While watching Netflix's America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Season 1, I was surprised by one thing.

I was shocked to see that the cheerleaders' salaries have increased by 400% this season.

It wasn't just a few; the girls featured in the documentary said it directly. They used to be paid ridiculously low amounts.

In Episode 7, the director described it as "a long-awaited change," and I thought that really made sense.

This is because in 2017, the cheerleaders even filed a lawsuit against the team for a wage of only $8 per hour.

At that time, the living wage in the Dallas area was $23, and the mascot from the same team was earning $25, which just doesn't add up.

So, while performing in the same stadium, one side was earning $25 in a costume, while the cheerleaders were practicing for weeks and dancing hard for just $8.

Some cheerleaders even had regular jobs while cheerleading. One girl was a nurse during the week, and another was an orthodontist.

Working at the hospital during the day and at the stadium at night. How is that even possible? Living like that would take a toll on your body. In fact, injuries like back and ankle pain kept coming up during the season.

But do you know why they didn't give up cheerleading despite such treatment? Everyone thought of standing on that stage as a dream come true.

It seems like passion pay is a problem in any country... The issue is that the Dallas Cowboys franchise has the most money among sports teams worldwide.

[The Cowboys girls dancing hard to the popular trend in Korea. K-culture again...]

Everyone does it because they love it, and there is something about boosting their self-esteem in it. However, the structure that exploited passion and sacrifice without compensation was the real problem.

A long time ago, when the Cowboys cheerleaders first started, they won the Super Bowl and were paid $15 per game. That was in 1972.

And they have quietly endured that until now.

So this 400% increase is not just a few extra dollars; it is finally being recognized as a legitimate job that can ensure a proper livelihood.

The Cowboys franchise has a net worth of over $10 billion, and quarterback Dak Prescott earns $60 million a year.

While players earn millions every game, cheerleaders have to go home and find another job, preparing for a second job.

Now, cheerleaders prepare for years to take the stage, maintain their physique, practice for dozens of hours a day, and always keep smiling.

In Korea, cheerleaders appear on YouTube like celebrities, but American cheerleaders are not just pretty girls; they are truly trained professionals.

So when I see those who work hard on such stages, honestly, the first thing that comes to mind is that they are impressive.

I think of them as true professionals rather than just saying, 'Wow, the cheerleaders are amazing' like before. Haha.