Charlotte Jones on the Dallas Cheerleaders, Superbowl Halftime Shows, & Taylor Swift | The Katie Miller Podcast Ep.14

22:40I'm not sure if they figured out what football is yet, but they want to watch and now they're interested. And that's the greatest part about our game. Do you think it's hurt with legacy fans? You know what? I don't think it's hurt with legacy fans. I think there's always room for more fans. And at the end of the day, the game is the game. It's not affecting the product on the field. You know, if you would rather see a replay versus a flash of her in the stands, well, you know what?

23:05Katie Miller:You can watch it also on your handheld and find another shot there. What are your thoughts on Bad Bunny performing at this year's Super Bowl? I think it's awesome. And I think our Latina fan base is amazing. And I think when you think about the Super Bowl, you want the number one performer in the world to be there. We're on a global stage, and we can't ever forget that. Our game goes out to everybody around the world. And to get the premier entertainer to want to be a part of our game, I think, is amazing. And I think that, you know, we have a mixed culture. I mean, our whole society is based on immigrants that have come here and founded our country.

23:47And I think we can celebrate that. And I think the show is going to be amazing.

23:52Katie Miller:You don't think at a time when his comments were divisive as it relates to President Trump, when everyone is just seeking this political unification, that you'd want somebody who maybe didn't touch politics to be on that stage? Yeah, I don't think our game is about politics. I don't think people tune in to look at politics. We do everything we can to avoid politics. And I think in that moment that people will be watching the game, they'll be celebrating music, and nobody will be thinking about what's comments on the left side, what comments on the right side, that this is about bringing people together.

24:23Katie Miller:Over the past few years, the NFL has taken steps to be more socially conscious. Do you think that's a place that football should be, or do you think it should just be, again, what you've just said, which is about the game and leaving politics at the door? No, we have always, with the Cowboys, always felt strongly that politics should never enter our game. If we did so, we would divide half of this stadium. We are not in the 50-50. 51 % doesn't win for us. We want to have 99 % that cheer for us. So we're in, we support, we want everybody to support us and to support our game. So we don't think we have a place for politics.

25:01Katie Miller:As I've mentioned throughout this interview, the Cowboys are known as America's team in a time when our country is as divisive as it's ever been, what does America's team and that branding mean to the Cowboys organization? You know, I think it's super important for us. I mean, we've never called ourselves that, but we have certainly taken on that mantle and felt like we need to represent every voice that's here in this country. And to be able to present our game in a way that is inclusive, to do so in a way that entices a young fan and then celebrates the elderly that are here that choose to be a part of why they come to see this sport.

25:43You know, our game is a respite. People come here to leave their problems at home. They don't want to come here and emphasize the things that they're trying to get away from. They want to come here and they want to celebrate. They want to meet people. They want to feel better about themselves. They want to see people working hard on the field, persevering, getting up after they've gotten knocked down. I mean, that's the genesis of what our game is all about. And that's the inspiration. So that's what we're trying to do. We're trying to inspire people. We're trying to motivate people. And we're trying to give them just a break from all of the problems that they have so they can come here and celebrate.

26:21Katie Miller:There's been a lot of viral jumbotron moments that we've seen on the Internet across stadiums. Do you remember your funniest viral jumbotron moment you've seen here at AT &T Stadium? I don't know if we should reveal all of that. I think it's great. And, you know, you can't get away with anything on that screen. No, it's very large. I was curious if you've ever seen a good kiss cam. We've had lots of great kiss cams. We've had a lot of great proposals. You know, I think that's always great. It's always amazing to me how many people want to get engaged here or want to get married here or want to memorialize a loved one here.

27:04It's really amazing, but it also, I think, speaks to how important that is. I think we've always felt that we're a part of people's culture and that we're more of like a lifestyle as opposed to a brand. Like, this is our job is to bring people together. Have you ever had someone spread their ashes here? Yes, we have. Yes, we actually have. Where do they go?

27:28Katie Miller:Right out there on that star. Really? And as a matter of fact, yes. Does it get like vacuumed up? And I did not know what they were doing until we walked up and realized what they were doing. And I was afraid we were stepping on Uncle Joe. And I'm like, oh my gosh, what do we do? You know, it's like some of those things are not planned. You're not always aware of everything that is going on. And then all of a sudden, you know, it happens that we let them finish. And then, you know, we handled it. So when I was launching the Katie Miller podcast, when everyone had said, put together your list of who you want to interview, you ended up on like my original list of people that I wanted for my podcast.

28:05Katie Miller:And I will share with you. I share with you briefly before we started. But I've been a fan of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders making the team since it was on CMT in 2006. I love it. I love it. I am not coordinated. I could not do a jump split. I can't even dance. There is no bit of coordination to be found in my body. But yet, I think every year I could do a jump split and sure enough, I could make the team. I could not indeed make the team. So on that, what made you... I love that. I love it. I love it. And for all those watching out there, yes, Stephen Miller has also seen every episode of Cheerleaders Making the Team.

28:42He needs to be a judge, baby.

28:45Katie Miller:What made you decide that it was time to move on from CMT to Netflix when CMT was a much different show than what you see on Netflix? Yeah, you know, I think that basically is the change of media. You know, at some point, and we had been, you know, such great partners with CMT, and then they just couldn't do it again. And, you know, I think that that speaks to the landscape of media and where it's evolving and now how most things are becoming, you know, digital in the age of streaming. That that was it was we needed to make a change and they needed to make a change. So we had a great mutual departure from each other.

29:26And then we thought, you know, I wonder if anybody else might be interested in this. And we led that process that found us at the door to Netflix. And, you know, I'm not sure that they truly understood what this could be. And I have to be completely honest. I don't know that I really was counting on the incredible support that it would have and that how it would just kind of blow up and become really a part of people's everyday culture and their vibe and that they would get so involved and engaged in all of our cheerleaders. Now, I will say this. The hope was certainly there because from the beginning, my hope for the show was that you would really see who these young women were and how hard they worked.

30:21And it kind of goes back to your prior question of do people like women's sports? Do they like to see it? Well, when you see women work so hard and they're great at their craft and they are the best of their peers and they're so passionate about what they're doing and they know that this is like this is my moment to do this. And then I've got to move on with my life into to something else that that you want them to celebrate it. You want people to actually understand what it takes to be a part of that. So I was hopeful that if people heard their stories and saw their stories, that they would really gravitate to that.

30:59I would definitely say it succeeded our expectations.

31:03Katie Miller:The CMT version felt very much like pageant meets boot camp. And while Netflix has definitely delved more into the humanity and emotion of the moment. Yes. Was that intentional or was that just a change in production? You know, I think that was definitely a change in production. And, you know, when we first met the director, you know, Greg was just he was super upfront and honest about I want to tell the stories. I want the the lives of these women. Like we need to know what makes them tick so people can relate to their journey. And there was a lot of trust with him because, you know, we have zero control and edit control, which most people wouldn't do this.

31:48And I think it also kind of speaks to how we think about innovation. You know, we do a lot of the things that people would never take a risk to do. This is one of them. And I think, you know, trusting that that director is really after who the people are versus just wanting to make a story is important. And I think he's been able to pull that out of these women and show their journeys. And I think that's why people gravitate to it, because it's so authentic.

32:19Katie Miller:When you saw America's Sweethearts for the first time, what was your reaction to it? Not knowing how the product was going to turn out. Yeah. And I think that's the other surprise is I saw it when everybody else saw it. This is, oh, my gosh. Well, there was so much. I learned so much about the women that were on the squad that I never knew. I think that was that was one thing which was great. And then I just appreciated the raw vulnerability. I think it's in a world that they live in that is so glamorous and seems like it's so perfect to be so raw and just that vulnerability. I think that's hard for us to step up and just really, you know, be who we are to a camera and not know who's behind it and what judgment will come beyond that.

33:07And I think it's really pulled that out of a lot of these women and has become a very powerful story for them.

33:16Katie Miller:Over the years, I, like many Americans, have watched the audition process change for the cheerleaders. In a good way. In a good way. Can you talk about how it's evolved from having thousands of women at the doors of the stadium to the COVID era to now it's a much slimmer audition process thanks to social media? Yes, yes. All of it. You know, and I think, I mean, here's the thing. Innovation and evolution is a really good thing. And I think, you know, times change, things change. Who they are changes. And certainly talent changes. And I know, and you can talk to many of them that cheered from the 70s to the 80s and the 90s and beyond, that they say they could never make it today.

34:02That they had a wonderful time while they were here. but the talent level has increased so dramatically. Do you think that's because of social media getting the word out about the quality of the cheerleaders? That and I think watching it on TV. I think seeing it, seeing it on Netflix, seeing it on television of like, oh, wow, these women are true performers. They're true athletes. And yeah, I'm not that skill level, so I'm not going to come out. Or man, they're taking this seriously. Now I want to do it. Just a few more questions down this rabbit hole. I'm sorry. Just a lifelong fan here.

34:40Katie Miller:So when the girls move here now, unlike where they probably were not moving here in 2006, 2007, as the shows become more popular, do you help the women get jobs? Because as it's noted throughout the seasons that this is not their primary job. They have other jobs. Yeah. And that this is a supplemental to their income. Yes. So when they move here, do you all help them with housing and careers and opening doors? That is like a network. So all of that. But I will say, actually, in the early days, too, they came here. We had cheerleaders from Japan. We have cheerleaders from Australia. And that was early on.

35:16So people have been coming from across the country and around the world for a very long time. I think now in the effort to do that. But it's kind of been like that always of, you know, with this not being a full-time job. And I think this is important to know, too, that people that came here, that they weren't just dancers. They were also in, they were pursuing a career in something. Either they were going into medical school or they were wanting to be an attorney or they were in school pursuing their education to go on to do something else. And we didn't want them to have to stop doing that. So we wanted to encourage that.

35:56and then give them opportunities so that they could pursue that as a career once they put their boots up and then they were able to continue in the direction that they set out to in the first place.

36:08Katie Miller:What's been the most controversial moment with the cheerleaders is that fraternization with athletes, is that someone leaving the team for a different reason. I think the cheerleaders have a different set of, I would say, issues than say the team does. Yeah, yeah. You know, I don't know. I think that's evolved over time. I think, you know, early on. And I think it's, I think every squad is different. Every group is different of, you know, what's the issue. You know, I always say that we are a slice of society. So everything that happens in society is pretty much going to happen, you know, on the team and the locker room and their locker room and the players locker room that we're going to we're going to have something, you know, surface.

36:51And I think, you know, there's as we all know, there are a lot of rules, you know, involved in being a cheerleader. And we certainly like to keep the separation of church and state from the team over here and the cheerleaders over here. It's just a better structure and it's a better environment. And I think, though, with the ladies in the locker room, every year there's a new challenge for them. And I wouldn't say any one issue is more significant than the other because they all come around. It just depends on the year.

37:26Katie Miller:The Netflix show reinvigorated the conversation about cheerleader pay. And the Cowboys increased the pay for the cheerleaders by 400%. Do you think other teams should follow suit? And do you feel like that decision was long overdue? And do we credit the Netflix show for bringing that attention more forward? You know, I'm going to credit the women themselves because what I think is what hadn't happened in the past is they brought it to the forefront. And they came in, they were very, you know, thoughtful about this is what we're doing. Can we do this? These are some suggestions. You know, every year we ask for suggestions on improvement of the program.

38:07And this is how they articulated it. They made changes in their scheduling. They made changes in all these things. but they know better. So, you know, they, they showed up and they said, this is, this is what we would like to see happen. And I think we were very responsive to that. And I think, um, a lot of that, um, I, I truly feel like was, was the women who were speaking. And I don't know if it's ever, ever a show or a moment or whatever. I think it's all timing and it's, it's what they're faced with. And I will say this, I will say that the show on Netflix has created a lot more interest and demand on the time of the women.

38:48I mean, there's more appearances, more, more, more, more, more. And all of that is great, but it's also, you know, that's time. So if they're going to be able to do that, we need to adjust that so that they can. And I think we did that.

39:00Katie Miller:Did you guys do away with show group because there are more appearances now? And so more women are being called upon for an equal distribution of time? So I love that you know that there was a show group. Look at you. Good, good, good, good. And for those who don't know, show group was, there was another audition process within the squad to select the most elite of the performers that would go travel and perform at different things around the world, literally. Now, you know what? They're all elite. So almost any one of them could be in that level of performance. And so that has given us a lot more opportunity to kind of divide and let everybody have those unique opportunities to have those other performances that are beyond the ones you see on Sunday.

39:43So I think a little bit of having more opportunity, but I just think the talent level has increased such.

39:50Katie Miller:So on every episode, we've played a game of Would You Rather. I'm going to start with an unscripted one here. Okay. Who would you rather have judged your DCC auditions? Kelly or Judy? If I were auditioning myself? Yes, 100%. Judy. Why? Just because I think, why do I think that? I don't know. I think Judy is more clinical in her evaluation in terms of, I want a performer that does this. And I think I like knowing exactly what I need to do. Kelly, on the other hand, which I think is great because it kind of depends on where you sit. I would say you might want Kelly because Kelly is like, you know what?

40:40You might not have that quite yet, but I see that potential. And you are very interesting to me because, I don't know, you fit something that has caught my eye that I think is interesting. So I want to see if you can do it.

40:54Katie Miller:Would you rather do the iconic Thunderstruck routine, jump splits and all, in front of 100 ,000 fans, or call a play on the sidelines during a live playoff game? Wow, that's a really good question. Well, given my age, if I did the jump splits, I would never come up. So, man, I'm going to call the play. I want to call the play. Would you rather clinch the NFC East every year or host the Super Bowl at AT &T Stadium every five years? Oh, I want to win the Super Bowl. So I want to clinch and I want every opportunity to hoist another trophy. Would you rather wear cowboy boots to a black tie event or six inch heels to a tailgate?

41:33A cowboy boots to a black tie event.

41:37Katie Miller:Would you rather every ref's call go the cowboy's way or every game go into overtime but end in a win? Oh, I'll take the overtime and end in a win as long as I have some heart medicine. If the Super Bowl ever came back to Dallas and you had total creative control, what would your dream halftime look like? Oh, my goodness. My dream halftime. I would throw us back to the days that we pulled different genres together all performing on the same stage. So I'm not sure exactly who I would pick in each one, but I like the blend of all of them because it's something that you never get to see. You can always go see somebody in concert, but you can't see them if they're all performing together.

42:21Katie Miller:What's life been like as a grandma? Oh, it's been the greatest thing ever. It's been the greatest thing ever. I know everybody says it's the greatest stage of your life, but that's an underestimation. What would your daughter-in-law say about you as a mother-in-law? I know there's always a controversy about the mother-in-law, especially as a first grandchild. Yes, and I have been reminded by my sister-in-law, who is a new grandmother, and she's got lots of babies, but it's from her daughters. She's like, when you are the son's mother, you have to sit back and keep your mouth shut. So I've been trying my hardest to sit back and keep my mouth shut.

42:58I'm not really good at that. But I will say this. I have the greatest daughter-in-law. She is so wonderful. And she sent me a text yesterday. She said, I just wanted you to know, I'm listening to a podcast about mothers and mothers that raise wonderful sons that become fathers. and I just wanted to tell you thank you. You've raised a wonderful father.

43:20Katie Miller:That's beautiful. She couldn't have sent me anything any better. That's beautiful. That's beautiful. What's been your best moment of Grandma Hood thus far? Oh, my gosh. Well, they've trusted us enough to get to keep her overnight. So that big moment of, like, from bath time to putting them to sleep and then they wake up early in the morning, I love when they've been asleep for a long time when they're first waking up because little Parker, she's just full of smiles and giggles and sweetness. And then the whole hold you moment. What's the most overrated toy or gadget you've purchased? Overrated?

43:58Katie Miller:For the baby. Maybe everything. I'm like, I think this paper box is better than the toy that I brought.

44:11what's your game day ritual oh my goodness okay so we're we're super superstitious and that usually results in like changing seats if if we're not having a good day um so we changed a lot of seats last week so that was that was not a good day um but i think from the wake up to getting ready. I think the energy around watching all the pregame shows, and I'm a channel surfer, so I try to hit every network, so I'm fully informed of what everyone's saying about us. That's always interesting. And what's happening in every other game. So that kind of gets you motivated and fired up. And then I arrive here at the stadium early, usually three hours before the game.

44:53The cheerleaders are warming up, and then we start the magic of the day. And those couple hours leading before the game are so exciting. They're so intense and they're so full of like such, such hope that everybody there, there's just such an incredible energy and everybody wants to be a part of, of success. So, um, we, you know, that's, those are the greatest moments I think. Who's your favorite sports broadcaster? Oh, I can't pick favorites. Oh my goodness. Well, I like them all. I was about to say one or two of them, but you know what? I can't do that because Because I truly think each network has done such an unbelievable job of finding the very best talent.

45:37As you know, that we have several former Dallas Cowboys that are in the main booth right now in Tony Romo and Troy Aikman. So it's hard not to be a homie. But it is great to get to know these men and the women sideline reporters that are out there. They do such an amazing job. and they're like truly invested in our sport and our game is in their hands. So they're the ones that entice the audiences. So, um, you know, we owe a lot to them. There are unsung heroes.

46:09Katie Miller:Dallas is known to be a city that does glam well and a lot. How often do you get your makeup done versus doing it yourself? As often as I can. I will say this. I do my own makeup a lot. I'm just not good at it at all. Who's your favorite makeup artist or studio in Dallas for the girls watching out there? Oh, my gosh. Well, I don't know. I've got a few of them. So between Matt, Lauren, and Tina, that's my crew. They're all with different ones, and they are fabulous. But we have amazing friends at Charlotte Tilbury. And so my face is brought to you by, which I love. So I get a pile of all this fun stuff.

46:50I don't know where it goes or how to use it. So I always need a guide.

46:54Katie Miller:But I love it. There's nothing more fun than makeup. What's your skincare routine? Okay, so I'm pretty diligent about this. And I'm a big believer in Dr. Obagi. So I kind of have all of that skincare line. So is my mom. So is she really? Yes, she is. Like has done it since I remember. So I don't know. It's like don't mess up a good thing. Yeah, there's steps I've done. there's all that there's some steps so the steps are are important but I I always have to wash my face I would rather like have nothing on my face than something on my face do you ever skip a skincare routine at night or no no what's your keep it clean what's your go-to game day look you know I will say I'm a big fan of leather so you know we kind of we love that shoes are super important.

47:44So, you know, I don't do this six inch, you know, spike tailgate heels, but I, I do do a heel, but it also has to have like a bit of a base on it. Can't be spiky because

47:53Katie Miller:you sink out there and you can't like walk around on your toes all day long. So, you know, I think that's important, but I'm, I'm a big go-to in the leather family. Who has the best barbecue in Texas? Oh man, that's, that's hard. That's really, that's difficult because there are so many that say we are the absolute best. I love Pecan Lodge. I think they're amazing. We have a big barbecue contest out here every year. So that's always one where you can come kind of find out for yourself who does it best. Would you say like you're more like Chivroy in succession or Beth Dutton in Yellowstone? This is a funny story.

48:32So in the land of Chivroy, we went to the succession premiere and I went up to her. I've never met her before. And I went up to her afterwards and I said, I just had to come say hello. I'm a huge fan. Love this show. But but I play you in real life. And she just looked at me and she's like, oh, Lord, I hope not. I'm so sorry. It's like a lot. There's there's some things. There's some similarities. But I think that. But I'm also a big Yellowstone fan, but I think probably closer to Shiv.

49:09Katie Miller:So we always close out the pod with the final question of, if you could host a dinner party for three people, dead or alive, who's at your table and what are you eating? Who is at my table and what am I eating? This sounds like a question that I would ask in an interview for our cheerleaders. You've seen some of those, too. Well, I would say, who would be there? I would have Elvis Presley, definitely. certainly uh charlton heston because everybody needs a little moses at their table and then um i'm gonna pick taylor swift in there i think she's like stunning and amazing and powerful and a great representation of what young women's dreams can look like when they work hard what are you eating and i am going to eat i'm gonna have to have it catered because i'm a terrible cook so you know maybe a little like breaded veal you know melanes that that direction and a really good pasta I think that's I'm gonna go that direction I was gonna end on that but now I need to know what's the worst answer a cheerleader has ever given you in an interview oh I hate to say I have several but I'll go with the easiest one is like how long is a football field and I think the answer was like 54 yards.

50:31So I'm like, okay, I know you're a dancer,

50:34Katie Miller:but you do have to know we got to go 100 yards to get to the end zone. Thank you so much for doing this. So much fun, Katie. So nice to be with you. And I hope you enjoy being right here in Dallas and in the middle of all what's best at the Dallas Cowboys. Thank you everyone for watching this episode of the Katie Miller Podcast. Don't forget to like, follow, subscribe, and share. We're available Tuesday nights, 6 p.m. Eastern, everywhere you get your podcasts. And we'll see you next week. Thanks again.