Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader’s viral TikTok video sparks outrage - here’s why

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are back in the headlines after a viral TikTok from DCC member Abby Summers ignited a wave of backlash.

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are back in the headlines after a viral TikTok from DCC member Abby Summers ignited a wave of backlash.
Jennifer Bubel
Sports journalist who grew up in Dallas, TX. Lover of all things sports, she got her degree from Texas Tech University (Wreck ‘em Tech!) in 2011. Joined Diario AS USA in 2021 and now covers mostly American sports (primarily NFL, NBA, and MLB) as well as soccer from around the world.
Update:

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders were back in the spotlight last month with the premiere of the second season of Netflix’s “America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

The series put the cheerleaders’ shockingly low pay under a national microscope, ultimately leading to a 400% pay raise for the upcoming 2025 season. Despite the glitz and fame, the docuseries highlighted systemic issues including financial hardship, long hours, and the expectation to perform professional-caliber entertainment under minimum-wage conditions.

But a recent TikTok from one of the cheerleaders has started yet another wave of backlash against the organization.

PomPoms, pay, and public outrage

A viral TikTok from Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Abby Summers has sparked criticism of the DCC organization after she casually revealed that squad members are responsible for fluffing their own pompoms - a task that can take hours.

The video, viewed over 3 million times, left many viewers stunned that members of one of the NFL’s most iconic cheer squads not only fluff their own gear but also wash their own uniforms and don’t get to keep them upon retirement.

Public reaction to Summers’ video was quick and critical, with many comparing the treatment of cheerleaders to that of NFL players, who, as one viral comment noted, “don’t have to inflate their own footballs.” The cheerleading world’s long-standing issues around compensation and labor expectations are once again front and center, with pompoms now serving as the unlikely symbol of a deeper, ongoing debate.

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