Cheerleading of the ’20s: Epitome of masculinity
CHEERING CHANGES EXEMPLIFY DIFFERENT PRIORITIES, PERCEPTIONS
Fight, fight for Yale.
We’ll raise the slogan of Yale triumphant.
Smash, Bang, we’ll rip old Princeton.
Whoop it up for Yale today!
One of the earliest recorded Yale cheers, this chant printed in the News on Nov. 15, 1912, exemplifies the same confident optimism and catchy lyrics often associated with today’s cheerleading. But in sharp contrast to the often sexualized, feminine role of cheerleaders in today’s society, photographs and the News articles in the 10-year period from 1912 to 1921 reveal that the early Yale Cheerleaders were perceived as respected...
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