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You once said
in American Weekly,
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You said: "Women, they're
an necessary nuisance."
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You said, "American women have
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to learn to accept
a man's domination."
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Did I say that?
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Who was the boss of your family?
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Absolutely my husband.
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What is a husband?
A husband Is the guy who's
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is in charge and should be
all of the time.
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And this thing about saying
let's talk it all over
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this baloney, it doesn't matter.
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It doesn't work because
talking it over, only...
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Is a kind of a relentless
insidious and it's about a woman.
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Do you hear me?
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I really don't know what
women are asking for.
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Now, suppose I wanted
to give it to them.
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Listen, you may as well
relax because whatever
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it is they're asking for,
honey, it's not for you.
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It was 1967 in Dallas, Texas.
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Four years after the
Kennedy assassination, the
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Cowboys were hosting the
Falcons at the Cotton Bowl.
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The cheerleaders were
there but they were
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high school kids, boy and
girl couples who tried
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to lead cheers at the
football stadium but
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they never captured the
fans' imagination.
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And then at half-time, a woman walks
down the aisle on the home team side.
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She was an exotic dancer
a topless Dancer
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or call it what you want, but
Dallas knew her as Bubbles Cash.
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Bubbles Cash.
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Do you remember that?
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Bubbles Cash.
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She was a stripper.
Well, yeah.
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And this woman had big
hair and she had a short mini skirt
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and she carried in each hand cotton
candy but just like pompoms.
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People turned around, the players on
the field, the coaches, the referees.
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She was such a sex bomb,
you could not miss Bubbles Cash.
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And this is the moment when general manager
Tex Schramm has a vision that would
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change the game of football
in America forever.
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These are the
Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders.
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Fans sometimes spend
as much time watching
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them as they do
watching the Cowboys.
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In 1972, when
we walked out there
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on that field, people went
crazy in the stadium.
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The next day,
it was on all the news.
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It was in the newspaper.
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Everybody's going:
"Did you see what they
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had on or what
they didn't have on?"
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They didn't look
like all-American
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00:04:24,481 --> 00:04:26,788
college kids anymore
or high school kids.
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They were the most sexed up
cheerleaders anywhere.
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Midriff, hot pants, the
boots, men would be howling.
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You know, you could see a wife
nudge went up and stuff like that.
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This is not two, four, six,
eight, who do you appreciate?
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This is Broadway coming
to your sideline.
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This is a show.
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They perform.
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It was just this whole
new way of thinking of it.
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It's like putting a sparkle on the
sidelines to glitter and glam.
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No one's thinking like this.
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Tex Schramm sees the future of
the NFL on TV when no one does.
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You are in the entertainment
business as well
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as being in the sports business
or the two are synonymous,
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and we think that it adds
color and a little bit of
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excitement at our games
and for the television camera.
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I mean you tune in CBS with
that great voice of Pat Summerall.
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I'm Pat Summerall.
This is Tom Brookshier.
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You'd see Landry in a suit
and tie and a goofy little hat
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and here comes Staubach
leading the team onto the field,
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throwing his pass to Drew Pearson
who would constantly just get
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flipped head over heels and
yet somehow hang on to the ball.
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Dorset would take off
on a long touchdown run.
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And then CBS would cut away
to Dana Presley.
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I've seen all I need to see.
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My life's over now.
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But Dallas is a place where
the sacred and the profane exist
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simultaneously, sometimes right
across the street from one another.
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It's fundamental religion
and hellraisers, and so you had a
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lot of pushback early on and the
pushback was led by the coach's wife.
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Alicia Landry,
Tom's wife, didn't like us.
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She did not like
that there was too much...
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boob showing.
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So, at one game, we had these
little pieces of blue fabric that
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snapped into our uniform top and
they were called modesty shields.
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That experiment lasted one-half.
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The outcry
was so bad, they came down
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to our dressing room and said:
"Get those off. They're terrible."
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There's always people in
our society who want to
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tell other people what they
should and should not enjoy.
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And what I find refreshing, and there's
not nearly enough of it anymore,
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is a guy like Tex Schramm who says
that: "I hear your criticism.
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I just don't care.
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I know this sells.
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I know this works."
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Go, Cowboy, go!
Go, Cowboy, go!
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It was in 1976.
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It was the bicentennial.
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The cheerleaders were well
known in Dallas, but at that
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Super Bowl they suddenly
became a national phenomenon.
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You ask anybody what
one of the biggest games
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in NFL history was,
and Super Bowl X
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between the Pittsburgh Steelers
and the Dallas Cowboys
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is going to make
that list invariably.
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Touchdown Drew
Pearson The Cowboys take the lead.
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CBS was figuring out how
we're going to televise
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the Super Bowl,
talked about a lot of things,
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but one consensus agreement
was they were going to
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key in on the
Cowboys Cheerleaders.
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How'd you get the
idea for Honey Shot then?
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I got the idea for
Honey Shots because
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I am a dirty old man, okay,
because I turned, uh, 17.
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I remember I was terrified.
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Every time I looked at a girl,
I just crumbled, and I thought:
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"If I'm like that, maybe
other people are like that."
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And you know what? They are.
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The notoriety and fame,
it seems so silly
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00:08:05,876 --> 00:08:09,271
now to think that that
totally came from a wink.
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It was the right game,
right place, right time.
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And when one of those cheerleaders
winked at the camera,
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the nation forgot there was
a football game going on.
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This is really the wink that launched
the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.
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The wink.
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Oh, the wink changed everything.
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One of the cheerleaders,
Gwenda Swearingen, who obviously
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was a beautiful child and she
had no idea what she was doing.
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Oh, the Gwendolyn Wink.
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It was just pure magic right
out of a Hollywood script.
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And everybody thought in America
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that that wink
was just for them.
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After the wink, it seemed
like all hell broke loose.
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I mean, there were calls from
Hollywood, William Morris Agency,
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marketing companies wanting us
to do unbelievable things.
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00:09:01,758 --> 00:09:04,674
And Tex Schramm had
a very strong television
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media background and he
saw the potential for it.
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00:09:08,156 --> 00:09:12,029
The first time I walked into
Tex Schramm's office, I had
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no idea who he was and I really
didn't care about the Cowboys.
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His really big question to me
was what I wanted to do in
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five years with the Cowboys, and
I just looked at him and said:
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"Your chair is pretty comfortable."
And he thought that was
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hysterical, so he banged on the
desk and said: "You're hired."
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Now, understand
at the time I was doing
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all his personal financial work.
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I was doing all the player
contract work, all the NFL work,
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00:09:41,581 --> 00:09:46,063
then came Super Bowl X in Miami,
and that's why he called me
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into his office and said:
"Somebody's got to handle this,
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so you do it in your spare time."
And I just said: "Okeydokey."
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00:10:02,210 --> 00:10:04,212
Suzanne Mitchell was
probably the perfect
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hire to be in charge of
the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
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This is a strong woman.
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I think I was more
afraid of upsetting
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Suzanne Mitchell than I've
ever been of upsetting
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any coach or owner or
general manager in any sport.
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She was kind of scary at times.
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Suzanne, that was our mama bear.
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She would take you on.
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00:10:23,666 --> 00:10:26,626
I crossed her one time when I was
in her office and I was just kind of
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00:10:26,756 --> 00:10:29,977
browsing through this big box she
had on the corner of her desk.
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00:10:30,107 --> 00:10:31,805
I didn't think
it was any big deal.
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00:10:33,067 --> 00:10:35,243
She let me know
it was a big deal.
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00:10:35,373 --> 00:10:38,812
I didn't browse around on Suzanne
Mitchell's desk ever again.
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She was a tough cookie but she
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had to be, and if she had not
been as tough as she was,
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I think things would have
gotten way out of control.
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You're asking
about my private life?
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There was no private life.
There was none.
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I mean, literally, I worked seven
days a week, 18 hours a day.
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I truly did.
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00:11:01,530 --> 00:11:04,751
The first year we had like
250 auditions.
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The second year,
I had 4,000 applications.
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The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders
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have been called
the most select line up
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of women west of the Radio
City Music Hall Rockettes.
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00:11:18,068 --> 00:11:22,943
You're dealing with Miss
this, Miss that, Homecoming Queen,
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cheerleader, all thought they
were hotsy-totsy, wonderful:
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00:11:27,991 --> 00:11:30,602
"I'm the best one here
and I'm the cutest one."
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But they're in a room full of people
thinking exactly the same thing.
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I remember my aunt
in San Diego telling me
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to never be a cheerleader because
they're exploiting themselves on TV.
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I was like: "Oh, I'll never
be a cheerleader." Mm.
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00:11:48,185 --> 00:11:52,929
Well, my father was
a cheerleader at Rice.
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I was actually 17
when I auditioned.
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I was supposed to be 18.
I never told anybody that.
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I was raised in
Collinsville, Texas, population 800.
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No dancing in school because
it was sinful and corrupt.
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I hold peanuts.
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I hold cotton.
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And so I was always a loner,
so, I tried out for
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cheerleader without
telling anyone.
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00:12:14,037 --> 00:12:15,604
Growing up,
I was climbing trees.
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00:12:15,735 --> 00:12:17,388
My sister
was playing Barbie dolls.
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00:12:17,519 --> 00:12:19,260
I was a tomboy.
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00:12:19,390 --> 00:12:22,002
My whole life I wanted
to be a quarterback
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of a professional football team.
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00:12:23,917 --> 00:12:26,833
I never made
the high school squad because
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I wasn't good enough, I guess, or they
didn't like my look, but when I went to
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college, I was the first
African-American cheerleader
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they ever had at Texas Lutheran and then
I came back and tried out for Dallas.
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I auditioned the first time in 1981.
I was in college. I was married.
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00:12:44,328 --> 00:12:47,679
I mentioned it one night at
dinner with my then husband and
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00:12:47,810 --> 00:12:49,899
He said: "There's no way you'd
make it." So it started out
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00:12:50,030 --> 00:12:54,251
as just a dare, but once I met
those 250 other girls at
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semi-finals, it became:
"I must do this or I will die."
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00:12:58,038 --> 00:13:04,000
We're looking for an all-American,
sexy girl, one that has a very
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00:13:04,131 --> 00:13:08,613
good background, a very good
personality as far as
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00:13:08,744 --> 00:13:12,400
representing the Cowboys
and Dallas, Texas.
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00:13:12,530 --> 00:13:15,707
I'm a writer, I'm a journalist
and I was asked to write a book
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00:13:15,838 --> 00:13:18,580
about the
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
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00:13:18,710 --> 00:13:24,107
And so I spent nine months with Suzanne
Mitchell and the cheerleaders.
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00:13:24,238 --> 00:13:29,983
The cheerleading tryouts
were... it blew me away.
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00:13:30,113 --> 00:13:35,162
Everyone has got the make-up, and the
clothes, and the cleavage and, you know,
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the bathrooms are full of everyone's
blowing their hair and curling it.
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00:13:38,992 --> 00:13:42,212
It's very much of
a performance-type feeling.
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00:13:42,343 --> 00:13:44,911
Suzanne came across
very intimidating.
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00:13:45,041 --> 00:13:47,478
She got a pair of readers
on top of her head
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00:13:47,609 --> 00:13:49,698
and a pair of readers across
the bridge of her nose.
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00:13:49,829 --> 00:13:52,353
She's got her legs crossed and
she's tapping a pencil and looking
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00:13:52,483 --> 00:13:55,922
at you and you're like: "Am I doing good?
Is... you know, is she liking this?"
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00:13:56,052 --> 00:14:00,752
Toni was 18 years old and
I wondered why the hell she was
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00:14:00,883 --> 00:14:04,582
even there because she couldn't
dance her way out of a paper bag.
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00:14:27,214 --> 00:14:31,479
My routine was from Billy Preston,
Nothing from Nothing Gets Nothing,
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00:14:31,609 --> 00:14:34,874
and I had a big pompom hairdo
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and it was more
of a comedy routine.
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00:14:39,226 --> 00:14:42,794
I wore a black outfit
and I wanted to be like,
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00:14:42,925 --> 00:14:46,015
look like a girl paladin, you
know, "have gun, will travel".
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00:14:46,146 --> 00:14:48,104
When I got up on the stage,
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00:14:48,235 --> 00:14:52,630
I shot at all the judges
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00:14:52,761 --> 00:14:57,461
And then I did a twirl, and I blew
on the gun, and then I walked off.
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00:14:58,506 --> 00:15:00,812
The process
took about two months.
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00:15:00,943 --> 00:15:03,641
Finally got to the finals
and then I suddenly realized:
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00:15:03,772 --> 00:15:06,601
"I want this more than I've
ever wanted anything else."
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They were desperate.
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00:15:08,168 --> 00:15:10,170
They would
go sob in the bathroom
232
00:15:10,300 --> 00:15:12,302
afterwards because
they had messed up.
233
00:15:13,782 --> 00:15:15,262
When we were sitting down
in the pickup truck eating
234
00:15:15,392 --> 00:15:17,917
our baloney sandwiches
and drinking our sweet tea,
235
00:15:18,047 --> 00:15:19,440
there was an announcement
on the radio and
236
00:15:19,570 --> 00:15:21,572
Ron Chapman says:
"I'm going to announce the
237
00:15:21,703 --> 00:15:24,836
36 girls who made the Dallas
Cowboys Cheerleader Squad."
238
00:15:24,967 --> 00:15:27,230
And my dad goes: "What the heck,
239
00:15:27,361 --> 00:15:29,754
there are no professional
cheerleaders, are there?"
240
00:15:29,885 --> 00:15:34,498
The winners are,
number 14, Vonciel Baker.
241
00:15:36,718 --> 00:15:38,981
Number 50, Shannon Baker.
242
00:15:40,156 --> 00:15:42,289
They called out Sherrie McCorkle
243
00:15:42,419 --> 00:15:44,291
and when they did, my dad
like fell out of the truck
244
00:15:44,421 --> 00:15:46,119
and my sisters were ecstatic
245
00:15:46,249 --> 00:15:48,425
and my life has never
been the same since.
246
00:15:48,556 --> 00:15:50,514
My mother was not thrilled.
247
00:15:50,645 --> 00:15:54,257
She was very baptist
and said: "Oh, my god.
248
00:15:54,388 --> 00:15:56,129
You're going to be
out in front of God
249
00:15:56,259 --> 00:15:58,479
and everybody
showing your navel?"
250
00:15:58,609 --> 00:16:02,352
I had no idea I would make
it out of 3,000 girls.
251
00:16:02,483 --> 00:16:06,835
So when my name was
called, I was ecstatic.
252
00:16:06,966 --> 00:16:10,534
Ladies and gentleman,
your new Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
253
00:16:12,232 --> 00:16:15,626
My boyfriend was not as excited.
254
00:16:15,757 --> 00:16:19,108
In fact, he said: "You're gonna
have to pick between being a
255
00:16:19,239 --> 00:16:21,676
Dallas Cowboy cheerleader,
or dating me."
256
00:16:21,806 --> 00:16:24,461
I said: "Well, gotta go.
See ya."
257
00:16:38,388 --> 00:16:42,740
Suzanne once told me
that she had these images in
258
00:16:42,871 --> 00:16:46,179
her mind that she thought
the Cowboys' fans would love.
259
00:16:46,309 --> 00:16:49,138
And if you noticed,
over the years, she was always
260
00:16:49,269 --> 00:16:51,445
looking for girls
to fit into those images.
261
00:16:51,575 --> 00:16:55,101
There was the redhead. There was
Tami with the pigtails.
262
00:16:55,231 --> 00:16:57,668
There was the blond.
There is the brunette.
263
00:16:57,799 --> 00:17:03,022
Blacks, whites, Hispanics, Asians.
It just kind of lull you in.
264
00:17:03,152 --> 00:17:06,982
The diversity of the cheerleaders,
was important to Suzanne.
265
00:17:07,113 --> 00:17:08,940
She wanted to pick
a different variety
266
00:17:09,071 --> 00:17:11,204
of girls so that the people
on the stands or on the
267
00:17:11,334 --> 00:17:13,815
television, could have somebody
they could relate to.
268
00:17:13,945 --> 00:17:17,036
The Dallas Cowboys were
probably one of the single
269
00:17:17,166 --> 00:17:20,952
most important factors of
integration in the city of Dallas.
270
00:17:21,083 --> 00:17:24,086
Black people went to black churches,
white people went to white churches.
271
00:17:24,217 --> 00:17:25,783
Black people went to
black schools and
272
00:17:25,914 --> 00:17:27,959
white people
went to white schools.
273
00:17:28,090 --> 00:17:30,397
Everybody went to
Texas Stadium on Sunday.
274
00:17:30,527 --> 00:17:33,139
We had some very articulate,
well-educated girls,
275
00:17:33,269 --> 00:17:37,273
and then we had
some off the turnip truck.
276
00:17:37,404 --> 00:17:42,931
Suzanne had a natural promoter's instinct
in her. I mean, it was in her blood.
277
00:17:43,062 --> 00:17:47,153
As it was described to me,
I wasn't one of the pretty ones
278
00:17:47,283 --> 00:17:51,592
And so the whole thing with the pigtails
came from: "We need a gimmick."
279
00:17:51,722 --> 00:17:54,247
I didn't realize it would grow
into what it would be.
280
00:17:54,377 --> 00:17:56,901
I mean, the pigtails became
like their own entity.
281
00:17:57,032 --> 00:17:59,252
She knew what the public wanted.
282
00:17:59,382 --> 00:18:02,211
They were Bible Belt
good girls, you know,
283
00:18:02,342 --> 00:18:04,300
but they were
selling sex, come on.
284
00:18:04,431 --> 00:18:05,997
They weren't putting
flat-chested girls
285
00:18:06,128 --> 00:18:08,304
in those uniforms,
but they were abusing
286
00:18:08,435 --> 00:18:11,351
the dichotomy of
look, but don't touch
287
00:18:11,481 --> 00:18:14,223
which is always so much sexier.
288
00:18:14,354 --> 00:18:16,007
The thing that I've
always tried to figure out
289
00:18:16,138 --> 00:18:18,575
is how the Dallas Cowboys
did pull this off.
290
00:18:18,706 --> 00:18:22,666
You had the cheerleaders
in hot pants and halter tops,
291
00:18:22,797 --> 00:18:25,713
the boots, and the big blond
hair, and there's no question
292
00:18:25,843 --> 00:18:28,107
they were selling the sex
appeal of these young women,
293
00:18:28,237 --> 00:18:31,022
and yet at the same time, they
were like the girl next door.
294
00:18:31,153 --> 00:18:33,503
I don't know where
that next door would be.
295
00:18:33,634 --> 00:18:36,115
I mean, none of them have
ever lived next door to me.
296
00:18:38,856 --> 00:18:42,469
We got a lot of
criticism in the beginning.
297
00:18:42,599 --> 00:18:45,820
Basically,
it was, I was a madame.
298
00:18:45,950 --> 00:18:48,475
I was a procurer of young women
299
00:18:50,172 --> 00:18:55,525
and that I was not representative
of the quote "Bible Belt."
300
00:19:05,883 --> 00:19:08,843
There are two religions
in the State of Texas.
301
00:19:08,973 --> 00:19:13,108
There is
Christianity and football.
302
00:19:13,239 --> 00:19:15,284
At times,
the football has been more
303
00:19:15,415 --> 00:19:17,547
dominant than Christianity
in this State.
304
00:19:18,940 --> 00:19:22,073
The pastors were definitely
into football and they knew.
305
00:19:22,204 --> 00:19:24,467
They would come and say:
"Okay, we've got every...
306
00:19:24,598 --> 00:19:26,643
Go home
and cheer for the Cowboys."
307
00:19:26,774 --> 00:19:30,865
I was raised from a very small
child in the Pentecostal Faith.
308
00:19:30,995 --> 00:19:34,173
It was a very emotional faith.
309
00:19:34,303 --> 00:19:36,175
There were people
who spoke in tongues.
310
00:19:36,305 --> 00:19:39,613
There were people
who danced in the aisles
311
00:19:39,743 --> 00:19:43,094
in the spirit, and my
dad was the preacher.
312
00:19:43,225 --> 00:19:45,575
I grew up a Baptist so my dad
313
00:19:45,706 --> 00:19:48,448
didn't let me date until
I was 20 years of age.
314
00:19:48,578 --> 00:19:52,060
He was very, very strict
and actually didn't speak
315
00:19:52,191 --> 00:19:55,411
to me for three years
after the calendar came out.
316
00:19:56,543 --> 00:19:58,197
I went home
to get a teaching job
317
00:19:58,327 --> 00:20:01,243
after I quit cheerleading and
318
00:20:01,374 --> 00:20:04,725
they wouldn't hire me because they
said I was not ready for Collinsville.
319
00:20:04,855 --> 00:20:07,423
What they meant to say
was that because I had
320
00:20:07,554 --> 00:20:09,469
been a Dallas Cowboy
cheerleader and my image
321
00:20:09,599 --> 00:20:12,602
have been tarnished doing
that, that I shouldn't
322
00:20:12,733 --> 00:20:14,561
be a teacher of
any of their children.
323
00:20:14,691 --> 00:20:19,043
One nation under God
indivisible...
324
00:20:19,174 --> 00:20:21,220
Probably one of the
biggest dichotomies is the
325
00:20:21,350 --> 00:20:25,789
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
came out in 1972, the new ones.
326
00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:27,617
And then, like,
what was it, a year later?
327
00:20:28,749 --> 00:20:31,273
We have this
amazing Supreme Court decision
328
00:20:31,404 --> 00:20:33,754
that we're still
fighting about today.
329
00:20:33,884 --> 00:20:37,061
There is a tremendous irony
that Roe V. Wade
330
00:20:37,192 --> 00:20:39,499
happened in the State of Texas
331
00:20:39,629 --> 00:20:41,675
and in the City of Dallas
and I think there is an
332
00:20:41,805 --> 00:20:45,331
even greater irony
that it actually succeeded.
333
00:20:45,461 --> 00:20:50,597
Good evening. In a landmark ruling, the
Supreme Court today legalized abortions.
334
00:20:50,727 --> 00:20:53,164
The majority in cases
from Texas and Georgia
335
00:20:53,295 --> 00:20:55,166
said that the decision
to end a pregnancy
336
00:20:55,297 --> 00:20:57,691
during the first
three months belongs to the
337
00:20:57,821 --> 00:20:59,997
woman and her doctor,
not the government.
338
00:21:02,217 --> 00:21:05,568
The sexual revolution
was in full swing by
339
00:21:05,699 --> 00:21:09,137
the mid-70s and we became
a little more independent.
340
00:21:09,268 --> 00:21:13,315
Things got kind of fun and wild
and funky and people say now:
341
00:21:13,446 --> 00:21:15,274
"If you remember the '70s,
you weren't there."
342
00:21:16,753 --> 00:21:18,538
Free love had gone mainstream.
343
00:21:18,668 --> 00:21:20,627
Husbands and wives were
having key parties, there
344
00:21:20,757 --> 00:21:24,152
were orgies,
aids had not appeared yet.
345
00:21:24,283 --> 00:21:25,719
Dallas was
pretty wild back then.
346
00:21:25,849 --> 00:21:28,548
There was a place downtown
at a club where people
347
00:21:28,678 --> 00:21:31,202
were going and partying
till all hours of the night
348
00:21:31,333 --> 00:21:32,900
and drugs were being used.
349
00:21:33,030 --> 00:21:35,424
You could see
some of the cheerleaders
350
00:21:35,555 --> 00:21:38,514
out with some of the
players at some clubs.
351
00:21:38,645 --> 00:21:41,387
Some of the players, married.
352
00:21:41,517 --> 00:21:44,433
Those guys are running rampant.
I mean, they're coke heads.
353
00:21:44,564 --> 00:21:47,480
They're weed heads.
They're pill poppers, drunks.
354
00:21:47,610 --> 00:21:52,746
There were a lot of things going on
that I was not supposed to write about.
355
00:21:52,876 --> 00:21:55,749
They needed direction.
They needed discipline.
356
00:21:55,879 --> 00:21:59,622
They needed to understand
the part they were
357
00:21:59,753 --> 00:22:04,061
gonna play in this
enormous production.
358
00:22:06,020 --> 00:22:08,892
And I knew that it was
my leadership that was
359
00:22:09,023 --> 00:22:11,808
gonna make or break it,
because that was it.
360
00:22:11,939 --> 00:22:15,899
Suzanne told us on the very
first day we got there:
361
00:22:16,030 --> 00:22:20,034
"I can be your best friend
or I can be your worst enemy."
362
00:22:20,164 --> 00:22:23,690
I almost felt at some
times, at some points,
363
00:22:23,820 --> 00:22:27,781
that there was a military-like
approach to what she did.
364
00:22:27,911 --> 00:22:33,308
We went to the club in our uniform and,
uh, it did not go over well at all.
365
00:22:33,439 --> 00:22:38,574
No. That's when Suzanne started
with the rules and regulations.
366
00:22:38,705 --> 00:22:39,619
Oh, gosh.
367
00:22:40,489 --> 00:22:41,751
We had lots of rules.
368
00:22:41,882 --> 00:22:43,057
Oh, my God.
369
00:22:43,187 --> 00:22:45,494
Do I remember the rules?
370
00:22:45,625 --> 00:22:48,497
Suzanne had this massive
rule book. It was typed out.
371
00:22:48,628 --> 00:22:51,326
It was in a blue binder
and you had to memorize it.
372
00:22:51,457 --> 00:22:54,503
The things that
we were forbidden to do.
373
00:22:54,634 --> 00:22:56,897
We could not talk to a
Dallas Cowboy football player.
374
00:22:57,027 --> 00:22:58,507
We knew we couldn't date them.
375
00:22:58,638 --> 00:23:00,596
We were not allowed to
talk to them.
376
00:23:00,727 --> 00:23:02,816
One night, I am at the bar
trying to get the bartender's
377
00:23:02,946 --> 00:23:06,341
Attention and I heard this voice
that said: "Hey, little one.
378
00:23:06,472 --> 00:23:11,781
Do you need a drink?" Looking down
at me was Ed "Too Tall" Jones.
379
00:23:11,912 --> 00:23:14,262
I was like: "I'm not
allowed to talk to you."
380
00:23:14,393 --> 00:23:15,959
You don't have
too much to drink.
381
00:23:16,090 --> 00:23:19,310
You don't wear your cheerleader
uniform out and about.
382
00:23:19,441 --> 00:23:20,399
The uniform made you.
383
00:23:20,529 --> 00:23:21,878
You didn't make the uniform.
384
00:23:22,009 --> 00:23:24,359
You became
an overnight celebrity,
385
00:23:24,490 --> 00:23:26,535
so you had
an image to live up to.
386
00:23:26,666 --> 00:23:29,843
If you go into a bar,
you maybe have a little too
387
00:23:29,973 --> 00:23:33,368
much to drink and you get up
on the bar and you're dancing.
388
00:23:33,499 --> 00:23:36,371
You have to understand
that they don't see you.
389
00:23:37,459 --> 00:23:39,287
"She's a
Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader.
390
00:23:39,418 --> 00:23:41,158
I guess they're all like that."
391
00:23:41,289 --> 00:23:42,986
We weren't allowed to swear.
392
00:23:43,117 --> 00:23:45,467
We weren't allowed to wear
jeans, blue jeans in public.
393
00:23:45,598 --> 00:23:48,905
You could never go out in hair
rollers or smoke cigarettes.
394
00:23:49,036 --> 00:23:51,995
You never, ever,
ever chew gum, ever.
395
00:23:52,126 --> 00:23:53,823
If she caught you chewing
gum in a Tom Thumb
396
00:23:53,954 --> 00:23:56,173
grocery store,
you could be put on probation.
397
00:23:56,304 --> 00:23:59,742
They felt
I knew everything, I knew
398
00:23:59,873 --> 00:24:03,616
everything they did 24 hours
a day which I didn't.
399
00:24:03,746 --> 00:24:08,838
I just made them believe I did, so
that they'd watch their own behavior.
400
00:24:08,969 --> 00:24:11,841
We will look for her
some time and she'll
401
00:24:11,972 --> 00:24:15,366
be in one spot and you
turn around, she's gone.
402
00:24:15,497 --> 00:24:16,977
Suzanne had spies.
403
00:24:17,107 --> 00:24:18,544
Some young girl
that looked like one of us,
404
00:24:18,674 --> 00:24:20,371
You know, patting their face
405
00:24:20,502 --> 00:24:22,765
and fixing their makeup and
listening to every word we said.
406
00:24:22,896 --> 00:24:24,680
Every time there
was a party, every time
407
00:24:24,811 --> 00:24:26,856
somebody thought: "Oh,
I'm gonna date somebody
408
00:24:26,987 --> 00:24:29,032
and I'm gonna get away
with it. "Okay, good
409
00:24:29,163 --> 00:24:31,557
luck with that."
It didn't work out for you.
410
00:24:31,687 --> 00:24:33,297
They took some photographs of me
411
00:24:33,428 --> 00:24:35,822
with that
Miller Lite cup in my hand.
412
00:24:35,952 --> 00:24:39,303
And Suzanne called me into her office
and she said: "Look at these pictures."
413
00:24:39,434 --> 00:24:42,089
She told me and she said: "You
may not make it back next year."
414
00:24:42,219 --> 00:24:46,485
Fear had a lot to do with
my direction, I think.
415
00:24:46,615 --> 00:24:49,531
If it's a minor infraction,
you get a warning, but if it's
416
00:24:49,662 --> 00:24:51,881
something that's
really obvious that
417
00:24:52,012 --> 00:24:54,231
you went outside the line,
you're out.
418
00:24:55,102 --> 00:24:56,451
That's it.
419
00:24:56,582 --> 00:24:57,670
You don't come back.
420
00:24:59,236 --> 00:25:02,109
Wow. Just don't
cut that uniform.
421
00:25:02,239 --> 00:25:04,633
That uniform has been through
tougher times than this.
422
00:25:07,810 --> 00:25:09,682
Vintage 1976.
423
00:25:11,248 --> 00:25:13,381
The girls, when they
first put on the uniform,
424
00:25:13,512 --> 00:25:15,905
and they'd
just be shaking almost.
425
00:25:16,036 --> 00:25:19,300
I can hear someone's:
"Suzanne, are you looking at me?
426
00:25:19,430 --> 00:25:24,479
I have the uniform on. "Suzanne,
do you see me? I have it on.
427
00:25:24,610 --> 00:25:29,005
I did it."
It was an element of:
428
00:25:29,136 --> 00:25:31,660
"My God, this is
actually happening.
429
00:25:31,791 --> 00:25:35,229
It's happening
and it's happening to me."
430
00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:37,144
I'll tell you a secret.
I still have one of mine.
431
00:25:37,274 --> 00:25:41,278
And I'm the only one
that has their uniform.
432
00:25:41,409 --> 00:25:43,411
Not only
do I have one, I have two.
433
00:25:43,542 --> 00:25:44,847
How many had two?
434
00:25:44,978 --> 00:25:46,762
I had five uniforms
when I retired.
435
00:25:46,893 --> 00:25:48,764
I was there
for four years and I had
436
00:25:48,895 --> 00:25:50,810
five different uniforms
when I retired.
437
00:25:50,940 --> 00:25:54,465
And I turned in three, and
Suzanne said: "Presley, I know
438
00:25:54,596 --> 00:25:57,120
you have one more." And I said:
"Aww, man, you caught me."
439
00:25:57,251 --> 00:26:01,168
The day I had to turn
it in, which I did,
440
00:26:01,298 --> 00:26:03,344
thank you very much to those
of you that kept yours.
441
00:26:03,474 --> 00:26:05,781
I didn't know I could do that
and get away with it.
442
00:26:05,912 --> 00:26:11,265
This is the first cheerleader
uniform ever cut.
443
00:26:11,395 --> 00:26:14,355
It's one of the original
and you could see that
444
00:26:14,485 --> 00:26:17,706
this is a knot that Suzanne
used to personally,
445
00:26:17,837 --> 00:26:20,970
personally tie that knot
right there so everything
446
00:26:21,101 --> 00:26:24,060
would stay where it's
supposed to be in place.
447
00:26:24,191 --> 00:26:25,845
She was meticulous.
448
00:26:25,975 --> 00:26:28,064
You never saw her
really resting.
449
00:26:28,195 --> 00:26:30,110
You never saw her
stopping or sleeping.
450
00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:33,156
She would probably sleep
for two or four hours
451
00:26:33,287 --> 00:26:35,985
and she'd get right back
up and start again.
452
00:26:36,116 --> 00:26:40,250
We had to control that
classy image so that
453
00:26:41,687 --> 00:26:46,605
it didn't take a life of its
own in just a sexy way.
454
00:26:46,735 --> 00:26:51,653
So, I put my foot down in terms
of how they would be presented.
455
00:26:52,741 --> 00:26:55,396
I walked off
of a set of Love Boat
456
00:26:55,526 --> 00:26:57,354
because the camera was on
457
00:26:57,485 --> 00:27:00,749
the ground looking up at the
girls, and I just went: "Whoa."
458
00:27:02,621 --> 00:27:05,885
One of the strict rules was
the camera was not to be shooting
459
00:27:06,015 --> 00:27:10,106
up at the girls, especially
when they were in a kick line.
460
00:27:10,237 --> 00:27:14,023
This was the '70s and Suzanne was
a woman and it was Hollywood.
461
00:27:14,154 --> 00:27:18,027
So, everything was agreed upon and
then they did what they wanted, right?
462
00:27:18,158 --> 00:27:20,900
So Suzanne didn't even say
anything. She was done talking.
463
00:27:21,030 --> 00:27:23,467
She walked over and she kicked
the camera in the pool.
464
00:27:23,598 --> 00:27:27,907
And I took the girls and we left,
and the producers come to me
465
00:27:28,037 --> 00:27:31,606
And they say: "What's the deal?" And
I said: "You know what the deal is.
466
00:27:31,737 --> 00:27:36,829
We signed. This is what was said
we would do and we would not do."
467
00:27:36,959 --> 00:27:42,008
And they presented the girls with a
lot of roses and a lot of apologies.
468
00:27:43,879 --> 00:27:47,143
And the next day, new cameras.
469
00:27:47,274 --> 00:27:48,536
They were up.
470
00:27:48,667 --> 00:27:49,929
We're good to go.
471
00:27:51,365 --> 00:27:53,976
Hey, did you see that? Did you?
She winked at me.
472
00:27:54,107 --> 00:27:55,238
Yeah.
473
00:27:56,370 --> 00:27:59,460
It was going to be
our way or the highway.
474
00:28:04,204 --> 00:28:07,207
Have you noticed how often
you're surrounded by glass these days?
475
00:28:07,337 --> 00:28:10,036
You're living in
the golden age of girl watching.
476
00:28:13,692 --> 00:28:15,781
In the 1970s, sex and
477
00:28:15,911 --> 00:28:18,827
sex appeal was used
to sell everything.
478
00:28:18,958 --> 00:28:21,830
These companies
are selling the idea
479
00:28:21,961 --> 00:28:24,920
that women need to look this way
480
00:28:25,051 --> 00:28:28,619
and if you buy this product,
you will look like this
481
00:28:28,750 --> 00:28:31,797
and it's absolutely impossible.
482
00:28:31,927 --> 00:28:33,929
If you look as broad as this
483
00:28:34,060 --> 00:28:38,325
and you'd rather look as slim as
this, try the Ayds reducing plan.
484
00:28:38,455 --> 00:28:43,069
Delicious tasting Ayds candy contains
vitamins and minerals, no drugs.
485
00:28:43,199 --> 00:28:45,724
This was the late
'70s, the early '80s.
486
00:28:45,854 --> 00:28:46,812
Everyone was taking diet pills.
487
00:28:46,942 --> 00:28:48,727
Doctors were handing them out.
488
00:28:48,857 --> 00:28:50,119
It was a totally different time.
489
00:28:50,250 --> 00:28:52,339
We were not
talking about anorexia.
490
00:28:52,469 --> 00:28:54,036
We're not talking about bulimia.
491
00:28:54,167 --> 00:28:56,735
We only
wanted the pretty surface.
492
00:28:56,865 --> 00:29:00,739
We wanted to see the thin girls.
493
00:29:00,869 --> 00:29:03,829
It was very unhealthy,
but nobody knew that.
494
00:29:03,959 --> 00:29:05,569
We were in the public eye.
495
00:29:05,700 --> 00:29:07,658
We had to learn...
Look a certain way.
496
00:29:07,789 --> 00:29:09,356
The very first
practice that we had,
497
00:29:09,486 --> 00:29:12,054
Texie says: "The camera
will make you look
498
00:29:12,185 --> 00:29:18,844
heavier and it wouldn't hurt one of you
in here to lose another seven pounds!"
499
00:29:18,974 --> 00:29:21,890
And I thought to myself:
"Seven pounds?"
500
00:29:22,021 --> 00:29:24,675
Thank golly, I lost seven pounds.
I did too.
501
00:29:24,806 --> 00:29:28,027
It was a solid year for sure.
502
00:29:30,029 --> 00:29:34,773
I would wrap my waist in Saran wrap and
I would go and run five or six miles
503
00:29:34,903 --> 00:29:38,646
and my waist would be about 26
inches. So I always loved that.
504
00:29:38,777 --> 00:29:42,737
Some of us had... I call them trash
pants and you would wear them
505
00:29:42,868 --> 00:29:48,830
to help sweat and Suzanne turned the
heater on to help us sweat more.
506
00:29:48,961 --> 00:29:51,964
She had her scale on the
floor and you weighed in.
507
00:29:52,094 --> 00:29:55,968
She kinda poke on our legs and she goes:
"Well, I guess that's your bone there.
508
00:29:56,098 --> 00:29:57,926
You can't lose that."
509
00:29:58,057 --> 00:30:00,015
She had this list
she would post on the wall.
510
00:30:00,146 --> 00:30:03,018
"If you had a tummy, or if you had...
your calves were too big or...
511
00:30:03,149 --> 00:30:05,064
"As if you could
shrink your calves, right?
512
00:30:05,194 --> 00:30:08,154
She put pictures of me
that were taken
513
00:30:08,284 --> 00:30:11,113
at games where I would
have a little jelly roll
514
00:30:11,244 --> 00:30:14,943
on the side and she would circle
it with an arrow saying:
515
00:30:15,074 --> 00:30:18,425
"Lose this."
That was demeaning.
516
00:30:18,555 --> 00:30:21,732
It was really cruel.
It hurt.
517
00:30:21,863 --> 00:30:26,781
Maintaining the weight, was all
determined by the uniform.
518
00:30:26,912 --> 00:30:28,261
That uniform is this big.
519
00:30:30,219 --> 00:30:34,354
The uniform doesn't hide
anything, but it covers everything,
520
00:30:35,877 --> 00:30:38,445
but there's elements of the
shorts that if you have
521
00:30:38,575 --> 00:30:41,927
anything hanging over
there, it don't belong.
522
00:30:42,057 --> 00:30:44,407
Oh, my God, and they
would starve themselves
523
00:30:44,538 --> 00:30:47,497
and the diuretics and
stuff that they did.
524
00:30:48,890 --> 00:30:52,938
The weight regimen
was extremely strict.
525
00:30:53,068 --> 00:30:55,984
Unfortunately, for me,
it created anorexia.
526
00:30:57,029 --> 00:30:59,640
You put the girl in the shorts
527
00:30:59,770 --> 00:31:01,424
and you sit them
in front of the mirror
528
00:31:01,555 --> 00:31:04,819
And you say: "Tell me what's
wrong with this picture?"
529
00:31:05,776 --> 00:31:09,084
Have them critique themselves.
530
00:31:09,215 --> 00:31:12,522
"I get it, Suzanne.
I'll have it off. I promise."
531
00:31:12,653 --> 00:31:14,394
The self-image never ends.
532
00:31:14,524 --> 00:31:17,701
I will always see
the fat girl in the mirror.
533
00:31:17,832 --> 00:31:21,053
Prior to cheerleading, I never
thought about my body image.
534
00:31:21,183 --> 00:31:24,273
I'd walk around in
string bikinis, but after
535
00:31:24,404 --> 00:31:27,537
cheerleading, I had definitely
had a weight problem.
536
00:31:29,626 --> 00:31:34,022
For some of us, it was a little too harsh
especially for as young as we were
537
00:31:34,153 --> 00:31:37,330
and impressionable,
because I did look up to her.
538
00:31:38,722 --> 00:31:40,811
I think from their perspective,
539
00:31:40,942 --> 00:31:43,075
I was too hard for them a lot.
540
00:31:45,512 --> 00:31:48,994
From my perspective,
it was necessary.
541
00:31:52,475 --> 00:31:54,825
Did you ever see the
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders?
542
00:31:54,956 --> 00:31:56,697
Who hasn't? They're everywhere.
543
00:31:58,351 --> 00:32:01,223
Did I detect a note of
quasi-intellectual disapproval?
544
00:32:01,354 --> 00:32:02,746
Quasi-intellectual?
545
00:32:02,877 --> 00:32:04,923
They happen to be the
hottest thing in the country.
546
00:32:06,054 --> 00:32:08,056
They've hit some kind of nerve.
547
00:32:08,187 --> 00:32:10,580
Women from coast to coast
are looking up to them.
548
00:32:10,711 --> 00:32:15,977
I thought at the time: "This is a
fun ride and it's not really gonna
549
00:32:16,108 --> 00:32:18,501
probably go anywhere,"
and then it kept
550
00:32:18,632 --> 00:32:21,156
going and it kept going
and it kept going.
551
00:32:21,287 --> 00:32:22,505
They are more than cheerleaders.
552
00:32:22,636 --> 00:32:24,681
They are an institution
unto themselves.
553
00:32:24,812 --> 00:32:27,423
They're bigger than the
football team, which makes the
554
00:32:27,554 --> 00:32:31,645
double standard that they're
living under all the crazier.
555
00:32:31,775 --> 00:32:34,561
Let me introduce,
the one, the only,
556
00:32:34,691 --> 00:32:38,086
the original,
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
557
00:33:05,635 --> 00:33:09,204
We've got Bob Hope, Crystal
Gale, Andy Gibb, Jimmy Walker,
558
00:33:09,335 --> 00:33:11,946
and the
Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.
559
00:33:13,817 --> 00:33:15,776
Did you say Dallas Cheerleaders?
560
00:33:15,906 --> 00:33:18,822
I saw them on
the Donnie Osmond Telethon.
561
00:33:18,953 --> 00:33:21,129
I saw them on
the Country Music Awards.
562
00:33:21,260 --> 00:33:23,001
We're gonna go do a show
with Oak Ridge Boys.
563
00:33:23,131 --> 00:33:24,785
We're gonna go do
a show with Bob Hope.
564
00:33:24,915 --> 00:33:26,613
I told your friends
565
00:33:26,743 --> 00:33:28,267
about Faberge organic shampoo.
566
00:33:28,397 --> 00:33:32,053
And we told two friends
and so on and so on.
567
00:33:32,184 --> 00:33:34,577
Make them feel like they're my
daughters, the Cheerleaders.
568
00:33:36,710 --> 00:33:39,234
Then Esquire poses the question
569
00:33:39,365 --> 00:33:42,977
On their cover: "What is the best
thing about the Dallas cowboys?
570
00:33:43,108 --> 00:33:46,937
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
Everybody knows that.
571
00:33:47,068 --> 00:33:52,247
They call the cheerleaders and they
said: "Klif radio wants a cheerleader
572
00:33:52,378 --> 00:33:57,252
to do an ice skating event with an
armadillo. I said: "Oh, that's me."
573
00:33:58,775 --> 00:34:00,821
We were constantly being
asked to do appearances.
574
00:34:00,951 --> 00:34:02,953
We were in Florida one week,
Tennessee the next.
575
00:34:03,084 --> 00:34:04,825
At the end of the month,
we're doing a benefit in Garland
576
00:34:04,955 --> 00:34:06,566
for the little boy that was
mauled by the lion
577
00:34:06,696 --> 00:34:08,263
to raise money for his family.
578
00:34:08,394 --> 00:34:12,006
I was in Dallas Cowboys
Cheerleaders Movie,
579
00:34:13,225 --> 00:34:16,793
The Dallas Cowboys
Cheerleaders Movie 2.
580
00:34:16,924 --> 00:34:20,188
The idea of made-for-TV
movies was fairly new,
581
00:34:20,319 --> 00:34:24,540
but that was immediately the highest
rated made-for-TV show ever.
582
00:34:24,671 --> 00:34:27,239
Boy, everyone is just dying
to be a cheerleader In Dallas.
583
00:34:27,369 --> 00:34:29,328
Obviously, I was Bond girl.
584
00:34:29,458 --> 00:34:32,113
I would say at the time of the
Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders,
585
00:34:32,244 --> 00:34:33,767
they were bigger
than Bond girls.
586
00:34:35,247 --> 00:34:39,468
In 1981, when I was
approached to write this book,
587
00:34:39,599 --> 00:34:42,819
the cheerleaders were now
something bigger than life.
588
00:34:42,950 --> 00:34:46,736
They pop up on magazine covers.
They sell out the magazines.
589
00:34:46,867 --> 00:34:49,609
The cheerleaders' posters
outselling the Farrah Fawcett posters
590
00:34:49,739 --> 00:34:52,046
and everybody had
the Farrah Fawcett poster.
591
00:34:52,177 --> 00:34:53,874
It was beautifully done.
592
00:34:54,004 --> 00:34:57,878
It's the most beautiful
poster ever, ever, ever made.
593
00:34:58,008 --> 00:35:01,186
The smoke, the girls,
the looks, the sex.
594
00:35:02,665 --> 00:35:05,103
We got everybody's
attention, obviously,
595
00:35:05,233 --> 00:35:07,453
but we had a backlash from it.
596
00:35:08,715 --> 00:35:14,024
The Playboy,
former cheerleaders, did it
597
00:35:14,155 --> 00:35:17,419
exactly the same way
we did, topless.
598
00:35:19,029 --> 00:35:20,814
What are you gonna do?
599
00:35:20,944 --> 00:35:22,642
We caught a lot of flak about
600
00:35:22,772 --> 00:35:24,774
"Oh my goodness, were
you in Playboy?" No.
601
00:35:24,905 --> 00:35:28,691
No.
No.
602
00:35:28,822 --> 00:35:30,650
These were not current girls.
603
00:35:30,780 --> 00:35:34,001
They were former cheerleaders
who did the poster.
604
00:35:34,132 --> 00:35:37,657
I remember how devastating that
was and I also remember thinking,
605
00:35:37,787 --> 00:35:40,529
"I wonder why they didn't want me," but I'm
really glad they didn't because...
606
00:35:40,660 --> 00:35:42,923
They've been deleted
from the database.
607
00:35:43,053 --> 00:35:44,881
I told them at the time:
608
00:35:45,012 --> 00:35:49,930
"I told you a long time ago,
we become the choices we make."
609
00:35:54,587 --> 00:35:57,198
Okay, now, who's going to try
a real high carry? Okay?
610
00:35:57,329 --> 00:35:59,374
Whoop, there we go. Whoa!
611
00:35:59,505 --> 00:36:03,465
I like very much Mary Calderone's
comment in a recent Playboy interview
612
00:36:03,596 --> 00:36:05,206
in which she said,
you know, she's less
613
00:36:05,337 --> 00:36:07,295
interested in women's rights
than human rights.
614
00:36:07,426 --> 00:36:09,079
So, I think that is...
615
00:36:09,210 --> 00:36:10,646
I certainly would.
The role that you have
616
00:36:10,777 --> 00:36:13,040
selected for women is
degrading to women because
617
00:36:13,171 --> 00:36:16,478
you choose to see women as sex
objects, not as full human beings.
618
00:36:16,609 --> 00:36:17,871
Well, obviously, you're degrading...
Hold on now.
619
00:36:18,001 --> 00:36:20,395
The day that you...
620
00:36:20,526 --> 00:36:23,137
I haven't finished. The day that
you are willing to come out here
621
00:36:23,268 --> 00:36:25,879
with a cottontail
attached to your rear end...
622
00:36:29,970 --> 00:36:34,670
Well, you can't make a political
point altogether politely.
623
00:36:34,801 --> 00:36:39,632
We were the angry women
624
00:36:39,762 --> 00:36:43,157
And the men were
the product of their time.
625
00:36:43,288 --> 00:36:46,204
The idea
that a woman wanted her own
626
00:36:46,334 --> 00:36:50,730
self-fulfillment,
was really revolutionary.
627
00:36:50,860 --> 00:36:53,863
The women's liberation
movement who really
628
00:36:53,994 --> 00:36:58,259
are, sort of, pressing for
equality for women and so on.
629
00:36:58,390 --> 00:37:00,653
You don't agree with that?
Equal with the man?
630
00:37:00,783 --> 00:37:01,958
Yeah.
631
00:37:02,089 --> 00:37:03,656
No, that's against nature.
632
00:37:03,786 --> 00:37:06,311
A woman you know, automatically
looks up to a man.
633
00:37:06,441 --> 00:37:08,269
If I would say,
right now if this theater
634
00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:11,881
caught on fire and we saw
no outlets, it would
635
00:37:12,012 --> 00:37:14,449
be nature for them to
look to us to find a way out
636
00:37:14,580 --> 00:37:17,800
before we look to them
to get us out.
637
00:37:17,931 --> 00:37:21,587
I mean, like, you never... I mean,
I don't look like to see a woman
638
00:37:21,717 --> 00:37:23,937
walking down the street this
tall and the husband that tall.
639
00:37:24,067 --> 00:37:26,853
Women by nature look up
to men in every way.
640
00:37:29,116 --> 00:37:33,120
In the 1970s, with the feminist movement
really going against the patriarchy
641
00:37:33,251 --> 00:37:37,342
and fighting for equal rights,
at some point it turned,
642
00:37:37,472 --> 00:37:41,650
women started
going after each other.
643
00:37:41,781 --> 00:37:44,436
Women did go after
other women but, you know,
644
00:37:44,566 --> 00:37:47,352
that's the history of,
of radical politics.
645
00:37:47,482 --> 00:37:52,400
The discourse has always been anti-this,
anti-that, attacking this one,
646
00:37:52,531 --> 00:37:54,402
attacking this one
to make your own point.
647
00:37:54,533 --> 00:37:55,969
And Somewhere along the way,
648
00:37:56,099 --> 00:37:58,624
the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
became a target.
649
00:38:02,628 --> 00:38:04,891
We went
to Fresno State University.
650
00:38:05,021 --> 00:38:06,458
We performed at their halftime.
651
00:38:06,588 --> 00:38:08,373
We were there to help
the women's athletic
652
00:38:08,503 --> 00:38:11,071
department build
a new fieldhouse.
653
00:38:11,201 --> 00:38:14,509
When we got there, there were
protests from all the women athletes.
654
00:38:14,640 --> 00:38:16,468
They literally held up
posters that read:
655
00:38:16,598 --> 00:38:18,948
"Hearts and minds, not bumps
and grinds." And they were
656
00:38:19,079 --> 00:38:20,863
All yelling: "Dallas cowboys
cheerleaders, go home."
657
00:38:20,994 --> 00:38:23,170
Huge signs out
their dormitory window.
658
00:38:25,215 --> 00:38:27,827
We raised, I think,
$200,000 for the department
659
00:38:27,957 --> 00:38:29,437
and yet they
didn't want us there.
660
00:38:29,568 --> 00:38:32,092
A lot of women
didn't like us back then.
661
00:38:32,222 --> 00:38:34,790
If you are a
feminist, you probably do not think
662
00:38:34,921 --> 00:38:39,491
women should be doing this sort of thing,
turning themselves into sex objects.
663
00:38:39,621 --> 00:38:42,189
If someone were to say to you,
664
00:38:43,103 --> 00:38:45,148
"Suzanne, you're
selling sex here.
665
00:38:45,279 --> 00:38:47,760
You're really exploiting
these women."
666
00:38:47,890 --> 00:38:51,938
It's ridiculous. I've had several women's
lib groups tell me that sort of a thing
667
00:38:52,068 --> 00:38:54,244
and the girls answer it
in the same way that I would.
668
00:38:54,375 --> 00:38:56,899
Uh, this is a voluntary thing.
669
00:38:57,030 --> 00:38:59,467
Many women, feminists,
670
00:38:59,598 --> 00:39:03,253
say that you... That you all
are being exploited.
671
00:39:03,384 --> 00:39:06,256
They say you are a sex objects.
672
00:39:06,387 --> 00:39:08,171
How do you
respond to that? Vanessa?
673
00:39:08,302 --> 00:39:10,696
When you're exploited,
you're forced to do something
674
00:39:10,826 --> 00:39:14,700
that you really don't want to do
and we all want to be out there.
675
00:39:14,830 --> 00:39:16,528
We had that option
and we chose to be out there
676
00:39:16,658 --> 00:39:19,095
So we're not being
exploited at all.
677
00:39:19,226 --> 00:39:21,533
The feminists
really were looking
678
00:39:21,663 --> 00:39:24,274
at the Dallas Cowboy
Cheerleaders as being
679
00:39:24,405 --> 00:39:28,583
anti-brain,
anti-intelligent, pro-sex,
680
00:39:28,714 --> 00:39:32,065
pro-flaunting
and pro-selling your goods.
681
00:39:34,067 --> 00:39:35,938
I remember getting
a phone call from
682
00:39:36,069 --> 00:39:39,507
a reporter from one of the
northeastern periodicals who
683
00:39:39,638 --> 00:39:43,729
couldn't understand why I
didn't feel like I was just
684
00:39:43,859 --> 00:39:46,993
totally being thrown out to
the wolves as a sex symbol.
685
00:39:47,123 --> 00:39:49,517
And I tried to explain to her
it wasn't that way
686
00:39:49,648 --> 00:39:51,693
and she was going:
"Oh, it can't be.
687
00:39:51,824 --> 00:39:55,001
You must be. You're out there
exposing yourself."
688
00:39:55,131 --> 00:39:56,785
Remember year ago when the women
689
00:39:56,916 --> 00:39:58,657
from the
National Organization for Women
690
00:39:58,787 --> 00:40:00,920
were picketing the
tryouts for the cheerleaders,
691
00:40:01,050 --> 00:40:04,663
and they were upset that you were being
exploited and used as sex objects
692
00:40:04,793 --> 00:40:07,753
and stuff like that? Let me hear
some feedback about that argument.
693
00:40:07,883 --> 00:40:10,799
My feeling is: "How dare
they?" I think that they
694
00:40:10,930 --> 00:40:14,455
are exhibiting the worst kind
of chauvinism against women
695
00:40:14,586 --> 00:40:18,198
by implying that the girls who
tried out to be cheerleaders were
696
00:40:18,328 --> 00:40:22,158
incapable of making a decision, that
we were so stupid or so foolish.
697
00:40:25,074 --> 00:40:27,468
I remember getting
mad sometimes:
698
00:40:27,599 --> 00:40:30,210
"Why do they just see me as a sex symbol?
Why are they writing that?
699
00:40:30,340 --> 00:40:33,953
Or why are they saying that?" I
thought: "Open your eyes girl,
700
00:40:34,083 --> 00:40:37,696
look at what you're portraying,
now educate them.
701
00:40:37,826 --> 00:40:41,308
Let them know you're not
just some dumb blonde."
702
00:40:41,439 --> 00:40:44,093
They said we were just
nothing, but a bunch of Barbie dolls
703
00:40:44,224 --> 00:40:47,662
out there dancing around, bopping
around and I guarantee you
704
00:40:47,793 --> 00:40:50,448
there're no Barbie dolls
in that group.
705
00:40:50,578 --> 00:40:54,887
You had to either work,
be married or be in school,
706
00:40:55,017 --> 00:40:58,760
therefore you're not consumed
with just being a cheerleader.
707
00:41:00,806 --> 00:41:05,898
If they said we were just sex objects,
Suzanne could shoot that down so fast.
708
00:41:06,028 --> 00:41:10,946
I think Suzanne Mitchell
was a feminist and I would
709
00:41:11,077 --> 00:41:15,560
argue with anyone who said
that she was exploiting women.
710
00:41:15,690 --> 00:41:19,302
She was working on her own,
she was paying her mortgage,
711
00:41:19,433 --> 00:41:21,043
she was taking care of herself.
712
00:41:21,174 --> 00:41:23,306
I mean how much more of a
feminist can that be? You know.
713
00:41:23,437 --> 00:41:25,700
I didn't feel like I was part of
714
00:41:25,831 --> 00:41:29,225
a movement even though
I was really the only
715
00:41:30,357 --> 00:41:34,492
executive female
in the cowboy organization,
716
00:41:34,622 --> 00:41:37,059
but I didn't
look at it as feminism.
717
00:41:38,278 --> 00:41:41,063
I looked at it as though
obviously I was
718
00:41:41,194 --> 00:41:43,849
the best person at that moment
for the job.
719
00:41:46,678 --> 00:41:51,944
The culture at the time was
entirely confusing and conflicting.
720
00:41:52,074 --> 00:41:57,166
We had these really strong
powerful women in pop culture.
721
00:41:57,297 --> 00:42:01,170
The Bionic Woman,
Wonder Woman, Princess Lea.
722
00:42:02,302 --> 00:42:05,566
By the 1970s
the ideas of feminism had
723
00:42:05,697 --> 00:42:09,222
certainly had its effect
on mainstream television.
724
00:42:09,352 --> 00:42:11,441
And then you've got
these icons telling you
725
00:42:11,572 --> 00:42:15,271
that you can be
the CEO and be powerful.
726
00:42:15,402 --> 00:42:16,969
They aren't
privilege demands at all,
727
00:42:17,099 --> 00:42:19,711
we just want what men
have had all these years.
728
00:42:19,841 --> 00:42:22,975
You can be somebody's wife, you can be
somebody's mother, you can be somebody's lover,
729
00:42:23,105 --> 00:42:25,978
you can be somebody's anything,
but you can't be somebody.
730
00:42:26,108 --> 00:42:28,067
And then at the other end,
there was cosmopolitan.
731
00:42:28,197 --> 00:42:30,243
How to catch a man, or what to
do with him when you catch him.
732
00:42:30,373 --> 00:42:33,899
The classic was called,
Sex and the Single Girl.
733
00:42:34,029 --> 00:42:37,250
She now of course is editor
of Cosmopolitan and here is...
734
00:42:37,380 --> 00:42:39,034
Helen Gurley Brown.
735
00:42:39,165 --> 00:42:40,601
Wear beautiful sexy clothes
736
00:42:40,732 --> 00:42:42,298
and have those
candle light dinners.
737
00:42:42,429 --> 00:42:44,474
And try to go
on a trip with this man.
738
00:42:44,605 --> 00:42:47,477
You have to take the initiative
to make some of that happen.
739
00:42:47,608 --> 00:42:51,743
I came to Dallas from the
Colombia school of journalism,
740
00:42:51,873 --> 00:42:56,008
and when I moved to Texas, I realized
that there was a lot of more male
741
00:42:56,138 --> 00:42:59,838
pleasing going on
than I had been raised to do.
742
00:42:59,968 --> 00:43:03,189
Women here took great pride
in their appearance.
743
00:43:03,319 --> 00:43:05,670
They worried about their
figures, they worried about
744
00:43:05,800 --> 00:43:08,281
their face, they worried
about plastic surgery.
745
00:43:08,411 --> 00:43:12,502
And I'll never forget one of
the girls' mothers telling me:
746
00:43:12,633 --> 00:43:16,158
"Honey, I get up at five in the
morning and put my makeup on
747
00:43:16,289 --> 00:43:19,771
because I really don't want my
husband to see me without makeup."
748
00:43:19,901 --> 00:43:23,688
But as I got into the story and
got to know each one of these girls
749
00:43:23,818 --> 00:43:25,951
and got to see how
much they wanted this
750
00:43:26,081 --> 00:43:28,693
and why they wanted this and
the backgrounds they came from,
751
00:43:28,823 --> 00:43:33,567
I almost thought that the
feminists at the time were being
752
00:43:33,698 --> 00:43:38,485
kind of armchair snobs,
intellectual snobs and judgmental.
753
00:43:38,616 --> 00:43:42,315
I know that I had friends
who, kind of, were sneering at me
754
00:43:42,445 --> 00:43:44,273
for even writing the book like:
755
00:43:44,404 --> 00:43:48,538
"Why are you doing that? Oh, my
God what's wrong with you?
756
00:43:48,669 --> 00:43:51,063
You've gone to Texas,
you've gone crazy."
757
00:43:51,193 --> 00:43:54,980
I can understand why the
feminist had a problem with
758
00:43:55,110 --> 00:43:59,201
the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
that I think it was misguided.
759
00:44:00,550 --> 00:44:03,641
We were making a choice
as young women to do
760
00:44:03,771 --> 00:44:07,122
what we wanted to do
and for the feminist
761
00:44:07,253 --> 00:44:10,560
movement to tell us
we can't do that,
762
00:44:10,691 --> 00:44:14,347
is contradictory
to their belief system.
763
00:44:16,741 --> 00:44:18,220
We were the modern women.
764
00:44:18,351 --> 00:44:20,614
We were doing exactly
what we wanted to do.
765
00:44:20,745 --> 00:44:24,226
We were mothers, we were doctors,
nurses, receptionists, sales people.
766
00:44:24,357 --> 00:44:26,359
We had our day job,
we had our family
767
00:44:26,489 --> 00:44:28,491
and then we danced because
we love to dance.
768
00:44:30,972 --> 00:44:33,235
It wasn't just on Sundays,
you weren't just
769
00:44:33,366 --> 00:44:35,716
on the field as a
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader.
770
00:44:35,847 --> 00:44:37,413
It was life changing.
771
00:44:37,544 --> 00:44:39,154
It was 24/7.
772
00:44:39,285 --> 00:44:40,939
I would get up in the morning,
go to work
773
00:44:41,069 --> 00:44:44,812
at my office job at eight
o'clock, get off at five.
774
00:44:44,943 --> 00:44:47,728
And then I'd go across town
to our old studio,
775
00:44:47,859 --> 00:44:50,122
our old dance studio and
I would drink a diet Coke
776
00:44:50,252 --> 00:44:53,038
and eat an apple in the car
in traffic while changing
777
00:44:53,168 --> 00:44:56,171
clothes in my car on the way
to the rehearsal studio.
778
00:44:56,302 --> 00:45:00,306
Sherry Worthington, she drove
all the way from Oklahoma.
779
00:45:00,436 --> 00:45:02,874
And then I had things to do
for work the next day.
780
00:45:03,004 --> 00:45:05,746
Go to bed,
get back up in like four hours.
781
00:45:05,877 --> 00:45:07,443
Get ready to go to work
782
00:45:07,574 --> 00:45:09,489
And do it all again.
783
00:45:09,619 --> 00:45:11,404
Even though it said
practice is over at ten o'clock,
784
00:45:11,534 --> 00:45:13,972
that doesn't mean
practice is over at 10 o'clock.
785
00:45:14,102 --> 00:45:16,626
It means practice is over
when she's done
786
00:45:16,757 --> 00:45:18,454
and feels like everybody's
done a good job.
787
00:45:18,585 --> 00:45:19,934
Oh, Cindy. Oh.
788
00:45:20,065 --> 00:45:22,067
How hard did we train?
I don't know.
789
00:45:22,197 --> 00:45:23,590
I didn't give them water.
790
00:45:23,721 --> 00:45:25,723
I turned off
the air conditioning.
791
00:45:27,115 --> 00:45:30,553
You had to do what you
had to do to prepare them
792
00:45:30,684 --> 00:45:32,686
and that first game was tough.
793
00:45:32,817 --> 00:45:36,168
It was a 110 on the
field, it was in August.
794
00:45:36,298 --> 00:45:40,302
I'll never forget unbuttoning
the sleeve of my blue blouse
795
00:45:40,433 --> 00:45:43,741
and my arm was
completely white with salt.
796
00:45:43,871 --> 00:45:46,047
All the hours
we did volunteer work.
797
00:45:46,178 --> 00:45:49,311
When we went to visit the children's
homes and the VA hospitals,
798
00:45:49,442 --> 00:45:52,358
We did those on weekends
where the games were out of town.
799
00:45:52,488 --> 00:45:54,055
We were still working.
800
00:45:54,186 --> 00:45:59,365
And they were doing
all of this for $15 a game.
801
00:45:59,495 --> 00:46:01,454
14-12 after taxes.
802
00:46:01,584 --> 00:46:03,848
That did not include practicing
803
00:46:03,978 --> 00:46:06,894
five nights a week
for four to five hours.
804
00:46:07,025 --> 00:46:09,418
That didn't really
even cover our gas money.
805
00:46:09,549 --> 00:46:13,727
That's why we
rode together to, to practices.
806
00:46:13,858 --> 00:46:16,512
Didn't even
pay for the pantyhose.
807
00:46:16,643 --> 00:46:21,822
As it turns out we became million
dollar showgirls, who made 15$ a game.
808
00:46:21,953 --> 00:46:23,650
I do think that the Cowboys were
809
00:46:23,781 --> 00:46:25,783
exploiting these
girls financially.
810
00:46:25,913 --> 00:46:28,829
Not their bodies, I mean, they
would have done it anyhow.
811
00:46:28,960 --> 00:46:31,527
They probably would have been
models or something, but why not
812
00:46:31,658 --> 00:46:34,704
pay them more? Why not give them
a little bit more of the cut?
813
00:46:34,835 --> 00:46:37,098
Of course, who doesn't wanna
make money? We were broke.
814
00:46:37,229 --> 00:46:39,144
We were living
paycheck to paycheck.
815
00:46:39,274 --> 00:46:44,802
But I was a 20-year old girl
who was experiencing fame.
816
00:46:44,932 --> 00:46:49,110
And I was from a small town,
and my parents were proud of me.
817
00:46:50,503 --> 00:46:54,376
I was somebody and that
really is all that mattered.
818
00:46:55,987 --> 00:46:59,686
But it is not always
awesome to be in the spotlight.
819
00:47:02,297 --> 00:47:04,604
You can work, and work and work,
and build your reputation,
820
00:47:04,734 --> 00:47:08,913
and build your name and it
can be brought down so fast.
821
00:47:10,349 --> 00:47:11,959
These are America's sweethearts.
822
00:47:12,090 --> 00:47:14,396
They're bigger than
the football team.
823
00:47:14,527 --> 00:47:17,269
Everybody's trying to get
a piece of the cheerleaders,
824
00:47:17,399 --> 00:47:20,794
and all of sudden,
here comes Debbie does Dallas.
825
00:47:20,925 --> 00:47:21,795
Debbie does Dallas.
826
00:47:21,926 --> 00:47:23,188
Debbie does Dallas.
827
00:47:23,318 --> 00:47:25,233
D and Debbie
and Dallas it rhymed.
828
00:47:25,364 --> 00:47:28,149
It's like every
time I'd turned around I had
829
00:47:28,280 --> 00:47:33,241
to go after somebody who's trying
to make a buck off these girls.
830
00:47:34,939 --> 00:47:38,246
This is at a time when
porn all of a sudden just
831
00:47:38,377 --> 00:47:41,380
works its way in to pop your
imagination through a film
832
00:47:41,510 --> 00:47:43,730
called Deep Throat, which all
of a sudden it's supposedly
833
00:47:43,861 --> 00:47:47,342
safe and wholesome for couples
to watch a film like this.
834
00:47:47,473 --> 00:47:49,344
The MovieDebbie does Dallas,
835
00:47:49,475 --> 00:47:51,390
supposedly traces the
adventure of some high school
836
00:47:51,520 --> 00:47:54,088
aged women
who aspired to move to Texas
837
00:47:54,219 --> 00:47:56,395
and become Dallas
Cowboy cheerleaders.
838
00:47:56,525 --> 00:48:00,921
Tex brought Tom Landry into his
office and showed him part of the film,
839
00:48:01,052 --> 00:48:04,707
and Tom nearly fell down
on the floor when he saw it.
840
00:48:04,838 --> 00:48:06,579
I watched the movie,
it was stupid.
841
00:48:06,709 --> 00:48:09,364
But, uhm, I felt like
I had to research it.
842
00:48:09,495 --> 00:48:11,018
There is no plot.
843
00:48:11,149 --> 00:48:14,282
Is there area for a plot
to a pornography movie?
844
00:48:15,501 --> 00:48:17,720
But, see, they were
using our uniform.
845
00:48:17,851 --> 00:48:19,722
Greenfield!
846
00:48:19,853 --> 00:48:21,246
Greenfield I'm
here, dressed as you wanted me.
847
00:48:21,376 --> 00:48:23,639
Debbie, this is Mr. Greenfield.
848
00:48:23,770 --> 00:48:26,381
Please lock the doors and come
up to the mezzanine level.
849
00:48:26,512 --> 00:48:27,861
Uh-huh.
850
00:48:29,167 --> 00:48:31,169
You know, the girls that,
for goodness sake,
851
00:48:31,299 --> 00:48:34,520
were named Debbie on the
squad, they had it tough.
852
00:48:34,650 --> 00:48:37,871
There were three Debbies on the squad
that year, which I was one of them.
853
00:48:38,002 --> 00:48:41,222
And so we got lots of flak.
854
00:48:41,353 --> 00:48:43,703
Hey, Debbie does Dallas,
Tammy does Tulsa.
855
00:48:43,833 --> 00:48:46,314
Shannon does San Antonio.
856
00:48:46,445 --> 00:48:50,405
It's not something you just let
go lightly, and Suzanne went after it.
857
00:48:50,536 --> 00:48:52,364
With the vengeance.
858
00:48:52,494 --> 00:48:54,801
(Reporter The first showing
of Debbie Does Dallas drew
859
00:48:54,932 --> 00:48:58,761
three members of the law firm representing
the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
860
00:48:58,892 --> 00:49:02,852
It created quite
a mess for the Cowboys.
861
00:49:03,984 --> 00:49:05,899
And I had had bodyguards and...
862
00:49:07,640 --> 00:49:09,729
because we were
dealing with the mafia.
863
00:49:12,950 --> 00:49:17,432
Suzanne was in New York for
several weeks and she had death threats.
864
00:49:17,563 --> 00:49:20,000
At one point, somebody was
tasting her food
865
00:49:20,131 --> 00:49:21,871
for fear of her being poisoned.
866
00:49:23,699 --> 00:49:27,573
Now that was Carmine
Galante, his gang and it was his
867
00:49:29,183 --> 00:49:34,406
right-hand man Michael Zaffarano,
who was in Federal Court with me
868
00:49:34,536 --> 00:49:38,105
and he jumped in the elevator, and I
was there alone, and for some reason
869
00:49:38,236 --> 00:49:42,457
a bodyguard wasn't there and he
pulled out a knife from his boot,
870
00:49:42,588 --> 00:49:47,680
and stuck it, not in my neck,
but right like he was going to.
871
00:49:47,810 --> 00:49:49,725
And I hit his arm.
872
00:49:51,553 --> 00:49:55,209
He didn't drop the knife
totally, he just let his hand
873
00:49:55,340 --> 00:49:58,386
go down, he started laughing
and the door opened.
874
00:50:00,606 --> 00:50:02,216
But that was enough for me.
875
00:50:04,566 --> 00:50:09,615
She was
formidable and could get very
876
00:50:09,745 --> 00:50:13,923
angry about things that
she didn't think were fair.
877
00:50:14,054 --> 00:50:17,231
It had to be fair
and it had to be right,
878
00:50:17,362 --> 00:50:20,713
but she's the one that
got to define right.
879
00:50:22,323 --> 00:50:24,891
I'm sure
she drove the lawyers crazy.
880
00:50:26,762 --> 00:50:29,417
It cost the
Cowboys million dollars
881
00:50:29,548 --> 00:50:33,073
to prove to them that
the girls on the squad
882
00:50:33,204 --> 00:50:36,468
named Debbie were not the Debbie
Does Dallas in the movie,
883
00:50:38,339 --> 00:50:40,298
We had to protect what was ours.
884
00:50:48,784 --> 00:50:55,965
15 minutes of fame comes very quickly
and can get very creepy very quick.
885
00:50:56,096 --> 00:50:57,924
You're constantly
under the spotlight.
886
00:50:58,055 --> 00:51:02,668
You are in a fishbowl and you
feel like your private life
887
00:51:02,798 --> 00:51:05,540
is taken away from you,
and it's very hard to process.
888
00:51:05,671 --> 00:51:08,282
The girls were receiving
a lot of fan mail,
889
00:51:08,413 --> 00:51:13,113
all of a sudden were feeling
more like celebrities.
890
00:51:13,244 --> 00:51:15,072
After the games
the girls would go to
891
00:51:15,202 --> 00:51:18,118
the wall and shake hands
and do autographs.
892
00:51:18,249 --> 00:51:21,991
So, all of that
became part of this:
893
00:51:22,122 --> 00:51:23,906
"I want to know
these girls better."
894
00:51:25,647 --> 00:51:28,215
When I think
of how people assumed
895
00:51:28,346 --> 00:51:33,525
that I wanted them in my face,
or we wanted
896
00:51:33,655 --> 00:51:39,400
them chasing us, and that
they were entitled to that,
897
00:51:39,531 --> 00:51:41,446
that's when it
would get frightening.
898
00:51:41,576 --> 00:51:45,406
Well, I've had a problem,
several problems...
899
00:51:45,537 --> 00:51:48,670
A lot of problems
in my life with stalkers.
900
00:51:48,801 --> 00:51:50,977
Back then
you could get your phone book
901
00:51:51,108 --> 00:51:53,719
and find out
where somebody lived.
902
00:51:53,849 --> 00:51:57,505
This guy showed up at my house and
he started banging on my door.
903
00:51:57,636 --> 00:52:00,378
So I went in the bedroom and
I thought I'm just not going to
904
00:52:00,508 --> 00:52:03,468
answer the door and he'll go
away, he never went away.
905
00:52:03,598 --> 00:52:05,296
One night,
I turn off the lights,
906
00:52:05,426 --> 00:52:08,342
I get in bed and my phone rings.
907
00:52:08,473 --> 00:52:10,649
I said: "Hello", and
this very deep husky
908
00:52:10,779 --> 00:52:14,653
Voice said: "Goodnight,
Tammy," and hung up.
909
00:52:14,783 --> 00:52:19,179
He climbed up on my roof and
started yelling into the chimney.
910
00:52:19,310 --> 00:52:21,747
"Carrie, this is Phillip,
I want to meet you.
911
00:52:21,877 --> 00:52:23,531
I know we're a perfect match."
912
00:52:23,662 --> 00:52:25,664
Three nights in a row
when I decided I'm
913
00:52:25,794 --> 00:52:29,233
done with this, I'm going
to bed with the lights on.
914
00:52:30,538 --> 00:52:33,715
I went to bed with every
light in my apartment on,
915
00:52:33,846 --> 00:52:37,980
Phone rang: "Goodnight Tami."
I moved that weekend.
916
00:52:39,373 --> 00:52:40,548
We had a
cheerleader named Michelin,
917
00:52:40,679 --> 00:52:42,637
she had long
gorgeous blonde hair
918
00:52:42,768 --> 00:52:44,770
and somebody reached
in with scissors
919
00:52:44,900 --> 00:52:46,685
trying to
cut Michelin's hair off.
920
00:52:46,815 --> 00:52:48,991
Suzanne caught it at the
last second and knocked
921
00:52:49,122 --> 00:52:50,254
the scissors out
of the person's hand.
922
00:52:50,384 --> 00:52:52,386
I mean Suzanne was a super hero.
923
00:52:52,517 --> 00:52:55,955
We were constantly being bombarded
with people trying to harm us,
924
00:52:56,085 --> 00:52:59,785
tarnish the name, tarnish
the uniform, ruin our image.
925
00:52:59,915 --> 00:53:02,614
It's amazing that one woman could
do what she did, she protected us.
926
00:53:05,138 --> 00:53:08,315
They were what I was here for.
927
00:53:11,188 --> 00:53:15,540
I never thought about marriage,
928
00:53:17,629 --> 00:53:19,196
I had a lot of children.
929
00:53:21,285 --> 00:53:27,987
And I felt so deeply about them
that they became
930
00:53:30,424 --> 00:53:34,950
totally and completely
why God had put me here.
931
00:53:35,081 --> 00:53:39,738
And I believed in it so strongly
that it was easy for me
932
00:53:39,868 --> 00:53:43,655
to give every ounce
of energy I had to it.
933
00:53:45,178 --> 00:53:48,486
Suzanne was always,
always on guard for us.
934
00:53:48,616 --> 00:53:53,665
She would intercept letters that may
have disturbing information in them.
935
00:53:53,795 --> 00:53:57,408
There was one guy, my gosh,
he sent me cartoons
936
00:53:57,538 --> 00:54:02,891
and stuff that he drew up of me
hanging the girls on the walls.
937
00:54:03,022 --> 00:54:06,155
I was dressed in black
leather with whips
938
00:54:06,286 --> 00:54:10,377
in my hand, and I was
whipping the girls.
939
00:54:12,161 --> 00:54:18,037
Well, I got the FBI involved with that,
and they found him upstate Minnesota
940
00:54:18,167 --> 00:54:21,388
at an outpatient clinic
living with his mother.
941
00:54:21,519 --> 00:54:24,173
And I think there was another
instance to where
942
00:54:24,304 --> 00:54:27,525
we received
a huge package of knives.
943
00:54:27,655 --> 00:54:29,527
Well, first I opened
them up and I thought
944
00:54:29,657 --> 00:54:32,443
my husband sent me a big
thing of new knives.
945
00:54:32,573 --> 00:54:35,533
And then I opened them up,
and they're in a manila envelope,
946
00:54:35,663 --> 00:54:38,449
and they were wrapped in a
Pittsburgh Steeler newspaper.
947
00:54:38,579 --> 00:54:42,322
And as I start reading it, it said:
"Dear Billie, my goddess of love."
948
00:54:42,453 --> 00:54:46,892
I mean I shake just thinking about
it, and it just went on from there.
949
00:54:47,022 --> 00:54:50,504
So I hired a private detective
to watch her house.
950
00:54:51,766 --> 00:54:53,202
There's really nothing you
951
00:54:53,333 --> 00:54:54,813
can tell me about
Suzanne Mitchell in terms
952
00:54:54,943 --> 00:54:56,858
of being this tough woman
that's going to fix
953
00:54:56,989 --> 00:54:59,383
your problem. That's
gonna surprise me.
954
00:54:59,513 --> 00:55:02,864
The women on her squad, that she looked
at like they were her daughters.
955
00:55:02,995 --> 00:55:07,565
And if I was a guy dating one of
Suzanne's cheerleaders, I'd be
956
00:55:07,695 --> 00:55:11,482
real careful about making
a mistake with that young woman.
957
00:55:11,612 --> 00:55:14,485
When I became a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader
I was married to someone else.
958
00:55:14,615 --> 00:55:18,793
He was 12 years older than me and he was a
very successful Elvis Presley impersonator.
959
00:55:18,924 --> 00:55:20,578
The marriage was unraveling.
960
00:55:20,708 --> 00:55:23,276
He was basically having
an affair with the yellow pages.
961
00:55:23,407 --> 00:55:26,192
I went to Suzanne Mitchell and
told her that I needed to get a divorce.
962
00:55:27,585 --> 00:55:31,980
I was terrified to tell her,
but she was fabulous.
963
00:55:32,111 --> 00:55:35,070
She not only was supportive, she
said that the Cowboys would help me.
964
00:55:35,201 --> 00:55:38,465
And she helped me find a roommate with
one of the girls within the squad.
965
00:55:40,075 --> 00:55:46,038
I had to do some bad stuff
to her husband at the time.
966
00:55:47,474 --> 00:55:53,132
She came in with bruises
once too often.
967
00:55:55,743 --> 00:55:58,442
I mean, it's nice
when you have contacts.
968
00:55:59,486 --> 00:56:01,575
We can get them taken care of.
969
00:56:03,272 --> 00:56:06,841
I just figured out
that I would make a phone call
970
00:56:06,972 --> 00:56:09,583
to some people that I knew,
971
00:56:09,714 --> 00:56:14,588
and we would be able to
take him out in the desert
972
00:56:14,719 --> 00:56:17,243
and tell him
not to do that anymore.
973
00:56:23,292 --> 00:56:25,164
Suzanne Mitchell
has been referred to by
974
00:56:25,294 --> 00:56:28,036
many people as the Iron
Butterfly because she was.
975
00:56:28,167 --> 00:56:32,214
She could be ridiculously
demanding, incredibly hard.
976
00:56:32,345 --> 00:56:36,001
And Yet, she had this
compassion for her cheerleading
977
00:56:36,131 --> 00:56:38,830
group that would almost
surprise some people.
978
00:56:38,960 --> 00:56:43,095
She put her heart and soul in it, her
heart and her soul. And she loved us.
979
00:56:45,010 --> 00:56:48,100
She loved us, and not just as a
group, but she loved us individually.
980
00:56:48,230 --> 00:56:51,886
Suzanne had the knowledge
to know what you needed.
981
00:56:52,017 --> 00:56:57,979
I was able to
have empathy for what
982
00:56:58,110 --> 00:57:01,113
was going on inside
of their heart and head.
983
00:57:04,595 --> 00:57:06,771
I was raped twice.
984
00:57:10,165 --> 00:57:14,692
I was 19 and 26.
985
00:57:17,346 --> 00:57:23,875
At the time, I didn't have
anyone, which made me know
986
00:57:24,005 --> 00:57:29,881
all the more how much people
needed someone they could trust.
987
00:57:32,840 --> 00:57:35,626
Usually, they could never
tell their family,
988
00:57:38,106 --> 00:57:40,500
but for some reason,
they could always tell me.
989
00:57:42,197 --> 00:57:45,897
And I think mainly what
they needed was...
990
00:57:48,073 --> 00:57:49,640
to cry,
991
00:57:51,337 --> 00:57:55,820
to talk about it, to relive
it, and to understand they were
992
00:57:55,950 --> 00:57:59,606
still here, they were
still whole, and they
993
00:57:59,737 --> 00:58:04,219
were in a safe place that
would always protect them.
994
00:58:06,091 --> 00:58:10,225
It will never stop you, is what I
always tried to tell the girls.
995
00:58:11,662 --> 00:58:14,360
It doesn't have
anything to do with your growth,
996
00:58:14,491 --> 00:58:19,800
with your ability to become
who you are supposed to become.
997
00:58:19,931 --> 00:58:22,890
We could all learn
something from it.
998
00:58:23,021 --> 00:58:25,327
We're all here to teach.
999
00:58:34,598 --> 00:58:39,428
We got a call from the
Pentagon, General John Wickham,
1000
00:58:40,647 --> 00:58:44,303
and he asked Tex: "We would
like the girls to come
1001
00:58:44,433 --> 00:58:48,089
and entertain the troops over
Christmas." Because they had, had
1002
00:58:48,220 --> 00:58:53,878
a lot of suicides in Korea
during that period of time.
1003
00:58:54,008 --> 00:58:58,709
And Tex's immediate answer
was: "That's playoff. No way.
1004
00:58:58,839 --> 00:59:03,670
We need the girls here."
But the General insisted
1005
00:59:03,801 --> 00:59:05,977
and Tex finally called me
into his office and said:
1006
00:59:06,107 --> 00:59:10,111
"Suzanne, what do you
think?" And my immediate answer
1007
00:59:10,242 --> 00:59:13,550
From the bottom of my
heart was: "You bet ya."
1008
00:59:37,356 --> 00:59:40,272
It was the Cheer Group Squad
that would go on the USO tours.
1009
00:59:40,402 --> 00:59:44,406
They left their family for the
whole holidays over Christmas.
1010
00:59:44,537 --> 00:59:46,583
One of the girls
at the time had a baby.
1011
00:59:48,193 --> 00:59:50,151
When I selected the girls to go
1012
00:59:50,282 --> 00:59:54,591
on tour, I did not
select the prettiest.
1013
00:59:54,721 --> 00:59:56,767
I didn't select the best dancer.
1014
00:59:58,812 --> 01:00:03,382
I selected the ones I knew would walk
up in a handshake and hug a soldier.
1015
01:00:03,512 --> 01:00:05,863
Jeff.
Jeff, where you from?
1016
01:00:07,081 --> 01:00:08,735
It's nice meeting you.
1017
01:00:10,824 --> 01:00:15,307
Sometimes, we couldn't get to where
we needed to go, and I would push my
1018
01:00:15,437 --> 01:00:19,746
weight around and call a general in
Korea and say I need a helicopter.
1019
01:00:21,443 --> 01:00:25,926
And they'd get me a helicopter and
we'd go see four guys on a radar site.
1020
01:00:27,058 --> 01:00:30,539
Four guys that nobody knew
were there.
1021
01:00:32,803 --> 01:00:36,720
And the girls made them feel
like somebody cared.
1022
01:00:40,506 --> 01:00:43,988
We were dancing on the USS Iowa
1023
01:00:44,118 --> 01:00:46,207
and it was
rocking left and right.
1024
01:00:46,338 --> 01:00:49,515
I was like: " Oh, I'm going to
fall in." Mrs. Anna said:
1025
01:00:49,646 --> 01:00:52,387
"If you fall in, do you know how many
guys are going to be in that water
1026
01:00:52,518 --> 01:00:54,215
before you can even
hit the water?
1027
01:00:54,346 --> 01:00:56,000
She said that's the least that
you... go out there and dance.
1028
01:00:56,130 --> 01:00:57,871
Don't worry about that."
She's always giving.
1029
01:00:58,002 --> 01:00:59,656
I'm thinking about my life,
she's thinking
1030
01:00:59,786 --> 01:01:01,919
we'll die giving
the best performance.
1031
01:01:02,049 --> 01:01:04,922
She didn't say that, but that's
basically what she said.
1032
01:01:05,052 --> 01:01:09,187
I have landed on 12
aircraft carriers by cable.
1033
01:01:09,317 --> 01:01:10,971
I have catapulted off.
1034
01:01:11,102 --> 01:01:14,583
I have been hoisted out of
helicopters onto submarines.
1035
01:01:16,411 --> 01:01:20,546
It was really fun to be in the
Sinai and be in those helicopters.
1036
01:01:21,373 --> 01:01:22,983
There weren't seats.
1037
01:01:23,114 --> 01:01:24,506
There was just things and straps
1038
01:01:24,637 --> 01:01:26,291
and we were all
just strapped in.
1039
01:01:26,421 --> 01:01:30,295
Swerving like this
through all of the canyons
1040
01:01:30,425 --> 01:01:31,600
that we had to go through.
1041
01:01:31,731 --> 01:01:32,906
It was just...
1042
01:01:34,386 --> 01:01:36,170
Girls were screaming.
1043
01:01:36,301 --> 01:01:37,694
I know it sounds silly to say
1044
01:01:37,824 --> 01:01:39,304
professional cheerleading
is dangerous,
1045
01:01:39,434 --> 01:01:41,610
but there were a lot of times
we're in harm's way.
1046
01:01:41,741 --> 01:01:44,048
In Beirut, Lebanon
we were shot at.
1047
01:01:46,441 --> 01:01:49,749
Diana was with me in
my Jeep and we passed
1048
01:01:49,880 --> 01:01:55,059
the PLO - Israeli checkpoint
and gunfire started going off
1049
01:01:55,189 --> 01:01:58,149
everywhere and my marine
that was driving my jeep
1050
01:01:58,279 --> 01:02:01,892
hit me in back of the head
and knocked me against the dash.
1051
01:02:02,806 --> 01:02:03,894
And I have a...
1052
01:02:05,243 --> 01:02:08,246
a dip in my head
where that bullet...
1053
01:02:08,376 --> 01:02:11,945
If he had not done what he did,
the bullet
1054
01:02:12,076 --> 01:02:14,078
would've gone
right between my eyes.
1055
01:02:18,604 --> 01:02:20,911
I can't explain...
1056
01:02:23,087 --> 01:02:26,394
at that point all the girls
jumped out of
1057
01:02:26,525 --> 01:02:30,747
their jeep,
crawled on their bellies...
1058
01:02:32,313 --> 01:02:33,706
to get to me.
1059
01:02:36,317 --> 01:02:39,668
And I'm sure she got to her bed
that night and I'm sure
1060
01:02:39,799 --> 01:02:43,020
it hit her what had happened, but she
didn't say the show was canceled.
1061
01:02:43,150 --> 01:02:44,630
She didn't say we're going
back to the States.
1062
01:02:46,153 --> 01:02:48,155
We got up the next day and went
back and performed again.
1063
01:02:48,286 --> 01:02:50,897
And she probably did
10 more tours after that.
1064
01:02:53,204 --> 01:02:57,121
My name is Suzanne Mitchell and I'm the
director of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.
1065
01:02:57,251 --> 01:03:00,689
This is my 12th year
with the organization.
1066
01:03:00,820 --> 01:03:04,128
It's my 16th BOD USO tour.
1067
01:03:04,258 --> 01:03:06,521
This is really the only way
that we have to save
1068
01:03:06,652 --> 01:03:13,964
our country, to be able to say...
1069
01:03:18,098 --> 01:03:22,711
Are you all listening to me?
1070
01:03:26,367 --> 01:03:29,501
Y'all don't want to be serious, but
I'm going to be serious for a minute.
1071
01:03:29,631 --> 01:03:31,851
You all listen to me.
1072
01:03:31,982 --> 01:03:34,158
There is a lot of people
that don't know
1073
01:03:34,288 --> 01:03:39,816
that you're even here and that difficult
position that all of you are in
1074
01:03:39,946 --> 01:03:41,513
and they say that we're
making a sacrifice
1075
01:03:41,643 --> 01:03:44,690
by being here, and we're not.
We are not.
1076
01:03:44,821 --> 01:03:47,606
This is such a joy for us to be
able to maybe bring a smile
1077
01:03:47,736 --> 01:03:51,566
and to help you all through the
next few weeks or the few months.
1078
01:03:51,697 --> 01:03:54,221
All we're doing is to let
you know we know you're here
1079
01:03:54,352 --> 01:03:57,094
and that we love you
and appreciate so much.
1080
01:03:57,224 --> 01:03:59,400
And most of all that we know
that everything we
1081
01:03:59,531 --> 01:04:02,926
have back home,
we only have because of you.
1082
01:04:11,891 --> 01:04:15,764
Suzanne was proud of being
1083
01:04:15,895 --> 01:04:19,029
a mom to
a whole lot of soldiers.
1084
01:04:20,465 --> 01:04:23,294
And they were
just additional family.
1085
01:04:23,424 --> 01:04:27,689
She felt that close to the men
and women in the service.
1086
01:04:29,691 --> 01:04:34,174
One young man came up
to me on our first tour in Korea
1087
01:04:34,305 --> 01:04:39,658
at Christmas and put
his unit crest on my jacket.
1088
01:04:39,788 --> 01:04:44,793
And from that point forward, every
time I turned around, some guy
1089
01:04:44,924 --> 01:04:48,232
was coming up putting a pin
on me, or handing me a patch.
1090
01:04:50,974 --> 01:04:55,282
Three years later
in Erzurum, Turkey
1091
01:04:55,413 --> 01:04:57,154
a guy comes running
down the field:
1092
01:04:57,284 --> 01:04:59,504
"Mom, mom, mom!"
1093
01:04:59,634 --> 01:05:02,899
Has his crest in his hand, he
said: "This is my crest now.
1094
01:05:03,029 --> 01:05:05,858
That one was
my crest in Korea."
1095
01:05:07,947 --> 01:05:15,389
My jacket weighs 14 pounds and I stayed
up every night to saw the patches on.
1096
01:05:19,219 --> 01:05:21,178
It's the most beautiful thing in
1097
01:05:21,308 --> 01:05:24,921
the world to recognize that
you are an American
1098
01:05:25,051 --> 01:05:27,967
and that's one of the most
beautiful things that I was
1099
01:05:28,098 --> 01:05:31,231
able to give the Dallas
Cowboys Cheerleaders.
1100
01:05:32,929 --> 01:05:35,235
And there are those
still today say,
1101
01:05:35,366 --> 01:05:38,456
Suzanne, I wouldn't
feel like I do about
1102
01:05:38,586 --> 01:05:44,636
being an American, if it hadn't been
for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
1103
01:06:02,959 --> 01:06:05,613
Suzanne once told one of
the girls, she said, when you
1104
01:06:05,744 --> 01:06:11,619
put on this costume, this is
like wearing the American flag.
1105
01:06:11,750 --> 01:06:14,318
Now, maybe that would have
been just a little too much,
1106
01:06:14,448 --> 01:06:17,799
you know, but I think Suzanne
really believed that.
1107
01:06:19,801 --> 01:06:21,020
It was a time in America
1108
01:06:21,151 --> 01:06:22,674
where people were
looking for something.
1109
01:06:22,804 --> 01:06:25,068
You go back to the early '70s
and we were still
1110
01:06:25,198 --> 01:06:27,548
struggling with the end
of the Vietnam War.
1111
01:06:27,679 --> 01:06:31,639
We had gas lines every place,
you tried to fill up your car.
1112
01:06:31,770 --> 01:06:35,165
You had a president that was
on his way to being impeached.
1113
01:06:35,295 --> 01:06:37,558
It was a hard time in America.
1114
01:06:37,689 --> 01:06:41,910
We just needed something to make us
feel good about ourselves again.
1115
01:06:42,041 --> 01:06:45,001
The wonderful thing
that sports can do
1116
01:06:46,480 --> 01:06:50,223
with a grieving nation,
with a grieving city,
1117
01:06:50,354 --> 01:06:52,443
is to rally them.
1118
01:06:54,401 --> 01:07:01,060
The team itself offered
something for the city to be proud of
1119
01:07:02,583 --> 01:07:05,891
instead of ashamed of
what had happened in their city.
1120
01:07:08,459 --> 01:07:10,635
Here's the institution
that has gotten the city
1121
01:07:10,765 --> 01:07:14,030
to forget the stain of the
assassination of John F. Kennedy.
1122
01:07:14,160 --> 01:07:16,554
It's no longer the city of hate.
1123
01:07:16,684 --> 01:07:20,471
It's been known around the country
as the home of the Dallas Cowboys.
1124
01:07:22,560 --> 01:07:27,434
My pride honestly stems
1125
01:07:27,565 --> 01:07:33,397
from being a part of
the era of Tex Schramm,
1126
01:07:33,527 --> 01:07:39,707
Tom Landry and players who
for the most part lived up to
1127
01:07:39,838 --> 01:07:44,103
the image that the community
expected of them.
1128
01:07:46,758 --> 01:07:52,111
But I think things change,
life changes, society changes,
1129
01:07:52,242 --> 01:07:57,203
and change
is hard for... me.
1130
01:08:02,121 --> 01:08:04,036
There's a stranger in town.
1131
01:08:06,865 --> 01:08:10,477
He rode into Texas from the bad
lands of Arkansas with
1132
01:08:10,608 --> 01:08:14,351
a fistful of dollars
and an itchy trigger finger.
1133
01:08:14,481 --> 01:08:17,789
He shot from the lip
and laid down the law.
1134
01:08:17,919 --> 01:08:22,489
Now, everyone knows
who the stranger is.
1135
01:08:22,620 --> 01:08:25,623
I think he's a jerk. He's got a lot
of money and he's got a big mouth.
1136
01:08:25,753 --> 01:08:28,147
I think he stinks.
He's obnoxious.
1137
01:08:28,278 --> 01:08:31,411
He's Jerry Jones,
the oilman, from Rose City,
1138
01:08:31,542 --> 01:08:36,329
Arkansas who paid more than $100
million for the Dallas Cowboys.
1139
01:08:36,460 --> 01:08:41,813
Jerry Jones bought the team
in February of 1989,
1140
01:08:41,943 --> 01:08:44,120
and I stayed for four months.
1141
01:08:44,250 --> 01:08:47,601
And, there were a lot of things
that happened during those
1142
01:08:47,732 --> 01:08:52,519
four months that told me
that this was not gonna work.
1143
01:08:52,650 --> 01:08:56,349
There was constant clash there,
constant confrontation.
1144
01:08:56,480 --> 01:09:02,964
I would have to kick coaches out
of our dance studio
1145
01:09:03,095 --> 01:09:05,053
because they would
come down drunk...
1146
01:09:07,012 --> 01:09:10,146
and ogle and gawp the girls
1147
01:09:10,276 --> 01:09:13,627
and I would just
kick them out of the studio.
1148
01:09:13,758 --> 01:09:20,068
In my opinion the respect for women was
not there that had been in the past.
1149
01:09:20,199 --> 01:09:26,988
Jerry Jones and his friends
wanted to be real familiar
1150
01:09:27,119 --> 01:09:30,601
with Cowboys Cheerleaders and there
was a problem there for a long time.
1151
01:09:30,731 --> 01:09:34,344
I was asked to go on
an appearance with...
1152
01:09:34,474 --> 01:09:36,868
In my uniform on an airplane
1153
01:09:36,998 --> 01:09:42,308
with Jerry Jones
and his business associates.
1154
01:09:42,439 --> 01:09:44,702
I didn't feel that
that was proper.
1155
01:09:44,832 --> 01:09:47,922
To me it was demeaning and
it appeared that we were
1156
01:09:48,053 --> 01:09:52,536
being treated as bimbos,
and I wasn't a bimbo.
1157
01:09:55,495 --> 01:09:57,584
I felt like we were just
1158
01:09:57,715 --> 01:10:01,414
bodies for his
entertainment purposes.
1159
01:10:01,545 --> 01:10:06,419
You could just tell the way he ta...
the way he talked about the women.
1160
01:10:06,550 --> 01:10:08,639
Now, you call them
the pick of the litter.
1161
01:10:08,769 --> 01:10:13,470
Sam, our cheerleaders, 36 of
them, are 36 girls chosen out
1162
01:10:13,600 --> 01:10:18,779
of some 900 girls that try out, so
they're outstanding young women.
1163
01:10:18,910 --> 01:10:22,740
He decided to loosen up some
of those stuffy old rules, they live by.
1164
01:10:22,870 --> 01:10:24,916
Let the cheerleaders
date the players.
1165
01:10:25,046 --> 01:10:28,049
Let them do beer commercials
and, oh yes, how about
1166
01:10:28,180 --> 01:10:30,051
if they wear outfits
that are more revealing.
1167
01:10:30,182 --> 01:10:31,879
As If that were
humanly possible.
1168
01:10:32,010 --> 01:10:36,449
I think Mr. Jones
wanted to create his own era,
1169
01:10:36,580 --> 01:10:39,757
therefore he had to
get rid of the other era.
1170
01:10:39,887 --> 01:10:43,239
And I was very much part of
that other era.
1171
01:10:43,369 --> 01:10:46,024
You came to Dallas and
you fired everybody in the Cowboys.
1172
01:10:46,154 --> 01:10:47,982
Particularly coach Landry.
1173
01:10:48,113 --> 01:10:50,550
I mean, here's a guy who had
20 consecutive winning seasons.
1174
01:10:50,681 --> 01:10:52,770
Took the team to
the Superbowl five times,
1175
01:10:52,900 --> 01:10:55,555
won two of them and; Fop!
Off with his head.
1176
01:10:55,686 --> 01:10:57,165
They were America's team.
1177
01:10:58,166 --> 01:10:59,690
And now?
1178
01:10:59,820 --> 01:11:01,431
They're Jerry Jones' team.
1179
01:11:03,520 --> 01:11:07,350
Jerry Jones
started firing everybody.
1180
01:11:08,568 --> 01:11:13,007
Tex Schramm was
humiliated by Mr. Jones.
1181
01:11:14,661 --> 01:11:19,710
He had given me everything I had
at that moment, for 14 years.
1182
01:11:21,146 --> 01:11:24,976
And one thing that I am
is a loyal human being.
1183
01:11:26,847 --> 01:11:32,331
So, May 8th 1989, I walked out
the front door with Tex Schramm.
1184
01:11:34,028 --> 01:11:38,032
We were devoted to what we did
because it was family.
1185
01:11:39,512 --> 01:11:44,691
And I saw my family being
torn apart, and that hurts.
1186
01:11:44,822 --> 01:11:46,389
Suzanne Mitchell left
1187
01:11:46,519 --> 01:11:48,826
the team this spring
after 14 years as
1188
01:11:48,956 --> 01:11:51,829
den mother of that other
beloved institution,
1189
01:11:51,959 --> 01:11:54,440
the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
1190
01:11:54,571 --> 01:11:57,313
She regretted leaving her girls.
1191
01:11:57,443 --> 01:11:59,663
She felt like
she abandoned them.
1192
01:11:59,793 --> 01:12:04,145
She realized she wasn't going to win,
and the image was going to change.
1193
01:12:04,276 --> 01:12:05,799
And she couldn't
compromise her integrity.
1194
01:12:05,930 --> 01:12:08,236
I don't think he thought
he thought he was
1195
01:12:08,367 --> 01:12:11,457
going to have resistance,
especially from the cheerleaders.
1196
01:12:11,588 --> 01:12:16,506
He thought, you know, we would
listen like everybody else listens to him.
1197
01:12:16,636 --> 01:12:22,686
She had girls who had been there before
and under the culture of Suzanne,
1198
01:12:22,816 --> 01:12:27,821
they just didn't feel it was right,
so they made their decision to leave.
1199
01:12:27,952 --> 01:12:30,563
Well son, in Texas
you can burn the flag,
1200
01:12:30,694 --> 01:12:32,565
but don't mess
with the cheerleaders.
1201
01:12:32,696 --> 01:12:35,916
14 veteran
cheerleaders have quit.
1202
01:12:36,047 --> 01:12:38,179
I had everything.
I was in the calendar.
1203
01:12:38,310 --> 01:12:41,879
I was the centerfold of the, you
know, the Gameday Magazine
1204
01:12:42,009 --> 01:12:44,055
with Troy Aikman on the cover.
1205
01:12:44,185 --> 01:12:46,100
I walked away from all of it.
1206
01:12:47,798 --> 01:12:51,628
The girls who left
the squad, the 14, were ones
1207
01:12:51,758 --> 01:12:57,416
that truly understood what
the whole image of DCC was.
1208
01:12:58,765 --> 01:13:03,466
What had been fought for
all these years
1209
01:13:03,596 --> 01:13:06,730
in court, in the public eye.
1210
01:13:08,688 --> 01:13:13,780
And when they were faced with the
fighting, they knew they could do it.
1211
01:13:15,565 --> 01:13:17,393
That's one of the biggest testaments
to Suzanne that there is.
1212
01:13:17,523 --> 01:13:22,354
That we didn't just follow along
and that we stood up for ourselves
1213
01:13:22,485 --> 01:13:24,051
and what she had built.
1214
01:13:25,139 --> 01:13:27,315
One of those paradoxes
I guess again,
1215
01:13:27,446 --> 01:13:30,841
that we rebelled against
the rules at first in the 70's.
1216
01:13:30,971 --> 01:13:37,413
And then when this came around beginning
of the 90's, we wanted those rules.
1217
01:13:39,632 --> 01:13:43,462
People didn't think that we could
do it, and people thought we'd go away.
1218
01:13:43,593 --> 01:13:45,029
But we never went away.
1219
01:13:45,159 --> 01:13:46,683
We still haven't gone away.
1220
01:13:48,598 --> 01:13:52,558
You still hear somebody say: "She
was a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader."
1221
01:13:55,256 --> 01:13:57,258
It's not just
about being a cheerleader,
1222
01:13:57,389 --> 01:14:00,914
it's about a life set skill.
1223
01:14:02,307 --> 01:14:04,352
You learn that positive
energy: "I can do it."
1224
01:14:04,483 --> 01:14:05,615
I can do it.
1225
01:14:05,745 --> 01:14:07,704
I can do it.
1226
01:14:07,834 --> 01:14:11,011
I have raised a daughter and
I've got two granddaughters now.
1227
01:14:11,142 --> 01:14:13,710
And I hope that if they want to
be a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader,
1228
01:14:13,840 --> 01:14:16,364
no one's going to say: "Oh,
you're a dumb cheerleader"
1229
01:14:16,495 --> 01:14:18,062
or if they want to be a doctor,
1230
01:14:18,192 --> 01:14:19,629
no one's going to say: "Oh, you
1231
01:14:19,759 --> 01:14:21,674
shouldn't do that."
I think you should just
1232
01:14:21,805 --> 01:14:24,938
be allowed to be what you want to
be and not be judgmental about it.
1233
01:14:25,069 --> 01:14:26,766
Suzanne taught us, not just
1234
01:14:26,897 --> 01:14:30,161
to be girls, but to
grow up to be women.
1235
01:14:30,291 --> 01:14:31,641
The sisterhood will never die.
1236
01:14:32,598 --> 01:14:33,512
Not ever.
1237
01:14:34,426 --> 01:14:35,819
She changed my life.
1238
01:14:37,298 --> 01:14:40,214
So, uhm...
Excuse me.
1239
01:14:40,345 --> 01:14:45,872
She taught me
to believe in myself
1240
01:14:48,179 --> 01:14:53,227
and she gave me an opportunity
to make a difference in my life.
1241
01:14:53,358 --> 01:14:55,578
God bless you.
1242
01:15:01,192 --> 01:15:03,760
The DCC critical information.
1243
01:15:03,890 --> 01:15:06,937
You do not receive any
free tickets to the game.
1244
01:15:07,067 --> 01:15:09,809
You must go to the ticket office
like everyone else.
1245
01:15:09,940 --> 01:15:11,115
You are not special.
1246
01:15:11,245 --> 01:15:14,553
No, that last part
was just my add-on.
1247
01:15:14,684 --> 01:15:18,209
Number three, make
negative experiences work for you.
1248
01:15:19,340 --> 01:15:21,821
Example, if you are
made an alternate,
1249
01:15:21,952 --> 01:15:24,345
use that
as incentive to work harder.
1250
01:15:25,129 --> 01:15:26,347
Don't pout.
1251
01:15:28,349 --> 01:15:30,874
Oh, we had to know the
Star Spangled Banner.
1252
01:15:31,004 --> 01:15:32,353
Wow.
1253
01:15:33,920 --> 01:15:36,227
Number nine, do not
take anything for granted.
1254
01:15:37,663 --> 01:15:40,187
Allow callouses
on our feet to remain.
1255
01:15:40,318 --> 01:15:41,711
It will be easier to dance.
1256
01:15:41,841 --> 01:15:43,713
Otherwise, you will have
tender feet all year.
1257
01:15:43,843 --> 01:15:46,193
Do not compare
yourself to anyone.
1258
01:15:46,324 --> 01:15:50,633
If you feel you must compete,
do so with yourself.
1259
01:15:53,461 --> 01:15:58,423
Everything must be approved
by Suzanne Mitchell.
1260
01:16:02,079 --> 01:16:04,298
I think we all have a destiny.
1261
01:16:05,865 --> 01:16:10,391
My contribution to pass on
was solely and completely
1262
01:16:10,522 --> 01:16:14,657
who these ladies would become
when the music stopped,
1263
01:16:14,787 --> 01:16:19,879
So that your children look back and
say: "You see what my mom did.
1264
01:16:20,010 --> 01:16:22,708
You see what she gave the world.
1265
01:16:22,839 --> 01:16:26,843
And I'm so proud of her." That's
what you want your children to say.
1266
01:16:35,765 --> 01:16:38,463
That's it.
109301
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