- Welcome to Independent Lens .
I'm Pete Schwaba, host of PBS Wisconsin's Director's Cut .
Tonight football and feminism collide in the film,
A Woman's Work: The NFL's Cheerleader Problem .
Imagine achieving your dream and becoming an NFL cheerleader,
only to find that the profession you once thought so glamorous
had you working countless hours for nine months a year.
And not only do you earn nothing,
but you're expected to pay for many of your own expenses.
Such is the case for three former cheerleaders
you're about to meet:
Lacy, an Oakland Raiderette,
Krystal,of the New York Jet's Flight Crew,
and Maria, of the Buffalo Jills,
who spearhead an historic class action lawsuit.
A Woman's Work explores the exploitation by NFL teams
when it comes to cheerleaders,
a group that NFL ownership thinks
should be content with their glitzy, high profile positions.
Raising the stakes for these former cheerleaders
is that they are not only up against NFL billionaire owners,
the court of public opinion is often times adversarial,
as are many in their own profession.
That's right, fellow cheerleaders.
In exposing the treatment of cheerleaders,
Director Yu Gu draws a parallel
between the abuse of women by NFL players
and Commissioner Roger Goodell's
handling or mishandling of these domestic abusers.
Gu uses a combination of re-enactments, interviews,
and graphics to tell the story
as she follows her leading ladies
as they try to put an end
to 50 years of discriminatory policies.
The film's producers say this film showcases
the fight that is a microcosm of the battle women wage
across all industries today.
A Woman's Work: The NFL's Cheerleader Problem starts now
on PBS Wisconsin,
your home for independent film.