Agreed on the fact that there are certain shapes that can do gymnastics, or be a size 2, and others that can't and never will. Those acrobats tend not to be good at basketball or some of the other sports... No matter. At least the cheerleaders have to be reasonably athletic, and they're not as thin as the latest group heading down the runway at a fashion show.

Any group as exclusive as a pro football cheerleading squad is going to cut for physical appearance some of us would die for. That's virtually the only criterion they're hiring on; that and the ability to not create scenes in public. One locally was fired for the unfortunate consequences of being drunk in the wrong place. The Rockettes have pretty much the same standards, and require more dancing talent, I'd bet. Don't know if they broadcast their tryouts.

It sells beer, and that's all that matters in that world.

I think most of them do have day jobs. The gig doesn't pay enough to live on. They're in it for the glory, and whatever other promotional opportunities come along with having been a DCC. Might help sell a dance class on down the road, I guess. Wouldn't help get a job in this company.

I have simply had to learn that external appearance and internal sanity or wholeness or anything are almost completely unrelated. Some people are blessed with an ability to look like society's ideal and still be completely bats. That was not a hand of cards dealt to me. Good luck to them, and call me when you hit 50 and we'll see how being the top of that heap at 20 has influenced your life over the next 30 years.

DH says women expect women to be really thin....that all men prefer they're women to be real women with curves and soft areas......that no man wants to be with a stick figure who's hip bones stab him.

I have heard a few guys comment on how gross those really skinny girls are.....

Alright, I finally got a chance to look at the pictures on the CMT site, and I have to say:

Some of those girls WERE fat. they had rolls hanging over the top of their shorts. that's not even an athletic buld, nevermind an elite one.

About the expectation on women:

Theirs are pretty simple, don't be fat. Men on the other hand have to not only be lean, but also have huge muscles, a full head of hair, be tall, be rich and powerful, be able to lift hundreds of pounds, not to mention the bedroom expectations.

Yet men don't whine about seeing "perfect" guys on TV all the time. They don't cry when they hear some pro bodybuilder or fitness model get criticized for not being totally symetrical, or not having enough abdominal definition, etc. Quite the opposite. They either work their butt off to get that physique too if they care, or don't give it a second thought if they don't.

Those "perfect" physiques can be inspirational. These people did not get that way by accident. They worked very hard to get that body. You may never get the same level as your role model, but that doesn't mean you can't work as hard as them and get yourself into really good shape too.

Besides, it's not as if size 2 is totally unreasonable. I had a girlfreind a few years back who was 5'7", 120 lbs, and she usually wore a size 2. Yes, she was very lean, but she wasn't a stick by any means. She had curves and she had muscle definition.

Link please!

WHAT!!!!(for women) No way. You also have to have all your parts in proportion and with more than appropriate padding in a few places, have hair - lots of it - preferably blonde. And that hair better be on your head and no where else. And your nose, well, it better be just right. And your cheeks - bones yes but not gaunt, and a mouth - it better be pouty and full but know how to keep itself shut. As for the bedroom expectation, since when you guys not bitch about women that don’t perform??

Women are much more accepting of men that don’t meet standards of physical perfection than men are of women, have you never noticed how many older, pot bellied, balding men are regarded as sex symbols simply because of their charisma very few women can get by on charisma alone.

For one thing, girls are very self-image oriented. When the TV shows nothing but good-looking girls, they begin to think that's normal. Ever since TV started, the men could be fat and even ugly but the woman with him had to be a model.

Another thing is the women's clothing sizes. Compare an XL to a man's XL. They used to be the same size. The clothing used to be separated into Juniors and woman's. Now anything over a certain size is called "Plus size". So if you're not size six, you're in the plus sizes and considered fat. They have also been skimping on the amount of material in the clothing. If they skimp an inch or two on every shirt made, they will make more shirts and more money. But what does it do to the image? You can't get into an XL? you must be fat. Reality: the XL is nothing more than a large sized small. It's disgusting.

I believe the Plus sizes start at 16, but that's a 16W (bigger than a regular 16). Regular jeans still go up to 20, so even when I was obese, I still shopped regular clothes.

I'm currently squeezing into an 8 and definetly NOT a plus size. That's at Old Navy. At WalMart I fit a 6. I wish they'd standardize sizes so I wouldn't have to try stuff on when I shop at a new store.

It's more interesting to see how many diet products they try to sell while they show these kinds of shows. Lets face it, they're trying to sell an image to the rest of woman-kind, and unfortunately some will by what they have to sell. It's not about what's right, it's about what sells. Weight loss to the females, sex to the men. Now about those cialis (and other similar products) commercials....

The whole thing is disgusting.

I've yet to see anything over size 12 in the Junior's departments. Sometimes they get one garment that's 14 or 16 but it's usually one one, in one color where there are four colors of the smaller sizes. BLECH!

How many of you are getting tired of skin-tight shirts? Or watching overweight girls wearing them with half their obese stomachs hanging out? If I was an overweight teen, I'd be a bit more modest and find clothing that didn't accent my weight.

My DH agrees... he's constantly commented on how thin and actually "Not attractive" some TV Stars, ect are.

But I must admit - some TV shows, magazine ads, ect geared towards young woman are horrifying. It's as though they're implying that being thin is the only way - it's rather sad. But eh... DIFFERENCE is what makes the world keep spinning 'round. Just think how bland the world would be if we were all a size 2 & beautiful. Just wouldn't be any fun than.

Yep, yep. I have seen some horribly dressed obese people, and some nicely dressed one. I also tend to dress modestly no matter what, though I will show off my midriff if I think I can get away with it.

Even when I weighed 98 pounds I was a size 6. I have broad shoulders so I couldn't wear anything smaller.

There was a show on ESPN about the grueling try-outs for the Oakland Raiders some time back. I did watch it and I was absolutely amazed at what these young men has to go through in order to be a cheerleader! They had to be in top physical condition, understand dance and gymnastics, endure hours of training and above all, watch everything they ate. Many WERE NOT under 22. Some were near and over 30 and had children. They dedicated themselves to good health, good eating, a grea attitude and fitness. While I wouldn't exactly hold them up as role models, they are what we strive to be - in shape. Years of dance lessons, failed try-outs and practice got them to that point and they loved it. Even the veterans have to try out every year. How many occupations do you know of that require their employees to audition every year? Maybe we'd more competitive if we did. I have a great deal more respect for what they have to go through to get to that point. My husband actually had no interest in watching the program but I watched it all from start to finish, following these women over two weeks of try-outs and work-outs and stress.

I know how everyone in this forum feels right now.
I GOT to that weight...and you know what, I felt WORSE. I'm now really trying to gain a few pounds back. I lost my period, my skin got really bad...I look like a 12-year-old boy, when I was never more than a size 6 anyway. I used to be a competitive athlete, and then I was going through periods where I wouldn't eat at all.
I'm trying to ditch the scale and live a healthy lifestyle (which includes low-carb because that IS a healthy lifestyle)...but seriously, I am trying to find good role models out there and they are NOT in the media
It's so hard to know what healthy eating is when the girls on TV are shrinking down to 85 poudns and doing cocaine to stay that size.

lol...yeah ...I saw the show...and to tell you the truth...I think that show slapped me back into being serious on losing weight....

I felt a couple of things....I think first was anger....then I felt jealous...and then I felt sad....not because the girls were skinny....but because I don't feel good about myself...

Realizing these things and doing something about it is the only way to feel better....

I agree with you that too much emphasis is put on being under a size 5....I feel sexy and great at size 10 or 12.....and I feel healthy...I have 50 lbs to lose....

I "understand" how you feel.....but I must say...it is a self esteem issue that until you feel good about yourself...you will feel that way