Cheerleader !

An American Icon

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by Natalie Guice Adams and Pamela Jean Bettis

Palgrave

Due/Published November 2003, 244 pages, cloth

ISBN 1403961840

Cheerleaders: Love them, hate them, hate to love them, they are part of everyone's school experiences and memories. 3.8 million cheerleaders participate in competitions or lead cheers at sports events. Going beyond the poms and megaphones, Cheerleader! An American Icon explores how cheerleading reflects our shifting beliefs about sports, entertainment, gender and national identity. Adams and Bettis trace cheerleading's history, from its beginnings 135 years ago as a male leadership activity, through the sexual and sassy era epitomized by the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, to its current incarnation as a physically demanding sport. Integrating history, pop culture, interviews with cheerleaders of all ages and those in the cheerleading business, Adams and Bettis simultaneously celebrate cheerleading and provide a critical analysis of this perennially popular activity.

"This is an impressive and fascinating account of why cheerleaders are both vilified and glorified: why cheerleading enacts both wholesome and erotic facets of American femininity. Adams and Bettis do a terrific job of chronicling the new culture of cheerleading--cheering that goes far beyond traditional stereotypes."--Don E. Merten, Ball State University

"Whether you grew up resenting cheerleaders or wanting to be one, this fascinating account of the history and significance of cheerleading will open your eyes to its unique place in American culture. It is an institution worthy of serious study, and the authors have done justice to it with a foundation of meticulous research, using anecdotal as well as academic sources. Cheerleader! should be required reading for anyone interested in the history of sports or the development of gender roles in this country." -- Sue Macy, author of Winning Ways: A Photohistory of American Women in Sports and editor of Play Like a Girl: A Celebration of Women in Sports