Professional sports cheerleaders are very much in the news these days as former Raiders cheerleaders and other professional sports team cheerleaders are suing their former employers for restrictive, and sometimes ludicrous, demands.
This American Life decided to delve into the life of a professional team cheerleader and find out just how much control the teams have over the lives of cheerleaders and dance teams.
It turns out a lot.
Former Lakers Girl and current This American Life producer Robyn Semien detailed exactly what went in to being a Lakers girl. Some of it is strange — like do not drink out of water bottles in public — and there is a fine line between family friendly and near-erotica that these dance teams have to . . . dance around.
It is an interesting look into a strange, strange world.