The Jiggle tests....

Cheerleader subject to jiggle tests! 

Buffalo Bills cheerleader Alyssa U. Source: New York Post

steadyaku47 comment: I can't think of any reason why this article should be in my blog....no reason at all....but what the hell....I am going to post it anyway...any kind of tests is always educational!

FIVE Buffalo Bills cheerleaders have filed a lawsuit claiming wage violations, uncompensated costs, and a litany of demeaning work conditions as members of the squad.

As members of the Buffalo Jills organisation - which quickly suspended all operations in the wake of the litigation - cheerleaders were subject to a weekly “jiggle test” to assess every inch of their body and given a list of rules including how to wash their “intimate areas,” the suit claims.

And while the team pulls in about $256 million in annual revenue, the five Jills maxed out at $1,800 - and as low as $105 - in a single season, the lawsuit claims.

Alyssa U., 23, a West Falls, NY native and member of the 2012-2013 Jills, talked toThe Post’s Gary Buiso about the out-of-bounds treatment she says she endured while cheering for the team she still loves.

Here’s her story:

‘IT’S DEGRADING. IT’S EMBARRASSING TO EVEN TALK ABOUT’

I have always been a huge Buffalo Bills fan and it was always a dream of mine, since I was a little girl, to be a Buffalo Jill. I have danced my entire life and have also been a Zumba instructor for the past six years, so this was a huge accomplishment for me. What I had hoped was that it would open many doors, for this to be an experience of a lifetime.

But soon after joining I realised that it wasn’t what I expected - basically when I first saw the contract.

There were things in there that made you think, “Really?” Do they really think we don’t know this stuff? Just getting down to ridiculous detail about how we needed to act and talk and walk and dress.

For instance, how much bread to eat at a formal dinner, how our nails needed to be clear polish or manicured, our hair done a certain way - this was not only when we were working and in uniform, but in our personal life as well. We were instructed on how to act off the field. And it got pretty gritty too - how to wash intimate areas.

From the Jills’ Etiquette for Formal Dining, for instance, for soup, it states: “Dip the spoon into the soup moving it away from your body until it is about two-thirds full, then sip the liquid without slurping from the side of the spoon without inserting the whole spoon in your mouth.” [Laughs] Hearing myself say it just sounds ridiculous.

I was taken aback by it all. It’s degrading. It’s embarrassing to even talk about.

“Basically there were four seats to a golf cart - basically four men. So where was this Jill to sit? Well, in the golfer’s lap. It was very inappropriate.” - Alyssa U. Source: New York Post

‘OUR COACH HAD US DO JUMPING JACKS TO SEE WHAT PARTS OF OUR BODIES WERE JIGGLING’

They would monitor things like our Facebook pages. When we first made the team they would go over things like, how we weren’t allowed to post selfies, or we weren’t allowed to post pictures of us partying, or anything like that - which is understandable.

But how they went about it was definitely wrong. They ended up taking photos from these girls’ Facebook that they thought were inappropriate, and putting up a slideshow in front of all of our peers. Their way of informing us what to do and how to act, and things to post and not post was to embarrass us and publicly display these pictures of what not to do.

They had a physique evaluation, which took place one week prior to the game for that week. We had to stand in front of our coach in our uniform in rows of five as she stood before us with a clipboard and had us face forward as she reviewed our bodies.

We turned around, had her look at our backside, and then turn forward again and she had us do jumping jacks in front of her to see what parts of our bodies were jiggling. That’s where it got it’s name - the Jiggle Test.

The next day, you receive an email which was categorised by different body parts and let’s say, if she thought you had a stomach issue for that week, you got a check. If you had two checks, you weren’t field ready. If you had three checks, you were benched for the next game.

We understand that there were weight standards - we understood that going in as NFL cheerleaders. But the inconsistency with the physique evaluations was pretty much a mind game. How someone’s weight could fluctuate from one week to the next - someone was field ready one week, not the next, and was the week after that, it was very emotional for these girls.

We work very hard to maintain the requirements. We were never weighed on a scale, but it was all about image - how we looked in the uniform. There was no structure to the evaluations, it’s all in the control of management.

Baltimore Ravens cheerleaders look to the crowd. Source: Getty Images

‘WE DON’T UNDERSTAND WHERE THE MONEY WENT’

I had a personal issue with regards to hair. I was told that when we had our field-ready practice (when we had to perform all of our sideline cheer routines in front of management for them to decide if we were ready to go out on the field for our first game), they brought each cheerleader aside to tell them things they needed to work on.

When I was pulled aside, I was told that I was not field ready and would not perform on the field unless I coloured my hair. My hair was blonde, but I was told it was not natural looking, and that I needed to go see the Jill’s hairstylist who knew “the Jills look” - who also happened to be the coach’s best friend. And it wasn’t free. You have to pay her, that’s not for free - but we got a $5 discount, so it was around $85.

And we weren’t paid for any of this. We only got $35 an hour - for a maximum of two hours - for an occasional public appearance. Maybe you got one every three months - it was basically whoever answered that email the fastest is who got that paid appearance, and they were not offered often. Maybe two girls at most per event.

We did charity appearances that we were not getting compensated for - and we were OK with that. But Jills management was getting paid by these charities. We don’t understand where that money went, because it didn’t go to pay us.

We had to purchase Jills calendars from our coach - 10 a month - which was $100 that we had to pay her and if we were unable to sell these calendars, then we lost out on that money. If these girls weren’t able to front the money every month for these calendars, then they were benched for the next game. That really made us realise that there was some sketchy stuff going on here. But we had to pay for pretty much everything, including our uniforms, which were $650.

A Dallas Cowboys cheerleader performs. Source: AFP

‘THERE WERE UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATIONS WHERE SECURITY SHOULD HAVE BEEN OFFERED’

There was a golf tournament, a mandatory event. Girls wore their uniforms, however there was a dunk tank at the event on the golf course where girls were in bathing suits.

We had to sign up for different jobs or tasks during the tournament - some had to do the dunk tank, some girls had to be auctioned off. People were bidding for which Jill would ride along with them in the golf cart. basically there were four seats to a golf cart - basically four men. So where was this Jill to sit? Well, in the golfer’s lap. It was very inappropriate.

There were definitely uncomfortable situations where I felt that security should have been offered to us. For instance, there was something called “The Man Show,” [at a local casino] where girls had to walk around in their bikinis. And there were men who may have drank a little too much and got a little brave, and were in very close proximity to these ladies.

I definitely thought on numerous occasions about leaving the team early on. My love for cheering for the Bills and performing at the games was too strong. Although it was difficult financially and emotionally I really wanted to finish out the season.

I have never been a quitter. Cheering for the Bills was a life-long dream and I felt it was only right to honour my commitment and not let my fellow teammates down.

It’s tough when you work so hard for something and have such high expectations. We were there for the Bills. We were there to cheer on the Buffalo Bills. We loved cheering on the field - with the fans, that’s what made it a great experience. And we definitely want to see the Jills succeed. I guess we really hope there will be more Bills involvement in the future.

We’ll be proud when the organisation stands on a solid foundation, for the right reason.

- Alyssa U.