Paula Abdul's Rah! Cheerleading Show Airs Today
Saturday January 3, 2009
RAH! Paula Abdul’s Cheerleading Bowl will air on MTV today, January 3, at 12 PM ET/PT and tomorrow, January 4, at 9:30 AM. The special is a 90 minute show that will feature lots of cheerleading and give the audience a behind the scenes view of the sport of cheerleading. Adbul hand picked the five elite college cheerleading squads to show off their talents in this exciting competition. They are the University of Montana, University of Arizona, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, the University of Miami at Ohio and the University of Hawaii. Abdul will act as the coach and host while "Bring It On" choreographer, Hi-Hat, UMass Dartmouth head coach, Scott Bouchard and NJ Nets dancer, Brenna Klinger, judge the event. Abdul is best known as a judge on "American Idol," but she got her start as a Los Angeles Lakers Girl. Check your local TV listings for other air times and leave a comment below after you watch it.
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Comments
the promo is Really cool!
Ok, I am now watching the show and I haven’t gotten through it yet and already i getting mad! I am a cheerleader and have been my entire life, and I feel like the two female judges don’t really know enough about cheerleading to judge a cheerleading show. They keep talking about professional dancing, but they are not competing to be professional dancers they are at a cheerleading competition. Also the first judge refers to their stunts and calls them things like “air flips” as a cheerleading judge she should know a simple term like a back tuck basket toss. Also they were telling Montana that there end pyramid was very difficult and where it is a hard stunt; they told Hawaii that there pyramid wasn’t hard enough and it was actually a very difficult stunt! More so than Montana’s ending stunt! Also Arizona got eliminated because of their dance portion when it wasn’t cheerleading dance it was “professional” dancing and that shouldn’t have been part of the competition! They are a very good team and I don’t think that they had the chance that they should have on the show. This show was a joke to cheerleading competitions, until the end when they actually competed instead of doing challenges that had nothing to do with cheerleading. People don’t take cheerleading very seriously, and the show didn’t help the cause! They made it easy for people to make it into a joke! Also cheerleading and dance are two very different things! Professional cheerleading teams are actually dancers not cheerleaders, but in college cheerleading is not the same at all!! The dance portion should have been to learn a cheer with tight motions and not dancer moves, or make them learn a cheer dance. So if they make a second show they need to get all of their judges to be cheerleading judges and make it more about cheerleading and not about dance!
This was really a disappointment. College cheerleading is a real sport, and this show did not demonstrate that. I thought maybe, finally, there would be a show allowing people to see what incredible athletes college cheerleaders are. Paula has so much enthusiasm for this that I just love it, but unfortunately this made cheerleading look like a joke, even at its highest level – college.
Hawaii was the only really solid college team. A great example of what real college cheerleading is. Atheletic, demanding, dangerous, requiring skill, balance, flexibility, and coordination. They are a competitive squad… where were the other top teams? Kentucky, UCF, Louisville, Tennessee, etc. That would have made this legit. But the selection of teams was not the only thing that showed that Paula does not have expertise in this area, the competition assignments, and the judging proved the point.
A peel down competition? Are you kidding me?
A relay race with a basket toss to touch a flag?
Then… even better… dance moves from ‘opposites attract’? That is not cheerleading. Not at all.
That is not college cheerleading, or even close.
I was finally relieved to see the last two squads do their thing at the end with a real routine.
The point is, college cheerleading and professional dance teams/cheer teams have nothing in common. Pro cheer teams are really just dance teams. I’m sorry Paula is a great girl with her heart in the right place, but calling a basket toss an “air flip” and having judges try to critique real atheletes when they know nothing about the sport is insulting. Great idea, poor exection.
I respect all the comments that everyone has given, but im a competitive cheerleader also all my life, but I think you guys have missed the whole concept of what the show was all about. America is tired of the same of competition year end and year out…Its always kentucky, lousiville, etc. first of all it was a cheerleader bowl/reality. All the teams there had talent! and Kentucky and Louisville and other schools are not the only colleges in the country. So why not showcase and give other colleges that work just as hard or maybe just don’t have the financial resources to go to nationals or pay full paid scholarships some air time…It’s about time someone finally let the world know that good college cheerleaders is more than just learning a 3 minute routine and working on it for 8 months and then go to nationals or whatever competition and compete with just that one routine. And good cheerleading is not just stunting and tumbling, dancing is important also, because cheerleaders are performers, you may wont it to be a sport BUT NOT ONE HAS PROCLAIMED to to be a sport….People want to be entertained my cheerleaders…even in your national routines there is a dance segement so to say, cheerleaders are not dancers is crazy, Miami and arizona knew this was Paula Abdul competition so THERE WAS GONNA BE DANCING! No one ever said this was NCA UCA….It said PAULA ABDUL’S RAH! Cheerleading Bowl, I’m grateful for you Paula, I loved the show even though I think Pine Bluff team got ripped off, cause montana did not touch the flag and they deserve to be in the finals, and it need to be made known publicly that after the show aired we realize that she did not touch the flag. My next door neighbor is african american and she is a awesome cheerleader and thtis show has made her considering contacting Pine Bluff about possibly attending their university. Love you Paula and MTV you need to make that up with the Pine Bluff team….
I agree with Jennifer, no one never said that Paul Abdul was hosting Nationals on MTV, National is held in January/February….It was Paula Abdul and cheerleaders during her era that made it possible for us to have the type of cheerleading programs that we have today. Me, myself I’m glad that Kentucky and the rest big 10 cheerleading programs were not invited. all cheerleaders who want to continue cheerleading in college cant go to Kentucky so why not be fair and show other colleges that have talent and as jennifer said have multitalented cheerleaders. Dancing is coming back to cheerleading whether you like it or not, if you don’t start putting it on your sidelines, routines, etc, its going to be boring. I’m glad that each squad just didn’t get out there are do a 3 minute routine and then present a trohphy, didn’t you here the commercials and promos It’s a dang show! You can watch Kentucky and the rest of those squads on ESPN – this is MTV where anything goes. As for Arizona stating they are not dancers, we knew that but you all bragged on Hawaii and they had a whole one minute dance segement in their final routine, they even came out there doing single and double turns. Arkansas Pine Bluff, did stunts, they were awesome tumblers, the girl that did the jumps in the relay race was the only one that had great jumps, and yes they could dance, so sounds like to me some of the squads Paula picked have more than some of the squads you guys are referencing. Oh yea btw, MTV you really do need to clear that flag situation up. Montana was weak on the Roll off and the Play it like paula, I mean weak! I don’t know if they gave a prize to the second place team, but they didn’t deserve it. Paula you did it girl!
Ok first of all, ALL college teams were invited, but there were several conditions, the most important being that the team WOULD NOT compete in any other Nationals competition such as UCA or NCA, which is why you did not see those teams present. Also, MTV could not present in the written contract that all the teams would be displayed in a positive image. It is for these and several other resaons that many college teams, including mine, chose not to participate. BTW, many challenges were taken out. I heard one challenge consisted of decorating warm ups for Paula’s warm up line! How does THAT show any talent?!
Doesn’t anyone get that PAULA ABDUL was a DANCER – not a cheerleader? I am SO tired of Laker Girls, DC “Cheerleaders”, etc. being called CHEERLEADERS. They are dancers and although both sports are fantastic in their own right, they are also unique. This show just proves that the two are very different and you need experts present who know about the field they are analyzing. Pro dance judges judging cheer? Hmmm.. a disaster to say the least. It just makes everyone participating in it look sort of simple minded. Someone needs to tell tell Paula Abdul to stick to what she knows (and as soon as anyone figures out what exactly that is, let us know).
I really didn’t like it. The idea was good, but it was soo cheesy. The WORST part was the dance challenge where the squad picked a few people to learn and perform a dance from one of Paula’s videos. Cheerleaders dance…but not in that style! And Paula was like “this is what you have to do on professional dance auditions” – newsflash, that is not what cheerleaders are concerned about! That would have worked if this had been college dance teams. but it was totally inappropriate for a show based on cheerleading. I also didn’t like the “relay race” – it was so unsafe. What the heck was that moving three-man pyramid?! I also felt that the judges were unqualified. Who were they?! Only the guy was an actual cheerleading coach, and its not like he was from a big or important school/team in the world of competitive cheerleading. I really liked that she chose schools that were not part of the “Big 10″ but…Hawaii was soooo much better than all the other teams that it really wasn’t fair. Hawaii has become a major player in college cheer so I almost don’t feel like they should have been included, because they were in such a totally different league than the other teams. Overall, I think someone who didn’t know anything about cheerleading would have found it good entertainment. But for actual cheerleaders- it really misrepresented the sport! It did not focus on the athleticism of cheerleading like it claimed except for the final challenge where the teams actually performed routines.
Hawaii does compete, they go to USA.
The show was a waste of time and lame.
Her dance moves were stupid and old.
She should have learned the terminology! Her judges didn’t know anything…*(who the heck is High hat?)
The male judge started out good, at least he knew something about cheer, but after the jeers he let up. Showing he caves in.
I thought that this show was mocking Competitive cheerleading. I mean it was entertaining but peel offs and stuff arent huge factors judges look like. Also in the relay race, they couldnt even get the flyers up in extensions. Plus Paula didnt have a clue about anything.
Sound like a lot of Haters. my team comepeted in the competition, it was never said we were gonna do a challenge about a darn warm-up. Too bad your team didn’t want to complete the application, because I the benfits are overwhelmeingg! If the Laker girls and the dallas cowboys say they are cheerleaders, and if you don’t think they are then you need to come up with another name for yourself because america will always call them cheerleaders before they call us cheerleaders. IT IS WHAT IT IS! all the teams there had talent, Even though we were one of the first teams that got put off, I wish you could have seen our final routine. and Pine Bluff Arkansas would have blown your mind with their final routine, we all were rootin for Arkansas!
I think this was more to spotlight Paula and her high heel sneakers. And as often reported, the way she acted, those sneakers weren’t the only thing that was high. I understand that they didn’t want to pick the usual champions, but I have seen pee wee teams stick their stunts better.
Well I have to say that many of you have missed the mark – TOTALLY – first of all it is a TV production – not a traditional cheerleading event/comp that many of you are referring to. The judges did have many comments that were edited or removed all together – its is SHOW! All of the judges are qualified in ALL areas – one is a dance choreographer, the other a dancer and the cheer coach is indeed very qualifed. He curently coaches a 4 times NCA nationally ranked team and UMASS Dartmouth is a prestigous school – he choregraphs routines all over the county and is an event producer for a cheer company and judges nationals at many different events all over the country – the other judges have similar credentials – the 2 women judges did not all all correct cheer terminolgy which they should know what the elements are called before commenting – I agree on that point – the show is a “Challenge” on many aspects of cheerleading, dance, relay race – which I thought that was the best part – this is not a competition but a TV show – all the teams new what they were doing otherwise they would not have done it – oh by the way – in the instant replay it does show the flyer in the basket toss touching the flag – that is why the flag actually moved from her hand touching it and that is why they moved on. Enjoy the show for what it is – I am sure the producers will make the necessary changes – it has potential!
Some of these comments are more rediculious than the show – I think because there was know real “drama” which is normally associated w/cheerleading and reality shows that you think it was lame. The show needs help but I agree with Robin that it is a TV production – how do you know that judges did not say more than they showed and that the producers did not edit things – doesn’t TV producers do that – edit things to work out to the way they want it shown? I am sure the teams had a great experience and for some – they do not even compete so this was probably a good experience for them. This is not USASF Cheerleading Worlds, NCA Nationals or Cheersport Nationals – it is a “cheer challenge” reality TV show – ve not a competition! Of course Paula Abduel is the host so she is gonna have teams do challenges that are related to her and her background – do you not get that? She is the celeb and it is her show. She might not be be that “competitive college/allstar cheerleader and I do not see that she claimed to be that either – she was a Lakers Cheerleader/Dancer and she is a choreographer, dancer and performer – I think she knows a little – giver her a break!
I think the show was slow in parts but it could be really good. I like the idea of picking out different parts of a routine and different challenges associated with cheerleading, I think the ripple was a good one and the tumble off was good. Doing a half show routine worked out well too. Maybe some challenges where the team would have to come up with a pyramid using props, and utilizing the realy races more. Using cheerleading elements as part of it with a twist. I like the idea of the basket toss touching a flag but then maybe move the flag upa bit. Since they used college teams maybe a cheer challenge that they gave to do something with crowd appeal. There are many possilities! Give it a chance~
so i have to admit i watched this show..only after it was pointed out how high paula was, did you see her jaw roaming and how her sentence structure was wayyy to slow for a normal non-high person. lay off the coke paula…and those shoes were nice tho….but were probably too high for the show too
i have to say i watched the show and it sounded good from what i say on the previews but when i watched it i was a little disappointed. i mean the idea was good and the basis but some of the challenges i didnt get. the dance challenge was unessisary. i have cheered for a while now competivetly and the dances i have seen were never like that. they say the competion was for college squads that would not attend a national competion then the show should of let the squads perform like a real competion and let them experience what a real competion should feel like…
what a joke. when will women realize what jackasses they make of themselves when they wear skimpy and perform suggestive dance routines. enough already.
Jason, I’m assuming your comment was aimed at NBA and NFL “cheerleader” because competitive cheerleading like what is done in college and all-star and even high school is far from just dancing around in skimpy outfits. Dance is such a tiny portion of what cheerleading is about, and competition score sheets reflect that. That’s why everyone is so annoyed with this show, because Paula and her idiot female judges made it out like cheerleading is nothing but dance. The majority of the typical competition score sheet is based on the stunts, tumbling, baskets and pyramids. I’d know. I’ve judged many competitions.
If you can’t see past the skimpy outfits (which are used to display good technique and form, btw) then I think that’s YOUR problem…