Thought Crime at University of Washington: Cheerleader Depicted as Attractive Blonde

02 May, 2016 by Dave Blount

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Brazen thought criminals commit their hurtful crimes even at citadels of political rectitude:

The University of Washington removed an infographic Tuesday that gave prospective cheerleaders tips on how to do their hair and makeup for tryouts after strong social media backlash.

The graphic advised women to wear their hair “straight or curled” along with “false eyelashes” and “flattering eye shadow.” It discouraged women from wearing “distracting fingernail polish” or “tops that cover the midriff.”

The Seattle Times reported the advice along with a photo of a white woman in blond hair posing in a black sports bra was posted on the cheerleading team’s Facebook page.

Imagine portraying a cheerleader as an attractive blonde in this day and age!

“I can’t believe this is real,” Jazmine Perez, a University of Washington student and director of programming for student government, told the Seattle Times. “One of the first things that comes mind is objectification and idealization of Western beauty, which are values I would like to believe the University doesn’t want to perpetuate. As a student of color who looks nothing like the student in the poster, this feels very exclusive.”

A Seattle resident also called the infographic racist. He said the picture is “offensive, exclusionary, and ignorant.”

Outraged students and residents can rest easy. Pictures of blonde cheerleaders will be inclusively excluded in the future. A chastised University of Washington athletics department has confirmed that depicting cheerleaders as Caucasian is “inconsistent with the values of the UW spirit program and department of athletics.”