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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Entertainment
Shrai Popat

‘I wanted to be one of them’: why Bring It On is my feelgood movie

Toros Isis Gabrielle Union
A still from Bring It On, with Kirsten Dunst and two other women.
‘No hero’s journey, no relief for trying to do the right thing, no actual sense that they’re the good guys.’ Photograph: Universal/Allstar

The opening sequence of Bring It On is – in a word – unapologetic. A dozen cheerleaders scream “I’m sexy, I’m cute, I’m popular to boot” in unison – and I have yet to meet anyone (and I have tried) who has the willpower to look away.

It’s certainly not an exaggeration to say I wanted to be one of them – that is, one of the Toros, Rancho Carne high school’s premier cheer squad. But, as a six-year-old watching in north London, I was a world away from the cornucopia of herkies, suggestive dance moves and hair flips of competitive cheerleading in San Diego.

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