The pretty, blonde, All-American cheerleader has long been a key part of the fabric of the imagined or depicted high school, representing a feminine ideal for young women to live up to. But 2000’s Bring It On subtly interrogated and took down our culture’s deeply ingrained ideal of the Cheerleader. It challenged the character to become more, ultimately aiding her transformation in our popular consciousness from an empty-headed prize for a football player into a serious, driven, and creative athlete in her own right. Here’s our Take on how Bring It On forever reframed the conversation on the Cheerleader, and where this figure is at now.