Film Representation- Bring It On Cheerleaders

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGwQTIV9b_4

In this video, the cheerleader stereotype is being exaggerated. The teenage girls cheerleading in this video speak of themselves as if they are every guys dream girl when it comes to looks.

"I'm sexy, I'm cute,I'm popular to boot.
I'm bitchin', great hair,the boys all love to stare.
I'm wanted, I'm hot,I'm everything your not.
I'm pretty, I'm cool,I dominate this school!
Who am I? Just guess,Guys wanna touch my chest..."

The lyrics that are associated with the girls we are shown tell us that they are the definitions of these words 'sexy' and 'hot' and 'cute'... and it even informs us these are the qualities you need to posses to be 'wanted' and what 'the boys all love to stare' at. Because this movie is largely aimed at teenage girls, the female audience watching will be viewing these messages and may begin to apply them to their own reality. At the same time, teenage males will see these messages as insight into what they should be pleased by and what they should desire in a girl.
Being a teenage girl my self, I know comparison to what we see and hear about other girls is a constant factor of how we perceive our selves.

"I'm not as tanned as the girl who is known as 'hot' in this movie... maybe that means I won't ever be wanted?" This is an example of a background thought that would run through our minds when we see movies that portray teenage girls in such a stereotypical light. Teen girls are constantly told be the media to be perky and hot and girly to be considered attractive, and  the media also tells us that being attractive is what makes you successful. So in order to succeed and be happy and accepted, we must buy beauty products and fashionable clothes etc until we ARE that way. Even after changing your appearance though, we find that there is no way to completely reach this goal. This only sets teenage girls up for more disappointment, more need for information on how to to be attractive etc, and creates more opportunities for the media to feed them whatever they want.