Cheer Netflix

[SourTimes113]

Have you seen Cheer season 1&2 and what do you think about it? I think it’s child abuse.

I am almost finished season 2. I quite enjoyed s1 but finding 2 tough to watch. Monica clearly doesn't give a toss about the kids now that fame has come calling. A few others seem to have changed too. Almost the whole team either are parentless or have pushy parents who come across as nuts. I think its abuse too. One of them is dropped and injured but no one seems bothered except to get the replacement in. I think its weird Monica wants to be so close to so many young people and then there was the jerry episode which was tough to watch. I found it strange that the 2 boys and their mum were on the show. The whole thing is uncomfortable viewing. I don't think I'm going to watch it any further.

I watched season 1 and enjoyed. Just starting S2 so interesting to hear its changed so dramatically!

Can you elaborate on the child abuse? Was planning on watching this evening but not if I'm endorsing abuse if children!

@Arnia one of the male cheerleaders and a main person in s1 is found to have

Sorry posted too soon

One of the cheerleaders is in prison. I won't go into detail. This is the full story www.chicagotribune.com/news/criminal-justice/ct-jerry-harris-cheer-child-pornography-charges-chicago-20200917-dddpvpsk7ra2hb72c67b47j6uq-story.html

Having watched it, I wish I hadn't. I kept going to find out what happened with the championship and a few other cheerleaders but I felt it surrounded the court case and took away from everything great in s1

I have just finished watching Afterlife season 3 and I’m currently on Stay Close but even though I’ve seen Cheer is new on Netflix’s it didn’t appeal to me.
So is it Good ?

Cheer season 2 is much darker and much more real. Everything seems to come crashing down due to fame, covid and terrible crimes of abuse discovered

So is Cheer worth watching?

It's like "Last Chance U" if anyone has seen that show, but about Cheer. Monica (the coach) is absolutely AWFUL! She doesn't give a crap about the kids or their futures except how it benefits her. Very different to the coaches in "Last Chance U". There are a few threads about this show on TellyAddicts and on AIBU.

I loved the other college that is shown on Season 2 (TVCC) but Navarro has become an utter back-stabbing mess and season 2 has a whole (VERY explicit) episode dedicated to Jerry's child abuse crimes. The two main child victims are actually interviewed on camera together with their mother. Very disturbing.

But the Daytona episodes were great.

@avamiah

So is Cheer worth watching?

I watch s1 again. I'd say no don't watch s2

So is that a No? Lol

I thought the other college (TVCC) was a breath of fresh air on season 2. I couldn't watch season 1 again knowing what Jerry has been doing, as he's one of the main characters on season 1.

Watch s1 - it's fun and full of energy
Don't watch s2

It's worth watching as the kids' skills are insane and their backstories very tragic, but that's if you enjoy shows like "Last Chance U".

Anyway sorry to go off thread for a second but talking about Netflix then I would recommend watching “YOU”. I watched the 3 series when we were on lock down( UK) and I have to say it was brilliant.

Loved Seasons 1 and 3 of "You". Didn't like Season 2 that much, but particularly Season 1 is brilliant

I think they are all over 18, so I'm not sure how it is child abuse.

One of the cheerleaders aged 19 abused 13 year old children and is currently awaiting trial.

I think both seasons of cheer are worth watching but I was definitely rooting for the rival college to win daytona this time.

They’re all over 18. It’s not child abuse (although as someone has mentioned one of the people involved does get accused / charged with child abuse, there’s a whole episode on it). They’re vulnerable adults to some extent - a lot come from difficult backgrounds - but then it’s no different than finding any other sport to channel themselves into. Some would say that’s a good thing.

I am enjoying watching the series. It’s a world I knew nothing about. They’re very talented athletes. The only thing that worries me is the injuries- it’s so dangerous. But then so is horse riding, gymnastics, lots of other sports etc.

S2 is worth watching for TVCC alone, the squad and coaches are so different Navarro and IMO S3 should be about them:

@JourneyToThePlacentaOfTheEarth

Cheer season 2 is much darker and much more real. Everything seems to come crashing down due to fame, covid and terrible crimes of abuse discovered

This is a good description imo.

Those who are saying its not child abuse because kids are 18+ you are right but it feels like they are a lot younger because of their tragic upbringings. They are unbelievably talented athletes. I wonder why they put themselves through so much for what seems to be a very short career.

Does anyone no what do cheerleaders do after 23/24? Can they make much money in this time?

I think the most talented and popular ones either go into modelling / fitness coaching and training. I’ve seen that Gabi Bulter is basically a mega star now with millions of followers online and lots of work rolling in. But I guess it’s like any other fame bubble / sport type thing where there’s definitely a shelf life as such. I suppose they have to enjoy it while it lasts and squirrel away as much of the money as they can.

The thing that makes me uncomfortable watching it is that a lot of them do seem vulnerable and I think Monica uses that to her advantage, maybe not knowingly but she does. They get a lot of what they are missing from being in the team but then it’s over so quickly. I do wonder what happens to a lot of them when they don’t have that structure and support that the desperately need.

@Dasher789 I would say that the types of cheerleaders shown in the series (college and allstar, not NFL cheerleaders which are really professional dancers) have only really been able to make money from their involvement in the sport (other than by coaching) very recently with the rise of social media, endorsement deals/ modelling and obviously involvement in shows like Cheer.

Gabi Butler is probably the first “famous” allstar cheerleader, she’s been very popular on social media from a young age and has made money through this over the years with a swimwear line, training wear, appearances at cheer events like training camps, she even had her own cheerleading team at one point. Others are now getting the same levels of exposure so able to follow in her footsteps.

The sport itself is very expensive to be involved in as a child in the US. At a world championship level it’s super competitive so teams do what they can to attract the talent they want - I’ve never heard of an allstar team paying someone a wage to be on their team but they definitely offer “sponsored” places so people like Gabi, Maddy Brum etc I doubt will pay the same training fees, uniform costs etc as everyone else. Teams even bring people from across the country and overseas to compete with them - Gabi is from Florida but lived in California with a host family for a couple of years around the age of 15 to compete for a particular club who at that time had a hugely popular YouTube series.

Like with other sports, US colleges offer scholarships to cheerleaders which will be worth tens of thousands of dollars in some cases. Aside from this the way to make money (though how much would vary massively) would be through coaching and judging, which many go onto after college like Ladarius. Others do leave the sport entirely after college, a few years ago there was another reasonably famous flyer - Maddie Gardner - who cheered through college and is now a journalist.

The people making real money from the sport are the likes of the owners of the big allstar gyms and competition organisers featured in Cheer (Brad Habermel, Billy Ray Smith)

@festivecheer26 thanks, that’s really interesting.