"Its an audition to be a trophy wife"— Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders baffles fans over treatment of the cheerleaders

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders were the subject of the recent Netflix docuseries America's Sweethearts season 1. The docuseries took an unfiltered look at the trials and tribulations faced by the renowned NFL cheerleader squad.

The cheerleader candidates spoke at length about their struggles with their body image, the physical and psychological toll of the profession, the low-paying nature of the job, and the fierce competitiveness of the auditions and training camp.

This has garnered significant backlash from the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders fandom, which has been critical of the DCC management and cynical about the cheerleaders' prospects.

This was spelled out in the fan comments on a since-deleted Reddit post.

Fans have reacted cynically to the cheerleaders' prospects. (Image via Reddit)

Charlotte Jones in particular has come under heavy scrutiny, given her position as the daughter of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, and her position as the de-factor top honcho of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

Charlotte Jones, with her father Jerry Jones and her mother Eugenia Chambers

"I can't help but wonder if Charlotte Jones and others in management are laughing behind their backs at how these talented women essentially work for very little. In any other industry, top talent like this would be compensated fairly. For instance, top background dancers for pop singers reportedly earn between $30,000 to $50,000 annually, whereas the documentary revealed that Cowboys cheerleaders earn only around $10,000." said one user

Fans felt the cheerleaders were being exploited. (Image via Reddit)

"Remember when the owner was bragging about getting destiny's child all fur coats last minute due to the weather...excuse me sir...you have the money to pay your cheerleaders better," said another user.

"It will continue as king there is demand. These talented taldies need to not put up with it but it's like a cult," said a fan.

"You can actually see that there is a real difference in talent vs professional commercial dancers. They'd have an entirely different set of auditioners if they were union," said a reply to the post.

Fans questioned why, when the DCC was paid so little when the Dallas Cowboys were so profitabel. (Image via Reddit)

In the docuseries, Charlotte Jones openly admitted that cheerleading for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders was not a financially lucrative career and should be perceived as a stepping stone to greater things. This sentiment was echoed in the discussion:

"It's not unlike any other competition, it is a passion at this level, and to some of them it may be a stepping stone into their profession as a professional dancer or an owner/coach of a dance studio," one fan said.

Some fans argued that many saw cheerleading as a stepping stone. (Image via Reddit)

However, other Reddit users pointed out that the compensation for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is still low for such a demanding job.

"The football players never had to go on strike and the lowest paid NFL player makes $795,000. The way the girls were treated was also pretty awful. Not a fan of female management in this show at all! Monica from Cheer was way better. Tough but fair," one of them said.

"And yea it's really hard to dance this well," another Redditor replied.

Fans understood how hard the cheerleading profession was. (Image via Reddit)

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What America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is about

America's Sweetheart: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is a docuseries that has peeled back the curtain on many controversial aspects of cheerleading.

Episodes started out covering the demanding audition process and the finalization of the roster during training camp. The docuseries then followed the 2023–2024 roster of the DCC on their journey through the NFL's preseason and playoff games before the group was finally disbanded.

The unfiltered nature of the Netflix docuseries has brought many simmering issues to the forefront of fan consciousness.