Stereotypes Of Cheerleaders: A Narrative Analysis

I chose to compile a collage of various images to represent the stereotypes that are often associated with cheerleaders versus the reality of the individuals. When first looking at the collage, the viewer has two options to focus their eyes on. They can either see the images that surround the silhouette, as they are more visible and easier to view, or they can look a little harder and see what is within. This choice of perspective correlates to the dilemma that Pickering suggests is involved in stereotyping, “to resort to one-sided representations in the interests of order, security, and dominance, or to allow for a more complex vision, a more open attitude, a more flexible way of thinking” (Pickering 3-4). As it is easier to simply use one-sided representations that apply

The beliefs include; perceiving them as a sexual object, a cone-head, bossy, conceited, rude, stupid, having no morals, two-faced, and many others. Rather than categorizing, this perspective is stereotyping as it has “the crucial difference that stereotyping attempts to deny any flexible thinking with categories” (Pickering 3). When people stereotype cheerleaders, they view the team as homogenous as they associate a specific belief on the category of individuals. These, often inaccurate, perspectives strip individuality away from the cheerleaders and leads society to have misleading perspectives of who they are. As stereotyping is an inflexible perspective, it influences the society’s behavior regarding cheerleaders despite any inaccuracies exhibited from a specific individual. The concept of inflexible thinking of cheerleaders is demonstrated when society doesn’t take the time to get to know someone due to the fact that they are a cheerleader, having the impression that they already know who they