Bring It On

 

Bring It On:

(The motion picture examines multiple topics of gender-personality differences, stereotypes and impressions.)

Bring It On is a classic 2000s cheerleading movie. (If you haven’t seen it, what are you waiting for?) Two talented squads known as the Toros and the Clovers. The Toros are the reigning national champions, while the Clovers have not competed for the title. Ironically, the championship should belong to the Clovers because the Toros have stolen their cheers for years. It was revealed when the Clovers crashed a Toros’ football game and recited the cheers with them. The crowd was silent. (“Were you silent or silenced?” - Oprah Winfrey) The movie pertains to the horrific standards of the 2000s. The blatant homophobic, body image discussion and gender stereotypes.  

(Left to right: Isis from the Clovers and Torrance from the Toros, both head cheerleader/captain)

The Toros have an advantage over the Clovers. I do not mean cheerleading skill wise but investment wise. The number of sponsors, boosters, and television coverage the team receives. The group is more loved and supported than the football team. (They are like 0-34 so who cares?)  Whereas the Clovers are trying to be seen by scouts and have a shot at a national championship. The team comes from an underfunded school with a lack of resources. Isis, captain of the Clovers, is determined to make it happen for her squad. 

The beginning of the movie starts with an introduction cheer of all the cheerleaders on the team. Some parts of the cheer can be considered provocative. One of the lines is “Guys want to touch my chest” and the cheerleaders grab their chest. The male cheerleaders do not do this part and turn around in the midst of it. The history of cheerleading was a tactic to place women on the sideline and root for their male counterparts. (Hindman and Walker 2022) Women in this sport have been sexualized by the male gaze. The girl uniforms consisting of a short skirt and a cropped top. Whereas the boy uniforms keep them covered from head to toe. However, gender stereotypes claim men are more dominant because women are put into positions with less control. Torrance, the head cheerleader/captain, changes this narrative because she is the one with the power. Multiple situations occur in the movie where the dominance of the position is displayed. 

(Big Red, former head cheerleader/captain of the Toros)

Big Red, the former captain of the Toros, was the one responsible for stealing the cheers from the Clovers. It was a known secret for years until Isis revealed it to Torrance and Missy at the game. Multiple cheerleaders have talked about Big Red’s “dictatorship” and the way she handles the team. Big Red was a controller and had a one-of-a-kind persona. Each individual has their own special personality made up for themselves. (Blankstein 2009) Big Red was a controller. Her personality instilled fear into her teammates. Once the team found out about her stealing the cheers, they claimed that there would have been nothing for them to do. Once she passed the torch to Torrance, there was a sense of relief from the group. 

(Missy, transfer student and gymnast from Los Angeles)

After a girl got injured at practice, there was a spot that needed to be filled. Torrance and some of the cheerleaders held try-outs. Missy was a transfer student from Los Angeles and was a gymnast at her old school. She did not have the “average” gymnast look. Her style was more alternative and grunge-like. Comparing her look to the cheerleaders at the audition, there is a solid difference. There are a few blatant gender and personality stereotypes that appear in this scene.

(Courtney, one of the Toros cheerleaders)

(Torrance, head cheerleader/captain of the Toros)

The blonde mean girl as Courtney while Torrance is the blonde sweet girl. Both are displayed as attractive girls and can be characterized physically as the conventional cheerleader. The average “cheerleader” look was defined by physical features such as beauty looks. (Hindman and Walker 2022) Therefore, Missy did not fit the status quo. The first impression received by others of Missy was distraught. This can be derived from the effect first facial impressions have because it helps decide from both sides how a person is perceived. (Sutherland 2020) There are multiple factors that result in a first impression. The levels of attractiveness, trustworthiness and dominance. The text states, “For example, impressions of trustworthiness from profile images predict online financial lending rates (Duarte, Siegel, & Young, 2012), host popularity on Airbnb (Ert, Fleischer, & Magen, 2016), and sentencing outcomes in the criminal justice system (Wilson & Rule, 2015). In short, facial impressions clearly matter for society and the economy.” (Sutherland, 2020, p. 1-2) Both from a positive and negative opinion. Everyone has their own interpersonal perception. The other cheerleaders, except Torrance, have ruled Missy out based on her looks and demeanor. However, once she starts doing flips that the average human could not imagine doing, they begin to look impressed. Two cheerleaders are still annoyed and insist that Torrance keeps her off the team. Even after seeing her skills, they do not see her as a fit. Torrance overrules them and decides to put her on the team. 

(Missy after her makeover)

Missy’s look has a drastic change after making the squad but her personality stays the same. Research explains that most personalities stem from one’s outer appearance. (Hasrat 2019) This appears to be the opposite as she continues to be an outspoken force. Her relationship with Torrance can be seen odd because their personalities may clash.

(Torrance Shipman)

Torrance is displayed as a “ray of sunshine” but she does not excel in the classroom. She is extremely gifted as a cheerleader, which can contribute to her personality. Gifted students tend to be more outgoing and sociable than others. Torrance took the ignition to create a new routine for nationals with less time to prepare for it. Her character expresses her emotions while communicating with others. The conversations with her boyfriend about her nervousness are dismissed by him and he considers things will be fine. Men are not as open as women are with their emotions which can tie the differences of personality dimensions. (Ogurlu and Özbey 2022) Torrance’s boyfriend pushes her to quit the team because he believes that she cannot handle it due to her emotions. Gender difference is crucial when discussing the development of men and women’s personalities.

(Left to right: Jan and Les)

Jan and Les are the two main guys on the cheerleading team. Other male athletes shout derogatory terms at them and make snide comments at them for being on the team. The text states, “By looking at someone, we cannot always tell if they are culturally like ourselves. When it comes to some cultural identities, such as sexual orientation and ability, we may not be aware of any differences until the other person reveals their identification to us.” (Enaifoghe, 2023, p. 463) This can tie into the conversation about first impressions. Jan and Les being male cheerleaders brings an abundance of unwanted hate onto them. The stereotypical gender portrayal that boys tend to follow a “masculine sport” began to fizzle out. (Korlat 2022) They both are proud of being cheerleaders but wish for the hate to stop. The lack of communication amongst male athletes in the film displays the reasoning of negativity toward Jan and Les. Most of the comments come from the football players at their school. Yes, the ones who have not won a game in years. In society, men are raised to be these strong and masculine figures while women are seen as feminine and soft. (Enaifoghe 2023) Cheerleading is considered as a hobby for women and any men involved can be perceived as feminine or lack “manly” attributes. Les is the only gay character in the film. However, him and Jan receive the same amount of backlash for being male cheerleaders. The knowledge of both their sexualities is known to others but their gender is what sticks out the most for the comments.  

(Jan, male cheerleader of the Toros)

Jan’s personality can stem from the stereotypical male character. The text states, “Males are perceived as agentic, with the expectation that they are more likely to show assertiveness (e.g., acting in accordance with expectations) and to pursue risky opportunities (e.g., lying or challenging, when the outcome might be costly),” (Schniter and Shields, 2020, p. 299) There is a scene from one of the football games where he has a cheerleader hoisted in the air and proceeds to touch her inappropriately. He is constantly being called out for his promiscuous behavior and the way he treats the other girls.

(Les, male cheerleader from the Toros)

Whereas Les is the nicer of the two. His demeanor is not as “macho” but does not fall into the category of femineity. A gay character that does not fall under the stereotype the media portrays of gay people. The sassy personality is assigned to two of the Clover cheerleaders. 

(Left to right: Jenelope, Isis and Lava)

Black women in the 2000s and occasionally now tend to play that role. Jenelope and Lava are introduced to the viewers as saucy and loud. The first encounter between the Toros and the Clovers, Jenelope is wanting to fight Missy and Torrance. Lava throws in a snarky comment but does not resort to violence. Isis, captain of the Clovers, exudes a class act character. This can be detected as uncommon because usually the darker skinned character is characterized as sassy, and the light skin character is classy. A surprising turn of events but the stereotype is still present. The audience should be able to survey a film with correct representation to develop a positive reaction. (Hack 2008) A fight breaking out would fuel the negative stereotype of the typical “angry black woman”. Isis communicates calmly that her team is better than fighting the two girls and will handle things at nationals.

Communication throughout the film can vary from good to bad. The listening and hearing lesson is prominent throughout the film. In the beginning, the part of the team does not listen to Torrance or take her seriously. After the cheer incident, they find out their choreographer has been scamming other teams and gave them all the same routine was a turning point. Whitney and Courtney are trying to take her spot as co-captains after considering Torrance as unfit. Torrance’s speech to her teammates about working hard and creating a new routine for nationals leads to them finally listening to her. The entire group wants to prove themselves and defend their national title with an original performance. Stressful situations may cause anxiety in others but can result in calmness. (Kuper 2022) The team had experienced a tough experience in the beginning with tensions running high but now they have gained composure and self-willingness. 

Isis and Torrance have a small chat before the event. Both captains give each other a heads up for their team and listen to the other’s advice.

Although the Toros lost to the Clovers, Torrance feels good about being the one that lead the team throughout all the shenanigans. 

Bring It On is a compulsive film that shows various elements of interpersonal communication. The gender-personality differences and how they played out throughout the film. First impressions can figure out how the other person perceives you. Physical features play a crucial role in this. The masculine/dominant stereotype being displayed in a female cheerleader which is typically only subjected to a male jock. Stereotypes were still present about the sassy black female character. The film is not perfect but it shows the progression of communication throughout the squad that various personalities and genders can come together as a team.