In today's New York Times, a front page story provided extensive and disturbing detail regarding the mistreatment of cheerleaders of the Washington professional football team. The article featured a photo shoot in Costa Rica during 2013 in which cheerleaders posed topless. Afterwards, a select group of cheerleaders were asked to escort men to a night club. Senior officials of the team were at the nightclub. Earlier in 2012, cheerleaders were asked to attend a raucous party on a yacht owned by a rich patron of the team.
These instances do not appear isolated and instead reflect the culture of the organization. The New York Times article documents that team owner Dan Snyder assumed control of cheerleading, folding it into the team organization; it was previously operated by an independent company. After he assumed control, the marketing of cheerleading became salacious including sections on the team website encouraging fans to select cheerleaders they thought were "hot."
This repulsive misogyny has a common theme with Snyder's refusal to change the team's name. He is objectifying women just as he is demeaning Native Americans by making them mascots. Native Americans are about two percent of the nation's population. Apparently, it is not enough to objectify two percent. Let's go for an additional 50 percent (that is women) and now humiliate more than half of the nation's population.
There is a good case to be made to ban cheerleading in the NFL. The Times reports that six teams do not have squads. At the very least, the NFL must establish a code of conduct to make cheerleading free of humiliation and sexual harassment. As the Washington Post editorializes, the NFL Commissioner must meet with the cheerleaders whom have filed harassment lawsuits. The Commissioner has not shown moral backbone to this point in response to injustice; now is his opportunity to change that.
As for Mr. Snyder, may he repent and express public regret for his despicable behavior by changing the name and ceasing the objectification of women and Native Americans.
These instances do not appear isolated and instead reflect the culture of the organization. The New York Times article documents that team owner Dan Snyder assumed control of cheerleading, folding it into the team organization; it was previously operated by an independent company. After he assumed control, the marketing of cheerleading became salacious including sections on the team website encouraging fans to select cheerleaders they thought were "hot."
This repulsive misogyny has a common theme with Snyder's refusal to change the team's name. He is objectifying women just as he is demeaning Native Americans by making them mascots. Native Americans are about two percent of the nation's population. Apparently, it is not enough to objectify two percent. Let's go for an additional 50 percent (that is women) and now humiliate more than half of the nation's population.
There is a good case to be made to ban cheerleading in the NFL. The Times reports that six teams do not have squads. At the very least, the NFL must establish a code of conduct to make cheerleading free of humiliation and sexual harassment. As the Washington Post editorializes, the NFL Commissioner must meet with the cheerleaders whom have filed harassment lawsuits. The Commissioner has not shown moral backbone to this point in response to injustice; now is his opportunity to change that.
As for Mr. Snyder, may he repent and express public regret for his despicable behavior by changing the name and ceasing the objectification of women and Native Americans.
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