The invasive rules never seem to end. After being told what they can and can’t wash with, some cheerleader handbooks also outline how exactly the women should shave.
The rules for shaving don’t even make any sense. It’s better to allow the women to shave in a way that works for their bodies. Most grown adults know how to shave, and being forced to shave in a certain way for your job just isn’t okay.
They Must Regularly Exercise
Cheerleading is a big workout in itself. However, showing up to the constant practices isn’t enough according to the NFL. Many NFL teams demand that their cheerleaders exercise regularly outside of normal practices.
To meet this guideline, the cheerleaders have to pay for gym memberships. It’s yet another bill they have to cover in order to earn their spot of the team.
They Must Accept Low Wages
NFL cheerleaders are strictly forbidden from complaints of any kind, including complaints about their wages. If they do complain, they’ll probably be fired and it’s unlikely they’ll ever feel comfortable enough to ask for a raise.
This mindset really affects the cheerleaders because they’re paid almost nothing. After all the expenses that go into being a cheerleader are deducted, studies found that some girls make as little as $2.85 an hour. Some girls never break even and end up spending much more than they make just to stay on the team.
They Have to Buy Their Own Calendar
Imagine, your job requires you to pose for the annual calendar. But the ridiculous part is that you don’t get your own free copy. Even though there wouldn’t be a calendar without your face joining the rest of the cheerleading squad, you still have to cough up some cash for your own copy.
Surely, letting NFL cheerleaders keep a free copy would be a token of goodwill, but that goodwill doesn’t apply to cheerleaders. The worst part is they can’t even frown in their photoshoots. While some of us are jealous that we’re not the poster girl of the NFL, maybe it just goes to show that the grass isn’t green on the other side – especially, the NFL side-lines.
They Can’t Work as Exotic Dancers
Though working as an exotic dancer isn’t the most elegant way to make ends meet. And though plenty of people will have something to say about the job, it does pay the bills. According to Payscale, an average exotic dancer earns $22.41. That’s more than double the average wages of an NFL cheerleader.
A talented NFL cheerleader might be tempted to work part-time as an exotic dancer. After all, she is a dancer by trade and she’s got the looks. An NFL cheerleader might consider exotic dancing as a way of subsidizing her income, but the moment she does, she’d be kicked to the curb for so much as doing a jiggle on stage. That’s right – exotic dancing is against the NFL’s cheerleading rules.