I like to comment in these blogs of mine about current events. I realized a little while back that I probably should include more context when doing so. So many things that seem important and pressing at the moment are quickly forgotten. In writing these blogs my hope has always been future generations may read them as a matter of curiosity. In the future many of these "current" events will most certainly be very old news, or perhaps the stuff of everyday life taken for granted much like we talk about the internet today. It is something I need to remind myself to do.
This morning I'm seeing and hearing about the Minnesota Vikings football team having a male lead cheerleader. The Minnesota Vikings are a professional sports team here in America. A member of the National Football League. I'm not certain about the entire history of cheerleaders for these professional teams but I'm fairly certain they have always been females. There purpose, according to official sources, is to serve as ambassadors of enthusiasm, amplifying the excitement, boosting morale and engaging the audience! They are an integral part of the team! The real purpose has and continues to be, eye candy. Take one look at the "outfits" these professional ambassadors wear to work and convince me otherwise.
There have been male cheerleaders in college and high school sports for a very long time. There purpose was to physically throw the girls into the air to perform certain routines. I don't recall ever seeing any of them dancing the routines however, like in a chorus line, but they very well may have. Generally speaking though, being a male cheerleader is consider to be quite effeminate. That is the issue with the cheerleader for the Minnesota Vikings. He is the "head" cheerleader according to the news. That seems a bit sexist doesn't it? First year on the team and he is in charge? But, beyond that it is a political issue. Everything is a political issue these days. Will there be a boycott? Could be that will happen but I have doubts.
It's my feeling the Vikings did this to be "inclusive." That's the way of things today. I wonder where the pressure came from? I can't understand why a team would choose to have a male cheerleader knowing full well the controversary it would create unless there was pressure from somewhere. It must be a lot of financial pressure! I can't believe any board of directors, or whatever they use to make such decisions wouldn't be aware of all that. Given the track record of such stunts in the recent past, you would just have to know. For some context consider Dylan Mulvaney. A person detailing her gender transition whose picture appeared on a beer can. It cost the company an estimated 27 billion dollars for doing so. Think of Megan Rapinoe. The fast food chain Subway used her in an ad. The stores faced boycotts and some stores even closed as the result. The problem with Rapinoe? She advocates for LGBTQ+ people.
I'm just amused by the whole thing. I realize that here we are in 2025, raising awareness and all. The struggle for inclusivity and acceptance, along with equality top the list of social ills to be eradicated. We are not to view the opposite sex as objects of desire anymore! Heck, we are not supposed to even define what sex/gender a person is, you have to ask. Love is love! Yes, and guys bought Playboy magazines for the articles too! Here's some context. Playboy was a men's magazine first published in 1953. That's the year I was born. The big controversary? They had photographs of bare chested women! Yes, it was quite the scandalous thing. It is estimated that today 30% of the internet are pornographic sites. I suppose to amplify the excitement. I'm just laughing at the contradiction.
The purpose of those cheerleaders is to provide eye candy to the fans. The male fans do see them differently than the female fans. It is much the same way guys see other guys, not in the same way but as a comparison. Still, at the sporting events the primary purpose of those cheerleaders, in their skimpy little outfits is to gain the attention of the fans. The girls will certainly attract more "views" than any guys would. It is just a reality. Guys like to look at pretty girls. Girls will compare themselves to other pretty girls. That is the normal thing, the reality of this world. As I said, I'm just amused by the pretense, the facade, and the double talk. Yes, it's another great milestone, a moment in history, and will be remembered forever. Well, at least until some team hires drag queens for the halftime show, or some other such progressive thing. Enjoy the game. Currently eleven professional football teams have male cheerleaders. Twelve have been promised to promote gender equality. Yeah, ok.
This guy cheers for the Carolina Panthers.
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