The University of Washington cheerleading team was forced to pull a poster offering advice just hours after first posted following backlash. The poster, which was modeled after other school ads which did not draw controversy was created “in response to a high volume of student questions about cheer and dance team tryouts.
The poster from Monday night featured a blonde depicted in a black sports bra and shorts, along with “dos and don’ts” on makeup, hair, body, and attire.
Some expressed their discontent with the poster with The Seattle Times, including student Jazmine Perez, the director of programming for student government:
Signe Burchim, a UW senior called it “really upsetting and kind of disheartening the way it’s basically asking these women who want to try out to perform their femininity — but not too much.” She claimed that such a message wouldn’t go out to men who try out for sports.
The poster was also considered “racist, sexist and outrageous” by Nancy Anderson who was a UW cheerleader in the 1960s. “It was a wonderful experience … now when I read about these ‘tips,’ I’m embarrassed to say that I was ever a Husky cheerleader,” she noted to The Seattle Times via e-mail.
The post was removed because the department “determined that some of the details and descriptions provided were inconsistent with the values of the UW spirit program and department of athletics.”
The poster did not manage to outrage everyone, however. Kyle Smith defended the ad and its standards for the New York Post with “Relax, it’s OK for cheerleaders to look hot.”
