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Gillian Scott

Harris

Honors ENG 1101

1 December 2017

Cheerleaders: Fact vs Fiction

Intro

Jessica Corsetti, a former cheerleader herself, has first-hand experience with people

making assumptions about her because of her sport. In her article, 9 Things You Never Knew

Were Totally Wrong About Cheerleaders, Corsetti takes nine common misconceptions about

cheerleaders, and argues their incorrectness. The nine assumptions, as written by Corsetti, are:

1) That theyre not athletes

2) That theyre stupid

3) That theyre mean

4) That theyre a popular clique

5) That they can do whatever they want

6) That they wear their uniforms all the time

7) That theyre always cheerful

8) That theyre coordinated

9) That theyre sluts

In building her argument, Corsetti successfully uses rhetorical strategies to persuade her

audience to agree with her views; additionally, she utilizes GIF imagery to further support her
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claims and share her feelings about how cheerleaders are viewed. I take a further look into how

cheerleaders are viewed and stereotyped, analyzing how of it has to do with a reluctance to

accept athletes that grow and change over time.

Ethos Analysis

Corsetti begins establishing her ethos from the very beginning. The first things she does

is inform her audience of her status as a former cheerleader: Every time I tell people I was a

cheerleader, I get a mixture of Seriously? You dont seem like the type and Why? Both of

those things are pretty rude to say, but what is the cheerleader type anyway? (Corsetti). In

starting her article this way, Corsetti immediately gains credibility as a former cheerleader. The

story also shows that she has experienced, first-hand, the assumptions people make about

cheerleaders.

Utilizing the same technique, Corsetti makes her argument by using her personal

experiences as evidence to support her claim. She argues her eight point, that all cheerleaders are

coordinated, by stating, I am the classic example of an uncoordinated cheerleader. (Corsetti).

Including this reminds her readers that she is knowledgeable on the subject as a former

cheerleader. It also works well because she included this reminder towards the end of her article,

ensuring that the information will remain fresh in the audiences mind as the article comes to a

close.

Corsetti continues to utilize this technique, displaying her knowledge about cheerleaders,

to help support her argument. In her second point, she breaks down the stereotype of

cheerleaders being stupid, stating that To be on a schools athletic team, you have to have a

certain GPA. (Corsetti). Most athletes of a school are aware of this, but for the average person
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with no real knowledge on what goes on behind the scenes, that would be new information.

When arguing in her sixth point that cheerleaders wear their uniforms all the time she tells

the audience You wear your uniform on game days. (Corsetti). If all of someones information

on cheerleaders stems from Bring it On, then they would not be aware of the fact that

cheerleaders dont wear their uniforms all the time. Again, Corsetti provides information that one

really only knows if they are an athlete. The information she provides serves to show that as a

former cheerleader, Corsetti is knowledgeable on the subject.

Along with using her ex-cheerleader status to build her credibility, Corsetti uses humor to

help establish her ethos. Her writing style is sarcastic and humorous, helping her to connect with

her audience. In her first point which is about cheerleaders not being considered athletes

Corsetti says, LOL O K A Y. Whether you believe it or not, cheerleading IS indeed a sport.

(Corsetti). The text speak and sarcastic way she wrote it is both entertaining, and strategic. The

humor keeps her audience engaged, and builds a connection between her and her audience. This

is a classic move when it comes to establishing ones ethos.

Audience, Setting, Style

Audience and Setting

The article itself is very informal which works because the platform its posted on

(gurl.com) is, too. Gurl.com is not a place people looking for scholarly journals; the articles

being more causal. That being said, when considering the setting in which the article itself is

posted, and who her potential readers are, the way she wrote it was a well-done strategic move.

Gurl.com is not a place people looking for scholarly journals. The short-n-sweet list formatting,

entertaining GIFs, and fun style and tone suits the setting its in.
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Visuals

A large part of Corsettis argument takes place through the use of visuals. She includes a

GIF with every point she makes; they play a major role in supporting her arguments. Though

mostly used satirically to ridicule the assumptions and add humor

Corsetti does occasionally use them sincerely, providing visual evidence to support her

argument.

In her first point, Corsetti argues against the stereotype that cheerleaders arent athletes

by talking about how much athleticism cheerleaders need to have. In her argument she says,

Most squads (especially competition squads) are in the weight room because, you know, stunts

require lifting and throwing PEOPLE. (Corsetti).

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Double tap to view GIF

In addition to her talking about the training cheerleaders do, Corsetti also includes a GIF

showing three elite basket tosses. The display of skill disproves the idea that cheerleaders arent

athletes, supporting her argument against the stereotype. Corsetti also avoided making a hasty

generalization in her argument by using a qualifier, in this case, most. By using most,

Corsetti acknowledges that while there are teams that do have weight room training, there are

others that do not.

Another moment where Corsetti intends for a GIF to act as genuine evidence, is in her

eighth point, in which she rebukes the assumption that all cheerleaders are coordinated. Not only

does she provide evidence by using herself as an example, she also includes a GIF in which an

accident happen due to an uncoordinated cheerleader:

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Double tap to view GIF

Corsettis goal is to contradict the idea that all cheerleaders are coordinated. The GIF acts as

evidence to help her support her claim.

Pathos Analysis

From the article, one can clearly see that Corsetti deeply believes in what she is trying to

convey. She is careful in the techniques she uses to persuade her audience, making sure not to

come off too strong with her argument. Had she simply gone and expressed her irritation,

indignation, anger, etc., it would have completely detracted from the point she was trying to

make. Instead, she subtly utilizes pathos to entice readers into sharing her feelings.

Her first point shows her best use of pathos. Corsetti argues that cheerleaders are athletes

while detailing the level of athleticism the sport requires:

LOL O K A Y. Whether you believe it or not, cheerleading IS indeed a sport. And it

requires a great deal of athleticism. Most squads (especially competition squads) are in

the weight room because, you know, stunts require lifting and throwing PEOPLE. We
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used to have two-a-day practices! Oh, and cheerleading has the most athletic injuries of

any sport. (Corsetti).

Her argument here is sarcastic, facetious, and entertaining. After reading her argument,

one can better understand and feel how frustrating it is to be denied recognition of ones skills;

however, there is one point in her argument where her frustration comes off too much. It is when

she follows u her great argument by saying, We used to have two-a-day practices! (Corsetti).

She had been subtly appealing to pathos, letting the audience feel her irritation, and influencing

them to share her feelings. With the way she mentions two-a-day practices, she goes from being

an athlete who is irritated at not being recognized, to a whiner. Many athletes have to do two-a-

day practices, so the incredulity of the sentence detracts from her argument that cheerleaders are

serious athletes.

Corsettis mistake is small, but by finishing the sentence with an exclamation point, she

sounds more like she is complaining, than stating. The sentence itself is fine, but it would have

worked better for her purposes if she had used a period.

Logos Analysis

Throughout the article, Corsetti makes several logos moves. For the most part, she makes

artistic proofs, pointing out the lack of logic surrounding the assumptions, and making her

arguments appear as common sense. The best example her doing so, is her argument in the third

point: Some cheerleaders are mean, but anyone can be mean. Its not like being a jerk is a

requirement for joining a squad. Thats ridiculous. (Corsetti). Corsettis style lends her writing a

tone of obviousness that makes people want to agree with her. People generally dislike feeling as
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though they are dont understand something that is seemingly obvious. It tends to make them feel

unintelligent.

Though she mostly utilizes artistic proofs, Corsetti does make a couple attempts to use

inartistic proofs; however, she makes a mistake. In her first point, Corsetti makes a solid

argument against the misconception that cheerleaders arent athletes. In conclusion of her

argument, she says, Oh, and cheerleading has the most athletic injuries of any sport. (Corsetti).

Throwing out an interesting and surprising fact to keep her readers interested was a smart move

on her part; however, she makes the mistake of not providing any evidence to support her

statement. In that moment, her logos move falls short. Corsetti should have provided evidence;

such as a statistical survey or quote from a medical professional. Lack of evidence, though not

fallacious, is a mistake that could affect her ethos if anyone cared to try and dispute her claim.

Claim, Encounter, McWhorter

Its Monday, October 16, and Im standing in the dining area of the Bagwell Education

Building, waiting for my econ class to start. Its around 1:50 because my Japanese class ended at

1:45. As I stand there, waiting for the professor to come and open the door, I receive a message

via GroupMe. The message is from another girl in my Econ class, requesting that someone put

the notes from class in the group message, as she was missing class to protest. More than a little

confused, I ask one of my other classmates if he knows whats going on. He explains to me that

people are gathering in protest of the decision to prohibit the KSU cheerleaders from entering the

field before the national anthem. I knew about the cheerleaders taking a knee, but I hadnt

realized that they were being punished, or that people were protesting said punishment. A few
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moments later, the doors to the lecture hall open, and we all descend in an attempt to get a decent

seat.

As I recall the exchange, I think about my classmates body language. Throughout his

entire explanation his facial expression barely shifted, his tone remained bored, and his arms

stayed loosely crossed in front of his body. He looked like he could not care less about what was

happening. Maybe he just isnt invested in sports, and hed react the same with any other

athletes, but the way he said cheerleaders was akin to the way someone says lint. I cant help

but wonder if there would be more of a reaction if the punishment was being doled out to athletes

of another sport.

It is so incredibly frustrating to see people constantly disregarding cheerleaders and what

they do. Too often, cheerleaders are dismissed as athletes because people refuse to acknowledge

that they, and their sport, have changed; continuing to view them as nothing more than club

members of a pep squad.

Most sports remain virtually the same over time; however, in the time cheerleading has

been in existence (approximately 120 years), it has completely changed from what it once was.

Originally a club involving encouraging other teams, it has grown to be a sport all its own. As

the sport continues to grow and evolve, its athletes evolve with it. The first cheerleaders were

exactly that leaders in cheer. They were responsible for organizing the crowd and leading them

in chants. Fast forward 50 years, and cheerleading has already moved towards becoming a

common sport, with acrobatics being incorporated into routines. Another 50 years, and we all-

star cheerleading has swept across the nation, reaching other countries as well. About 70 years

later, we arrive at the modern day cheerleader. Cheerleaders who are the like the like of our

modern day society: becoming increasingly more common and popular, but still reviled by those
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clinging onto the old meanings. Cheerleaders are no longer only the pomp on waving,

megaphone wielding, sideliners they once were. So many people have put theireverything into

creating the sport, so its time that work is recognized. Such reluctance to accept change can also

be seen in McWhorter.

When discussing the word, like, and the hatred many have for its part in our modern

language, McWhorter shows that the word has already changed from its original meaning: . . .

the word that later became like was the word for, of all things, body! (McWhorter 212). In

giving this information, McWhorter shows that the like people know and love once meant

something completely different. Also, for those who are against the modern like, it shows that

the change is a natural process that has happened before.

Cheerleaders are in the same situation where what they are now, differs greatly from

what they once were. In the same way that people are unaware of the original meaning of like,

most have no idea what the origins behind cheerleaders are. For many (especially those who only

view cheerleaders as girls in short skirts with pom pons, cheering for those on the field), it comes

as a great surprise to learn that the first cheer team to ever be created (1898) was comprised

entirely of men. Women were not allowed to participate in cheerleading until 1923 (Varsity). The

traditional cheerleader many instinctively think of (girls, short skirts, pom pons, etcetera), is

very different from what was once the norm.

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Works Cited

Being a Cheerleader - History of Cheerleading. The Official Site - Varsity.Com - We Are

Cheerleading, www.varsity.com/event/1261/being-a-cheerleader-history.

Corsetti, Caitlin. 9 Things You Never Knew Were Totally Wrong About Cheerleaders.

Gurl.com, 17 July 2015, www.gurl.com/2015/07/17/stereotypes-about-cheerleaders-

wrong/.

Jessica. The Evolution of Cheerleading Uniforms. Omni Cheer - Setting The Standard!, 19

Apr. 2011, www.omnicheer.com/blog/post/the-evolution-of-cheerleading-uniforms.