Tears for Cheers
Netflix Brings It On with Cheerleading Expose
Nothing brings the Netflix community together quite like blood, sweat and cheer. And conveniently, the streaming world’s latest binge is the new reality series “Cheer.”
It covers the story of Navarro College’s cheer team, and their physical and emotional journey to the annual cheer competition in Daytona, Fla.
Over the past three weeks, “Cheer” has taken over all social media platforms and has become the talk of daytime TV stations. Twitter is buzzing about the personal lives of the cheerleaders. Who’s dating who? Which brand is Gabi Butler going to sponsor next? Buzzfeed has even taken the liberty to create a “Which Navarro Cheer Leader Are You?” quiz.
Securing their newfound celebrity, the Navarro kids made a special appearance on “Ellen,” which also featured supermodel Kendall Jenner. Needless to say, this cheer squad is rapidly garnering national attention.
The series captures how cheer has evolved over time, moving away from kitschy dancing and closer to Olympics-rate gymnastics. In fact, there are moments where 100-pound flyers are being tossed into the air in ways that seem to defy the range of human motion and gravity.
Tumblers hit backflips on backflips while managing to look like Barbie dolls. Director Greg Whiteley’s videography and use of 360-degree angles and close-up shots do an astounding job at making the audience feel as if they are a part of each routine.
With an inside look into these potentially back-breaking routines, it is no wonder these cheerleaders constantly suffer such painful and frequent injuries.
This brings us to a bigger issue that the series documents: the disposability of each cheerleader.
In one episode, back-up flyer Morgan Simianer substitutes for the first-string flyer because she was injured during an unfinished basket during practice.
Later in the season, Morgan finds herself injured and sneaks off to the emergency room during practice because she does not want her coach to find out she is hurt and have her pulled from the routine.
The team’s coach, Monica Aldama, is a businesswoman with a degree in finance from the University of Texas. While she never made it to Wall Street, she undoubtedly treats her team like a business.
She values hard work, professionalism and people who will push themselves to achieve greatness.
Cheer is a system that rewards pain and disciplines the weak. Feelings don’t matter; it’s all about winning. Arguably, this uncompromising attitude is what has allowed Navarro to win 14 cheer championships.
Not to mention, all of the cheerleaders admit throughout the series that Coach Monica is their second, or even first mom. They owe all of their potential and current success to her.
On one hand, it can be difficult watching college students jeopardize their mental and physical health for a sport with no professional league or promise of a career.
On the other hand, Coach Monica has choreographed some of the most challenging and breathtaking routines that demonstrate the seemingly limitless athleticism, grace and spirit of the human body.
Granted there is no professional cheer league. However, Navarro College’s case proves that cheerleading can propel and even save people’s lives.
Navarro flyer, tumbler and base Gabi Butler has gained over 1.3 million followers on Instagram and started her own swimwear company.
“If Monica hadn’t given me a shot,” tumbler Lexi Brumback said, “I’d be sitting in a jail cell.”
Given these rewards, the fact that cheerleaders push themselves past their limits for a two-minute routine once a year is not surprising. The world applauds these girls’ abilities to achieve greatness at the expense of their own physical and mental well-being.
The ironic name of the sport—and the show—reminds us that while cheerleaders are putting themselves through tiring pain, they are still expected to smile and be energetic. “Cheer” draws in its viewers with a perplexing combination of amazement, fear, beauty and authenticity.