01x06 - 9 to 5

[bunniefuu]

[Reece] Hey.

Calm, steady. We know this dance.

[woman 1] We've done it,

like, 7,000 times this week.

-[Reece] We know

-More than I've done my college pregame.

[Reece] when to breathe,

when, like, to amp it up,

when to take a second.

[music plays faintly in the distance]

[woman 1 sighs] I always have to go potty

in this moment.

Full send.

[woman 2] Full send.

[woman 3] Full send, one and done.

[Brooklyn] We got it, Reece.

-Love you.

-[Reece] I love you.

-[woman 4] We ain't got lightning

-I'm so

-[all] We all got thunder! Yeah!

-thunder. Whoo!

[announcer] Cowboys Nation,

are you ready for some football?

[upbeat music plays faintly in stadium]

[crowd cheering]

[Jada] All right, ladies.

This is what we worked for, sister.

[woman] All right, you guys, have fun!

Let's go!

Five, six, seven, eight.

[announcer] Now, ladies and gentlemen,

here they are,

America's Sweethearts,

often imitated, never equaled,

internationally acclaimed,

your Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

-[crowd roaring]

-[upbeat pregame intro music playing]

[music ends]

["Thunderstruck" by AC/DC playing]

[rhythmic cymbal crashes]

♪ Thunder ♪

♪ Thunder ♪

♪ Thunder ♪

♪ Thunder ♪

♪ Thunder ♪

♪ Thunder ♪

♪ Thunder ♪

♪ You've been ♪

♪ Thunderstruck ♪

[crowd cheering]

♪ Rode down the highway ♪

♪ Broke the limit, we hit the town ♪

♪ Went through to Texas ♪

♪ Yeah, Texas ♪

[Will] On that one side.

♪ We met some girls ♪

♪ Some dancers who gave a good time ♪

Go, Anna Kate!

Whoo!

Yeah, yeah

♪ They, they, they blew our minds ♪

♪ And I was shaking at the knees ♪

♪ Could I come again, please? ♪

♪ Yeah, them ladies were too kind ♪

♪ You've been ♪

♪ Thunderstruck ♪

♪ Thunderstruck ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, thunderstruck ♪

♪ Thunderstruck ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, said yeah ♪

♪ It's all right ♪

♪ We're doin' fine ♪

♪ Yeah, it's all right ♪

♪ We're doin' fine ♪

-♪ So fine, thunderstruck ♪

-♪ Thunderstruck ♪

-♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, thunderstruck ♪

-♪ Thunderstruck ♪

-♪ Thunderstruck ♪

-♪ Thunderstruck ♪

♪ Whoa, baby, baby ♪

♪ Thunderstruck ♪

-♪ You've been thunderstruck ♪

-♪ Thunderstruck ♪

♪ Thunderstruck ♪

[cheering]

♪ Thunderstruck ♪

♪ You've been thunderstruck ♪

[song ends]

[cacophonous cheering]

[cheering fades]

[traffic humming]

[birds chirping]

[man] All right, my eleven o'clock,

we all ready?

My name is Todd.

I wanna welcome you to AT&T Stadium.

This is home of the Dallas Cowboys. Yay.

Now, you happen to be

in one of the largest domed structures

in the world.

We can put the Statue of Liberty,

pedestal and all, on that star,

and her torch will not touch that roof.

Now, the Jones family traveled

around the world

to come up with the concept

they wanted in here.

They wanted it to be five-star.

We hold the Guinness Book of World Records

for TVs in a venue at over 3,500.

We have TVs in elevators.

We have TVs in the bathrooms.

We even have a jail here,

and in our jail,

there is a 53-inch-screen TV.

We have a pastry kitchen.

We have world-renowned chefs

with their culinary staff.

The ice cream is hand-churned.

This is what's gonna lead us

into what we call the JJ Experience,

the Jerry Jones Experience.

You will get to talk to Mr. Jones himself.

[man] We got some guests, Mr. Jones.

Can we ask a question?

What would you like to ask me?

[man] Mr. Jones, why did you build

such a great stadium?

I didn't know

where I was gonna get the money,

but I got it built.

You can put five of those damn Astrodomes

inside the one I built.

[Todd] Our next stop

is the cheerleaders' locker room.

Each May, June, 500 girls actually try out

to become Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

Two cheerleaders with the most tenure

are Kelcey and Chandi.

They've been here five years.

Kelcey over here, she's a nurse.

Elli here, she has a master's

in accounting.

So she could probably do your taxes.

[men chuckle]

Go and stand

in front of your favorite one.

[quiet laughter]

[Todd] All right, now,

go look up at her face,

see if she's blonde, brunette,

or whatever.

Then on three, I want you to turn around

and give me that pose.

One, two, three.

[laughter]

[Todd laughs] Very good.

Good. Good. Good.

Now, they do have to sign

a no-fraternization contract

for the players.

They cannot date or fraternize

with any of the football players.

They, however, do not have to sign

that same contract with tour guides.

[laughter]

[Todd] You got any questions? No?

I'm sure you don't have phone numbers

or anything like that.

[Todd] Um, nah. I think they all have

their own Twitter and Instagram,

so you can get them on social media.

Yeah.

Now, they do charity events,

paid appearances.

They to go VA hospitals,

children's hospitals.

So they do do a lot of work.

[birds chittering]

[man grunts]

Well

[grunts]

I've been driving them since 2009,

when the new stadium opened.

So what? Thirteen, fourteen years now.

Fourteen years, I guess.

[interviewer] What's Kelli like?

She's a pain.

-[grunts]

-[Judy] Don't fall out of the bus.

She asked me what I thought of you,

and I said, "Ew!"

-[Judy] Don't fall out of the bus.

-[James laughs]

No. [laughs]

[thump]

-[Judy] They moved the cones over today.

-[Kelli] They sure did, James.

-Got cones

-[James] We're going back there.

[Kelli] All right,

everybody clench your butt cheeks tight

while we go past these.

Just till James stops hitting sh*t.

Oh, clench it, y'all. Squeeze.

There we go, James.

Not a piece of rubber.

I keep on telling Kelli I'm gonna retire,

and she says I can't, so

I look at it this way.

I'll work till I can't anymore.

[Kelli] We have a tradition now

that has become

a huge program enhancement,

and that is our bus bits

with Kristi Scales.

This will be her 25th year

on the sidelines at the stadium

reporting on the Dallas Cowboys.

Give it up for Kristi.

[Kristi] Hey, welcome to game day.

All right.

Regular season, there's gonna be

over 93,000 fans there today.

So those of you rookies who thought

the first two preseason games

were awesome,

buckle up, 'cause it is just gonna be

a fantastic energy today.

["9 to 5" by Dolly Parton playing]

[chatter, laughter]

I have to. I mean

-Come on then. See you later.

-Thank you. Okay.

Pour myself a cup of ambition

And yawn, and stretch ♪

[Kelli] An NFL football game

is an experience like no other.

[chanting] Cowboys! Cowboys!

Cowboys! Cowboys!

[Kelli] A game day

is usually an 11-hour day.

We start our game

before the doors even open.

[cheering, clamoring]

[Kristi] There's a huge misconception,

"It's just a part-time job.

They're pretty, and they're good dancers."

But holy smokes,

when they're in front of 93,000 people,

there's so much more to it

than just three hours on game day.

[announcer] Cowboys Cheerleaders!

Workin' 9 to 5

What a way to make a livin' ♪

Barely gettin' by ♪

Bigger hair movement on the guitar solo.

Let's go! Come on!

Hey! You need to throw a flag on that.

Flag? Where's the flag?

I mean, come on! Got a flag!

We play music here

after every single play.

[Caroline] A song comes on,

and within an eight count,

you gotta pick a dance

that goes with the rhythm of the song.

It's a fun challenge to program

the soundtrack of a game to, um

Oh! Hit-stick, baby! Yeah!

DC! Cowboys! Come on!

[Kelli] Most of the dancing you see

at a Cowboys football game

is actually improv.

The girls don't know

what song is going to come on.

Then they hear a song.

They quick glance to their leader.

She starts a combination.

Five, six, seven.

Everything for three hours is improv,

and then they all execute it brilliantly.

[cheerleaders] Five, six, seven, eight.

[Kristi] Cowboys need this one very badly.

If the Cowboys get the win tonight,

it'll be a first-place tie with Philly.

-Go, Cowboys!

-We love the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

I went to school, personally,

with about three of 'em over the years.

We love the cheerleaders.

-Cowboys!

-[man] Come on!

But you've got dreams

He'll never take away ♪

There's Kelcey. Whoo!

In the same boat

With a lot of your friends ♪

Waitin' for the day

Your ship'll come in ♪

Yeah, Reece!

I get hassled every year

at the start of the year

'cause I don't have credentials.

What credentials do you need?

If I get more than 20, 30 yards

away from the bus,

some security guy is trying

to throw me out of there.

Because they think you're trouble.

[James] Well, I am trouble.

[Kristi] Every time you make eye contact

with somebody,

every time you give a wave,

it may be their first and only time

that they get to interact with a DCC.

Workin' 9 to 5

What a way to make a livin' ♪

There's nothing like game days, especially

since we're constantly performing.

[Tina] Victoria!

She can't hear me! Victoria! Victoria!

Yeah! Let's go!

[Kelcey] Five-minute cooldown.

-Oh my!

-I cannot believe how sweaty I got.

I've been blow-drying myself

since we got [laughs]

[Kelcey] You're there for 12 hours,

and if it's a 7:00 p.m. game,

you get home at, like, 1:00, 2:00 a.m.

Game day is fun, so you do it. [laughs]

[James] There's a tradition

for DCC rookies.

After the game, y'all got to climb

into the bays and unload the luggage.

[cheering]

It's enough to drive you crazy

If you let it ♪

We aren't the football team.

We aren't celebrated like that.

There's a better life ♪

[Kelcey] But we do absolutely put in

blood, sweat, and tears into what we do.

And it's so special to us.

[woman] Thank you, girls.

Thank you, rooks.

-Thanks, rooks.

-You're such a sweetheart!

Thank you, rookies.

-Thank you, rooksters.

-Thank you so much!

[chatter continues, fades]

[traffic humming]

[muted crowd noise]

["9 to 5" playing faintly in the distance]

[Kelli] Oh, I hear "9 to 5."

[Kelli singing] Stumble to the kitchen

Pour myself a cup of ambition ♪

Okay.

Zoë.

9 to 5 ♪

Something's looking

-[Zoë] Dark.

-[Kelli] dark there.

-Is that all your eyebrows?

-Yes, ma'am.

[chatter]

[Kelli] Let me show you two of Victoria.

She doesn't need

that much mascara on the bottom.

[Judy] No.

[Kelli] Vic.

Don't put mascara

on your bottom lashes like that.

Okay.

-You don't have it on now, right?

-No.

-It looks great. See?

-Okay. Yes.

-Thank you for playing.

-Thank you.

You're dismissed. Bye.

[Victoria] It is

The smallest things that you wouldn't

think are a big deal are so big.

Especially when it's just a photo

of you individually wearing this uniform,

they need everything to be

in the world-class expectation

that we hold.

So they go and thoroughly look

at each photo of us on game days

to make sure

that nothing is not world-class

when wearing this uniform.

[Kelli] I don't like Kelcey's face,

but we can crop her out.

-It's weird, but you could crop her out.

-[Judy] Yeah, her face is weird.

[gentle, dramatic music playing]

[Kelcey] Kelli is so committed

to excellence on all fronts.

I mean, she's an icon.

She's raised this program

from the ground up.

Everyone just wants to impress her a lot,

because we look up to her so much.

What gives? When practicing,

do we leg lift or not?

-[all] Yes, ma'am.

-I'm asking.

-[all] Yes, ma'am.

-We do?

-[woman] Yes, we do.

-Y'all were like [laughing]

So Yeah, I'm sorry. I'm worked up.

[exhales] Ay-yo!

There's no "no." If Kelli tells you

to do something, you do it.

-We're not gonna be sloppy in practice.

-Yes, ma'am.

So let's leave that slop at the door,

and let's

One time,

she called us America's Slophearts

because we didn't look good.

I don't like spotting the front.

That's why.

[Judy] Saltie just looks

like she didn't care.

And I go

I go, "You don't have

a stitch of makeup on,"

and I go, "What would

Suzanne Mitchell say?"

[Kelli] Oh, God. That's cruel.

Two, three

It's an honor to be a Cowboys Cheerleader,

and they take great pride in it.

I am their teacher in a lot of respects.

If there's a pat on the back necessary,

or there's a slap on the rump

that's necessary,

I am their surrogate mother

in a lot of respects.

[Kelli] Suzanne was the director

for 13 seasons.

She started in 1976.

Suzanne was very intimidating.

At the same time,

Suzanne was very passionate.

[Suzanne] Anybody who's got gum

-[woman] Get it out.

-Get it out. Now.

That is a real big no in this place.

No gum, ever.

No gum ever on the field. No gum

-[woman] Period.

-ever.

She was a very hard woman

that expected excellence at all times.

[Suzanne] I don't want

anybody biting their nails at all.

Because when you're sitting there

signing autographs,

and you're laying your hand out

and signing your name

in that beautiful blouse,

gorgeous uniform, gorgeous face,

then you come down,

and you have a half-eaten hand,

something is lost.

[dramatic organ note resonates]

[Sarah] There were rules

from the beginning,

but over the years, and especially

when Suzanne came on the team,

the rules started stacking up.

[alumna 1] It was all spelled out.

It was said,

how do you look in the uniform?

Do you have a muffin top?

[alumna 2] Full hair and makeup every day.

[alumna 3] You get there on time.

You need to know your stuff.

[Sarah] "Have you ever had bad experiences

with men?"

There is one acceptable answer here.

"As a cheerleader, no."

Don't ever give anybody

your home phone number, ever,

or your home address.

Be very, very careful

about any information,

and don't give out any information

about any other cheerleaders.

You know, Suzanne took over the team

when things were exploding in the '70s,

so a big part of her role

was to be a protector.

[interviewer] How have

the cheerleaders been merchandised?

Carefully.

[Kelli] The appearance requests,

the cameras, the media, the fans

I love them all.

They all look good. I like the short one.

She had to be a guardian and a guard

for an organization of very young

and inexperienced women.

She just was the right person for the role

during a time where things could've gotten

out of control really quickly.

Today we're gonna meet

one of our rookie cheerleaders

and the pride of Lindale, Texas,

Kelli McGonagill.

[younger Kelli] I was born in Waco, Texas.

My father moved to Tyler

to set up his optometry practice,

and then we moved out to Lindale.

Lindale is a small town

right outside of Tyler.

I stayed in Lindale

till I graduated from high school.

I graduated with 104 people.

[Kelli] I promise you I was more protected

as a rookie cheerleader

probably than college campus sorority.

Suzanne never had children.

We were her family.

[Sarah] She gave everything in her life

to those cheerleaders.

It took over her life,

and it became a full-time job,

and it became, in many ways,

her meaning and purpose.

[Kelli] I mean, if anybody's gonna

carry on the tradition

and protect the Suzanne Mitchell regime,

I think that kind of

all made sense for me.

[music fades]

[Kelli] Time has just been

the biggest sacrifice.

There's a lot of things I don't get to do.

[keyboard clicking]

I'm like any working mom.

It's hard, and-and you have guilt.

There were times I left the house

when my kids were asleep,

and I came home,

and they were already asleep,

and that was heartbreaking.

[soft piano melody playing]

[Kelli] You do your best.

And at the end of the day, I hope

I'm a better coach

because I'm a mother now.

And I hope I'm a better mom

because I've coached young women.

What year were you Rookie of the Year?

-[Judy] Was she the very first?

-[Kelli] '88 football season

Yes, she was the first

Rookie of the Year. That's a fact.

[call waiting beeps]

[woman] While we're discussing

all of my accolades

I gotta call you back.

My daughter's calling.

-[woman] Bye.

-Bye.

-Hi, Mannie.

-Hey.

-You're on speaker.

-Okay. Um

-How's

-Quick question.

-What's up?

-Are you booked the 9th?

[Kelli] Judy said I could have

the day off. What you got cooking?

Well, I have to be home anyway

because John and I are going to a wedding.

So I was thinking I might just take

that Thursday and Friday off

and, like, do some dress appointments.

-What do you mean?

-[makeup artist gasps]

-To try on?

-Like wedding dress appointments.

Hello?

[Judy] Aw.

-Yes, she wants to.

-No crying.

-[Judy] She's having a moment, Samantha.

-We can't let her mess up her makeup.

I didn't mean to make you cry.

-So

-Um, yes, I'd love to.

-Okay.

-That'd be fun. Whoo-hoo.

[birds chittering]

[attendees] Jesus ♪

My Savior forever ♪

He sought me, and he bought me ♪

With his redeeming blood ♪

This is the Watauga Community Center.

And they're having

the, uh, Senior Jamboree today.

Most of 'em don't get out much, probably,

but it is a time of uplifting,

and bringing joy to their hearts,

and things such as that.

[Victoria] Hi!

-[woman] Hello!

-[Victoria] How are you?

-You look so pretty.

-You look so pretty!

I love your tie-dye.

Well, my daughter's husband

She made these.

-She did?

-Yeah.

That's beautiful.

-[woman crying] Oh my God.

-Aw! [laughs gently]

Can we take a picture with you?

-You get right here in the middle.

-Yes.

Zoë's gonna

Taylor's gonna stand right by you.

Perfect.

-Ronnie, you ready?

-[Ronnie] Yeah.

Okay, she's gonna turn on the beeper too.

-Here's the ball.

-Okay.

Close your eyes.

[electronic beeping]

When you're ready, go for it, my friend.

-I just bowl?

-Yeah. Try to knock down the pins.

[Victoria] America's Sweetheart,

it's a representative

of who can go and talk to anyone

from a five-year-old to a grandpa

and any conversation in between those two.

I want everyone that I encounter

to know that they were welcomed,

and loved, and touched

by just a little part

of the Dallas Cowboys organization

if that's all they get to receive.

[woman] Y'all, here come

the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

[quiet cheering]

-I'm gonna watch y'all.

-Gonna watch?

-More on TV.

-Yes, ma'am.

I will. And I'll try to learn

those cheers with you.

You'd better.

I hope we get a lot of touchdowns

this Sunday. You can learn the touchdown.

-Oh yes!

-Mm-hmm.

-Go!

-Go, Cowboys!

-Go, Cowboys!

-Yes, ma'am.

-I love you.

-Yes, ma'am. I love you too.

[Madeline] Being America's Sweethearts,

I love that we can give people

hope, and happiness, and just enjoyment.

My mom taught me a lot

about the community that cheers us on.

A good act sparks another,

and I truly believe as DCCs,

it's this idea of seeing

what can be done and what should be done.

[woman] I love the cheerleaders.

Oh my goodness.

They are extraordinary nice.

-For real.

-Yes.

Extremely beautiful, nice people.

Beautiful girls!

[Victoria] That's the beauty of the DCC.

They are the entertainers

that provide that happy feeling,

that feel-good feeling.

[gentle, dreamy music playing]

Sir, can you hold on to the football,

please? Thank you.

-What's your name?

-John.

-John? Nice to meet you.

-Yes. Nice to meet you.

Thank you very much.

-Okay.

-Awesome.

-Can I get one?

-Of course.

Thank you, dear.

-Or can I say no just to you?

-Yeah, just him.

Can I put my arm around you?

-Hands on the football, please.

-Okay. Sorry about that.

[man] We have a no-touch policy.

If you want a picture with a cheerleader,

we can make that happen.

We have a couple of rules.

You're not touching the cheerleader.

So we bring footballs with us

in every Stand and Pose that we go to.

Don't touch her.

[Don] So a man doesn't feel comfortable

standing with his hands

in front or on side,

he can hold the football,

and that takes some of the enthusiasm away

from trying to put your hands around

or on a cheerleader.

[Kat] The football is so people

don't touch us,

because people get so freaking handsy,

especially when they start

to know your name, and they're like,

"Kat, how's your cat doing?"

"How's how's your family doing?"

I've had letters sent

to my personal address

of like, "I feel like we're best friends."

"I know where you live."

[Tina] There was somebody

that kept calling the Dallas Cowboys,

and they were going to "k*ll me."

[tense music playing]

[Tina] At the time,

I guess I was so young,

I was like, "There's a security guard.

Nothing's gonna happen to me."

I always felt protected

when I was with the Cowboys.

[Don] When you visit with a cheerleader,

they look you right in the eye,

and you get the impression

that there's nothing in the world

that they're thinking about

other than what you're telling them

right now,

because they're truly interested

in what people have to say.

Some people take that as meaning,

"Wow. Did you see the way

she looked at me?"

"Maybe I should ask for her phone number,"

or things like that.

So sometimes we have to settle people down

to let them know that,

"They're truly interested

in what you have to say,

but that's where it ends."

[scattered applause, cheering]

[music fades]

When we go to an appearance,

we're usually the center of attention.

That's why they brought us there.

So even if I had a bad day,

I can't show up

and not put my best foot forward

and make people feel seen and loved.

Hi.

I have to be on.

I can't show up, and be in a bad mood,

and hide in the corner,

'cause there are expectations placed

on how we carry ourselves as DCC

and as America's Sweethearts.

-[all cheering]

-Yay!

[Kelcey] It can be tough sometimes.

We all know that.

And we have to find that support system

in the locker room with our team.

We all go through things,

and we talk about it in the locker room,

and we support each other.

[Claire] As a Christian,

you just have a higher calling to forgive,

especially among believers.

We are one. We're united.

And so, your friends are gonna hurt you,

your family's gonna hurt you.

It's just gonna happen in life.

But our call is to, like,

forgive as Jesus forgave us,

and there's no amount of times that

he says is okay to not forgive, you know.

You gotta extend the same grace to others

that he does to us, so

[Kelcey] Claire has really pushed me

in my faith.

She's one

that I talk about the hard things with.

Dear Lord, thank you so much

for giving us the bodies to

It started with

there was an AirTag put on my car.

And I didn't know until I got home,

so whoever it was could see where I lived.

[Claire] Thank you again

[Kelcey] I started to see

this car following me.

I had to call the police

and file a police report,

but there's never anything they can do

until somebody hurts me, so

[somber music playing]

It really took away my

sanity, to be completely honest.

I was so scared. I mean,

I was turning my back at every corner.

I was watching every car

that I saw multiple times

and writing down license plates.

It just, like It makes you crazy.

[lock alarm beeps]

[tearfully] Nate got really angry,

and protective,

and just angry

that someone would ever do that.

Um But I think, to a degree

it's really hard

for a man that's 6'4" and strong

to really, fully understand, like,

being scared

to even walk outside at night.

[tearfully] I couldn't live

that anxious all the time.

I couldn't, like, not sleep, not eat

because I was so scared

of, like, what could happen.

I had to just pray and say,

like, "If this is"

"If this is something

that's gonna happen to me,

it's gonna happen to me, and

but I can't live in fear all the time."

I just knew God put me here for a reason,

and I wanted to be here.

That's where I felt like

he wanted me to be.

In a moment of weakness,

it would've been easy for me

to kind of drop off the face of the earth,

and just be normal Nurse Kelcey,

and not a DCC.

But once I gave it up to God

and knew that it was where I needed to be,

I don't think there was ever a question.

[music fades]

Ooh! So pretty!

-These are great.

-Oh my gosh.

See if we can get them to

Restock.

-[coworker] It's, like, hot and cold.

-[Reece] It is.

[Reece] So I just started working

at a flower shop.

I've always had this passion for flowers.

I love the art

of how you can create something

through nature

and how pretty flowers are.

It's really been fun

to kind of use my creativity

in something else rather than dance.

It just makes me happy.

If I'm having a bum day,

I'm gonna go buy myself flowers.

Super fun.

-[coworker] Is Will liking Dallas?

-Yeah.

-For sure?

-He is. Yeah. He is. He is.

Will made it out the end of September.

So it's kind of difficult, um

We'll, like, maybe see each other

right before I go to practice

or something, um,

but sometimes, we just cross paths,

and we don't get to see each other.

So we are figuring it out

and making the most out of, um,

just our lives right now. [laughs]

[chatter]

My nails look like I've been

not in a nail salon for ten weeks.

So if anybody's ready

for a nail appointment anytime soon

Always up for nails.

-[Kelli] Okay, can we go to November?

-[woman] Okay.

-Three games.

-[Kelli] One stadium and some Fords.

And then the next week,

we have three rehearsals,

and the game is Thanksgiving,

and artist is not named.

[Judy giggles] But we're giggling.

Probably the highest-profile performance

that the cheerleaders do each year

is our Thanksgiving Day halftime.

Thanksgiving!

I mean, there is nothing more exciting

than Thanksgiving week.

-Cowboys!

-Go, Cowboys!

[Charlotte] When the NFL decided

that they wanted to have a game

on Thanksgiving Day,

there were many teams that

didn't want to play on Thanksgiving Day.

They didn't think they could sell tickets.

I mean, how do you take

the American holiday

and then have everybody come out

for a football game?

So we have to establish a tradition

that becomes a part

of the Dallas Cowboys' culture.

-Happy Thanksgiving!

-From the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders!

[Charlotte] And for the past 27 years

of that time,

this halftime has become

part of that tradition.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

The Thanksgiving game

and being a DCC is, like, extra special.

You get this great entertainer coming in,

and you get to be onstage

with that entertainer.

How cool is that?

[Kelcey] I've performed

with Ellie Goulding, Kane Brown,

Luke Combs, which was one of my favorites,

and last year was Jonas Brothers.

Happy Thanksgiving, America!

We are in our 27th year

of this annual Thanksgiving Day tradition,

where we drop an entertainer

right in the middle of halftime,

have the second largest halftime show

next to the Super Bowl,

with millions of people watching on TV

and of course 90,000 people

in the stands to cheer them on.

It has become an American tradition.

It certainly is

a Dallas Cowboys tradition.

So we're so excited.

And I have to admit

this is a dream of mine.

We have tried for years, uh, to entice her

to come spend Thanksgiving Day with us.

[phone rings]

On Thanksgiving Day,

we get to have Dolly Parton

be our featured halftime performer.

I'll see y'all this Thanksgiving.

[bell ringing softly]

I think this year, having Dolly there,

there's so much excitement and enthusiasm,

and you just want to be perfect for her.

[airplane engine buzzing in the distance]

[birds chirping]

[door squeaks open]

-[Reece] Hello.

-[Judy] Hi.

[Kelli] Hey.

-How are y'all?

-[Judy] We're good. How are you?

-[Kelli] Good.

-Good.

-[Kelli] I got a project for you.

-[Reece] Okay.

-You know Dolly Parton's coming?

-[Reece] Mm-hmm.

And in her book, she talks about

she did her eyebrows

with matchsticks, burned. Ch-ch-ch.

-To get the dark on.

-And her blush was from a pokeberry.

I wanna make a floral arrangement

with pokeberries in it

and put it in Dolly Parton's greenroom

here for the show.

-[Reece] That would be so special.

-Can you look into that?

Oh, absolutely.

Ooh, I like that challenge.

-[Kelli] Okay. Thank you, ma'am.

-Thank you.

She is so delightful.

I almost wanted to ask her,

"When do you cry?"

Get mad. "Do you get mad?"

I get so mad.

It's hard for us sour spirits

to imagine, right?

Being that happy all the time.

No.

[crickets chirping]

[Judy] Five, six, seven, eight.

You hold, two, three, four,

and five, six, seven, and eight.

One, two, three, four,

and five, six, seven, eight.

One, two, back on your yard,

five, six, seven, and eight.

And one, two, and three, four

You're out of line, Elli. seven, stop.

-Bum-ba here? Or bum-ba here?

-[Kelcey] Here.

Okay, that's where

y'all were doing it different.

One, pump, two, three, four, and five

-[Kelcey] Six, seven Sorry.

-[Judy] What was weird about that?

Just think of it more of just, like,

a cross to the corner in place.

[gentle, dreamy music playing]

That make sense?

Whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Arm down or up?

Jada, you're up. Most people are down.

I don't know which it is.

You're turned to the front.

If you moved off-center,

you need to move off-center.

So you would go over here,

and then you'd move back.

Everybody move in one yard, one yard.

Does that look separated enough,

or it looked better the other way?

I'd have to see them dancing in opposition

to know, 'cause now it

[Kelli singing] 9 to 5 ♪

[vocalizes musical flourish]

-Three.

-Boom.

-Feet go out on three?

-Yes, ma'am.

[Kelli] I'm seeing and a three,

and I'm seeing three.

And and-y and a three

-[Judy] And it splits your yard.

-Yeah.

-[Judy] Victoria.

-Yes, ma'am?

-A couple of times you made arm mistakes.

-Yes, ma'am.

-Do you know what I'm talking about?

-Yes.

-[Judy] Ma'am.

-Yes, ma'am.

-Sorry.

-So who's confused?

Is anyone confused?

9 to 5 ♪

9 to 5 ♪

[Dolly on recording] Good job!

[Judy] Good job!

-[Kelli] That was better.

-[Judy] There you go.

The tree! Aw!

-I love the Christmas tree.

-Wait!

Is that a new star?

It's so exciting.

[music fades]

Something crystal and cute.

-What did you just finish?

-We just went here.

And it goes [vocalizes song rhythm]

That's what we did, but we can

-They can go

-I might like that.

-I do too. I like power pose better.

-This? Okay.

[chatter]

Y'all, gather around the tree, please,

if you can, just real quick.

No, come sit. This is a sit talk.

As we approach Thanksgiving,

I would be remiss as your leader

if I didn't tell y'all something

that bothered me

that could spill over into this week.

We asked y'all on Sunday

to write cards for James.

James has had a stroke.

His life is in danger.

Ten of you did not write cards.

That's not who we are.

We're better than that.

But I also

Kleine, you just said something,

"Where's my ornament?"

-Kleine, where are you?

-Right here.

Before you say, "Where's my ornament?"

-Where are you?

-Right here.

[Kelli] Why don't you first thank Michele

for coming up here by herself

and putting this tree together?

Why don't we thank people first

before we think of ourselves?

What has happened?

Seriously.

We need to get back

to thinking about other people.

That's what cheerleaders do.

We take time for James, our bus driver.

We thank Michele

for putting up the Christmas tree.

So I just wanna recalibrate

during Thanksgiving,

when it's a time for us to be thankful

for life and time.

That you guys take that seriously,

and you're not so busy being camera-ready

that you're not heart-ready.

We're doing the best we can.

I'm only saying that now,

'cause we're about to be

with Dolly Parton's management,

and we're about to make changes.

They're moving things.

It puts a lot of pressure on Judy,

and I put pressure on Judy,

so it's a lot of pressure.

So it's not the time to ask Judy,

"Where's my ornament?"

Or, "Where's my vegetarian meal?"

It's just not the time.

-[women] Yes, ma'am.

-[Kelli] Okay.

Let's go.

[woman] Kelcey, are you gonna bring

[indistinct chatter]

["Promiscuous" by Nelly Furtado

playing faintly in locker room]

[Kelli] Kleine.

I just want you to know

that I was really hurt. Um Sorry. It's

But I'm just, um

I'm grateful for every opportunity

I'm given, um, on this team,

but it's always really scary, um

trying to come in here

and be the best I can be and perfect.

So cumulatively, my only advice to you is

it's just your timing.

Could you not ask Judy

where your Christmas ornament is

when Judy's five minutes

from her highest pressure rehearsal?

-It's just the timing.

-Yes, ma'am.

It's not who you are, and it's not

a judgment of your character.

It's timing.

-Do you mind if I have a moment?

-Have a moment.

-We love you.

-Thank you for talking to me.

Don't unbold yourself.

I don't plan on it. [laughs]

You're about to have to go be a rock star.

I'll give you a minute, okay?

[chatter continues nearby]

-Are you okay?

-No.

What happened?

[Kleine whispers] I'm just like

[sniffles]

I'm just so frustrated.

But you know your intentions were pure,

and you, like, didn't mean

anything behind it,

and we all know that.

So regardless

of how it came off or whatever

I mean, you're distraught.

But we know your character.

We know that you meant nothing by that.

And as long as you spoke your heart

and told her that you meant nothing by it,

that's all that you can do.

Yeah.

-But, um

-Come on

[speaking indistinctly]

[traffic humming]

[birds chirping]

[knocking on door]

[James] Nobody's home.

[Kelli laughs]

-[James guffaws]

-[gasps]

-Look at you!

-Girl. What're you doing, darling?

-You look good. You're up.

-You doing all right? I appreciate it.

Oh my God! Look at those red socks.

Well, yeah.

You look good, James.

You look so much better

than last time I saw you.

I'm still a little bit unsteady,

but right now, they're looking

at sending me home at, uh

-Friday.

-You're kidding.

Hang on one second. Don't don't get up.

I'm gonna ask your nurse a question.

Well, they'll get on me

if I stood up without one of them around.

[chuckles]

Your doctor had orders to cheer you up.

-Hi, James.

-So here we are.

Y'all could give me a heart attack

in here.

-No!

-Oh, no! No!

We brought you some holiday cheer

to spruce up your room.

-[James cries softly]

-[gasps]

Let me take your phone.

[tender, sentimental music playing]

I had to make sure the doctors knew

you weren't telling stories

that you're cheerleader family.

[James] I am.

[Kelli] We wanted to decorate your room

a little for Christmas if that's okay.

-[James] Okay.

-Yes.

-[Kelli] One, two, three.

-[laughing]

It actually looks great.

-Perfect.

-Okay.

Here. And so you won't forget me,

'cause you will

Oh, I never can forget you.

[laughter]

[music fades]

Are you excited for Dolly P?

[Anna Kate] Oh, yeah.

That'll be fun.

Thanksgiving's really special because,

like, you're with your best friends,

and in the locker room,

usually everyone goes around

and says what they're thankful for.

-Mm.

-You can say, "I'm thankful for a sister

who allowed me to move in with her

for five months

while she was really going through it."

-Mm-hmm.

-"And yet, she continued to smile

and make me just feel

so loved and appreciated."

Uh-huh.

But sometimes, I feel like you're not

very empathetic of my life right now.

-I am.

-It's, like, so, like

It went from being one thing

to, like, completely different so fast.

The audition process, I was so involved

with you. We were practicing.

And now, it's kind of like

this is your life now,

and mine's not that, which is okay,

but sometimes, I think that's, like,

emotionally kind of drained me.

Did I tell you I'm doing the Turkey Trot

in the morning?

-Yes. Is that three miles?

-Yep.

Are you walking?

Do you think I'm running?

You could maybe trot.

[Caroline] I have to, like,

romanticize my life.

Because I'm not on the team anymore

doing fun things, I have to

"Romanticize"?

Yeah, like, make it, like, cool.

[Anna Kate] So go run a Turkey Trot?

Instead of waking up on Thanksgiving

and doing nothing.

-[Anna Kate] You could watch the parade.

-Yeah, I'll do that too.

[groans]

It's time to have our own space.

Yeah. I'm really ready.

[gentle music playing]

[music builds slowly]

[bright, cheery music playing]

So, in her book,

she talked about back in the day

pokeberries.

"Mashed pokeberries straight from the vine

were my go-to for rouge."

And then, "I used the burnt tips

of Mama's kitchen matches"

So she would

She'd do that,

and then do that,

then do her beauty spot and eyebrows.

Ouch! Would that hurt?

[Kelli] Well, no, she just used it

once it was not hot.

Not hot.

Hi there. How are you?

Oh boy, that's sweet! Wow!

-Hi. How are you?

-[Reece] Hi, Miss Dolly.

-Oh my God! Well, I saw that.

-That's So

I thought that was one of my g*ng.

Here's your matches

for your eyebrows. That's what

And here's your pokeberries

for your blush.

I used to put them on my lips,

and Daddy'd try to get it off.

I'd say, "It's my natural color.

It won't come off."

He said, "Natural color, my butt!"

[laughter]

I never thought I'd be sharing bustlines

with Dolly Parton.

-My gosh!

-[Dolly] Well, we're doing all right.

-[man] Looking right here. One, two

-Okay.

If someone had said,

"Hey, let's write Kelli's biggest dreams,

and let's have them all happen

in one week,"

that's what happened.

-Thank you.

-See you later.

[Kelli] Man, you talk about

an incredible artist

that works so hard,

and is so pleasant, and cute,

and adorable, and loved by everyone.

Our cheerleaders are called

America's Sweethearts,

and Dolly is America's Sweetheart.

I mean, it's like

you couldn't have written this.

All right, now it's time to get serious.

Here we go, DCC!

And a one, two, three, and four,

five, six, seven, and eight.

One, two, three, four,

five, six, seven, eight.

[baby babbling]

-[woman] Pepaw.

-[Jerry] Okay. Well, I understand.

-It's all right, baby.

-[woman] It's naptime.

Yeah, of course.

Jerry, what's been

your favorite Thanksgiving halftime

you've been a part of with the Cowboys?

-Beyoncé.

-[Victoria] Beyoncé?

-Mine too, Jerry.

-That's so cool.

-That was when she was a Destiny's Child.

-[woman] Oh, yeah.

[Jerry] And it was really cold.

So they opened up Neiman Marcus

and got each one of them a fur coat.

Oh, wow!

They went out

and did their thing in fur coats.

-[woman] From Neiman Marcus that morning.

-That is so cool.

-That's awesome.

-That's awesome.

[gentle, dreamy music playing]

[man] Go, Cowboys!

Back, back. One, and two.

[crowd cheering]

[woman] Yes!

[cheering continues]

-[music fades]

-[crowd shouting]

Stand by. Stand by, guys.

[cheering]

-Go.

-Go.

There they go.

[cheering]

Oh my God!

-[woman] Dolly's in that star.

-[Tina] Yes.

There she is. You can't miss her.

In her hot pink.

You can't miss her.

She looks like Barbie.

Six, five, four, three, two, one.

To video.

[announcer] Please welcome

global superstar and rock star,

Dolly Parton.

[thunderous cheering]

Well, I know everybody's off

eating turkey and dressing,

and I know you ain't working today,

but I bet we got

a lot of nine-to-fivers out there.

Am I right?

I wrote a song for you.

You gonna help me out?

Let's go.

Well, I tumble out of bed

♪ And I stumble to the kitchen ♪

♪ Pour myself a cup of ambition ♪

Yawn and stretch

♪ And try to come to life ♪

I jump in the shower

♪ And the blood starts pumpin' ♪

Out on the streets

♪ The traffic starts jumpin' ♪

With folks like me

♪ On the job from 9 to 5 ♪

♪ Everybody! ♪

Workin' 9 to 5

♪ What a way to make a livin' ♪

Barely getting by

♪ It's all takin' and no givin' ♪

They just use your mind

♪ And they never give you credit ♪

It's enough to drive you crazy

If you let it ♪

♪ 9 to 5, for service and devotion ♪

You would think that I

♪ Would deserve a fair promotion ♪

Want to move ahead

♪ But the boss won't seem to let me ♪

I swear sometimes

♪ That man is out to get me ♪

♪ 9 to 5 ♪

♪ 9 to 5 ♪

Good job!

[cacophonous cheering]

[Kelcey] Oh my gosh!

Good job!

All right, let's go, team. Go! Go! Go!

Pull on the front side.

-Go!

-Go! Go! Go!

Sound crew's not gonna make it. Let's go!

Go! Go! Go!

-["Pepas" by Farruko playing]

-[Kelcey] Five, six, seven, eight.

[DJ EJ] Aw, hey!

["Pepas" continues]

Oh my God! Did y'all know

she was coming out in that?

-Everybody's jaw dropped.

-My friends are saying the same thing.

They're like, "Is Dolly in a DCC outfit?"

I think she surprised everybody.

Her waist is tinier

than all of those girls'.

Don't you think she surprised everybody?

I have friends

now wanting Dolly's uniform.

Here's a former cheerleader.

"Brilliant. Dolly. So proud."

She's with who?

-Somebody inappropriately touched Sophy.

-My phone

And she's in the hallway

talking to a policeman.

Giving a report.

-Okay.

-You wanna know that now?

Or no?

-She's talking to the right people.

-I thought you'd wanna

[Shelly] They told me to let you know.

She's right here in the hallway.

-Who?

-[Shelly] Sophy.

No. Who?

A cameraman inappropriately touched her,

and she's identifying him,

and she's giving a statement to the police

right here in the hallway

with stadium ops

and Arlington police officer.

[tense, dramatic music playing]

[solemn, dramatic music playing]

[music fades]