Y'all, I just finished binge-watching both America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders season 2 and And Just Like That season 3, and I have THOUGHTS. Like, grab-your-coffee-and-cancel-your-plans kind of thoughts. Because these two shows? They're basically mirrors reflecting everything wrong (and occasionally right) about how we treat women, aging, and the impossible standards we're all trying to meet.

The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders Reality Check

Let's start with the obvious: Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders were getting paid $15 an hour. FIFTEEN DOLLARS. Meanwhile, their images are plastered on AT&T and Ford Stadiums, they're performing for millions of viewers, and they're literally their own brand generating massive revenue. It's giving major "exposure doesn't pay rent" energy, and honestly? It's infuriating.

But here's what really got me about America's Sweethearts, season 2 – watching Kelli Finglass and Judy Trammell navigate this impossible system they inherited. These women are trying to maintain 60 years of tradition while also recognizing that the world has changed. The pay raise announcement at the end (a 400% increase, which sounds huge until you realize it's still probably around $60/hour) felt like progress, but also like too little, too late.

The Uniform Trap That's Actually About All of Us

Those uniforms became the perfect metaphor for everything wrong with perfectionist culture. The cheerleaders aren't fitted for uniforms – they're expected to fit INTO them. One size, one fitting, and if you grow or change? That's your problem to solve with a toothbrush at midnight, scrubbing sweat stains out of shorts you don't even own.

Sound familiar? How many times have you tried to squeeze yourself into someone else's definition of success, beauty, or worthiness? The conformity pressure is real, whether you're 22 trying to make the team or 45 trying to fit into corporate culture that wasn't designed for you.

The Leadership Lesson We All Need

What I loved about this season was watching leadership evolve in real-time. Jada, one of the retiring cheerleaders, showed us what it looks like to fight for what you deserve while maintaining grace under pressure. She didn't just complain about the underpaid situation – she organized, she spoke up, and she created change.

Meanwhile, Armani gave us one of the most powerful moments in television when she decided to perform bald, proudly showcasing her alopecia. In a world obsessed with perfect image, she chose authenticity. And you know what? The crowd went wild. Sometimes the thing that makes us different is exactly what the world needs to see.

And Just Like That: A Masterclass in Missing the Mark

Now let's talk about And Just Like That because honey, this show is testing my patience more than a toddler in Target. What started as groundbreaking television about women navigating love, sex, and friendship has become a tone-deaf fashion show starring insufferable characters I no longer recognize.

The ageism in this show is fascinating and frustrating. These women are supposed to be in their 50s, but they're written like they've learned nothing from decades of life experience. Carrie fighting with her downstairs neighbor about wearing heels in her apartment? At 57? Ma'am, buy some slippers and call it a day.

When Privilege Becomes the Problem

The original Sex and the City worked because these characters felt relatable, even when they were living beyond most people's means. But And Just Like That has crossed into privilege territory that makes you want to throw something at the screen. These women are drowning in designer clothes and first-world problems while the rest of us are dealing with actual issues.

It's pop culture at its most disconnected – beautiful to look at, but empty of the substance that made us fall in love with these characters in the first place. The drama feels manufactured, the dialogue feels forced, and honestly? I miss the women who taught me that it's okay to be messy, vulnerable, and real.

The Aging Double Standard That's Keeping Us All Stuck

Here's what both shows reveal about aging in America: we expect women to look young but not act young, be accomplished but not threatening, be confident but not difficult. The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders have a five-year maximum (if they're lucky), while male athletes can play well into their 30s and 40s. Meanwhile, our beloved TV characters are frozen in time, making the same mistakes they made 20 years ago.

But here's the thing – aging should mean growth, wisdom, and the confidence to stop apologizing for taking up space. It should mean caring less about fitting into someone else's uniform and more about creating your own.

What This Means for Your Personal Branding

Whether you're building a business, changing careers, or just trying to figure out who you are in this weird world, these shows teach us something crucial: authenticity always wins over perfection. The moments that went viral weren't the perfectly executed routines – they were Armani's bold choice, Jada's leadership, and the cheerleaders fighting for what they deserved.

Your personal branding shouldn't be about fitting into someone else's uniform. It should be about showing up as yourself, even when (especially when) that feels scary. The world doesn't need another perfect Instagram feed – it needs your real story, your unique perspective, and your willingness to challenge the status quo.

The Bottom Line

Societal standards are designed to keep us small, quiet, and grateful for crumbs. But what if we stopped trying to fit into uniforms that were never made for us? What if we created our own definitions of success, beauty, and worth?

The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders' pay raise happened because they refused to accept "but it's an honor" as payment. Maybe it's time we all stopped accepting exposure, experience, and empty promises as compensation for our brilliance.

Ready to stop fitting into someone else's uniform and start creating your own? Let's talk about how podcasting can amplify your voice and build the platform you deserve. Because honey, the world needs what you have to offer – but only if you're brave enough to offer it.

Ready to turn your brilliance into a powerful personal brand? Book your free clarity call at allisonhare.com/freecall and let's get your voice heard.

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If you’ve got a podcast or an idea that won’t leave you alone, here's your sign to take it seriously. Not just because it's fun (it is), but because it can change how people see you, connect with you, and trust you. That's the magic.

And if you're wondering how to make it actually work? Book a free clarity call with me at allisonhare.com/freecall. I'll help you turn that idea into a tight, bingeable, client-attracting machine.