In the 1988 film Tapeheads, aspiring video jockeys Ivan (John Cusack) and Josh (Tim Robbins) put together a ludicrous first effort for record producer Mo Fuzz (Don Cornelius) that features a band called Cube Squared performing the Devo song “Baby Doll” as Ivan drenches them with colored paint and feathers. “I can’t do anything with this,” Mo tells them after he watches it, “I need production value.” As Ivan and Josh react with confusion over the concept of obtaining production value with no budget, Mo explains, “There’s only one thing that adds real production value … tits and ass.”
The combination of cheerleading and music videos seems like a match made in heaven. Cheerleading has always featured a healthy dose of “tits and ass” as Mo puts it, and it’s evolved a long way from its early days of long-sleeved sweaters, pom-poms, and rhythmic chants. High school and college cheerleading is a full-on gymnastics show, and most professional cheerleading groups have morphed into “dance squads” that don’t even pretend to lead cheers anymore. And certainly more than a few music videos have taken advantage of this synergy to grab a few cheap glances. But strangely enough, there are only a few music videos where cheerleaders truly dominate the stage. Here are my top five favorites:
