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Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today? Now, after watching the series, I think I better understand one of the most dark-sided frauds ever perpetrated on American women.
The punishing system that creates these picture-perfect performers is built on a pyramid of harmful ideals, sky-high expectations, regressive beauty standards, dangerous physical demands, seductive but false ideas of sisterhood, and exploitative working conditions. The seven-episode docuseries centers on the creation of the DCC squad.
Each year, veteran cheerleaders and rookies try out in the hope of snagging one of the 36 spots. The rule is that you can be a DCC for five years but have to try out each time, competing with a fresh set of younger, more athletic, perhaps more talented newbies. From calendars to magazine spreads to Barbies, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are a money-making entity for the billion-dollar organization. Determining who makes it and who gets cut are director Kelli Finglass and her henchwoman and head choreographer Judy Trammell.
Kelli and Judy, as they explain to the camera, are both DCC alumni appointed by Charlotte Jones, a scion to the ultra-rich family that owns the Cowboys. This means Kelli and Judy must ensure the cheerleaders stay relevant and desirable year in and year out. As Kelli and Judy admit, both were inducted into the DCC in an era when there was less emphasis on dancing skills.
