How hard is it to be a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader? Netflix series offers ‘intimate look’
A documentary series following the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders throughout the previous football season is premiering on Netflix this summer.
Netflix announced Wednesday that “America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders” will premiere on the streaming platform on June 20. The series consists of seven episodes, all of which will drop on Netflix on the same date.
“America’s Sweethearts” follows the Cowboys cheerleading squad throughout the 2023-2024 season, from training camp to the team’s loss in the playoffs. The series is said to offer “an intimate look at the personal lives” of squad members, both on and off the field.
“America’s Sweethearts” comes from director Greg Whiteley, who helmed previous Netflix documentaries — “Cheer” and “Last Chance U”.
Whiteley’s interest in the subject comes from the almost superhuman task of always portraying joy and happiness in front of millions of adoring fans.
“Your job is to show up and entertain fans, and that doesn’t leave much room for your own personal emotions,” Whiteley said in a press release. “You’ve got to put on some makeup and this uniform and become Wonder Woman for a couple of hours.”
By following the cheerleaders on and off the field, the series aims to give context to how rigorous of a process this profession is.
Each year Cowboys cheerleaders must re-audition, even if they made the squad the previous year. Only 36 cheerleaders make the squad each year.
“The women are impressive when you see them all in a kick line — they’re in a row and they’re beautiful, athletic, and strong. They seem impenetrable,” Whiteley said. “I think that is made even more impressive when you realize that there’s a living, breathing human being underneath that facade.”
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders were founded in 1961.
Since the Cowboys have the nickname of “America’s Team,” the cheerleaders ended up with a similar moniker — “America’s Sweethearts”.
“America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders” premieres on Netflix on June 20.
