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Voyeurism vs. Moralism: How Cheerleaders Toe the Line

Cheer squads are expected to project a flirtatious image. But what happens when they try to capitalize on it?

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In the late 1970s, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders were riding high, with a bestselling poster that had turned them into the country’s hottest pinups. But while pop culture treated the cheerleaders as emblems of erotic availability, they were actually subject to harsh rules and low wages. Rebellion was brewing—and in spring 1978, several former cheerleaders joined forces to create a rogue outfit called the Texas Cowgirls.

The brainchild of an enterprising single mom named Tina Jimenez, the Texas Cowgirls were a beauty and talent agency that made appearances where the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders wouldn’t. And that fall, they got an offer that proved life-changing for many of them: Posing topless for Playboy.

The December 1978 Playboy was a special issue called “NFL Bares All.” It capitalized on the sexy sideline dancing trend launched by the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, featuring cheerleaders from several teams. But the main photo was five Texas Cowgirls, posing in a shot that highly resembled that 1977 cheerleaders pinup, except for one detail. Their halter tops were wide open.

The issue rocked the NFL. Several cheerleaders were fired, and the Seattle Sea Gals were folded entirely. Meanwhile, the issue became one of the top-selling Playboys in history. The Texas Cowgirls photo was such a sensation the photographer decided to make it a poster—and got hit with a lawsuit from the Cowboys. It was right around the time a shoestring porno called Debbie Does Dallas debuted in Times Square. It could have dropped into obscurity, except the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders decided to sue over that, too.

The fantasy the Cowboys had introduced into the American home was proving hard to manage. But Episode 3 of our podcast also focuses on the profound effect on the women at the center of the Playboy scandal. Nobody minded when the cheerleaders were sexualized. But sexual? That was a problem. —Sarah Hepola

Image by Ronald Martinez / Staff / Getty Images

Porn Yesterday

Christopher Kelly
Texas Monthly

Sarah Hepola: “One of the closest readings you’ll get on the 1978 porn phenomenon. After ads falsely claimed star Bambi Woods was a former cheerleader, and the famous uniform showed up in the titular moment when Debbie finally does someone, the Cowboys took them to court. The result was the deliciously named ‘Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders versus Pussycat Cinema.’ The movie helped usher in the ‘golden age of porn’ and led the Cowboys to double-down on their wholesome all-American image.”

The Curse of Debbie Does Dallas

The Sydney Morning Herald

SH: “The BBC documentary, ‘The Curse of Debbie Does Dallas,’ (a.k.a. ‘Debbie Does Dallas Uncovered’) was never released in the U.S., but it’s available on DVD. Director Francis Hanly dives into the dark history of the infamous porn flick and how it shaped the lives of the people involved, including star Bambi Woods, who mysteriously disappeared from public life. About the Cowboys lawsuit, the porn film’s director Jim Clark says, ‘The basic idea in those days was to get someone to sue you.’”

Something Else to Cheer About in Dallas

Bill Curry
The Washington Post

SH: “This 1979 story recounts the controversy following a Playboy shoot where five former Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders showed the goods. Part of an ‘NFL Bares All’ special issue featuring cheerleaders from several teams (many of whom were canned), the shot of the ex-Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders became a poster that prompted the Dallas Cowboys to take legal action. The women in the shot were part of the rogue outfit, Texas Cowgirls, who formed their own talent agency to compete with America’s Sweethearts.”

“Sidelined” Trailer [WATCH]

Public Record
Facebook

SH: “Here, a great 41-minute documentary on the fallout from the 1978 Playboy shoot, focusing on the San Diego Chargettes, whose cheerleaders posed for the magazine with the blessing of their squad director. But after the issue rocked the NFL, the squad was folded entirely. Former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Debbie Kepley, whose story is the backbone to our podcast episode, is interviewed.”

Sarah Hepola

Sarah Hepola is the author of the bestselling memoir Blackout. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Bloomberg Businessweek, Salon, Elle, Glamour, and Texas Monthly, where she is a writer-at-large. She lives in Dallas, Texas.