Hidden America: From Coal Miners to Cowboys, an Extraordinary Exploration of the Unseen People Who Make This Country Work

In this section, Laskas explores a profession that does not keep America running, but one that is uniquely American: the world of the NFL cheerleader, specifically the Cincinnati Ben-Gals.

The reader first meets Adrienne, sick with nerves after being named cheerleader of the week. Adrienne is nervous because this is not the first time she has been named cheerleader of the week. Previously, she overslept and was late to practice, which, because of the strict rules governing the cheerleaders’ behavior, not only disqualified her from cheerleader of the week, but also from cheering in that week’s game.

Indeed, the rules the cheerleaders are subject to are severe. For example, they are only allowed to be up to fifteen minutes late twice in one season. Being more than fifteen-minutes late “is a miss,” meaning not being able to cheer that week. Missing more than four practices, held twice a week, “at which a Ben-Gal must be in full uniform, full makeup, a state of readiness that can take two hours to achieve” (83), leads to being thrown off the squad altogether.

Furthermore, cheerleaders must meet specific weight requirements, and if they are “more than three pounds over the target poundage,” they will have to attend “the after-practice ‘fat camp,’ doing crunches and running laps for a half hour” (83).