December 22, 2025 • 46 mins
This summer we are curating your Cancelled podcast playlist, bringing you the insanely popular and always funny - Brutally Honest Reviews from our friends on The Spill.
This week, we’re diving pom-poms first into Season 2 of America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, and let’s just say, it’s not all rhinestones and high kicks.
In our brutally honest review, we break down the fights these women took on behind the scenes, from their long-overdue push for better pay, to the toll of representing one of the most iconic (and controlling) sports brands in the world.
Yes, there’s been progress, but we’re also talking about the areas where the system still gets it wrong, especially when it comes to diversity, body image, and the pressure to be "perfect."
We unpack the surprising twists, the darker moments you might not expect, and the very real power dynamics at play, on and off the field.
Plus, Ksenija shares her insider scoop from the modelling world, drawing some striking (and frankly disturbing) parallels between runway life and the DCC machine: the unattainable beauty standards, the constant critiques, and the pressure to smile through it all.
LISTEN:
Want more Brutally Honestly Reviews? Get these in your ears:
A Brutally Honest Review Of Call Her Daddy's Alex Cooper
A Brutally Honest Review Of Sirens On Netflix
A Brutally Honest Review Of With Love Meghan
READ:
Want all the DCC details you can get your hands on? We've got you covered:
'The problem that ruined season 2 of America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders for me.'
6 behind-the-scenes facts that will change the way you watch Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
'There was one Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders scene that made my jaw drop, but I don’t know why I was surprised.'
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
You're listening to a mum of mea podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Mama Maya acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters
that this podcast is recorded on Hello. It is Jesse
here and I'm dropping in to tell you that this
summer we are curating a very special podcast playlist for you.
We are bringing you the insanely popular and always funny,
brutally honest reviews from our friends on the Spill, from
(00:38):
the top TV shows of the year, to the biggest
movies of twenty twenty five which.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
You may have only just had the chance to watch.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
And of course some classics. The Spill gives you completely
unfiltered and real takes, as well as easter eggs and
behind the scenes gossip. This is your summer listening sorted
and if you are looking for more to listen to,
if you are just binging podcast this holiday season, every
Muma Mea podcast is curating your summer listening right across
(01:06):
our network. From pop culture to beauty to powerful interviews,
there's something for everyone. There is a link in our
show notes.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Hello, and welcome to the Spill, your daily pop culture fixed.
I'm em Burnham and.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
I'm Casena Luki.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
My god, I love it when we're podcasting. We hardly
ever podcasting.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
I know, I know. It's usually me and Laura or
me and Laura and Laura.
Speaker 5 (01:34):
So it is nice to do a show together, and
particularly today because today we are doing a brutally honest
review of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
Yes, and boy do I have a lot to say.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Oh my god, we love our brutally honest reviews. I
feel like everyone loves our brutally honest reviews the most.
Can I say that this and Weekend Watch I feel
like big contender for us. But brutally honest reviews is
basically we usually wait a week after a particular TV
show or movie has come out, just to make sure
everyone's watched it and everyone's digested so we can give
(02:07):
our hard hitting thoughts.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
They're always spoilers.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
In these reviews, So if you haven't watched America's Sweethearts
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, you have to watch it first before
you listen to this episode. So pause here, go quickly
watch all seven episodes on Netflix, and then come back
and listen. We are a part of each other's lives forever.
Speaker 6 (02:26):
Hour you know what we're going to do's weddings. You're like,
when we make this team, we're gonna make it together
because we're such good friends.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
But them it doesn't always end up like that.
Speaker 7 (02:42):
We are really excited that there's a lot of new
girls every year. The talent just gets better and better
and better.
Speaker 6 (02:50):
We've always been told there's one hundred more girls.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
I would love to do this job.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Everyone's gonna say, well, they're just cheerleaders. We're really good cheerleaders.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Yeah, but work costs.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
I mean, I churned through it in a in a day.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
It is so good.
Speaker 5 (03:08):
I look, I'm a huge fan of these kinds of shows.
I will remember watching Making a Team, which is kind of.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Look, did you watch Making a Team when it came out?
Speaker 5 (03:17):
Not when it first came out. I watched it a
few years ago though, but like, I was a bit
of a fan of that before. So I knew Judy
and Kelly before. You know, this first season came out
on Netflix, which is when kind of the majority of
the world would have seen them. But you know, despite
the fact that we all really love it, there are
definitely a couple of things in the show that I
(03:38):
really want to like dive into a little bit.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Okay, good, because I remember when season one came out
last year. The grip it had on society and culture
was just insane. Like everything we wrote on it here
among me, every time we spoke about it on the podcast,
people just wanted more and more and more. There were
so many storylines to dive deep into. There were so
(04:01):
many big takeaways from it. The biggest thing that came
from season one was when audiences realized how little these
women were paid, and that is a big plot line
for season two, because I think the best thing about
season two is the success of season one has driven
a lot of the storylines for season two. We're seeing
(04:21):
these women like be pushed into this whole new area
of fame where so many of them are like considered
B listers. Now everyone knows their name and their faces
and they just wanted to cheer for a team essentially,
and they've just become these massive superstars. So we will
be talking a lot about that. But also if you
haven't watched season one, you have to watch that as well.
It is just an absolute culture phenomenon, Like everyone is
(04:44):
obsessed with it. But let's get into.
Speaker 5 (04:46):
It, Okay, I think let's we will get into some
of the pay stuff and some of the deepest storylines.
But I first of all, really wanted to start with
some of the body image and mental health stuff that
we've seen through season two.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
Now.
Speaker 5 (05:03):
It was a bigger story in season one, particularly Victoria,
who we know she left at the end of season one.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
She's gone on to now be a.
Speaker 5 (05:10):
Rocket, which she's auditioning for the Rockets.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Now.
Speaker 5 (05:15):
She was pretty open about her eating disorder and the
way that the pressure that is put on these girls
to be in peak physical condition. Throwing back to making
the team, they're a lot more to the point about it,
because this is like the twenty tens, so it was
okay to call a woman fat who had zero percent
(05:37):
body fat.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
I've seen some clips of making the Team on TikTok
and it seems very similar to Next Top Model.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
It was. It's very Next Top Model coded.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Whereas like here, it feels a bit they're like kind
of tiptoeing.
Speaker 5 (05:47):
Around it, and I think they're doing this on purpose
because of the backlash that it would have gotten. So
there is a particular scene where Kelly is talking about
one of the girls she's in the kick line. They're like,
oh my god, look at her rolls. They cut to
the poor girl she's she's kicking her leg up into
the in line with her nose and her skin is
rolling over and then they put like a sound effect
(06:09):
on it, like.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Oh my god, it's awful.
Speaker 5 (06:13):
Wait in season two, no making the team, this is
y I did that. I just want to contextualize it
a little bit.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
That's gross.
Speaker 5 (06:20):
So season two, there's no one outwardly saying you need
to be in shape. They don't talk about it, but
it is under everything. Yeah, a lot of the girls
talk about the pressure, the anxiety and the pressure to
be in this certain shape.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
You know.
Speaker 5 (06:37):
We see them going and eating burgers and takeaway in
Chick fil A, and they talk about all of that.
But where I'm coming from, where I watch it from,
I watch it through a lens of I was a
model from the time I was eighteen to twenty four,
so it's not a huge amount of time, but I
was pretty and this is in like two thousand and eight,
so we're talking kind of the peak of this like
(06:58):
top model, really high pressure environment in terms of like
body image. The modeling industry is very well known for
being very very hard on women's bodies. I experienced it
a lot in my early years. I have many memories.
I remember one time I was in Paris and I
(07:19):
had someone looked at my book and went, you would
be modeling for five minutes. You are very fat, like
to my face. Oh and I'm eighteen years old, and
I was.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
Like fifty kilos.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Oh my god.
Speaker 5 (07:31):
I remember being told they loved you, they just need
you to lose five kilos.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
I just a casual five kilo.
Speaker 5 (07:37):
I've been told, oh, you look like you just ate
a big bowl of past start when I was doing
a bikini photo shoot, even though I had starved myself
for three days. Like So, this is where my brain
goes when I watched this show, because even though they
don't say it, there is an undercurrent there. I can
see it in all of these girls, that the amount
of pressure they are pulled under to be in peak
(08:01):
physical condition with not an inch to pinch, and they
say these things. They their words for fat are she's
looking at it more womanly at the moment, Oh, you
look really shapely. We just really want the girls to
fuel their bodies. Yeah, And it's so passive aggressive because
(08:22):
they can't outwardly say it anymore. And from my point
of view, watching these poor girls, who are all incredibly
talented athletes, the dancers, athletes, you see how hard they
work and the way that their bodies look. But those
outfits are like they are scrutinized within an inch of
(08:44):
their life.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
I always see it when in the scenes, and a
lot of Season two is like the structure is very
repetitive of Season one in the sense where the first
few episodes are about like the auditions and the rookies
and the rookies getting cut and trying to make the
team and the makeover and then putting their uniforms on.
So it's the same pattern, but I think season two
dives harder into the storylines.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
But you're right.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
Every time they do that a specific episode of where
they're trying on the classic Dallas Cowboys cheerleader's uniform. I
look at that uniform and I'm like, where is Like,
how are you able to measure these women and scrutinize
their looks when they literally all look quote unquote stereotypically
(09:27):
perfectly thin, Like they actually look perfect Like I look
at those tiny white shorts that they wear, and I'm like,
I could never wear those shorts. Firstly, my volver is
longer than those shorts. Oh, like she would be hanging out.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
I had two kids.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
There's no way up putting shorts.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
No way those shorts will fit on like my right arm.
And that's it.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
You know What's interesting though, if you went back, if
you were like, if you really wanted to get into
the DTCC universe, I would highly recommend going back and
watching Making a Team. I don't think it's on any
streaming services. I think you have come to kind of
pay on like Apple or something.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
Okay, you have to pay for it, but it's so
much better now.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
And I know you're saying you look at these women
and you see them as perfectly skinny, and like, yeah,
straight side. I can tell you right now some of
the girls in there would not have made the team
in the early twenty like that's in twenty teens because
of they've got more athletic butts or legs. I saw
more diversity in this second season of that was doubles
(10:27):
cheerleaders than I did in the early seasons of making
the team.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
Isn't that insane?
Speaker 1 (10:31):
That is actually insane because.
Speaker 5 (10:33):
From our perspective, you would look at those goals and
go they've all got perfect bodies. Yeah, but I'm telling
you right now that the standards that they had Judy
and Kelly had back then, and the way that they
used to say it, and if you want to have.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Those standards and they just can't say it, and they're
probably hating themselves for not being able to say it.
Speaker 5 (10:52):
I can tell you right now they do say it,
but they don't say it went in front of the
camera because they know they would be backlash. And I
guess that's all of this to say, even though they're
not saying it outwardly, and you can hear Judy and
Kelly being like, we really want the girls to fuel
themselves and it's really important they're focusing on fitness and nutrition.
Those are all coded words of if you don't fit
(11:13):
into your uniform, you're going to be.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
A cup from a team.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Yeah, Okay, like.
Speaker 5 (11:18):
I can almost. I don't know if they still do
this now, but I remember again when I was modeling,
I used to have to go into my agency when
I was living in Tokyo. I used to have to
go into my agency every week and they would weigh
me and measure me if I gained weight, they would
hold back my PERDM so they would keep my pocket
money away from me, so I couldn't.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Buy food that is legal. That's insane.
Speaker 5 (11:42):
I was nineteen, and I'm telling you right now these
girls would be under that same kind of pressure.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
It feels wild to me.
Speaker 5 (11:50):
Yeah, maybe I am overthinking it. Maybe this is just
like my old trauma.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Maybe this is like a trauma response for me.
Speaker 5 (11:55):
But I swear I look at that, and I go,
I can see the way these girls are responding, and
how young they are, how hard they're working out.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
It's a trigger response for sure, because you're hearing those
words and seeing their reactions. But even the way they
respon bond to Kelly and Judy's criticism no matter what,
like that yes, yes, ma'am having to call them ma'am.
And then even that one scene where Kelly, who came
back again this season to try it again because she
didn't she got cut as a rookie last season. She's
(12:24):
the one who famously they made her go brunette and
then they cut her. She came back, what a trooper.
But I remember this one specific scene when they were
doing the call in to try on the uniforms and
she got the time wrong, like they sent her two links.
She clicked one link and it said one time and
the other links at a different time, and she didn't
see the other link, so she went in a tiny
bit late. And Kelly immediately said, if this was a
(12:49):
game day, you would have missed the bus, and she
just like broke down crying.
Speaker 7 (12:52):
I'm so sorry.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
I clicked the wrong link and on this link it
said I was at five.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
Well, let's says Courtney, because this could be a game
baby bus that you miss Yes, ma'am, can you explain
to Kelly she's looking at a link this is five.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
No, you're looking at sign up genius.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
So I wrote update, please check your correct time in
that attached file.
Speaker 5 (13:14):
So go to files.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
This is where, and then you'll check it here and
then if you scroll down you'll kid.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
If that was a gang day best Kelly, you had missed.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
It, yes, ma'am.
Speaker 6 (13:26):
H it's just frustrating because like everything I want to
do is perfect. I just want everything to go perfect,
and everything has been going really well so far, and
then I just don't want them to like I shouldn't
be getting emotional about something like this.
Speaker 7 (13:43):
It's just it's.
Speaker 6 (13:44):
Something I could have been avoided if I, like, I
guess quadruple checked. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
She's like, I don't want them to have like any
little hint of like anything that will make me get caught.
And I'm like, these two women hold so much power
over all of these young girls. And when I saw
that scene of her breaking down crying, I was like, Oh,
this is so unhealthy.
Speaker 5 (14:04):
And you can see that that power as well with
the difference in the energy between the rookies and the veterans,
like you can see.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
It really clearly.
Speaker 5 (14:12):
The rookies are literally yes, mamming every because particularly when
in a team like this, well, if you walk away,
there's one hundred girls lined up. Again, I've been told
that before by someone. They said, you can leave, but
there's one hundred girls who would want to take your job.
Speaker 4 (14:28):
In a second. So that phrasing.
Speaker 5 (14:31):
They have been told that from day dot they are
lucky to be there.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
So these rookies, they are working.
Speaker 5 (14:38):
Their butts off to make Kelly Judy and sort of
to a even bigger extent, Charlotte Jones, to make them happy.
And you can see the way they look at them,
like we'll do an I'll do anything to be on
this team or.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
Even that random panel of judges that give them the
first go. Initially, yeah, like the.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
Weather reporter, I'm like, what, why why do you have?
Speaker 6 (15:00):
Like?
Speaker 5 (15:03):
But the veterans, you can see they're kind of a
little bit more confident in their power.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
They're a bit more confident in there.
Speaker 5 (15:07):
And that is why I have so much effect for
someone like Jada, who really spearheading this whole, you know,
being paid what there was.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Yeah, I really really respect her for that.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
She was introduced in a really interesting way, like her
thing from the get go has been I really want
to be a team leader. I really want to lead
these girls, but I want to do it my way.
I don't want to do it Judy or Kelly's way.
And when she said that line, I was like, Oh,
something's going to happen. But I also want to touch
on back to the diversity stuff. I feel like a
(15:40):
big pushback from season one was the lack of diversity,
which is really interesting how you said it was even
worse in making the team so much use so season one,
I remember I wrote a think piece about a rookie
named Anisha who got cut, who was off South Asian heritage,
and I wrote about how important was to see someone
who looks like you do something that you couldn't even
(16:01):
imagine someone who looks like you did does and she
made it, but then she got cut, and then you
just suddenly slowly saw and it wasn't like a big
deal in the show, but when you put it all together,
you slowly saw all the women of color rookies get
cut from that first initial season, and you saw some
rookies like Kelly Charlie Reese who are now back in
season two. They had really strong storylines that we followed throughout,
(16:24):
and everyone else was kind of there in the background,
and I feel it was a bit tontick, very tokenistick,
like you would see them there so they're like, yep,
you can see them, ye yeah, there we go all done.
And there was this one point where Anisha was like
cugging another rookie and she was like, you have to
do this for the you have to do this for
the brown girls, and I was just like, so beautiful.
(16:46):
But I feel like season two, like what you said,
I'm seeing these veterans who have apparently been there for
four or five years, did not see them at all.
In season one are now at the forefront of the
whole of season two with their storylines like Jada, like Shandy,
and they're also the team leaders, which I feel like
is like very very rare, amani like they're all like
have such brilliant, great storylines. So I feel like I'm
(17:09):
really happy that DCC has taken that on board, because
I think it was a very loud voice from the
public saying this is really messed up how all the
women of color scentually got cut. But one of our
entertainment writers, Chelsea, wrote a brilliant piece about Alison Kong,
who is a woman of Asian heritage. Do you remember
Alison in season two? No, it's because she wasn't interviewed once.
(17:34):
She was like one of the rookies, like was there
and she got chosen to be on the team, and
you probably saw her three times in the background. And
Chelsea's piece is so well linked in the show notes.
Chelsea's piece is so well done because very similar of
how I felt with a Niche in season one. Chelsea
saw this woman who has like the same heritage as
her getting completely snubbed by the cameras and the fact
(17:57):
that she was a rookie and made it into the
actual team, and you see glimpses of her dancing and
she's not getting any like negative feedback. She's nailing it.
She's doing it so well. And I feel like the
US is like so multicultural, and it feels like this
is one of those sports that hasn't been as good
at being multicultural, and yet they are, but they're still
choosing to not follow those certain storylines. What I did like, though,
(18:20):
was when they were doing the makeover episode and we
didn't see this in season one, but we were introduced
to Rosemary, who's a hair stylist and she specializes in
making wigs for black women, and we were able to
see Ariel, who was a rookie, and Amani, who has alopecia,
get their wigs made. And I was just like, that
is not like it shouldn't be amazing, It should be
(18:42):
the bare minimum. But the fact that like we have
this woman who's as amazing as Rosemary, there as a
job to be able to like work on black hair.
Speaker 5 (18:52):
You say that she see how what she says she's got,
She's gonna be hired recently.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
Because apparently in making the team, and this is I
say apparently because I read a Reddit threat.
Speaker 4 (19:00):
I have seen making the team and what.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
They had to bring their wigs in.
Speaker 5 (19:03):
Yes, they would have to bring their own wigs in
the black girls or they would have girls who didn't
know how to do black or textured hair would be
doing it and completely destroy their hair. And you saw
that a lot in Top Model as well back in
the day, like any girl with like textured hair anything
different to like a one a like four sea hair
(19:24):
like they didn't know how to deal with it. And
I was very happy to see that at least one.
I love how they let Jada wear her natural hair.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Oh that's really beautiful.
Speaker 5 (19:35):
Very early on in making the team, none of the
girls had their natural hair. They were all wearing like
Dallas hair like right, so I guess there is like
again bare minimum, like the bars on.
Speaker 4 (19:48):
The floor here.
Speaker 6 (19:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (19:49):
But I did love Armani's storyline with her alopecia. They
thought that was really beautiful when she went out and
did it without her wig, gone you much how scary
that would have been.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
She looked stunning, she looked beautiful. I think what they
really honed in in amiani storyline about alopecia is that
with Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. Yes, you have to be the
best in the world. Yes, you have to be super
super fit and agile, and you have to just work work,
works so hard, but you also just have to look
(20:19):
like a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. And a lot of people
get cut because they don't look it. And the fact
that Amani was able to go out there without her
wig and not just a cheerleader, but I feel like
a woman in general. Right. Oh, we always say hair's
not a big deal, but hair is everything. Fleabag taught
us that hair is everything, and it's like something that's
so intrinsic to being a woman and the where you
(20:41):
wear your hair, the way you style it. And with
Dallas Cowboys cheerleader's like hair is a big part of
the routine.
Speaker 5 (20:46):
Well, haiography, you know when they do their hair, flick
up it. She sees how hot shandy.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
Is that photo that's just gone by, and she goes.
Speaker 4 (20:56):
Like, I, honestly, I want to kind of do it now. Wait,
I'm gonna do it.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Okay, she's gonna do it.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
Okay, she guys, yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
And her hair is just like looks had I'm not
Oh my gosh, it is stunning. We should actually get
up producer money in here, because she actually knows the
entire routine.
Speaker 6 (21:13):
She knows.
Speaker 4 (21:16):
I'm a terrible dancer, so.
Speaker 5 (21:19):
But she that was And like you said, the hair
is such an important part of like femininity, sexuality. It
is intrinsically tied in with beauty for a lot of women.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
And I think it was so brave for Amani to
do that game without her wigs because I just know
she's not the only woman with alopecia. There are so
many women with alopecia. There are so many young girls
with alopecia who feel like if you have a condition,
you can't do certain things. And I think she's proof
that you can. And it was it was just such
a well done tie in. But yeah, I feel like
(21:54):
a lot of the stuff that happened last season, in particular,
they've tried to address it this season. And one of
the big things that they went over this season was
the pay.
Speaker 5 (22:05):
Pay Now Again, it's like this kind of passive aggressive
way that they're trying to address it without actually addressing it.
It's like because Judy and Kelly, you know, they can't
talk about it, you know, they've been specifically told by
Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders the Headhorn shows, they have been specifically
told you cannot talk to.
Speaker 4 (22:23):
Netflix about the girl's pay.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (22:25):
The way that they tried to be like look at
all these perks. That one episode where they talk through
after all they've made the team, they do like this sponsorship.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Oh yeah, it's like a little like it was like
a series of presentation.
Speaker 5 (22:38):
Yeah, it's like a presentation of this is what you
can get from us. You get free hair from us,
you can get free spray tands, you can so and
they both are free botox, free fellers.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
All we ask is that you tag us on socials.
Speaker 5 (22:49):
And they have this little like clip with one of
the girls standing there and they pan up her and
it goes to show all the sponsorshows all the sponsors,
and Kelly's going, you know, you know, like it's I'm
not I was gonna try and do this Southern accent
and a chickened out And I literally said it out
(23:11):
loud when I was watching it. She's going, you know,
these girls they get like so many Now this is California, Okay,
I'm not going to do it. These girls they get
all of these perks, like this is one of the
great things about being a Dallas Cowboys children. You get fitness,
you can make up, like look nails everything. Back in
my day you didn't even get any of that. We
had to pay for all of it, and it's expensive.
(23:32):
And I literally screamed at the TV.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
But that doesn't pay their rent. Yeah, Like I screamed
at the TV.
Speaker 5 (23:38):
And then it wasn't until like two episodes later that
I think it was either Armani or Jada was like,
it's great that we get all these things, but it
doesn't pay our rent.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Yeah, one hundred percent. And we saw later on in
the show pay being quite important to the girls, especially
the veterans. And this was off the back of season
one where all everyone could talk about was how little
these girls were being paid. And a big part of
season one was the headhonhows of DCC saying their payment
(24:08):
is getting to be a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader's for the
honor of it. It's for the honor of it.
Speaker 7 (24:12):
They're not paid a lot, But the facts are is
that they actually don't come here for the money. They
come here for something that's actually bigger than that to them.
They have a passion for dance. There are not a
lot of opportunities in the field of dance and to
get to perform at an elite level. It is about
being a part of something bigger than themselves.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
And we found out that that mascot gets paid more
than them that the football players are on millions and
millions and millions of dollars, and these girls are getting
paid pennies to the point where they have to sustain
themselves by finding other work. Don't forget that a lot
of these girls move to Texas for this job, so
then they have to find another job in a new town.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Yeah, to have sustain themselves.
Speaker 5 (24:56):
Again, it really gets me because it's like for the
honor of it. And again I'm going to tie this
back to modeling, because I had this experience many times
when I was working in magazines, like for magazine covers.
Speaker 4 (25:07):
I did a number of.
Speaker 5 (25:08):
Like these like covers back in the day, one hundred
and fifty dollars for the whole day for a cover,
after tax commission all of that, I think I ended
up with like fifty dollars. Yeah, and that hadn't changed
for twenty years. And I used to do when I
used to do fashion weeks. Some of the designers would
pay you in clothes that would pay you contra so
like again, it really it really pisses me off because
(25:30):
it's like you're not paying like all of these these
The honor of it is great, Yes, it is an
honor to be in this team. There are only a
finite number of women who have been.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
A part of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.
Speaker 5 (25:42):
We know that it does not mean they don't deserve
to be paid a livable wait.
Speaker 3 (25:49):
There was a point in the show where we saw
a few of the veterans get together to discuss the
payment issue. It looked like it was spearheaded by Amanda
and Jada on the team, and they were on the
skype call with I think there was about five of them,
and they were saying that when we get the contracts,
we're gonna dispute the pay, So before you sign, we're
(26:09):
going to dispute. They and a few of the girls
on that call also said that if they don't get
what they want, then they're willing to step down and
give their position to another girl. And I think it
just showed how serious that these women take it, and
not only that, but like how bloody smart they are. Yeah,
like they know their worth and especially Jada, who's like
who's always said from the beginning of the season that
(26:31):
she wants to do things her way and be a
leader her way. Like the amount of care they have
for the rookies, and they want the rookies to succeed,
and they were so nervous that they didn't want the
rookies to get the bad idea because these rookies are
literally working their guts off, only to be told by
veterans just letting you know, we're doing this thing about pay.
When you get your contract, don't sign it.
Speaker 5 (26:50):
And you know what, what's interesting, And again it was
very it was glossed over. When they did get their contracts,
the lawyers and hrs said, well, if you don't sign it,
you're still bound by it.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
Yeah, so the girls actually.
Speaker 4 (27:04):
Didn't even sign the contract.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
No, and like, yeah, it's just such a messy situation.
Speaker 6 (27:09):
It is. It is.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
One hundred was also highly anticipated by the higher ups.
Speaker 5 (27:13):
These higher ups, they they have capitalized on these women
from calendars to you know them selling Like, yes, the
brand itself is iconic, but these girls make that brand
and the fact that they can't even pay them a
livable hourly pay is absolutely disgusting. I'm so so happy
that they got a four hundred percent increase.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
Yes, and which was great, but it happened. We're also
while a lot of them retired, so like Jada, for example,
doesn't get that increase, but she thought for that, which
is absolutely amazing. We don't actually know how much they
are getting paid. We only know the four hundred percent
increase as reported by the New York Times, but it
just shows. I think they were aiming for like seventy
(27:57):
five dollars an hour, and it just shows like it
does work. Like and I it is really good that
after season one that everyone made a big deal about it,
Like it wasn't just these girls going we should get paid.
It was like everyone across the world going, yeah, you
should get paid more.
Speaker 5 (28:13):
But I mean, I think it's disappointing that they didn't
even start this season off with just giving them more money.
And what I did notice is that Charlotte didn't do
any talking heads this season.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
She came in for like two sets, like we saw
her for two secons, but.
Speaker 5 (28:25):
She didn't do like any piece cameras, whereas last season.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
Season one, she.
Speaker 5 (28:30):
Did, and I think it's because she got so much
backlash from season one because she was talking about at
what an honor it is, and then the season two
she's not really in it. The only time that she
comes in it is during the judging and then also
to announce that these are the girls that have made
the team.
Speaker 3 (28:47):
Yeah, it's so interesting. I feel like what really stuck
with me in terms of like the payment for all
of this is literally right at the end of the
last episode where they've finished the whole season, and they
make this so dramatic, but they come into a room
with Judy and Kelly sitting there and they kind of like,
so each girl recaps and reflects their season, and then
(29:09):
she just whether she wants to audition for the next season,
and if she wants to audition for the next season,
then she takes her Dallas Cowboys cheerleader's uniform and puts
it on the left rack. If she doesn't want to
audition for the season, she takes a uniform and puts
it on the right rack. And Amanda, who was part
of the whole Let's get paid More, kind of threw
a spanner in the works and basically said, I don't
(29:31):
feel valued here. I know I'm valued more than this,
and I just don't feel it here, So I'm not
gonna come back. And Juty and Kelly were like, Okay.
They were so shocked you could tell they were fuming
on the inside.
Speaker 5 (29:44):
But again, I know this is the thing. So Kelly
and Judy, I don't doubt that they care about these girls.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
I don't doubt that. I don't doubt that.
Speaker 5 (29:53):
Like, I don't think Kelly and Judy are getting paid
as much as what people think they are.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
I'm not getting paid as much as Charlote Jones is
getting no exactly.
Speaker 5 (30:00):
Like Kelly's house was very modest, Like it was a
lovely home, but it was a modest home considering she's
been heading up the Dallas Cowboys chewer leaders for what thirty.
Speaker 4 (30:09):
Years or something like. She's been a part of the
organization for a long time. I don't think she's on
like crazy, crazy money. I'm sure she's doing just fine.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
You can also hear some annoyance in their voices because
they were Dallas Cowboys treats.
Speaker 5 (30:21):
And it's almost like a it's like I did it
for the love of it.
Speaker 4 (30:25):
You have no idea. How about it was when I
and I hate that.
Speaker 5 (30:29):
I don't like that justification of things because the whole
point of things is that we learn and grow and improve. Right,
we should look at that as a society and go,
these girls deserve more.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
They deserve more than fifty bucks.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
Again they do that is insane.
Speaker 5 (30:46):
And to think about what they're putting their bodies through,
Like think about those jump splits that they're doing. Almost
all of them have like hip issues, knee issues, joint problems.
Speaker 3 (30:53):
We're all hobbling into that. Shandy wasn't like as he was.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
In like a full hip thing.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
She was on crutches.
Speaker 4 (31:02):
Like these women are putting their bodies through a lot.
Speaker 5 (31:05):
And I'm really passionate about it because it really bothers
me because it reminds me I have been told so
many times in this like entertainment industry, modeling industry, you
should be grateful. Do you have any people would want
to be in your position?
Speaker 7 (31:17):
No?
Speaker 4 (31:17):
One sense. That's a man.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
That's so true. And I say that to a man
except for the mascot, but saying it to.
Speaker 4 (31:22):
You, Yeah, you don't deserve what you're getting paid.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
Roman hat.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
I think also with the whole pay thing. A big
part of the push that they were able to get
that four hundred percent pay increase was because of the
public perception of that entire show.
Speaker 1 (31:38):
And we also saw in.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
Season two that the publicity of season one really changed
the formatting of what it takes to be a Dallas
Cowboys cheerleader. What I found really interesting was right in
the beginning, before we even saw the auditions, they were
saying that they had twelve spots to fill in for rookies,
which was the biggest amount of rookies they had to
fill in in the past five years. And then later
(32:01):
in the season you find out that a lot of
the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, not a lot, but there's a
fair few have actually left being a cheerleader to pursue
other things like influencing.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Yeah, and now a.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
Lot of these girls who have to have a part
time job on top of being a cheerleader have taken
up influencing. And that's great because we know that like again,
like Reese has her cooking channel, like good on her,
get that bad girl like you just serve that, and
that's going to be a lot easier for them to
tie in with their commitments at Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders than
you know, a typical nine to five. And what's really
(32:34):
interesting is seeing Judy and Kelly trying to navigate this
newfound fame for their cheerleaders because the rules of being
a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader hasn't changed regardless of how famous
they are. Like, we saw little snippets of girls being
cut because of what they've been posting on their Instagram
and things like they have to now manage these girls
reaching this new found fame. And I think that really
(32:56):
came to lights during the Bahamas trip.
Speaker 5 (32:59):
These few episodes were very like there was the whole
Bahamas storyline with Shandy. So basically they all go to
the Bahamas to have this, you know, it's like a
vacation for the whole tape.
Speaker 4 (33:11):
It's like a treat to the girls. Again.
Speaker 5 (33:13):
You're so lucky you get to go to the Bahamas,
but we're not going to pay you any money.
Speaker 4 (33:16):
Anyway, they go to the Bahamas, they're all having this
wonderful time.
Speaker 3 (33:19):
They're all posting on the stage, they're all posting.
Speaker 5 (33:21):
On these socials, and then all of a sudden, Shandy's
taking a leave of absence.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
Yeah, and then you see this shot of them on
the bus ride back and they're all just like sad
and solemn, and.
Speaker 4 (33:30):
There was just like this kind of cat and then
it was like she's taking.
Speaker 3 (33:33):
A leave of everyone's Like something happened at the Bahamas?
Speaker 4 (33:35):
Can you explain it to me?
Speaker 5 (33:36):
Because even now, like I understand what happened, but I
don't really. I'm Also, she had a boy in her room.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
So there's a few things that happened. So Shandy is
one of my favorite people in the show. I feel
like she's been through so much. She was so honest
about opening up about her history. She had an ex
partner that she alleged physically abused her while she was
a DCC, Like she said that she was showing up
(34:02):
with bruises on her She's come from such an upsetting,
traumatic place, and the fact that she's still able to
do this and also be a team leader and do
it well is just outstanding to me.
Speaker 5 (34:14):
She you know, she she came from she was adopted
into her family, her parents split up, then her dad
just basically said, I don't want to have anything to
do with you anymore.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
Like so awful.
Speaker 3 (34:27):
She's had like an awful, awful time growing up and
this Bahamas trip, So this was meant to be like
kind of like a teen get together, a big trip
for the girls only. And she goes on this trip.
And what happened is that she was talking about her
relationship a lot, and she was saying how because of
like everything that's happened with her, Like it is a
(34:48):
hard relationship. So both her and a partner decided to separate,
to split up. This wasn't known before we found out
about the Bahamas trip, but she said it. During the
Bahamas trip, she said she met a guy that she
got on really really well with and she brought him
back up to her hotel room. She said, nothing happened,
they just like talked a lot.
Speaker 4 (35:06):
Still like but still she's a twenty five year old old.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
She brought this man back to up to a hotel room.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
That was the biggest scandal of the season.
Speaker 3 (35:13):
Like what it was like, I said it.
Speaker 5 (35:17):
I get it too, like a certain extent, if there's
another girl in there that you're like, but have meant
do you guys ever been in a Kenticki trip, Because way
whilther than that, I.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
Think it was the fact that I don't know. I
feel like when you go on these girls, firstly, it's
a work trip for them essentially, and it's like all girls,
a lot of them are married in long term partnerships,
and I think it's when you're mixing those girls with
like and also a lot of them are like the
born bred Texas girl, very Christian, very Christian, very conservative,
(35:46):
very conservative, and I think when you're mixing that type
of girl with the girl who's like freshly single, who
meets someone who's like looking for an escapism, it clashes. Yeah,
And one of the biggest rules for these trips was
like you can't let strangers into the hotels, into your
bedrooms because you're also like sharing rooms with other girls
and stuff like that, because I don't get paid to
(36:07):
the sharing rooms. And I think it was extra important
that she didn't do something like this now because they
are much more famous now, so people know who they are.
So if you were to bring a stranger into your room,
there might be a possibility that they actually know who
you are, and it could get a bit like dangerous
for the women. So I see the danger aspect of
that bringing a man into a room that are like
(36:28):
full of young women. I did think they overdramatized it
because she was suspended for a bit, and then when
she was suspended, kay Diana took her spot as team leader.
Now it's very obvious who the team leaders are because
they're at the forefront of the pyramids, the point of
the triangle, the point of the triangle. So what happened
here and this is what we saw blow up last
(36:49):
year because this what we're seeing now on DCC is
actually last season's kind of team twenty four.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
So when this happened.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
Last year, I just remember, like socials, like my instagram
read it just comments and comments and comments on like
the DCC instagram of going what happened to Shandy? Where
is Shandy?
Speaker 1 (37:07):
She injured?
Speaker 3 (37:08):
What happened?
Speaker 1 (37:08):
Because no one.
Speaker 3 (37:09):
Actually addressed it. And I also think this is quite
shitty for k Deana as well, because she got pushed
into being like a team leader without the DCC team
even addressing why she's a team leader or why it's
not Shandy and this is meant to be a career
defining moment for her, and all the comments about her
are just wear Shandy.
Speaker 5 (37:27):
And by the way, apart from that last episode, she
wasn't in this season.
Speaker 3 (37:33):
No, she wasn't classic at all classic.
Speaker 5 (37:36):
So it was all of a sudden she popped up
and oh, by the way, you're not She's no longer
a DCC and I'm leaving.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
Yeah, Like it was so weird. Okay, so this was
all happening. And then what happened last year was like,
as all this commentary was going on, Katana decided to
go on TikTok Live and to just like do like
a bit of a Q and A. One of the
questions was what's happened to Shandy? And this is what
she said. I'm gonna make a video on that one day.
Speaker 1 (38:03):
One day I will talk about the whole thing.
Speaker 6 (38:06):
So the story could stuck with the breast and so
the story can where someone's screen recorded it, put it
on Reddit.
Speaker 1 (38:13):
They blew it up.
Speaker 6 (38:15):
I didn't even talk about Charnie, never said Shandy's name.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
She then said on the show, so this is now DCC.
On the show, she said, I got a call from staff.
They said I was under investigation for being a bully
and harassing. I was officially suspended. At that point, I
just told myself that I needed to take myself out
of the organization and that I needed to respect myself.
Come on, that's right, And she didn't get to go
(38:39):
to the banquet, the last thing that they all get
to go.
Speaker 5 (38:41):
This is where we kind of see like a little
bit of Kelly and Judy's favoritism.
Speaker 3 (38:45):
Okay, yeah, you reckon.
Speaker 5 (38:47):
Oh and this is nothing against Shandy, Like, yeah, I
think she's divine, beautiful, well deserving to where she is. Like,
I understand what Judy says when she says she needs
a heart and she needs a bit more, like I
am not putting any of that on her. I do
feel like Katie Anna probably feels like there are favorites
in the group. They're thirty six girls, this is going
to be favored.
Speaker 3 (39:07):
And she was also crying as she said that, like
she was so heartbroken that she got suspended.
Speaker 1 (39:12):
Yeah for not even like.
Speaker 3 (39:14):
Saying Shandy's name, but also just all she did in
that video to me was just stand up for us up.
And she even said on DCC that she felt like
Shandy got all the perks of being a team leader
while I got all the work because being a team
leader is so so hard, and but I think Shandy
did a brilliant job as team leader. I think Katieana
looking at the routines also did a brilliant job. And
(39:36):
imagine like being at the pinnacle of your career and
yet all everyone's talking about is someone else, and the
company you're working for is refusing to address it. They're
like laying everything on you. So you just go on
TikTok and you say one day I will talk about it,
and then you get signed off for bullying and harassment
and that we obviously don't know the full story, like
they could be more to it, and I do you
(39:59):
think there is?
Speaker 5 (40:00):
I think they has been beef between them before. I
think that there is with This is just my speculation.
This is like I don't know anything here, but this.
Speaker 4 (40:09):
Is how I see it.
Speaker 5 (40:11):
Thirty six girls and a team. Kelly and Judy are
going to have the girls that they pick us their favorites.
The girls who aren't the favorites are going to probably
have some resentment and anger towards the girls that are
the favorites. Because there's thirty six of them. They're not
all like sisters all the time. I can tell you
right now, like thirty six twenty year olds. Yeah, come on,
(40:32):
they don't all love each other all the time.
Speaker 3 (40:34):
And they were how said it on the show, like
they are your sisters, but it is like you're still
competing for that spot. Yeah, And what I found really
interesting is that we also saw a glimpse of what
Victoria's doing now. She's obviously not a does Cobos Chile.
The last season we found out that she wanted to
go to New York to pursue being a rocket, which
is I feel like would be harder than being a DCZ.
Speaker 5 (40:55):
They get paid better too, they get paid Yeah, Rockets
get paid it quite like way better.
Speaker 3 (40:59):
So you see her and her mum traveling to New
York for her to pursue her dream. And what I
found really interesting was that her mum actually told her,
your sisters didn't do their jobs, because like, when you're
rookie in this like you're meant to kind of stay
in that like essence of DCC, you're meant to have
these women kind of like push you up and be
there for you and be your friends. And her mom
(41:20):
saying your sisters didn't do their job was just so
telling that she was just kind of pushed.
Speaker 4 (41:25):
Out again because she wasn't a favorite.
Speaker 5 (41:27):
Haven't you like I don't know if you ever did,
like musical theater or anything as.
Speaker 3 (41:31):
Well, not for me.
Speaker 4 (41:32):
Okay, so in the theater.
Speaker 5 (41:33):
Like I remember back, you know, my drama teacher is
like there was always like a bit of whispering whenever
we had musical theater or like shows or plays or anything,
and whoever got put in the lead, there was always
one girl who was like the drama teacher's favorite, and
there was always gossipy behind the scenes of like the
other girls who didn't get that lead role. Talking about that,
(41:54):
but like it's very much that's the vibe I'm getting.
I'm I one hundred percent think there are favorites in
that group and the girls who aren't the favorites, not
just the ones that haven't been seen by Netflix.
Speaker 4 (42:07):
So I'm not even talking about Netflix production.
Speaker 5 (42:09):
I'm talking about favorites of Kelly and Judy and maybe
to a lesser extent, Charlotte, but their favorites, like even
the whole thing of like you're going to get picked for.
Speaker 3 (42:19):
Certain things, yeah, I think, yeah, yes.
Speaker 5 (42:23):
So I think poor Katiana has been like at the
end of her tether and was like I'm so sick
of being like I'm doing all of his hard work.
Chandi's getting all of these not that she doesn't deserve it,
but like, what about me?
Speaker 1 (42:36):
It's so true.
Speaker 3 (42:36):
And I do think after the last episode where we
saw Amanda walk out saying she doesn't feel valued here,
especially with the pay stuff, I do think if there
is going to be a season three, the stakes are
going to be so much higher because I think every
time after one of these seasons, the public just go
wild over a certain thing, and then that kind of
fuels the storyline for the next season.
Speaker 5 (42:59):
I think it's really important and I really hope that
through this show these girls are able to gain a
bit of power, which we have seen from season one.
Season two. You know, they still are really vulnerable. These
women are still at the bottom of the food.
Speaker 3 (43:14):
Chain, and we're darker storyline.
Speaker 5 (43:17):
And you know, the anxiety, the pressure, what they're put
through is a lot. I really hope that after this
season they can continue to gain some of their power
because the more social media following, the more that they
have that behind them, the more AMMO they have when
they go into these negotiations, because you need to be
able to show value to people like.
Speaker 4 (43:38):
This because the higher ups see dollar signs on them.
Speaker 5 (43:42):
Yeah, see it that they are disposable toys to these
higher ups.
Speaker 3 (43:47):
Unfortunately, I want a battle.
Speaker 5 (43:49):
I again, if you get a chance to go, watch
Making a Team, because you'll see how much worse it was.
Speaker 3 (43:54):
I can just feel myself like.
Speaker 5 (43:55):
These girls have so much more power than what the
girls did not even a decade ago. It was like
seven years ago. I highly recommend it. If you want
to cringe, Watchmaking the Team. But look, yeah, I'm I'm again.
I know I keep taking it back to this, but
it really brings back a lot of memories of being
in the modeling industry, being in the entertainment industry in
(44:17):
my early years and really feeling powerless and feeling like
I just had to be particularly when I was modeling
when I was like seventeen eighteen in a room full
of fully grown adults. I'm still a teenager at this time.
I'm in a room full of fully grown adults, and
I'm expected to be a good girl. Yeah, And that
(44:38):
is what I seen a lot.
Speaker 1 (44:39):
Of these goals, especially the rookies, especially the rookies.
Speaker 5 (44:42):
And I hope that as time progresses, they are able
to gain some of that power because they deserve it
because they work.
Speaker 3 (44:49):
You can see how Yeah, and like I think the
public's push for that has just been so good for it.
But like, overall this season it's just like such good TV.
Likes much the most perfect crossover between documentary and reality TV.
Like it's just like that perfect bread and butter. It's
so good, like watching these women and their dance routine
(45:10):
and like how hard they are pushed just to make
the team, like let alone training after they become a
team member, and now they like pushed into this new style.
They're performing at concerts, they're doing all of this great,
great stuff, And I just feel like season three like
it's just gonna be bigger and better.
Speaker 5 (45:26):
Yeah, Get your Money's Girls, Get Your Money Girl.
Speaker 3 (45:29):
American Sweethearts, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders on Netflix. All seven episodes
are out now. Let us know what you think. Dm
us on Instagram.
Speaker 1 (45:36):
Yeah, dm me, I really want to know.
Speaker 5 (45:39):
Have I like, I know, I drew It's kind of
a weird parallel, but I saw so many.
Speaker 1 (45:46):
Thank you so much for listening to the spill today.
Speaker 3 (45:48):
If you want more of our brutally honest reviews, we'll
link a bunch of them in our show notes. We
love doing this. Thank you to our team, our producers
minishs Warn't. Our sound production is by Scott Stronik. If
you haven't already, make sure you follow us on our socials.
We have an Instagram page. We have a TikTok account.
You can find us at this bill podcast. I'm A
MEA Studios are Style with furniture from Ventin and Fentin
vis Inventinfentin dot com. Are you and We'll be back
(46:11):
in your podcastedt tomorrow for a weekend watch. Bye bye,
Lohm
You're listening to a mum of mea podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Mama Maya acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters
that this podcast is recorded on Hello. It is Jesse
here and I'm dropping in to tell you that this
summer we are curating a very special podcast playlist for you.
We are bringing you the insanely popular and always funny,
brutally honest reviews from our friends on the Spill, from
(00:38):
the top TV shows of the year, to the biggest
movies of twenty twenty five which.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
You may have only just had the chance to watch.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
And of course some classics. The Spill gives you completely
unfiltered and real takes, as well as easter eggs and
behind the scenes gossip. This is your summer listening sorted
and if you are looking for more to listen to,
if you are just binging podcast this holiday season, every
Muma Mea podcast is curating your summer listening right across
(01:06):
our network. From pop culture to beauty to powerful interviews,
there's something for everyone. There is a link in our
show notes.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Hello, and welcome to the Spill, your daily pop culture fixed.
I'm em Burnham and.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
I'm Casena Luki.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
My god, I love it when we're podcasting. We hardly
ever podcasting.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
I know, I know. It's usually me and Laura or
me and Laura and Laura.
Speaker 5 (01:34):
So it is nice to do a show together, and
particularly today because today we are doing a brutally honest
review of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
Yes, and boy do I have a lot to say.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Oh my god, we love our brutally honest reviews. I
feel like everyone loves our brutally honest reviews the most.
Can I say that this and Weekend Watch I feel
like big contender for us. But brutally honest reviews is
basically we usually wait a week after a particular TV
show or movie has come out, just to make sure
everyone's watched it and everyone's digested so we can give
(02:07):
our hard hitting thoughts.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
They're always spoilers.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
In these reviews, So if you haven't watched America's Sweethearts
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, you have to watch it first before
you listen to this episode. So pause here, go quickly
watch all seven episodes on Netflix, and then come back
and listen. We are a part of each other's lives forever.
Speaker 6 (02:26):
Hour you know what we're going to do's weddings. You're like,
when we make this team, we're gonna make it together
because we're such good friends.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
But them it doesn't always end up like that.
Speaker 7 (02:42):
We are really excited that there's a lot of new
girls every year. The talent just gets better and better
and better.
Speaker 6 (02:50):
We've always been told there's one hundred more girls.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
I would love to do this job.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Everyone's gonna say, well, they're just cheerleaders. We're really good cheerleaders.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Yeah, but work costs.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
I mean, I churned through it in a in a day.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
It is so good.
Speaker 5 (03:08):
I look, I'm a huge fan of these kinds of shows.
I will remember watching Making a Team, which is kind of.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Look, did you watch Making a Team when it came out?
Speaker 5 (03:17):
Not when it first came out. I watched it a
few years ago though, but like, I was a bit
of a fan of that before. So I knew Judy
and Kelly before. You know, this first season came out
on Netflix, which is when kind of the majority of
the world would have seen them. But you know, despite
the fact that we all really love it, there are
definitely a couple of things in the show that I
(03:38):
really want to like dive into a little bit.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Okay, good, because I remember when season one came out
last year. The grip it had on society and culture
was just insane. Like everything we wrote on it here
among me, every time we spoke about it on the podcast,
people just wanted more and more and more. There were
so many storylines to dive deep into. There were so
(04:01):
many big takeaways from it. The biggest thing that came
from season one was when audiences realized how little these
women were paid, and that is a big plot line
for season two, because I think the best thing about
season two is the success of season one has driven
a lot of the storylines for season two. We're seeing
(04:21):
these women like be pushed into this whole new area
of fame where so many of them are like considered
B listers. Now everyone knows their name and their faces
and they just wanted to cheer for a team essentially,
and they've just become these massive superstars. So we will
be talking a lot about that. But also if you
haven't watched season one, you have to watch that as well.
It is just an absolute culture phenomenon, Like everyone is
(04:44):
obsessed with it. But let's get into.
Speaker 5 (04:46):
It, Okay, I think let's we will get into some
of the pay stuff and some of the deepest storylines.
But I first of all, really wanted to start with
some of the body image and mental health stuff that
we've seen through season two.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
Now.
Speaker 5 (05:03):
It was a bigger story in season one, particularly Victoria,
who we know she left at the end of season one.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
She's gone on to now be a.
Speaker 5 (05:10):
Rocket, which she's auditioning for the Rockets.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Now.
Speaker 5 (05:15):
She was pretty open about her eating disorder and the
way that the pressure that is put on these girls
to be in peak physical condition. Throwing back to making
the team, they're a lot more to the point about it,
because this is like the twenty tens, so it was
okay to call a woman fat who had zero percent
(05:37):
body fat.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
I've seen some clips of making the Team on TikTok
and it seems very similar to Next Top Model.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
It was. It's very Next Top Model coded.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Whereas like here, it feels a bit they're like kind
of tiptoeing.
Speaker 5 (05:47):
Around it, and I think they're doing this on purpose
because of the backlash that it would have gotten. So
there is a particular scene where Kelly is talking about
one of the girls she's in the kick line. They're like,
oh my god, look at her rolls. They cut to
the poor girl she's she's kicking her leg up into
the in line with her nose and her skin is
rolling over and then they put like a sound effect
(06:09):
on it, like.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Oh my god, it's awful.
Speaker 5 (06:13):
Wait in season two, no making the team, this is
y I did that. I just want to contextualize it
a little bit.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
That's gross.
Speaker 5 (06:20):
So season two, there's no one outwardly saying you need
to be in shape. They don't talk about it, but
it is under everything. Yeah, a lot of the girls
talk about the pressure, the anxiety and the pressure to
be in this certain shape.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
You know.
Speaker 5 (06:37):
We see them going and eating burgers and takeaway in
Chick fil A, and they talk about all of that.
But where I'm coming from, where I watch it from,
I watch it through a lens of I was a
model from the time I was eighteen to twenty four,
so it's not a huge amount of time, but I
was pretty and this is in like two thousand and eight,
so we're talking kind of the peak of this like
(06:58):
top model, really high pressure environment in terms of like
body image. The modeling industry is very well known for
being very very hard on women's bodies. I experienced it
a lot in my early years. I have many memories.
I remember one time I was in Paris and I
(07:19):
had someone looked at my book and went, you would
be modeling for five minutes. You are very fat, like
to my face. Oh and I'm eighteen years old, and
I was.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
Like fifty kilos.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Oh my god.
Speaker 5 (07:31):
I remember being told they loved you, they just need
you to lose five kilos.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
I just a casual five kilo.
Speaker 5 (07:37):
I've been told, oh, you look like you just ate
a big bowl of past start when I was doing
a bikini photo shoot, even though I had starved myself
for three days. Like So, this is where my brain
goes when I watched this show, because even though they
don't say it, there is an undercurrent there. I can
see it in all of these girls, that the amount
of pressure they are pulled under to be in peak
(08:01):
physical condition with not an inch to pinch, and they
say these things. They their words for fat are she's
looking at it more womanly at the moment, Oh, you
look really shapely. We just really want the girls to
fuel their bodies. Yeah, And it's so passive aggressive because
(08:22):
they can't outwardly say it anymore. And from my point
of view, watching these poor girls, who are all incredibly
talented athletes, the dancers, athletes, you see how hard they
work and the way that their bodies look. But those
outfits are like they are scrutinized within an inch of
(08:44):
their life.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
I always see it when in the scenes, and a
lot of Season two is like the structure is very
repetitive of Season one in the sense where the first
few episodes are about like the auditions and the rookies
and the rookies getting cut and trying to make the
team and the makeover and then putting their uniforms on.
So it's the same pattern, but I think season two
dives harder into the storylines.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
But you're right.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
Every time they do that a specific episode of where
they're trying on the classic Dallas Cowboys cheerleader's uniform. I
look at that uniform and I'm like, where is Like,
how are you able to measure these women and scrutinize
their looks when they literally all look quote unquote stereotypically
(09:27):
perfectly thin, Like they actually look perfect Like I look
at those tiny white shorts that they wear, and I'm like,
I could never wear those shorts. Firstly, my volver is
longer than those shorts. Oh, like she would be hanging out.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
I had two kids.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
There's no way up putting shorts.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
No way those shorts will fit on like my right arm.
And that's it.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
You know What's interesting though, if you went back, if
you were like, if you really wanted to get into
the DTCC universe, I would highly recommend going back and
watching Making a Team. I don't think it's on any
streaming services. I think you have come to kind of
pay on like Apple or something.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
Okay, you have to pay for it, but it's so
much better now.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
And I know you're saying you look at these women
and you see them as perfectly skinny, and like, yeah,
straight side. I can tell you right now some of
the girls in there would not have made the team
in the early twenty like that's in twenty teens because
of they've got more athletic butts or legs. I saw
more diversity in this second season of that was doubles
(10:27):
cheerleaders than I did in the early seasons of making
the team.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
Isn't that insane?
Speaker 1 (10:31):
That is actually insane because.
Speaker 5 (10:33):
From our perspective, you would look at those goals and
go they've all got perfect bodies. Yeah, but I'm telling
you right now that the standards that they had Judy
and Kelly had back then, and the way that they
used to say it, and if you want to have.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Those standards and they just can't say it, and they're
probably hating themselves for not being able to say it.
Speaker 5 (10:52):
I can tell you right now they do say it,
but they don't say it went in front of the
camera because they know they would be backlash. And I
guess that's all of this to say, even though they're
not saying it outwardly, and you can hear Judy and
Kelly being like, we really want the girls to fuel
themselves and it's really important they're focusing on fitness and nutrition.
Those are all coded words of if you don't fit
(11:13):
into your uniform, you're going to be.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
A cup from a team.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Yeah, Okay, like.
Speaker 5 (11:18):
I can almost. I don't know if they still do
this now, but I remember again when I was modeling,
I used to have to go into my agency when
I was living in Tokyo. I used to have to
go into my agency every week and they would weigh
me and measure me if I gained weight, they would
hold back my PERDM so they would keep my pocket
money away from me, so I couldn't.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Buy food that is legal. That's insane.
Speaker 5 (11:42):
I was nineteen, and I'm telling you right now these
girls would be under that same kind of pressure.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
It feels wild to me.
Speaker 5 (11:50):
Yeah, maybe I am overthinking it. Maybe this is just
like my old trauma.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Maybe this is like a trauma response for me.
Speaker 5 (11:55):
But I swear I look at that, and I go,
I can see the way these girls are responding, and
how young they are, how hard they're working out.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
It's a trigger response for sure, because you're hearing those
words and seeing their reactions. But even the way they
respon bond to Kelly and Judy's criticism no matter what,
like that yes, yes, ma'am having to call them ma'am.
And then even that one scene where Kelly, who came
back again this season to try it again because she
didn't she got cut as a rookie last season. She's
(12:24):
the one who famously they made her go brunette and
then they cut her. She came back, what a trooper.
But I remember this one specific scene when they were
doing the call in to try on the uniforms and
she got the time wrong, like they sent her two links.
She clicked one link and it said one time and
the other links at a different time, and she didn't
see the other link, so she went in a tiny
bit late. And Kelly immediately said, if this was a
(12:49):
game day, you would have missed the bus, and she
just like broke down crying.
Speaker 7 (12:52):
I'm so sorry.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
I clicked the wrong link and on this link it
said I was at five.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
Well, let's says Courtney, because this could be a game
baby bus that you miss Yes, ma'am, can you explain
to Kelly she's looking at a link this is five.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
No, you're looking at sign up genius.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
So I wrote update, please check your correct time in
that attached file.
Speaker 5 (13:14):
So go to files.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
This is where, and then you'll check it here and
then if you scroll down you'll kid.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
If that was a gang day best Kelly, you had missed.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
It, yes, ma'am.
Speaker 6 (13:26):
H it's just frustrating because like everything I want to
do is perfect. I just want everything to go perfect,
and everything has been going really well so far, and
then I just don't want them to like I shouldn't
be getting emotional about something like this.
Speaker 7 (13:43):
It's just it's.
Speaker 6 (13:44):
Something I could have been avoided if I, like, I
guess quadruple checked. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
She's like, I don't want them to have like any
little hint of like anything that will make me get caught.
And I'm like, these two women hold so much power
over all of these young girls. And when I saw
that scene of her breaking down crying, I was like, Oh,
this is so unhealthy.
Speaker 5 (14:04):
And you can see that that power as well with
the difference in the energy between the rookies and the veterans,
like you can see.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
It really clearly.
Speaker 5 (14:12):
The rookies are literally yes, mamming every because particularly when
in a team like this, well, if you walk away,
there's one hundred girls lined up. Again, I've been told
that before by someone. They said, you can leave, but
there's one hundred girls who would want to take your job.
Speaker 4 (14:28):
In a second. So that phrasing.
Speaker 5 (14:31):
They have been told that from day dot they are
lucky to be there.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
So these rookies, they are working.
Speaker 5 (14:38):
Their butts off to make Kelly Judy and sort of
to a even bigger extent, Charlotte Jones, to make them happy.
And you can see the way they look at them,
like we'll do an I'll do anything to be on
this team or.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
Even that random panel of judges that give them the
first go. Initially, yeah, like the.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
Weather reporter, I'm like, what, why why do you have?
Speaker 6 (15:00):
Like?
Speaker 5 (15:03):
But the veterans, you can see they're kind of a
little bit more confident in their power.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
They're a bit more confident in there.
Speaker 5 (15:07):
And that is why I have so much effect for
someone like Jada, who really spearheading this whole, you know,
being paid what there was.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Yeah, I really really respect her for that.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
She was introduced in a really interesting way, like her
thing from the get go has been I really want
to be a team leader. I really want to lead
these girls, but I want to do it my way.
I don't want to do it Judy or Kelly's way.
And when she said that line, I was like, Oh,
something's going to happen. But I also want to touch
on back to the diversity stuff. I feel like a
(15:40):
big pushback from season one was the lack of diversity,
which is really interesting how you said it was even
worse in making the team so much use so season one,
I remember I wrote a think piece about a rookie
named Anisha who got cut, who was off South Asian heritage,
and I wrote about how important was to see someone
who looks like you do something that you couldn't even
(16:01):
imagine someone who looks like you did does and she
made it, but then she got cut, and then you
just suddenly slowly saw and it wasn't like a big
deal in the show, but when you put it all together,
you slowly saw all the women of color rookies get
cut from that first initial season, and you saw some
rookies like Kelly Charlie Reese who are now back in
season two. They had really strong storylines that we followed throughout,
(16:24):
and everyone else was kind of there in the background,
and I feel it was a bit tontick, very tokenistick,
like you would see them there so they're like, yep,
you can see them, ye yeah, there we go all done.
And there was this one point where Anisha was like
cugging another rookie and she was like, you have to
do this for the you have to do this for
the brown girls, and I was just like, so beautiful.
(16:46):
But I feel like season two, like what you said,
I'm seeing these veterans who have apparently been there for
four or five years, did not see them at all.
In season one are now at the forefront of the
whole of season two with their storylines like Jada, like Shandy,
and they're also the team leaders, which I feel like
is like very very rare, amani like they're all like
have such brilliant, great storylines. So I feel like I'm
(17:09):
really happy that DCC has taken that on board, because
I think it was a very loud voice from the
public saying this is really messed up how all the
women of color scentually got cut. But one of our
entertainment writers, Chelsea, wrote a brilliant piece about Alison Kong,
who is a woman of Asian heritage. Do you remember
Alison in season two? No, it's because she wasn't interviewed once.
(17:34):
She was like one of the rookies, like was there
and she got chosen to be on the team, and
you probably saw her three times in the background. And
Chelsea's piece is so well linked in the show notes.
Chelsea's piece is so well done because very similar of
how I felt with a Niche in season one. Chelsea
saw this woman who has like the same heritage as
her getting completely snubbed by the cameras and the fact
(17:57):
that she was a rookie and made it into the
actual team, and you see glimpses of her dancing and
she's not getting any like negative feedback. She's nailing it.
She's doing it so well. And I feel like the
US is like so multicultural, and it feels like this
is one of those sports that hasn't been as good
at being multicultural, and yet they are, but they're still
choosing to not follow those certain storylines. What I did like, though,
(18:20):
was when they were doing the makeover episode and we
didn't see this in season one, but we were introduced
to Rosemary, who's a hair stylist and she specializes in
making wigs for black women, and we were able to
see Ariel, who was a rookie, and Amani, who has alopecia,
get their wigs made. And I was just like, that
is not like it shouldn't be amazing, It should be
(18:42):
the bare minimum. But the fact that like we have
this woman who's as amazing as Rosemary, there as a
job to be able to like work on black hair.
Speaker 5 (18:52):
You say that she see how what she says she's got,
She's gonna be hired recently.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
Because apparently in making the team, and this is I
say apparently because I read a Reddit threat.
Speaker 4 (19:00):
I have seen making the team and what.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
They had to bring their wigs in.
Speaker 5 (19:03):
Yes, they would have to bring their own wigs in
the black girls or they would have girls who didn't
know how to do black or textured hair would be
doing it and completely destroy their hair. And you saw
that a lot in Top Model as well back in
the day, like any girl with like textured hair anything
different to like a one a like four sea hair
(19:24):
like they didn't know how to deal with it. And
I was very happy to see that at least one.
I love how they let Jada wear her natural hair.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Oh that's really beautiful.
Speaker 5 (19:35):
Very early on in making the team, none of the
girls had their natural hair. They were all wearing like
Dallas hair like right, so I guess there is like
again bare minimum, like the bars on.
Speaker 4 (19:48):
The floor here.
Speaker 6 (19:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (19:49):
But I did love Armani's storyline with her alopecia. They
thought that was really beautiful when she went out and
did it without her wig, gone you much how scary
that would have been.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
She looked stunning, she looked beautiful. I think what they
really honed in in amiani storyline about alopecia is that
with Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. Yes, you have to be the
best in the world. Yes, you have to be super
super fit and agile, and you have to just work work,
works so hard, but you also just have to look
(20:19):
like a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. And a lot of people
get cut because they don't look it. And the fact
that Amani was able to go out there without her
wig and not just a cheerleader, but I feel like
a woman in general. Right. Oh, we always say hair's
not a big deal, but hair is everything. Fleabag taught
us that hair is everything, and it's like something that's
so intrinsic to being a woman and the where you
(20:41):
wear your hair, the way you style it. And with
Dallas Cowboys cheerleader's like hair is a big part of
the routine.
Speaker 5 (20:46):
Well, haiography, you know when they do their hair, flick
up it. She sees how hot shandy.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
Is that photo that's just gone by, and she goes.
Speaker 4 (20:56):
Like, I, honestly, I want to kind of do it now. Wait,
I'm gonna do it.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Okay, she's gonna do it.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
Okay, she guys, yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
And her hair is just like looks had I'm not
Oh my gosh, it is stunning. We should actually get
up producer money in here, because she actually knows the
entire routine.
Speaker 6 (21:13):
She knows.
Speaker 4 (21:16):
I'm a terrible dancer, so.
Speaker 5 (21:19):
But she that was And like you said, the hair
is such an important part of like femininity, sexuality. It
is intrinsically tied in with beauty for a lot of women.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
And I think it was so brave for Amani to
do that game without her wigs because I just know
she's not the only woman with alopecia. There are so
many women with alopecia. There are so many young girls
with alopecia who feel like if you have a condition,
you can't do certain things. And I think she's proof
that you can. And it was it was just such
a well done tie in. But yeah, I feel like
(21:54):
a lot of the stuff that happened last season, in particular,
they've tried to address it this season. And one of
the big things that they went over this season was
the pay.
Speaker 5 (22:05):
Pay Now Again, it's like this kind of passive aggressive
way that they're trying to address it without actually addressing it.
It's like because Judy and Kelly, you know, they can't
talk about it, you know, they've been specifically told by
Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders the Headhorn shows, they have been specifically
told you cannot talk to.
Speaker 4 (22:23):
Netflix about the girl's pay.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (22:25):
The way that they tried to be like look at
all these perks. That one episode where they talk through
after all they've made the team, they do like this sponsorship.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Oh yeah, it's like a little like it was like
a series of presentation.
Speaker 5 (22:38):
Yeah, it's like a presentation of this is what you
can get from us. You get free hair from us,
you can get free spray tands, you can so and
they both are free botox, free fellers.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
All we ask is that you tag us on socials.
Speaker 5 (22:49):
And they have this little like clip with one of
the girls standing there and they pan up her and
it goes to show all the sponsorshows all the sponsors,
and Kelly's going, you know, you know, like it's I'm
not I was gonna try and do this Southern accent
and a chickened out And I literally said it out
(23:11):
loud when I was watching it. She's going, you know,
these girls they get like so many Now this is California, Okay,
I'm not going to do it. These girls they get
all of these perks, like this is one of the
great things about being a Dallas Cowboys children. You get fitness,
you can make up, like look nails everything. Back in
my day you didn't even get any of that. We
had to pay for all of it, and it's expensive.
(23:32):
And I literally screamed at the TV.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
But that doesn't pay their rent. Yeah, Like I screamed
at the TV.
Speaker 5 (23:38):
And then it wasn't until like two episodes later that
I think it was either Armani or Jada was like,
it's great that we get all these things, but it
doesn't pay our rent.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Yeah, one hundred percent. And we saw later on in
the show pay being quite important to the girls, especially
the veterans. And this was off the back of season
one where all everyone could talk about was how little
these girls were being paid. And a big part of
season one was the headhonhows of DCC saying their payment
(24:08):
is getting to be a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader's for the
honor of it. It's for the honor of it.
Speaker 7 (24:12):
They're not paid a lot, But the facts are is
that they actually don't come here for the money. They
come here for something that's actually bigger than that to them.
They have a passion for dance. There are not a
lot of opportunities in the field of dance and to
get to perform at an elite level. It is about
being a part of something bigger than themselves.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
And we found out that that mascot gets paid more
than them that the football players are on millions and
millions and millions of dollars, and these girls are getting
paid pennies to the point where they have to sustain
themselves by finding other work. Don't forget that a lot
of these girls move to Texas for this job, so
then they have to find another job in a new town.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Yeah, to have sustain themselves.
Speaker 5 (24:56):
Again, it really gets me because it's like for the
honor of it. And again I'm going to tie this
back to modeling, because I had this experience many times
when I was working in magazines, like for magazine covers.
Speaker 4 (25:07):
I did a number of.
Speaker 5 (25:08):
Like these like covers back in the day, one hundred
and fifty dollars for the whole day for a cover,
after tax commission all of that, I think I ended
up with like fifty dollars. Yeah, and that hadn't changed
for twenty years. And I used to do when I
used to do fashion weeks. Some of the designers would
pay you in clothes that would pay you contra so
like again, it really it really pisses me off because
(25:30):
it's like you're not paying like all of these these
The honor of it is great, Yes, it is an
honor to be in this team. There are only a
finite number of women who have been.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
A part of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.
Speaker 5 (25:42):
We know that it does not mean they don't deserve
to be paid a livable wait.
Speaker 3 (25:49):
There was a point in the show where we saw
a few of the veterans get together to discuss the
payment issue. It looked like it was spearheaded by Amanda
and Jada on the team, and they were on the
skype call with I think there was about five of them,
and they were saying that when we get the contracts,
we're gonna dispute the pay, So before you sign, we're
(26:09):
going to dispute. They and a few of the girls
on that call also said that if they don't get
what they want, then they're willing to step down and
give their position to another girl. And I think it
just showed how serious that these women take it, and
not only that, but like how bloody smart they are. Yeah,
like they know their worth and especially Jada, who's like
who's always said from the beginning of the season that
(26:31):
she wants to do things her way and be a
leader her way. Like the amount of care they have
for the rookies, and they want the rookies to succeed,
and they were so nervous that they didn't want the
rookies to get the bad idea because these rookies are
literally working their guts off, only to be told by
veterans just letting you know, we're doing this thing about pay.
When you get your contract, don't sign it.
Speaker 5 (26:50):
And you know what, what's interesting, And again it was
very it was glossed over. When they did get their contracts,
the lawyers and hrs said, well, if you don't sign it,
you're still bound by it.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
Yeah, so the girls actually.
Speaker 4 (27:04):
Didn't even sign the contract.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
No, and like, yeah, it's just such a messy situation.
Speaker 6 (27:09):
It is. It is.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
One hundred was also highly anticipated by the higher ups.
Speaker 5 (27:13):
These higher ups, they they have capitalized on these women
from calendars to you know them selling Like, yes, the
brand itself is iconic, but these girls make that brand
and the fact that they can't even pay them a
livable hourly pay is absolutely disgusting. I'm so so happy
that they got a four hundred percent increase.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
Yes, and which was great, but it happened. We're also
while a lot of them retired, so like Jada, for example,
doesn't get that increase, but she thought for that, which
is absolutely amazing. We don't actually know how much they
are getting paid. We only know the four hundred percent
increase as reported by the New York Times, but it
just shows. I think they were aiming for like seventy
(27:57):
five dollars an hour, and it just shows like it
does work. Like and I it is really good that
after season one that everyone made a big deal about it,
Like it wasn't just these girls going we should get paid.
It was like everyone across the world going, yeah, you
should get paid more.
Speaker 5 (28:13):
But I mean, I think it's disappointing that they didn't
even start this season off with just giving them more money.
And what I did notice is that Charlotte didn't do
any talking heads this season.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
She came in for like two sets, like we saw
her for two secons, but.
Speaker 5 (28:25):
She didn't do like any piece cameras, whereas last season.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
Season one, she.
Speaker 5 (28:30):
Did, and I think it's because she got so much
backlash from season one because she was talking about at
what an honor it is, and then the season two
she's not really in it. The only time that she
comes in it is during the judging and then also
to announce that these are the girls that have made
the team.
Speaker 3 (28:47):
Yeah, it's so interesting. I feel like what really stuck
with me in terms of like the payment for all
of this is literally right at the end of the
last episode where they've finished the whole season, and they
make this so dramatic, but they come into a room
with Judy and Kelly sitting there and they kind of like,
so each girl recaps and reflects their season, and then
(29:09):
she just whether she wants to audition for the next season,
and if she wants to audition for the next season,
then she takes her Dallas Cowboys cheerleader's uniform and puts
it on the left rack. If she doesn't want to
audition for the season, she takes a uniform and puts
it on the right rack. And Amanda, who was part
of the whole Let's get paid More, kind of threw
a spanner in the works and basically said, I don't
(29:31):
feel valued here. I know I'm valued more than this,
and I just don't feel it here, So I'm not
gonna come back. And Juty and Kelly were like, Okay.
They were so shocked you could tell they were fuming
on the inside.
Speaker 5 (29:44):
But again, I know this is the thing. So Kelly
and Judy, I don't doubt that they care about these girls.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
I don't doubt that. I don't doubt that.
Speaker 5 (29:53):
Like, I don't think Kelly and Judy are getting paid
as much as what people think they are.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
I'm not getting paid as much as Charlote Jones is
getting no exactly.
Speaker 5 (30:00):
Like Kelly's house was very modest, Like it was a
lovely home, but it was a modest home considering she's
been heading up the Dallas Cowboys chewer leaders for what thirty.
Speaker 4 (30:09):
Years or something like. She's been a part of the
organization for a long time. I don't think she's on
like crazy, crazy money. I'm sure she's doing just fine.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
You can also hear some annoyance in their voices because
they were Dallas Cowboys treats.
Speaker 5 (30:21):
And it's almost like a it's like I did it
for the love of it.
Speaker 4 (30:25):
You have no idea. How about it was when I
and I hate that.
Speaker 5 (30:29):
I don't like that justification of things because the whole
point of things is that we learn and grow and improve. Right,
we should look at that as a society and go,
these girls deserve more.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
They deserve more than fifty bucks.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
Again they do that is insane.
Speaker 5 (30:46):
And to think about what they're putting their bodies through,
Like think about those jump splits that they're doing. Almost
all of them have like hip issues, knee issues, joint problems.
Speaker 3 (30:53):
We're all hobbling into that. Shandy wasn't like as he was.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
In like a full hip thing.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
She was on crutches.
Speaker 4 (31:02):
Like these women are putting their bodies through a lot.
Speaker 5 (31:05):
And I'm really passionate about it because it really bothers
me because it reminds me I have been told so
many times in this like entertainment industry, modeling industry, you
should be grateful. Do you have any people would want
to be in your position?
Speaker 7 (31:17):
No?
Speaker 4 (31:17):
One sense. That's a man.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
That's so true. And I say that to a man
except for the mascot, but saying it to.
Speaker 4 (31:22):
You, Yeah, you don't deserve what you're getting paid.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
Roman hat.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
I think also with the whole pay thing. A big
part of the push that they were able to get
that four hundred percent pay increase was because of the
public perception of that entire show.
Speaker 1 (31:38):
And we also saw in.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
Season two that the publicity of season one really changed
the formatting of what it takes to be a Dallas
Cowboys cheerleader. What I found really interesting was right in
the beginning, before we even saw the auditions, they were
saying that they had twelve spots to fill in for rookies,
which was the biggest amount of rookies they had to
fill in in the past five years. And then later
(32:01):
in the season you find out that a lot of
the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, not a lot, but there's a
fair few have actually left being a cheerleader to pursue
other things like influencing.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Yeah, and now a.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
Lot of these girls who have to have a part
time job on top of being a cheerleader have taken
up influencing. And that's great because we know that like again,
like Reese has her cooking channel, like good on her,
get that bad girl like you just serve that, and
that's going to be a lot easier for them to
tie in with their commitments at Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders than
you know, a typical nine to five. And what's really
(32:34):
interesting is seeing Judy and Kelly trying to navigate this
newfound fame for their cheerleaders because the rules of being
a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader hasn't changed regardless of how famous
they are. Like, we saw little snippets of girls being
cut because of what they've been posting on their Instagram
and things like they have to now manage these girls
reaching this new found fame. And I think that really
(32:56):
came to lights during the Bahamas trip.
Speaker 5 (32:59):
These few episodes were very like there was the whole
Bahamas storyline with Shandy. So basically they all go to
the Bahamas to have this, you know, it's like a
vacation for the whole tape.
Speaker 4 (33:11):
It's like a treat to the girls. Again.
Speaker 5 (33:13):
You're so lucky you get to go to the Bahamas,
but we're not going to pay you any money.
Speaker 4 (33:16):
Anyway, they go to the Bahamas, they're all having this
wonderful time.
Speaker 3 (33:19):
They're all posting on the stage, they're all posting.
Speaker 5 (33:21):
On these socials, and then all of a sudden, Shandy's
taking a leave of absence.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
Yeah, and then you see this shot of them on
the bus ride back and they're all just like sad
and solemn, and.
Speaker 4 (33:30):
There was just like this kind of cat and then
it was like she's taking.
Speaker 3 (33:33):
A leave of everyone's Like something happened at the Bahamas?
Speaker 4 (33:35):
Can you explain it to me?
Speaker 5 (33:36):
Because even now, like I understand what happened, but I
don't really. I'm Also, she had a boy in her room.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
So there's a few things that happened. So Shandy is
one of my favorite people in the show. I feel
like she's been through so much. She was so honest
about opening up about her history. She had an ex
partner that she alleged physically abused her while she was
a DCC, Like she said that she was showing up
(34:02):
with bruises on her She's come from such an upsetting,
traumatic place, and the fact that she's still able to
do this and also be a team leader and do
it well is just outstanding to me.
Speaker 5 (34:14):
She you know, she she came from she was adopted
into her family, her parents split up, then her dad
just basically said, I don't want to have anything to
do with you anymore.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
Like so awful.
Speaker 3 (34:27):
She's had like an awful, awful time growing up and
this Bahamas trip, So this was meant to be like
kind of like a teen get together, a big trip
for the girls only. And she goes on this trip.
And what happened is that she was talking about her
relationship a lot, and she was saying how because of
like everything that's happened with her, Like it is a
(34:48):
hard relationship. So both her and a partner decided to separate,
to split up. This wasn't known before we found out
about the Bahamas trip, but she said it. During the
Bahamas trip, she said she met a guy that she
got on really really well with and she brought him
back up to her hotel room. She said, nothing happened,
they just like talked a lot.
Speaker 4 (35:06):
Still like but still she's a twenty five year old old.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
She brought this man back to up to a hotel room.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
That was the biggest scandal of the season.
Speaker 3 (35:13):
Like what it was like, I said it.
Speaker 5 (35:17):
I get it too, like a certain extent, if there's
another girl in there that you're like, but have meant
do you guys ever been in a Kenticki trip, Because way
whilther than that, I.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
Think it was the fact that I don't know. I
feel like when you go on these girls, firstly, it's
a work trip for them essentially, and it's like all girls,
a lot of them are married in long term partnerships,
and I think it's when you're mixing those girls with
like and also a lot of them are like the
born bred Texas girl, very Christian, very Christian, very conservative,
(35:46):
very conservative, and I think when you're mixing that type
of girl with the girl who's like freshly single, who
meets someone who's like looking for an escapism, it clashes. Yeah,
And one of the biggest rules for these trips was
like you can't let strangers into the hotels, into your
bedrooms because you're also like sharing rooms with other girls
and stuff like that, because I don't get paid to
(36:07):
the sharing rooms. And I think it was extra important
that she didn't do something like this now because they
are much more famous now, so people know who they are.
So if you were to bring a stranger into your room,
there might be a possibility that they actually know who
you are, and it could get a bit like dangerous
for the women. So I see the danger aspect of
that bringing a man into a room that are like
(36:28):
full of young women. I did think they overdramatized it
because she was suspended for a bit, and then when
she was suspended, kay Diana took her spot as team leader.
Now it's very obvious who the team leaders are because
they're at the forefront of the pyramids, the point of
the triangle, the point of the triangle. So what happened
here and this is what we saw blow up last
(36:49):
year because this what we're seeing now on DCC is
actually last season's kind of team twenty four.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
So when this happened.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
Last year, I just remember, like socials, like my instagram
read it just comments and comments and comments on like
the DCC instagram of going what happened to Shandy? Where
is Shandy?
Speaker 1 (37:07):
She injured?
Speaker 3 (37:08):
What happened?
Speaker 1 (37:08):
Because no one.
Speaker 3 (37:09):
Actually addressed it. And I also think this is quite
shitty for k Deana as well, because she got pushed
into being like a team leader without the DCC team
even addressing why she's a team leader or why it's
not Shandy and this is meant to be a career
defining moment for her, and all the comments about her
are just wear Shandy.
Speaker 5 (37:27):
And by the way, apart from that last episode, she
wasn't in this season.
Speaker 3 (37:33):
No, she wasn't classic at all classic.
Speaker 5 (37:36):
So it was all of a sudden she popped up
and oh, by the way, you're not She's no longer
a DCC and I'm leaving.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
Yeah, Like it was so weird. Okay, so this was
all happening. And then what happened last year was like,
as all this commentary was going on, Katana decided to
go on TikTok Live and to just like do like
a bit of a Q and A. One of the
questions was what's happened to Shandy? And this is what
she said. I'm gonna make a video on that one day.
Speaker 1 (38:03):
One day I will talk about the whole thing.
Speaker 6 (38:06):
So the story could stuck with the breast and so
the story can where someone's screen recorded it, put it
on Reddit.
Speaker 1 (38:13):
They blew it up.
Speaker 6 (38:15):
I didn't even talk about Charnie, never said Shandy's name.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
She then said on the show, so this is now DCC.
On the show, she said, I got a call from staff.
They said I was under investigation for being a bully
and harassing. I was officially suspended. At that point, I
just told myself that I needed to take myself out
of the organization and that I needed to respect myself.
Come on, that's right, And she didn't get to go
(38:39):
to the banquet, the last thing that they all get
to go.
Speaker 5 (38:41):
This is where we kind of see like a little
bit of Kelly and Judy's favoritism.
Speaker 3 (38:45):
Okay, yeah, you reckon.
Speaker 5 (38:47):
Oh and this is nothing against Shandy, Like, yeah, I
think she's divine, beautiful, well deserving to where she is. Like,
I understand what Judy says when she says she needs
a heart and she needs a bit more, like I
am not putting any of that on her. I do
feel like Katie Anna probably feels like there are favorites
in the group. They're thirty six girls, this is going
to be favored.
Speaker 3 (39:07):
And she was also crying as she said that, like
she was so heartbroken that she got suspended.
Speaker 1 (39:12):
Yeah for not even like.
Speaker 3 (39:14):
Saying Shandy's name, but also just all she did in
that video to me was just stand up for us up.
And she even said on DCC that she felt like
Shandy got all the perks of being a team leader
while I got all the work because being a team
leader is so so hard, and but I think Shandy
did a brilliant job as team leader. I think Katieana
looking at the routines also did a brilliant job. And
(39:36):
imagine like being at the pinnacle of your career and
yet all everyone's talking about is someone else, and the
company you're working for is refusing to address it. They're
like laying everything on you. So you just go on
TikTok and you say one day I will talk about it,
and then you get signed off for bullying and harassment
and that we obviously don't know the full story, like
they could be more to it, and I do you
(39:59):
think there is?
Speaker 5 (40:00):
I think they has been beef between them before. I
think that there is with This is just my speculation.
This is like I don't know anything here, but this.
Speaker 4 (40:09):
Is how I see it.
Speaker 5 (40:11):
Thirty six girls and a team. Kelly and Judy are
going to have the girls that they pick us their favorites.
The girls who aren't the favorites are going to probably
have some resentment and anger towards the girls that are
the favorites. Because there's thirty six of them. They're not
all like sisters all the time. I can tell you
right now, like thirty six twenty year olds. Yeah, come on,
(40:32):
they don't all love each other all the time.
Speaker 3 (40:34):
And they were how said it on the show, like
they are your sisters, but it is like you're still
competing for that spot. Yeah, And what I found really
interesting is that we also saw a glimpse of what
Victoria's doing now. She's obviously not a does Cobos Chile.
The last season we found out that she wanted to
go to New York to pursue being a rocket, which
is I feel like would be harder than being a DCZ.
Speaker 5 (40:55):
They get paid better too, they get paid Yeah, Rockets
get paid it quite like way better.
Speaker 3 (40:59):
So you see her and her mum traveling to New
York for her to pursue her dream. And what I
found really interesting was that her mum actually told her,
your sisters didn't do their jobs, because like, when you're
rookie in this like you're meant to kind of stay
in that like essence of DCC, you're meant to have
these women kind of like push you up and be
there for you and be your friends. And her mom
(41:20):
saying your sisters didn't do their job was just so
telling that she was just kind of pushed.
Speaker 4 (41:25):
Out again because she wasn't a favorite.
Speaker 5 (41:27):
Haven't you like I don't know if you ever did,
like musical theater or anything as.
Speaker 3 (41:31):
Well, not for me.
Speaker 4 (41:32):
Okay, so in the theater.
Speaker 5 (41:33):
Like I remember back, you know, my drama teacher is
like there was always like a bit of whispering whenever
we had musical theater or like shows or plays or anything,
and whoever got put in the lead, there was always
one girl who was like the drama teacher's favorite, and
there was always gossipy behind the scenes of like the
other girls who didn't get that lead role. Talking about that,
(41:54):
but like it's very much that's the vibe I'm getting.
I'm I one hundred percent think there are favorites in
that group and the girls who aren't the favorites, not
just the ones that haven't been seen by Netflix.
Speaker 4 (42:07):
So I'm not even talking about Netflix production.
Speaker 5 (42:09):
I'm talking about favorites of Kelly and Judy and maybe
to a lesser extent, Charlotte, but their favorites, like even
the whole thing of like you're going to get picked for.
Speaker 3 (42:19):
Certain things, yeah, I think, yeah, yes.
Speaker 5 (42:23):
So I think poor Katiana has been like at the
end of her tether and was like I'm so sick
of being like I'm doing all of his hard work.
Chandi's getting all of these not that she doesn't deserve it,
but like, what about me?
Speaker 1 (42:36):
It's so true.
Speaker 3 (42:36):
And I do think after the last episode where we
saw Amanda walk out saying she doesn't feel valued here,
especially with the pay stuff, I do think if there
is going to be a season three, the stakes are
going to be so much higher because I think every
time after one of these seasons, the public just go
wild over a certain thing, and then that kind of
fuels the storyline for the next season.
Speaker 5 (42:59):
I think it's really important and I really hope that
through this show these girls are able to gain a
bit of power, which we have seen from season one.
Season two. You know, they still are really vulnerable. These
women are still at the bottom of the food.
Speaker 3 (43:14):
Chain, and we're darker storyline.
Speaker 5 (43:17):
And you know, the anxiety, the pressure, what they're put
through is a lot. I really hope that after this
season they can continue to gain some of their power
because the more social media following, the more that they
have that behind them, the more AMMO they have when
they go into these negotiations, because you need to be
able to show value to people like.
Speaker 4 (43:38):
This because the higher ups see dollar signs on them.
Speaker 5 (43:42):
Yeah, see it that they are disposable toys to these
higher ups.
Speaker 3 (43:47):
Unfortunately, I want a battle.
Speaker 5 (43:49):
I again, if you get a chance to go, watch
Making a Team, because you'll see how much worse it was.
Speaker 3 (43:54):
I can just feel myself like.
Speaker 5 (43:55):
These girls have so much more power than what the
girls did not even a decade ago. It was like
seven years ago. I highly recommend it. If you want
to cringe, Watchmaking the Team. But look, yeah, I'm I'm again.
I know I keep taking it back to this, but
it really brings back a lot of memories of being
in the modeling industry, being in the entertainment industry in
(44:17):
my early years and really feeling powerless and feeling like
I just had to be particularly when I was modeling
when I was like seventeen eighteen in a room full
of fully grown adults. I'm still a teenager at this time.
I'm in a room full of fully grown adults, and
I'm expected to be a good girl. Yeah, And that
(44:38):
is what I seen a lot.
Speaker 1 (44:39):
Of these goals, especially the rookies, especially the rookies.
Speaker 5 (44:42):
And I hope that as time progresses, they are able
to gain some of that power because they deserve it
because they work.
Speaker 3 (44:49):
You can see how Yeah, and like I think the
public's push for that has just been so good for it.
But like, overall this season it's just like such good TV.
Likes much the most perfect crossover between documentary and reality TV.
Like it's just like that perfect bread and butter. It's
so good, like watching these women and their dance routine
(45:10):
and like how hard they are pushed just to make
the team, like let alone training after they become a
team member, and now they like pushed into this new style.
They're performing at concerts, they're doing all of this great,
great stuff, And I just feel like season three like
it's just gonna be bigger and better.
Speaker 5 (45:26):
Yeah, Get your Money's Girls, Get Your Money Girl.
Speaker 3 (45:29):
American Sweethearts, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders on Netflix. All seven episodes
are out now. Let us know what you think. Dm
us on Instagram.
Speaker 1 (45:36):
Yeah, dm me, I really want to know.
Speaker 5 (45:39):
Have I like, I know, I drew It's kind of
a weird parallel, but I saw so many.
Speaker 1 (45:46):
Thank you so much for listening to the spill today.
Speaker 3 (45:48):
If you want more of our brutally honest reviews, we'll
link a bunch of them in our show notes. We
love doing this. Thank you to our team, our producers
minishs Warn't. Our sound production is by Scott Stronik. If
you haven't already, make sure you follow us on our socials.
We have an Instagram page. We have a TikTok account.
You can find us at this bill podcast. I'm A
MEA Studios are Style with furniture from Ventin and Fentin
vis Inventinfentin dot com. Are you and We'll be back
(46:11):
in your podcastedt tomorrow for a weekend watch. Bye bye,
Lohm
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