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One of the greatest mysteries in 2020 documentaries doesn’t have to do with who killed who or whether an owl was involved. It has to do with an acronym that appears in Netflix’s Cheer. If you’re wondering what FIOFMU means, why Gabi Butler loves the phrase so much, and how it applies to Navarro’s cheer squad you’re definitely not alone.
From Greg Whitely, the filmmaker who first dove into the lives of troubled collegiate athletes with Last Chance U, comes Cheer. The docu-series follows Navarro College’s top-tier cheerleading squad as they compete for a national title. The docu-series doesn’t hold anything back, showing how much hard work and dedication these painfully under-appreciated athletes exhibit on a day to day basis.
But today we’re not here to talk about how cheerleaders deserve more credit or the sexism of sports. No, today we’re here for “FIOFMU.” Though the acronym is never mentioned out loud in the actual series, it appears all over the squad’s shirts and Instagrams. So what exactly does this mean?
A now-deleted Urban Dictionary entry reveals that one possible definition may be “Fight it out, fuck ’em up.” But the real meaning of the phrase is far more mysterious than that.
According to Navarro cheerleader Kayla Culver, the only way to learn what FIOFMU means is to go join Navarro University’s cheerleading team. “#FIOFMU is a coded message/motto, that you learn and earn throughout the year while on the team. Learning the meaning is entirely special and is only known by Navarro Cheerleaders and Navarro Cheer alumni,” Culver said on Twitter.
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A post on Reddit revealed that it’s even more complicated than you may initially think. Apparently cheerleaders don’t learn what FIOFMU means until after they join the team. Even after that, the phrase is rarely discussed, thus preserving the mystery.
That absolutely checks out. From college sports to Greek life, college is a time full of secretive rituals and acronyms designed to build community (TLAM anyone?). Of course this incredible team of women would have their own super-exclusive language. They’re badass cheering bosses.
For now all of us laymen will just have to be happy with FIOFMU remaining a mystery. Either that or one of us can train relentlessly for years to be an athletic goddess, enroll in Navarro, and pray that we make it on the team. But by then, wouldn’t you want to keep it secret, too?
