Cheerleaders in IPL Matches

Imported /indigenous girls are deployed as cheerleaders to expose their bodies as they perform jigs whenever a four or six is scored or a wicket falls. Apart from providing employment to good looking girls willing to bare to permissible extent, this is supposed to improve gate collections. There must be scouts, agents, placement experts making money out of this.

Cheerleaders may be a common institution in US right from school level and may not be for monetary consideration alone. But for us Indians, it is novel though two soft drink makers used them some years ago on open trucks to promote their obnoxious brews.

Tamil Nadu has asked them to wear dresses which cover most of their bodies but allowed these spectacles. Today BJP threatens to disrupt the match at Hyderabad if skimpily clad girls are allowed to romp around. Spoil sports!

IPL officials assert that cheerleaders are here to stay and throw in contractual obligations to good measure.

Sometime back when sportswomen demanded equal treatment, equal prize money and better remuneration with their male counterparts, the mandarins of sports lamented poor sponsorship and gate collections at women's sports events and suggested shorter skirts! Game does not matter. Indian Hockeywomen have performed better than men. Does not matter.

As far as man is concerned, he is more than happy. If he is a 'decent' chap (i.e constrained by fear of consequences) , he will only eye, ogle, gawk or give a once over. If he is bold (fresh and forward willing to take limited risks) he may touch, brush or paw. If he is reckless, God save the girl, provided she desires to be saved. Whether sixteen or sixty man is a genetically programmed animal to have his adernel pumped up at the sight of a skirt. Any encouragemnt is welcome.

Taxi Drivers in Rajasthan, Policemen in Mumbai and 'male company' in Goa routinely rape women and get away with it with murder thrown in if needed. If Bal Thakrey blames the dress code, Brinda Karat and the women's lib army are up in arms. When in the sixties women burnt their bras to assert their independence, men were more than obliged and grateful. Who won?

This is an eternal riddle. Women will exhibit and men will gawk. But a third party wants to cash this. That is the pity.


...ponder