All-Star Dangers Of Cheerlebrity

[12stepCheermom]

She's posting it because it's a bow designed to "go around competitions to hunt down your favorite cheerlebrities and have them sign your autographing bow"
Since this thread is about the dangers of being a "cheerlebrity" and this is something that encourages it... which we've discussed.... it's not about Holden holding it (hehe), it's about what the bow was designed for. This is encouraging kids to "hunt" cheerlebrities down.

Here's where I guess I missed the cheerlebrity train. We bought a bow like that at CHEERSPORT last year because my CP wanted to get her team to sign it. Never even crossed my mind (or hers) to get cheerlebritys to sign one.

 

[ufomom]

My head hurts from reading all this.

Stealing gym logos on bows without permission = bad (Dishonest)
Bows marketed to "hunt" down athletes = bad (From my perspective)

Does the "hunt" issue make this bow sales person a "bad" person. No, it was just probably hastily constructed marketing tweet that probably could have been written better. Cute bow. Wishes the owner's name and family had not been dragged onto the Fierceboards. Nice people.

Next comment has nothing to do with the autograph bow. Just making that clear. I have more of a problem with the logo stealers. Worse is when it's a mom. Hey kids, mom's a crook!

 

[mstealtoyou]

I believe "hunt down" was probably a poor word choice on her part. I hate they got dragged here because they are a nice family! She makes a quality product!

 

[njallday]

i dislike the cheerlebrity phenomenon, but i hope the kids endorsing bows are getting a percentage of sales or something. i have no interest in buying a Holden bow (sorry for choosing him as an example, but he's already pictured here) but i'm sure there are plenty of kids in the industry who would do anything for that very bow he's touching. so i'm guessing the bow companies are getting increased income and i'm hoping some of that is being returned to the kid. it's only fair. and since cheer isn't an NCAA sport, taking an endorsement really doesn't matter all that much.

ultimately, i wish these things weren't being encouraged at all, but it seems that won't be happening anytime soon.

and i no longer know where i'm going with this :p

 

[CoachTamara]

I think my perspective is changing on this whole thing. Is that bad?
I agree with what CSP said-you can't relate to an entire team. You can relate to that amazing flyer, or ridiculous tumbler and you can aspire to be them. Do I think it's out of hand? Yeah, no kid should be getting "mobbed" at competition. Teach your fanatical kids respect, and make a rule of no pictures or anything while in uniform. All it would take is a few posts by all the big twitters and the kids would get the point. Seems like that would be the best option to me.
Also, I want to point out that this is not like a celebrity. They go to school and go to the gym and are just another kid. They go to a competition and suddenly they are hot stuff 6, maybe 8 times a year. That's just not a lot to me, and I don't think any big cheerlebrity is making a valid effort to NOT be known. As long as they have a twitter/instagram/facebook that adds fans, then I can't feel as bad. I would understand if they are private and only add real life friends, but asking fans to follow you or post pics they took with you isn't trying too hard to remain out of the spotlight.

Everyone is benefiting from this. Don't get it twisted. The kids may not financially benefit from it, but they are the "col popular" kids and if they didn't like it they wouldn't put themselves out there. They are getting free stuff from fans, and things sent to them so they can promote it. Gyms are getting more sales at the pro shop, or views on youtube. It's a win win.

Social media is the norm now, and I think you either have to get on board and handle it or you are being left behind.

The more I think about it the more I'm like "eh, do what you gotta do." I can't hate.

 

[LoveOnTop]

I don't see anything wrong with an autograph bow. I actually think it's pretty neat. *ducks*
Little girls will be little girls. They don't know the difference between a "cheerlebrity" and "celebrity." They will go crazy when they see their cheer idols at a competition, and they will want a picture. If people want it to stop, then I think gym owners should enforce parents to keep an eye on their kids at competitions, and to not chase after other cheerleadesrs Would it be possible to form some sort of line for pictures, maybe for 30 minutes or so? Would that be so bad for the "cheerlebrity?"

 

[WorkToWin]

I don't see anything wrong with an autograph bow. I actually think it's pretty neat. *ducks*
Little girls will be little girls. They don't know the difference between a "cheerlebrity" and "celebrity." They will go crazy when they see their cheer idols at a competition, and they will want a picture. If people want it to stop, then I think gym owners should enforce parents to keep an eye on their kids at competitions, and to not chase after other cheerleadesrs Would it be possible to form some sort of line for pictures, maybe for 30 minutes or so? Would that be so bad for the "cheerlebrity?"

Half the girls I see aren't even "little". Half are 15/16/17/18 and then the occasional adult.

 

[12stepCheermom]

I think my perspective is changing on this whole thing. Is that bad?
I agree with what CSP said-you can't relate to an entire team. You can relate to that amazing flyer, or ridiculous tumbler and you can aspire to be them. Do I think it's out of hand? Yeah, no kid should be getting "mobbed" at competition. Teach your fanatical kids respect, and make a rule of no pictures or anything while in uniform. All it would take is a few posts by all the big twitters and the kids would get the point. Seems like that would be the best option to me.
Also, I want to point out that this is not like a celebrity. They go to school and go to the gym and are just another kid. They go to a competition and suddenly they are hot stuff 6, maybe 8 times a year. That's just not a lot to me, and I don't think any big cheerlebrity is making a valid effort to NOT be known. As long as they have a twitter/instagram/facebook that adds fans, then I can't feel as bad. I would understand if they are private and only add real life friends, but asking fans to follow you or post pics they took with you isn't trying too hard to remain out of the spotlight.

Everyone is benefiting from this. Don't get it twisted. The kids may not financially benefit from it, but they are the "col popular" kids and if they didn't like it they wouldn't put themselves out there. They are getting free stuff from fans, and things sent to them so they can promote it. Gyms are getting more sales at the pro shop, or views on youtube. It's a win win.

Social media is the norm now, and I think you either have to get on board and handle it or you are being left behind.

The more I think about it the more I'm like "eh, do what you gotta do." I can't hate.

I can't focus on your post now that I have twisters music in my head :D

 

[Mom2K]

Half the girls I see aren't even "little". Half are 15/16/17/18 and then the occasional adult.

I've witnessed more little girls, frequently being pushed along by their mothers. Not too tough to figure out how the littles found out who the cheerlebrity was in the first place...and where at least part of the problem lies.

 

[xtremeteal4life]

I've witnessed more little girls, frequently being pushed along by their mothers. Not too tough to figure out how the littles found out who the cheerlebrity was in the first place...and where at least part of the problem lies.

Totally agree. That's definitely a problem. Kids I understand.... Like I've said before, this is just like every other sport. People look up to and make their own idols out of the sport for whatever reason and sometimes it's not even talent based. Does that suck? Sure. But it happens in every other team sport. But when parents use their kids (I've seen it happen in house too), I've usually seen it as an effort to get their kid noticed.

Now if a parent is just really trying to help their child bc their child is too nervous or star struck, etc. I understand a bit better (even though I've already explained how I was raised to not approach/ask for autographs, etc. the musicians who came/come to my dad's stations), but not if it's truly the parents who want it (or as you implied they being the reason their child knows about a particular cheerleader in the first place), that's a problem.

 

[kristenthegreat]

I don't see anything wrong with an autograph bow. I actually think it's pretty neat. *ducks*
Little girls will be little girls. They don't know the difference between a "cheerlebrity" and "celebrity." They will go crazy when they see their cheer idols at a competition, and they will want a picture. If people want it to stop, then I think gym owners should enforce parents to keep an eye on their kids at competitions, and to not chase after other cheerleadesrs Would it be possible to form some sort of line for pictures, maybe for 30 minutes or so? Would that be so bad for the "cheerlebrity?"

Then comes in the whole debate about athletes/gyms being 'full of themselves,' gyms 'promoting the individual and not the team,' etc. There is no one right, all-encompassing answer. Some of the recent competition guidelines posted about when to/when not to approach an athlete appears to be beneficial, but I'd have to ask the major players how it's been working for their athletes recently..

 

[5-6-7-8]

I've witnessed more little girls, frequently being pushed along by their mothers. Not too tough to figure out how the littles found out who the cheerlebrity was in the first place...and where at least part of the problem lies.

Exactly the problem. My CP had no clue who any of the cheerlebrities are since she isn't on any social media sites. Cracks me up when I see a parent posting how her 6 year old got to meet her "cheer idol." Umm, is it the moms cheer idol?!?

 

[newcheerdad]

Exactly the problem. My CP had no clue who any of the cheerlebrities are since she isn't on any social media sites. Cracks me up when I see a parent posting how her 6 year old got to meet her "cheer idol." Umm, is it the moms cheer idol?!?

It wasn't until my daughter got on Instagram this year that she started to really understand the cheer universe beyond our neck of the woods. Even then, she only has a cursory knowledge of the major programs and the concept of "cheerlebrities".

So yeah, I can accept the premise that a 6-year-old's "cheer idol" may have be someone that a parent or sibling either admires or wants the kid to admire.

 

[dustinfromdiamonds]

BLAME IT ALL ON INSTAGRAM.

 

[WorkToWin]

BLAME IT ALL ON INSTAGRAM.

while I think instagram (along with other social networks) helped... is a murder the killer's fault or the gun's fault?