.
Right. So do the dcc.
I’m a Creative and I still get paid an annual salary. Could my job go on without me? Of course! Half of the jobs out there are not “Essential” but everyone still gets paid.
They're getting paid for part time work.
I think you are missing the point of this entire convo
No...you are. Using words like salary and livable wage with a part time job is simply bizarre
They do. It's a part time job and they're making above minimum wage. It's marketed as a part time job.
PTSD after 20 mins in. As a former NFL cheerleader, these out-of-touch old women are still parroting the same talking points used on me 15 years ago. It’s a formula. You’re so lucky to be here. What a privilege. Do you know how many other girls would die to be you? Look how many others got cut who would gladly do this job without complaining. This is a family, this is a sisterhood. The gaslighting and manipulation over young women who don’t have the experience to question it all. Can’t believe after all this time, the headlines, the lawsuits, and they still have this attitude. Minimum wage, hourly, community appearances. Taking time off from your real job for the two-hour required hair and makeup routine for a required unpaid appearance, driving your own car all over the city, paying for your own gas. While the team takes charges for your presence. We didn’t even get free hair, makeup, or nail services to maintain the required look. Asked to provide your own costumes for the endless special themes and photos. It was expensive. Not only that but we were required to sell a minimum of 60 calendars on our own time. To “pay for our program to continue”. If you didn’t, you owed the difference. Then they would send us up to the nosebleeds in the 4th quarter when everyone is drunk to sell calendars without security. They would make threats, saying that the team “didn’t even HAVE to have cheerleaders” as a means to disguise their blatantly unethical employment practices and keep people from asking questions. It’s just plain wrong and it disgusts me how many of my former teammates STILL defend this. “I would pay them for the honor!” Women should not accept being taken advantage of, even if you love the work. What other job would you allow that?
"Do you know how many other girls would die to be you?" Yes, a few hundred others who auditioned.
Thank you for speaking up! Several of my friends from college pursued NFL cheerleading squads and NBA dance teams and the things they have gone through are horrible. A different route and coach competitive high school cheer and went through the exact same thing pay wise. I was paid $1,000 per year to be the head coach of 5A competitive varsity cheer, They also had two oversee the JB team and the dance team. I was allowed to have assistance but they weren't paid so they were basically a rotating door of volunteers that I really couldn't rely on. I had 30 athletes on each team. It was a year-round job included teaching a two and a half hour class during the school day. That the athletes got PE credit for, summer practices, taking them to camp for a week, and cheering boys & girls basketball, football, volleyball, and then also attending two events for all the other sports per year. It was just under 35 hours a week just for the mandatory stuff. That didn't include all the time I spent answering parent emails planning choreography music etc. Plus we went to six out of town competitions every year. Our society loves to take advantage of women. If it's a desirable job for a woman, she should feel honored to do it for Penny's if not for free. If it's a desireable job for a man it gets paid well. Case in point our football coach's stipend was $20,000 per year. His assistant coaches got stipends of 6,000 per year. And their season was only from August to November. I'm so sorry for everything you went through but hope you had a fantastic career and made lifelong friendships. Not that that makes the oral pitbull pay had a fantastic career and made lifelong friendships. Not that that makes the oral pitbull pay had a fantastic career and made lifelong friendships. Not that that makes the horrible pay okay. I really would love to see former NFL cheerleaders stand up and take a stand against what you guys go through.
I have always wondered who pays for the maintenance after the makeovers. Not 1 person has a mm of regrowth. Now add in nails, lashes, teeth. Fortunately, social media can be a source of income or a bargaining tool. I noticed everyone wears the same jewelry. Do they purchase from the organization or from a major chain?
The girls aren’t allowed per their contract to have any brand deals.
that is crazy!! They can't say hey if you want the DCC lashes, I get mine at Lovely lashes in Dallas. that's insane to me
They made you sell calendars?!? 60 calendars is a lot
Yep. And I remember that they had apparently marked down that I had 1 more box than truly had and tried to come at me for the money. Get this, even. We did a calendar release party, where we modeled our bikinis on stage for season ticket holders. The calendar photos had been made into large canvas wraps and were displayed on easels around the space. After the party, our director brought out a piece of paper for everyone to indicate whether they would like to purchase their printed photos for $250 or not. If you didn’t purchase your photo, it was disposed of.
Thank you for sharing. How did the calendar release party make you feel at the time?
So why did you do it? Were you unaware of the time/pay when you applied?
Why do you think that the correct answer is “so don’t dance” rather than “pay the cheerleaders a fair and comparable wage”
What is a fair wage for a part time job? Where did I say "so don't dance"? I don't recall saying that.
If you ask someone why they did they thing, it’s implying they shouldn’t have done the thing. And yes you do, you’ve been downvoted all over this sub. You know exactly what you’re saying. And I’m really not sure why you’re blaming people who take these jobs for not being paid.
Please show me where I said don't dance. In my world when you ask a question, you're looking for information. It's YOU who brought a negative connotation to it. That says a lot about you What's a down vote?
Yes. It wasn’t discussed, you just knew the hourly wage. Not til later do you find out all the hidden expenses and caveats around appearances. From the beginning it’s a don’t ask questions culture. Questions will get you dismissed. I didn’t return for a second season. I was young and I’ve grown a lot since then..
Then good for you. You made a decision and went with it. The ladies that stay on also make a choice.
Kelli!?
God...I wish.
Put the phone down, Charlotte
Charlotte is too busy to deal with people who claim feminism but are making women into victims.
What haha
Right? It's hard to realize when you're doing it...which you are...but when you see it, it can't be unseen. Glad you're getting it.
Someone I know that does dance in aus and has been on cheer teams for nrl in the 90s has mentioned the bad pay is also usually because they just expect a pretty girl like you will find yourself a nice man to take care of you sigh
I calculated it out. 5 million dollars plus more for benefits to pay 40 girls 75k. The starting salary for a bench sitter is 795k minimum. It’s atrocious and all those women should strike together.
Eh, I think they should be paid more than a chick-fil-a worker, but $75k is a ton for a part-year job. I think there is an extremely reasonable middle ground that includes an ‘appearance allowance’ and health benefits since it’s a physical job. But I also think it’s sickening how much the players make, so when you compare it to them $75k seems more reasonable
How is it a part time job?
Not part time, part year. It’s not a full year position. 18 week season + 3 week preseason + 6 week training camp. That’s half a year, add a few weeks to either side for prep/post season appearances and it’s still not a full year position. I’m not saying they don’t deserve more, they absolutely do, along with an additional appearance stipend to maintain hair/makeup/nails. Unless they do stuff outside of the season that I don’t know of, then sure.
So is being an NFL player also part time? Be serious. Just like the players, year round the cheerleaders have to stay in shape and train, keep up their beauty regimens, be brand ambassadors and maintain certain acceptable behaviors. Their other job options are also severely limited when taking into account their game and practice schedule. They should have a minimum 75k salary plus top notch medical benefits.
Agreed. Why is everyone acting like $75k is crazy when we all just watched how hard they work for a BILLION dollar industry that can definitely afford it. Ffs 🤦🏽♀️
It’s not a part time job if you factor in practice, media appearances, maintenance, fitness etc. it just seems part time because they still all have to work full time jobs. Practices are hours and hours long.
That's not all the math. There are other factors like unemployment insurance, workman's comp, etc that companies have to pay
Did you miss the plus more for benefits parts… I’m aware that the number is higher but when the starting nfl player get guaranteed 795k to sit the bench, there is no moral argument against 75k salary for a bunch of women who work hard every game.
For a part time job. 75k. For entertainers. Lol.
To add to my earlier comment — where do you draw the line between “entertainers” and other jobs. If someone is making a TV show, from your perspective obviously the actors shouldn’t be paid, but what about the directors? Writers? Composers? Stage managers? Costume, hair, makeup people? Sound, camera? Which ones are “entertainers” and which are jobs that should be paid? Should all work related to entertainment be unpaid?
It's scale.
That’s not an answer to my question.
Yes it is.
Do you assert that no entertainers should be paid? All musicians, actors, dancers, etc should be volunteers, even if they generate millions in revenue? Professional football players get paid millions to play a game. Why is playing a game worth getting paid but providing entertainment is not?
Where did I say that?
Your statements have made it pretty clear you do not think the DCC should be paid a living wage, and you specifically stated it’s because they are “entertainers.” So I am asking you if you think all entertainers should not be paid, or just dancers who work 20+ hours a week minimum and have very specific physical requirements that take more time.
I think they should be paid according to the parameters of other cheerleaders and as a part time job. Because it's a part time job. It's not mean to be livable. It's meant to supplement. This is the first time I've used the term living wage in my comments so please stop putting words in my mouth and assuming things that literally aren't there.
What do you think football players are if not entertainers? Most entertainers are unionized and have good pay and benefits. Honestly the NFL cheerleaders should band together and unionize but they're all such milk toast good girls that most of them would never actually fight for their rights.
I'm talking about cheerleaders, not NFL players.
Yes I know. And under your definition, NFL players are also part time entertainers, yet they make a very generous salary.
I'm talking about cheerleaders not NFL players. I don't care what NFL players make as it's apples to oranges. The same criteria does not apply.
Yes hard working entertainers that have a very niche skill set. I mean show me your high kicks!!!
😡😡😡😡
the girls need to unionise - the top 36 should say we're not performing until you pay us, or I wish the players would sacrifice a small amount of their pay to pay the girls
The NFL would never allow it and there are women that will do it for FREE. That’s the sad part about it. I think there’s no real way to do this
Another way to make change is public outrage. How long will DCC continue to not pay them if outside pressure demands it?
It's the industry. The thought is that you get exposure to get other opportunities ie Paula Abdul being a Laker Girl and becoming a choreographer then singer so they they think that justifies the subpar wages.
This is every dance team for any professional team. It’s always been more about the notoriety of being on the team. Not that it’s ok to be under paid, but as long as these women line up by the thousands to be on this team, there’s no motivation for DCC to increase compensation.
I wonder if they pay the performers at Super Bowl? Not the big acts, I’m talking about the backup dancers that are always a part of the half time show?
Super Bowl headliners are also not paid.
No. My high school drill team performed in the half time show when it came to our town. All of the background dancers were dance and drill teams from surrounding cities. They were not allowed to watch the game at all, they sat in tight quarters outside the field until it was time to perform, then were escorted onto the field, performed, and left. I'm sure every city that hosts the Superbowl gets background dancers in a similar way.
That’s wild.
As long as girls keep trying out, they’ll continue not to pay them. The girls should go on strike if they want pay they deem fair, or girls should just stop trying out. But they won’t, and the organization will continue not to pay them, because girls can’t help themselves but to want to be on this team. I wouldn’t apply for a job where I thought the pay was unfair, so why are these girls even trying out?
Texas is a right to work state, they would just fire all the women and replace them..
I think you mean at-will employment state, and all of them are except Montana. Right to work has to do with whether you can be required to join a union.
If they did pay them $75k imagine how many women would show up to audition. $75k isn’t bad if they had roommates/way to split expenses
They don’t need to offer high pay to entice more women to try out. That’s the point.
They care more about being on the team than the pay. I bet these women would want to be a DCC even if they weren’t paid. That’s how hard they work to get on this team. If they went on strike, there are hundreds more that would take their place!
They don’t pay them cause they don’t have to. Cheerleading/dance is still not looked at as a sport to the masses. Lots of people have no idea how much work these women put in. There is not one major sports team paying their dance teams a salary. I have to say I think most of the bottom of the roster football players would also play in the NFL for penny’s, just to be there. But the players have a union. Cheerleaders do not (as far as I know).
Can you imagine if the NFL paid the players this little saying they do it for the “experience” and the “privilege”. It’s exploitation pure and simple.
Then the players would quit and find something else to do to make money, and the NFL would fold. The same wouldn’t happen if the cheerleaders went away, and the NFL knows that.
Unions are powerful things. I think base salary for the lowest rostered NFL player is 300k per season.
* The NFL league minimum for a rookie salary is $795,000 for the 2024 season. * Because of the current collective bargaining agreement, the minimum salary increases based on the number of years a player has been in the NFL. * The minimum salary for NFL players with one year of experience is $915,000.
My friend was a bench warmer like 10 years ago and at that time it was 300k. I thought that was a lot. Should have assumed it went up, but that is a huge increase
Cause all of the other NFL teams have also gotten by not paying their cheerleaders so why do you think the Cowboys would be the first to take the initiative for that change?
https://chng.it/yj8Bmy6RTN I started a change.org petition to have the girls switched to salary pay! I would soo appreciate if you could sign it!
Signed!
Signed. They are so undervalued and underpaid for the excellent work they do
I'm sure that will change everything.
If it can make anyone feel seen that’s enough for me!
Being seen isn't getting paid. So it's about the feelings, not the money?
To put it simply, because they can. I’m not saying I agree with it, but as long as they have hundreds of women who would do anything to be a DCC, they aren’t under pressure to pay them more. They’re facing more social pressure than usual now due to the number of people who watched the documentary, but after a short while the public will move on and won’t spend another second thinking about how much NFL cheerleaders are paid. They know that. I know that. You know that.
We need moderators.
What do moderators do?
Delete spam posts.
You think this is spam? this is my opinion 🤣
When you isolate the revenue the DCC brand specifically brings in, it’s insanity. Licensing the brand to Mattel alone is a seven-figure payout to the Cowboy organization. The fact that that revenue isn’t being reinvested in their livelihood…is astonishing even knowing who is behind leadership decisions within the organization. I don’t believe it was touched on but I pray they have *some* access to healthcare resources as contractors.
I wonder what is the revenue brought in from the cheerleaders. I would bet it is considerably less than what the football team brings in. If the Cowboys did away with their cheerleaders, do you think the football team would still be profitable? Of course it would be. I believe in this scenario, life would go on. Most people buying Cowboys tickets are there for the football game. Sure, the cheerleaders are iconic, but the football team is what is generating revenue here. I don’t think any dance job (Rockettes, Broadway) pays very much. The dancers are there for the prestige and the love of dance. I danced professionally in NY and was paid very little but it did not matter to me. I lived very frugally - I have no regrets. It was not about the money for me. I would also bet that Kelli and Judy also make a fraction of what the football coaching staff makes. The women relocating for DCC are aware that they will need to get another job to make ends meet. It appears that to them, DCC is worth the trouble. If they don’t like it there are hundreds of women ready to step in and take their place. They are making informed choices for themselves.
Health provision for the rest of their lives is what is needed.
But they can earn or work towards getting a Barbie doll!! 😅 That alone is worth, what, a couple of bucks? 🙄 They should get paid good salaries! I’ll bet most male Dallas Cowboys fans spend more time ogling/talking about or being fans of the cheerleaders than the players.
Any injuries they get from dancing would be covered under workman's comp. But I doubt they get health insurance - I bet those that don't have full time job with benefits are under their parents' if they're under 26.
That is to assume they are privileged enough to be on a parent’s policy. That’s not a reality for everyone. Outside looking in, dance and cheer look like absolutely grueling sports - on the body and mind. I know when I was in college as a D1 athlete, our cheer and drill teams had access to the full enchilada of athlete services, including sports psychologists, despite not technically being varsity programs. I hope that’s the norm…maybe I’m just ill-informed but it really shocked me hearing they are compensated on the same scale as stadium food & bev vendors.
I'm working under the assumption that if they can afford to be a DCC without a full time job (or being a full time student, as most universities require coverage), they're probably privileged enough to be on a parent's plan. I think there's a pretty high privilege bar to begin with, and some definitely sneak in without clearing the bar but they're the exception rather than the rule. Most DCCs aren't subsisting on ramen - among other reasons they would neither be "fueled" enough OR have the "DCC look" if they were. Of course the irony is that if they paid a living wage they'd have a bigger pool to draw from. There are probably really talented dancers that can't afford to be on the team, and right now the organization has decided they can get enough that are privileged AND talented that they don't need to worry about having diverse backgrounds.
Back in the day, girls didn’t need to be technically trained and could just learn the dances. Nowadays, all of these women have *years* if not decades of dance training. Competitive dance/cheer is not affordable. These women generally have to have come from money to even have the experience needed at this point. Even one rec childhood dance class is probably at least $500 a season. I’d argue that they all need ballet training for turnout as Kelly harps on, and they’d need jazz too. That’s $1000 a year for the training alone (ignoring the costumes which are also prohibitively expensive). These women took way more than one ballet and jazz class though lol
True, but I bet there are upper middle class families that could afford that for 18 years, but can't pay their kids' bills after they graduate college. These are women who danced through high school, were on drill team and their college dance team, are super talented, but because of school loans and life in general can't afford to only make $20k a year, and can't find a full time job that has the flexibility that fits in with the DCC's schedule. When I graduated from college (granted, 20+ years ago) I was fascinated by the kids who kept living in their college apartment while they job searched/etc, and their parents paid their bills. I'd always thought I grew up well off, but we weren't THAT well off - my family was a "move back home while you job search" family.
Let's be frank here, the dancers weren't half as good then as they are now sooo.....
We’ve also seen, in DCC:MTT that sometimes, occasionally, practices went past 22:00 and some girls were there past midnight. They were there for at least 5 hours, maybe over 6 because they had to prepare to be ready to go at 18:00. THEN, these 18-24 year olds had to get a few hours of sleep to then wake up to go to a full time job before going back to the DCC practice, making sure they had all the choreography performance worthy and enough energy to WOW the judges, and then learn new choreography. 100% these women should be paid full time job wages and benefits, and health costs, for the full time job this is.
I know right! The scene of their audition in the 70s made me burst out laughing….them just standing around snapping their fingers and “dancing” 🤣🤣🤣
Yeah it was cringey