Or not.
I can imagine folks suggesting that bare midriffs in cheerleading competitions might somehow be indecent. I wouldn’t agree, but I can imagine it. I couldn’t have imagined this particular reason for banning them:
Australian cheerleaders have been banned from baring midriffs by officials of the sport who fear displays of skin may encourage eating disorders. Gymnastics Australia has ordered cheerleading troupes to find new uniforms by the end of the year.
Nerine Cooper, national cheerleading manager for Gymnastics Australia, said the decision, which followed similar moves in the United States and elsewhere, was needed because cheerleaders often performed in front of family groups. “We don’t want girls to feel under pressure to lose weight because of uniforms,” she told Sydney’s Sunday Telegraph.
Right. Because cheerleaders will not feel any pressure to lose weight because their midriffs are covered.
Granted, the bare midriff look is one that really does require very particular muscle tone. I see way too many women going for the bare midriff whose waistline runneth over. (They go right along with the men who do the same thing, so it’s not just a sexist thing here.)
In the United States, the National Federation of State High School Associations issued a new rule for the 2006-07 school year requiring that cheerleading uniforms cover the midriff.
Frankly, bare midriffs or not, I’m going to expect cheerleaders to have a lot of internal (and external) pressure to lose weight. I don’t expect this decision to change that, and it’s goofy to think it will.
No doubt we’ll see moves to ban Kim Possible …
(via Avocet)
I say we make ’em cover up little button noses, too! We don’t want young girls feeling pressured to get plastic surgery.