Four Million Cheerleaders

Which sounds like an awful lot of them. Natalie Guice Adams, Pamela Jean Bettis in Cheerleader! : An American Icon explore American cheerleading history and culture:

Many girls either aspire to be cheerleaders or feel oppressed by them. Dating a cheerleader conveys status on males. These attitudes show up constantly in popular culture, where cheerleaders are often lampooned or maligned by sneering critics, Bettis said.

Cheerleading started as an all-male activity at elite colleges in the East. Hoisting a big megaphone to exhort one’s classmates to victory was a sign of high status.

“If you could lead rowdy students during rowdy football games, you could be a leader in the emerging industrial order,’’ Bettis said. “It was as high status as being quarterback of the football team.’’

Cheerleading — more than just pretty girls