Composite image of Louie Conn, Ben Shapiro and Blaize Shiek.
Ben Shapiro has spoken about the so-called “controversy” surrounding the male cheerleaders on the Minnesota Vikings. (Getty Images)
Right-wing commentator Ben Shapiro has wrongly claimed that NFL male cheerleaders perform “female moves” during a rant, asking, “Who’s the audience for this?”
If you’ve been hiding under a rock, cheerleaders and athletes in their own right, Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn were selected for the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders 2025 roster back in May.
The far-right has only caught wind of the news now and has pushed back against the inclusion of the two male team members, as they believe they don’t fit the status quo of what a cheerleader should look like.
American conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, who was once so mad about Greta Gerwig’s Barbie that he set fire to actual Barbie dolls, is the latest to (unfortunately) weigh in on the conversation surrounding the male Vikings cheerleaders.
While Shapiro noted on his Wednesday (20 August) episode of The Ben Shapiro Show that the inclusion of male cheerleaders in the NFL was first seen back in 2018, he drew on the “controversy” surrounding Shiek and Conn’s debut in the Minnesota Vikings cheerleading squad.
“Some video has emerged of one Minnesota Vikings Cheerleader, who is a flamingly gay man and doing a Dylan Mulvaney impression,” Shapiro began. Neither Shiek nor Conn have publicly discussed their sexuality, nor are they trying to impersonate the trans content creator.
In the world of fact, it’s worth mentioning that the inclusion of the pair is not a “controversial” one.
Requirements to audition for the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders include prior dance training and experience, being age 18 at the time of the first team meeting, and having full availability during the contracted period. No gender identity requirements are mentioned on the website.
Shapiro continued, “I’m just wondering, ‘why?’ Like, why is he doing the female moves?”
Again, in the world of fact, there is no such thing as “female” dance moves in cheerleading; it’s just cheerleading. Other sports, Broadway and West End shows, and movie musicals, will often see male and female cast members performing the same choreography.
“Who is the audience for this?” he asked. How about the panel of judges at the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders organisation, who were on the lookout for candidates with “athleticism, dance technique, showmanship, and ability to work in a team setting”?
Even NFL fans and former players are rallying behind the pair, including two-time Super Bowl champion Torrey Smith. The star stood up for inclusion in cheerleading surrounding the Vikings Cheerleaders’ discourse, telling his followers, “If he wants to cheer, let him cheer.”
The Vikings also pointed out to NBC News that not one season ticket holder has cancelled their tickets so far in the wake of the backlash.
As Conn himself wrote on Instagram: “I’m right where I was meant to be.”
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