the 20th century, cheerleaders were just on the sidelines of sports coverage — but in the ’70s, the exploitation of NFL cheerleaders became big business. The filmmakers behind the short documentary “Sidelined� pin this on the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, who rose to mainstream awareness thanks to a convenient honey shot, and their skintight short shorts. Most other cheer teams, like the San Diego Chargerettes and Chicago Honey Bears, got caught up in the rush. When Playboy magazine capitalized on this trend, and did a spread with cheerleaders, it destroyed at least one squad. “Sidelined� looks at this scandal from a variety of perspectives to explore just how much the “girl next door� can be sexualized before going too far. “Sidelined� shows old footage of TV news reporters in front of disgraced cheerleaders walking out of stadiums. There are photos from newspapers that had an excuse to run racy pics of girls in skimpy uniforms. To be fair to the newsmen of the ’70s, this really was the perfect scandal for salacious headlines. Among the women interviewed for “Sidelined� is a former Chicago Honey Bears cheerleader who posed for Playboy, and was a police officer too — a trifecta of fetishization. Others include a Chargerette who feels that her spread in the magazine was directly responsible for the team being disbanded. The fi lmmakers also provide the perspective of Playboy’s staff and photographers, including archival footage of Hugh Hefner addressing the topic back when the events were unfolding. Framing all of this is a reunion of the scandalized cheerleaders, 40 years afterwards. Through these presentday interviews, the fi lm provides a retrospective on the hypocrisies of the mainstream media in the ’70s. The NFL wanted to simultaneously project an image of the girl next door, but also provide as much sex appeal as they could get away with on network TV. Meanwhile, Playboy wanted as much of the girl next door as they could get, while still being overtly sexual. In one of the 40-year-old interviews with Hefner, he even proposes that what the NFL was doing is essentially the same thing as what Playboy did. It’s an argument that “Sidelined� presents quite compellingly. While the fi lmmakers demonstrate the overt exploitation of ’70s media, it can’t be overlooked that a documentary about sexy cheerleaders is readily marketed in the present as well. “Sidelined� includes plenty of its own honey shots of the cheerleadTheVillager.com
Courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival
“Tiny Shoulders� mines the origins of Barbie, and follows her evolution according to contemporary demands.
ers in their sexy uniforms, along with the occasional nude or topless picture. This creates a mixed message that can’t be entirely dismissed under the guise of thoroughly documenting the scandal. The cheer squad members themselves look back on the incident with the “I was young and needed the moneyâ€? viewpoint. They talk about their joy at being part of a sisterhood, but ended up being haunted by their inclusion in the roster of women who have been in Playboy — something that Playboy’s photographers warned would be an inescapable sisterhood of its own. Even four decades later, this remains true, as evidenced by the very existence of this documentary. Fri., 4/27, 6:30pm (this screening is free w/ticket) at CinĂŠpolis Chelsea (260 W. 23rd St., btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves.; free with reserved ticket), and Sat., 4/28, 6:30pm at CinĂŠpolis Chelsea. For tickets and more info, visit tribecafilm.com/festival. To order by phone, call 646-5025296 ($23, evening/weekend; $12, matinee; service fees apply for web and phone orders).
“TINY SHOULDERS: RETHINKING BARBIE� REVIEW BY CHARLES BATTERSBY The Barbie doll has been a feminist boogeyman (or boogeyperson) for decades. As an inanimate object, she’s an easy target — but there are real people behind the doll. The documentary “Tiny Shoulders� looks at Barbie’s journey from groundbreaking toy, to cultural lightning rod, to her most recent redesign for 21st century sensibilities. Although Barbie is often cited as a poor role model for girls due to her slender build and ample bosom, Barbie’s origin was actually quite progressive for her time. “Tiny Shoulders�
spends the fi rst half of its 91-minute runtime examining Barbie’s creation and the life of her creator, Ruth Handler. There is much talk of Handler’s struggle to convince the conservative toy industry that a market existed for such a product. Back in the ’50s, when most dolls looked like babies and were intended to teach girls how to be nurturing, Barbie’s adult body was considered inappropriate. Not only was she a busty grownup, but also an independent career girl who had uniforms and outfits suitable to her occupations. This part of the documentary is accompanied by footage from Handler’s home movies and personal photographs, with several shots of a guntoting Handler surrounded by her exclusively male peers. “Tiny Shoulders� also gives audiences a look inside Mattel’s “Barbie Vaults� of classic dolls, and vintage advertising footage. The second half follows Mattel’s staff as Barbie’s latest design team begins working on a new look for her. The fi lmmakers document Barbie’s previous re-designs, which happen about once a decade — but this latest revamp was implemented specifically to address current views on female body image. There are interviews with the team, including at least one person who opposes the new direction. Not
to mention frustrated toy designers who point out the complications of making a functional toy that matches the desired aesthetics (Barbie needs a “thigh gap� in order for her legs to move). This gives a well-rounded view of a brand facing a dilemma that has no clear solution. While the fi lmmakers and staff are positive about the social and political message of the new dolls, it is clear that anti-Barbie bullies were compelling Mattel to cater to the very people who hate their brand. One scene shows the PR team preparing for the launch of new the dolls by holding a mock social media storm, complete with simulated snarky tweets, and hostile blogging. The movie conveys the reality that Barbie will receive intense backlash from someone, no matter her designers do. Fans who have always loved Barbie will get to see the people behind the new direction, complete with rare footage, pics, and interviews from the old days. People who never cared for the doll will learn a lot about the good intentions Mattel has had from the beginning. Early on in “Tiny Shoulders,� Ruth Hander mentions that the fi rst Barbie was deliberately designed to be “not too beautiful� precisely so that girls wouldn’t feel she set an unattainable goal. Ironically, this intention was overlooked by generations of detractors, right up to the release of the new dolls. The fi nal scenes of “Tiny Shoulders� show one of Barbie’s critics holding the new “curvy� Barbie and lamenting that she’s still not curvy enough. Thurs., 4/26, 5:30pm at Regal Cinemas Battery Park (102 North End Ave., at Vesey St.). For tickets and more info, visit tribecafilm.com/festival. To order by phone, call 646-5025296 ($23, evening/weekend; $12, matinee; service fees apply for web and phone orders).
Theater for the New City • 155 1st Avenue at E. 10th St. Reservations & Info (212) 254-1109 For more info, please visit www.theaterforthenewcity.net
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April 19, 2018
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