Image Credit: ‘Bring It On,’ Universal Pictures
While certain conservatives are still flipping out over the fact that the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings have two fabulous male cheerleaders rooting on the team, we’d like to remind everyone, once again, that having dudes on the squad is nothing new!
Actually, there’s a whole history of male cheerleaders, a long lineage that includes—among others—Ronald Reagan, the right’s favorite president!
But, for today’s purposes, we’d like to refer back to a historical artifact known as Bring It On, the highly quotable comedy from director Peyton Reed about competitive cheer squads, which celebrates its 25th anniversary today, August 25.
First of all, we can’t even mention the movie without compulsively reciting the opening Rancho Carne Toros cheer from memory, so please join us, won’t you?
I’m sexy, I’m cute, I’m popular to boot / I’m b*tchin’, great hair, The boys all love to stare / I’m wanted, I’m hot, I’m everything you’er not / I’m pretty, I’m cool I dominate the school Who am I? Just guess! Guys wanna touch my—okay, okay. You get it; we all could do that in our sleep!
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As you’ll remember, the film focuses on the rivalry between the Rancho Carne Toros led by Torrance Shipman (the forever iconic Kirsten Dunst) and the other squad they’ve unknowingly been appropriating, the East Compton Clovers, led by Isis (the luminous Gabrielle Union).
Among both cheer teams are a number of men, most notably the Toros’ Les, played by actor Huntley Ritter, who jokes his sexuality is “controversial” and doesn’t seem to have any issue with being openly gay.
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Now, keep in mind, this thing came out in 2000, so it’s not exactly a sparkling emblem of queer representation by today’s standards.
Both Les’s friends and the homophobic football players use “f*g” quite liberally. But even in the latter case, when the word’s meant as an insult to both Les and straight teammate Jan (Nathan West), it doesn’t bother Les. In fact, he has no problem standing up to his bullies, reminding them that the cheer squad’s collecting way more trophies than the football team.
Just seeing Les carry himself confidently through campus and on the field definitely felt like a win by the early millennium’s standards!
Image Credit: ‘Bring It On,’ Universal Pictures
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Don’t get it wrong: The story of Bring It On very much belongs to the ladies, who get all the biggest laughs and get to pull off the biggest stunts—Les doesn’t have much of a character “arc” to speak of, but he’s frequently shown to be a valued friend and a respected, vital member of the team.
And, later in the movie, once the Toros have made it to nationals in Florida, Les comes across a handsome cheerleader from another squad named Tim (Riley Smith). They share a few compliments and some nervous smiles, and promise to see each other around before going their separate ways.
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Fleeting as the moment may be, it’s pretty wonderful. You could definitely read it as a meet-cute, that these two are romantically interested in and attracted to one another, or maybe they’re just happy to bump into someone and find an immediate sense of community.
Not to mention, for as joke-heavy as the movie is, it’s remarkable they didn’t go for easy gags here, or even have these two make thirsty comments about one another’s “form”—it’s just a sweet moment of connection played at face value.
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With that in mind, it’s no surprise that seeing the movie for the first time back in 2000 was a formative viewing experience for so many gays of a certain age. LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream media was few and far between, and the instances where we did see ourselves were often big, declarative spectacles, like Dawson’s Creek‘s history-making gay kiss that aired on TV just a few months prior.
As written by Jessica Bendinger, Bring It On was pretty ahead of its time, and not just because it called attention to issues around white privilege. She’s shared that much of the language of the movie was inspired by “drag queens and gay culture,” which perhaps help explain why the world of the movie feels so casually inclusive, and has been a favorite of queer audiences for years.
Well, all of that, and it’s still incredible funny. We all remember where we were when we first learned what real “spirit fingers” look like!
Anyway, Bring It On was able to show audiences that gay male cheerleaders like Les could be part of the squad with little fuss—and that was 25 years ago!
As for all the losers out there who seem to have a problem with the guys cheering for the Vikings? To paraphrase Bring It On: You’re being cheer-tators and a pain in our *ss!
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By the way, if this piece has you eager for a Bring It On re-watch, good news!: it’s currently streaming via Fubo TV, Peacock, and Tubi, and is available for digital rental or purchase via Amazon Prime Video & AppleTV.
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