Cheerleading Turns into a Culture Skirmish on the NFL Side-lines

27 August 2025

Minnesota Vikings cheerleader Blaize Shiek has mocked online outrage against him and fellow male cheerleader Louie Conn (Getty)

When the Minnesota Vikings welcomed Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn to their cheerleading squad earlier this season, the move struck a powerful chord in America’s unfolding culture war. Despite male cheerleaders having roots in collegiate and professional football dating back to the first NFL male participants and even appearing in squads for decades their inclusion ignited a fervent backlash. Conservative critics, including former players and influential media figures, lambasted the decision as symbolic of a so-called "sissification of America," using it as a stand-in for broader societal anxieties over masculinity and shifting norms.

The controversy came to a head when a TikTok video of the male cheerleaders dancing with their female teammates in a bathroom went viral. Set to Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts,” it received over 3.4 million views and reopened old wounds. Critics pointed to the setting arguing it crossed privacy boundaries and deepened discomfort. On the other side, celebrities like Lizzo and player peers rallied in support, emphasizing inclusion and artistic expression.

However, defenders of the squad, both within and beyond the Vikings organization, stressed that male cheerleaders are not unprecedented. Today, roughly one-third of NFL teams feature male dancers, a trend rooted in evolving athletic standards rather than flashpoints of controversy. Alumni and current cheerleaders from teams like the Philadelphia Eagles voiced support—reminding critics that all performers undergo the same auditions and showcasing that the issue is about performance, not performance of gender.

Expert observers say the backlash reflects a cultural inflection pointa moment when dance, once seen as beyond the political, becomes a battleground for power and identity. Former NFL player R.K. Russell framed it correctly: this isn’t just about sideline choreography it’s about who gets to express what masculinity looks like in public spaces. The debate, he argues, reveals deeper discomfort with men occupying spaces traditionally coded feminine.

Ironically, the uproar coincides with celebrations of male slick choreography in sorority recruitment videos. To some conservative commentators, both were taken as signs of moral decline even though both were fundamentally expressions of joy, not transgression.

In an era where culture wars often co-opt everyday acts what should be harmless dance routines instead becomes fuel for ideological battles this controversy illustrates how the stakes have been raised. Cheerleading, once couriered off casually, now carries loaded symbolism about inclusion, gender norms, and authenticity. And at its heart, it’s not performance itself that’s contested it’s who is permitted to perform.