Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest revision: June 6, 2022
This is Part II of a two part cocojams2 series on four cheers that were featured in two movies in the "Bring It On" cheerleader movies series.
Part II provides information about the Bring It On series of cheerleader movies and provides examples of what I believe are the African American sources of five cheers that are featured in two of those Bring It On cheerleader movies.
YouTube video clips and text examples of those cheers from the Bring It On movies series are also included in this post.
Click http://cocojams2.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-influence-of-bring-it-on-movies-on.html for Part I of this series. The purpose of Part I is to document in part the cultural impact of Bring It On cheerleader movies specifically with regard to their inclusion of African American originated cheers and their use of modified forms of African American cheer performance styles.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, and recreational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all persons quoted in this post and thanks to all persons who are featured in these embedded videos. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.s
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DISCLAIMER
These posts aren't meant to be an endorsement or a promotion of the Bring It On movie series. On the contrary, I have serious concerns about those movies' reliance on stereotypical depictions of African Americans, Latinas, those movies' stereotypical references to gays, and those movies' use of profanity.
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EDITOR'S NOTE ABOUT THE COMMENT FEATURE ON THIS BLOG
With considerable regret, I have disabled the comment feature on cocojams2 blogs (and on my other blogs except for https://pancocojams.blogspot.com, because of the large number of spam comments that I received on those blogs.
Comments for those blogs can be sent to my email address azizip17 dot com at yahoo dot com for possible inclusion in a specific post on those blogs.
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OVERVIEW
"Bring It On is a 2000 American teen cheerleading comedy film
directed by Peyton Reed and written by Jessica Bendinger. The film stars
Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford, and Gabrielle Union. It was the
first of the Bring It On film series and was followed by five direct-to-video
sequels, none of which contain any of the original cast members: Bring It On
Again (2004), which shared producers with the original, Bring It On: All or
Nothing (2006), Bring It On: In It to Win It (2007), Bring It On: Fight to the
Finish (2009), and Bring It On: Worldwide Cheersmack (2017). The plot of the
film centers around a team's preparation for and participation in cheerleading
competitions.
Bring It On was released in theaters in the North America on
August 25, 2000. Bring It On earned a worldwide gross of approximately $90
million. Since its release, the film has become a cult classic.[2]
-snip-
The first movie in that series, produced in 2000, is often highly acclaimed in the teenage cheerleader movie genre http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bring_It_On_(film). And, according to a 2008 Wall Street Journal article that is cited in "Bring It On"'s Wikipedia page, "Outside of the United States, American-style cheerleading is sometimes referred to as Bring It On-style cheerleading." However, "Bring It On" style cheers are either exact versions of or modified versions of certain African American cheers, rhymes, or chants or are patterned after those African American originated cheers, rhymes, or chants.
The first movie in that series, produced in 2000, is often highly acclaimed in the teenage cheerleader movie genre http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bring_It_On_(film). And, according to a 2008 Wall Street Journal article that is cited in "Bring It On"'s Wikipedia page, "Outside of the United States, American-style cheerleading is sometimes referred to as Bring It On-style cheerleading." However, "Bring It On" style cheers are either exact versions of or modified versions of certain African American cheers, rhymes, or chants or are patterned after those African American originated cheers, rhymes, or chants.
Furthermore, the hip shaking, stomping movements that often accompany the performance of "Bring It On" style cheers are attempts to duplicate, or exaggerate or otherwise modify the performance styles of those American originated cheers, rhymes, or chants.
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INFORMATION ABOUT AND EXAMPLES OF THESE CHEERS
(given in no particular order and numbered for referencing purpose only)
1. U.G.L.Y.
"U.G.L.Y." is an example of a dissing (insulting), confrontational cheer. Some versions of that rhyme also include the self-bragging verse "C.U.T.I.E".
The U.G.L.Y cheer was performed by the characters Daphne and Celeste on the soundtrack of the 2000 Bring It On cheerleader movie. These lyrics are found on a number of websites, including http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/bringiton/ugly.htm. A brief snippet of U.G.L.Y. is heard in the beginning of "Bring It On's version of the cheer "Brr It's Cold In Here". A video of that movie clip is given below in the segment on the "Brr It's Cold In Here" chant.
Another version of U-G-L-Y was recorded in 1985 by Fishbone. The lyrics to that version are also found on a number of websites, including ://www.asklyrics.com/display/Fishbone/Ugly_Lyrics/121714.htm
An example of the U.G.L.Y. cheer was also included in the 1986 American movie "Wildcats".
Here's a clip of that scene:
U.G.L.Y. You ain't got no aliby, you're ugly!
jennifercarey7033, Uploaded on May 11, 2006
A hilarious scene from the 1986 movie "Wildcats" with Goldie Hawn.
-snip-
In that movie an urban school's African American cheerleading squad chanted the cheer during a football game.
-snip-
In 2006, Guest Spain, a contributor to the "I'm Rubber. You're Glue: Children's Rhymes" thread of the online folk music forum Mudcat wrote "I heard the "ugly" chant in Boston in various summer camps in the late [19]70s. I've always assumed its even older than that". http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=81350&messages=221.
In 2003 I collected a version of U.G.L.Y from Janell, an African American woman from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Janell told me that her predominately African American high school's cheerleaders chanted this rhyme before it was featured in that 1986 Wildcat movie. Here's Janell's example and one other example of that cheer:
U-G-L-Y (Version #1)
U-G-L-Y
You ain’t got no alibi
You're ugly
What? What?
You’re ugly.
M-O-M-M-A
That is how you got that way
Your Momma yeah yeah
Your Momma
-Janell H (African American woman), from her memories of high school cheerleader cheers in Pittsburgh,PA in the mid to late 1980s; collected by Azizi Powell in 2003
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U-G-L-Y (Version #2)
U-G-L-Y.
You don't have an alibi.
You UGLY.
Yea Yea.You UGLY.
M-A-M-A.
How you think you got that way
YO MAMA.
Yea Yea. YO MAMA.
D-A-D-D-Y.
You don't even know that guy.
YO DADDY.
Yea Yea. YO DADDY.
C-U-T-E.
Don't you wish you looked like me.
I'm CUTE.
Yea Yea I'm CUTE
-Coach Kasey; 8/25/2006
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Although I can't proof that this cheer originated with African Americans, the cheer's use of African American Vernacular English (i.e. "yo" -in the context of this example- means "your), its confrontational, self-bragging content, and the fact that the media chose Black characters to perform that cheer points to its African American roots.
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BRR IT'S COLD IN HERE
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0204946/ gives this summary for the plot of the 2000 movie Bring It On:"A champion high school cheerleading squad discovers its previous captain stole all their best routines from an inner-city school and must scramble to compete at this year's championships."
-end of quote-
"Inner-city" is a euphemism for "African American".
"Brr It's Cold In Here" was the cheer that revealed that those Toros routines were stolen from the Clovers.
Here's a transcription of that cheer from the DVD of that movie:
[The Toros version]
"Ready girls?"
I said brr it’s cold in here
I said there must be Toros in the atmosphere
I said brr it’s cold in here
I said there must be Toros in the atmosphere
I said OEOEO ice ice ice
I said OEOEO ice ice ice
[Clover version]
"Do your thing Isis!"
I said brr it’s cold in here
There must be some Clovers in the atmosphere
I said brr it’s cold in here
There must be some Clovers in the atmosphere
I said OEOEO ice ice ice
Slow it down
OEOEO ice ice ice
Here we go
Source: Bring It On Cheers http://victory-star04.tripod.com/bringiton.html
-snip-
"Isis" is the captain of the Clovers cheerleader squad.
Here's a video of that scene from that movie:
Brr It's Cold In Here 2000
Posted by flaco258 — January 14, 2009
ESTE ES EL VIDEO DE TRIUNFOS ROBADOS DONDE LOS TOROS LE ROBAN LA PORRA A LOS CLOVERS
-snip-
Translated from Spanish to standard English = "This is the video in which the Clovers do the chant that they stole from the Toros.
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THE APHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC. SOURCE OF "BRR IT'S COLD IN HERE"
"Ooh it's cold in here" is a line from a signature chant of the historically Black (African American) Greek letter fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Several A Phi A chants include the words "oooh it's cold in here"; "ice ice ice, too cold too cold", and "ice ice baby". Those A Phi A chants were performed before the 2000 Bring It On movie and before the 1989 hit song "Ice Ice Baby" by White American rapper Vanilla Ice (with its "ice ice baby/too cold too cold" refrain).
Furthermore, the "O E O E O" phrase (which is also given as "owee owee o" and similarly spelled words) that are often found in examples of "Brr It's Cold In Here" are from the 1984 R&B song "Jungle Love" by Morris Day & The Times.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/07/ice-ice-baby-and-other-examples-of.html for the pancocojams posts entitled "Ice Ice Baby" And Other Examples Of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity "Ice Cold" Chants And Motifs"
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SHABOOYA ROLL CALL & INTRODUCE YOURSELF
Two cheers from the 2006 movie Bring It On:All Or Nothing can be categorized as "Introduce Yourself" cheers "Shabooya Roll Call" and "Introduce Yourself".
A. SHABOOYA ROLL CALL
"Shabooya Roll Call", the first cheer that is performed in Bring It On:All Or Nothing may be one of the most widely known cheers from any of the Bring It On movies.
Here's a video clip of that cheer: [This video replaces one that was no longer available.]
Shabooya: Dancing On Duh Table
iluzyoo, April 3, 2011
This scene is a very modified version of the movements that would occur if "Shabooya Roll Call" was actually performed outside of the movies. First of all, students wouldn't be allowed to dance on the lunch table. But besides that, the textual pattern and the bragging/insulting words of the cheer fit the confrontational style of that foot stomping cheer. However, the way it is performed is waaay off. There's actually very little foot stomping and hand clapping done. Instead, the emphasis is on the girls looking and sounding tough (and/or sexy), strutting in front of each other facing their audience.
The discussion thread for that particular 2011 YouTube video includes lots of "Shabooyas" that the commenters shared. Many of them fit the bragging/ insulting others (and not yourself or your family) pattern of "Shabooya Roll Call". Other examples miss the assignment.
Here's my transcription of the words to Bring It On: All Or Nothing's version of "Shabooya Roll Call"
Camille: Here we go now!
Camille, Kirresha, Leti: [starts dance routine]
Sha boo ya sha sha sha boo ya. Roll call.
Sha boo ya sha sha sha boo ya. Roll call.
Leti: My name is Le ti.
Group: Yeah
I like to par ty
Group: Yeah.
And when I shake it,
Group: Yeah
the boys say "ay ma mi!".
Camille, Kirresha, Leti: Sha boo ya sha sha sha boo ya. Roll call.
Camille: My name Camille.
Group: Yeah
Give you three wishes.
Group: Yeah
You see me shake it,
Group: Yeah
'cause I'm de li cious.
Camille, Kirresha, Leti: Sha boo ya sha sha sha boo ya. Roll call.
Kirresha: My name Kir re sha.
Group: Yeah
Get out my face.
Group: Yeah
'Cause when I shake it,
Group: Yeah
it's like an earth quake.
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SHABOOYA ROLL CALL FROM SPIKE LEE'S 1966 MOVIE "GET ON THE BUS"
The earliest example of "Shabooya Roll Call" that I have found is in Spike Lee's 1996 movie "Get On The Bus".
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/01/right-rhyming-pattern-for-shabooya-roll.html for a pancocojams post on Shabooya Roll Call that includes the text of that "Get On The Bus" version of that chant as well as the text of Bring It On: All Or Nothing's version of that cheer. That post also includes comments about the correct structural and rhyming pattern for "Shabooya Roll Call" cheers.
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B. INTRODUCE YOURSELF FROM "BRING IT ON: ALL OR NOTHING"
Here's a video clip of "introduce Yourself" that is performed in Bring It On: All Or Nothing".
waveandsmile, Jan 4, 2007
-snip-
Britney adds lines from Shabooya Roll Call to her Introduce Yourself chant. However, the movement activity is definitely not the same as that which she observed the three girls performed who did that "dance" and chant upon the lunch room table.
-snip-
AN EXAMPLE OF "INTRODUCE YOURSELF" FROM THE MID 1980S (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
Here's a version of "Introduce Yourself" that I collected from my daughter in the mid 1980s:
Group: Hey, Shaquala!
Soloist #1: Yo! *
Group: Innn-TRO-duce yourself.
Soloist #1: No way.
Group: Innn-TRO-duce yourself.
Soloist #1: Okay.
My name is Shaquala.
Group: Hey! Hey!
Soloist #1:They call me Quala.
Group: Hey! Hey!
Soloist #1: My sign is Aries.
Group: Hey! Hey!
Soloist #1: I like to dance.
Group: Hey! Hey!
Soloist #1: I wanna be a dancer for the rest of my life.
-T.M.P.; Pittsburgh, PA mid. 1980s; transcribed from audio tape by Azizi Powell, 1997
Repeat the entire cheer from the beginning with the next soloist. Each soloist substitutes her first name or nickname and provides information in the same categories such as her first name, her nickname, her astrological sun sign, what she likes to do. The cheer continues from the beginning until every member of the group has had one turn as soloist.
* When the African American interjection "Yo!" was dropped from usage in the late 1980s, the soloist's part was changed to “What?”; These words were spoken in a scornful "what are you botherin me for" tone, and not in a questioning manner.
** The word "introduce" was elongated so that it was pronounced "innn-TRO-duce".
It appears that many cheers that were chanted in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (and elsewhere) in the 1980s and 1990s are no longer chanted -and may not even be remembered. However, in 2006 I collected this example of "Introduce Yourself" from an African American girl who lives in the same neighborhood of Pittsburgh that my daughter lived in (and where I still live):
Introduce yourself
to shy
introduce yourself
I try
my name (say your name)
yeah
I cheer for (say who you cheer for)
my sign is (say your sign)
and when I'm up I'm hot stuff
And when I'm down don't mess around
and when I'm me don't scream or shout
or you'll get knocked out!
-De'ajaih; (African American girl; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), collected by Azizi Powell, 5/16/2006
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Camille: Here we go now!
Camille, Kirresha, Leti: [starts dance routine]
Sha boo ya sha sha sha boo ya. Roll call.
Sha boo ya sha sha sha boo ya. Roll call.
Leti: My name is Le ti.
Group: Yeah
I like to par ty
Group: Yeah.
And when I shake it,
Group: Yeah
the boys say "ay ma mi!".
Camille, Kirresha, Leti: Sha boo ya sha sha sha boo ya. Roll call.
Camille: My name Camille.
Group: Yeah
Give you three wishes.
Group: Yeah
You see me shake it,
Group: Yeah
'cause I'm de li cious.
Camille, Kirresha, Leti: Sha boo ya sha sha sha boo ya. Roll call.
Kirresha: My name Kir re sha.
Group: Yeah
Get out my face.
Group: Yeah
'Cause when I shake it,
Group: Yeah
it's like an earth quake.
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SHABOOYA ROLL CALL FROM SPIKE LEE'S 1966 MOVIE "GET ON THE BUS"
The earliest example of "Shabooya Roll Call" that I have found is in Spike Lee's 1996 movie "Get On The Bus".
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/01/right-rhyming-pattern-for-shabooya-roll.html for a pancocojams post on Shabooya Roll Call that includes the text of that "Get On The Bus" version of that chant as well as the text of Bring It On: All Or Nothing's version of that cheer. That post also includes comments about the correct structural and rhyming pattern for "Shabooya Roll Call" cheers.
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B. INTRODUCE YOURSELF FROM "BRING IT ON: ALL OR NOTHING"
Here's a video clip of "introduce Yourself" that is performed in Bring It On: All Or Nothing".
Bring It On All or Nothing - Introduce Yourself!
waveandsmile, Jan 4, 2007
-snip-
Britney adds lines from Shabooya Roll Call to her Introduce Yourself chant. However, the movement activity is definitely not the same as that which she observed the three girls performed who did that "dance" and chant upon the lunch room table.
-snip-
AN EXAMPLE OF "INTRODUCE YOURSELF" FROM THE MID 1980S (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
Here's a version of "Introduce Yourself" that I collected from my daughter in the mid 1980s:
Group: Hey, Shaquala!
Soloist #1: Yo! *
Group: Innn-TRO-duce yourself.
Soloist #1: No way.
Group: Innn-TRO-duce yourself.
Soloist #1: Okay.
My name is Shaquala.
Group: Hey! Hey!
Soloist #1:They call me Quala.
Group: Hey! Hey!
Soloist #1: My sign is Aries.
Group: Hey! Hey!
Soloist #1: I like to dance.
Group: Hey! Hey!
Soloist #1: I wanna be a dancer for the rest of my life.
-T.M.P.; Pittsburgh, PA mid. 1980s; transcribed from audio tape by Azizi Powell, 1997
Repeat the entire cheer from the beginning with the next soloist. Each soloist substitutes her first name or nickname and provides information in the same categories such as her first name, her nickname, her astrological sun sign, what she likes to do. The cheer continues from the beginning until every member of the group has had one turn as soloist.
* When the African American interjection "Yo!" was dropped from usage in the late 1980s, the soloist's part was changed to “What?”; These words were spoken in a scornful "what are you botherin me for" tone, and not in a questioning manner.
** The word "introduce" was elongated so that it was pronounced "innn-TRO-duce".
It appears that many cheers that were chanted in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (and elsewhere) in the 1980s and 1990s are no longer chanted -and may not even be remembered. However, in 2006 I collected this example of "Introduce Yourself" from an African American girl who lives in the same neighborhood of Pittsburgh that my daughter lived in (and where I still live):
Introduce yourself
to shy
introduce yourself
I try
my name (say your name)
yeah
I cheer for (say who you cheer for)
my sign is (say your sign)
and when I'm up I'm hot stuff
And when I'm down don't mess around
and when I'm me don't scream or shout
or you'll get knocked out!
-De'ajaih; (African American girl; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), collected by Azizi Powell, 5/16/2006
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Visitor comments are welcome.
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