Or, since you're new to the forum, maybe take a pass on telling those who are not new how to do things, especially when the main thing they have been doing is pointing out how previous threads on this topic -- which may be read by all kinds of people, not just collegiate Greeks -- have turned into train wrecks and celebrations of stereotypes, something that someone who is new might not know.

Welcome to Greek Chat.

Trust me I know of the possibility, but after all it's just a discussion on the internet.

Wow - another moron.

It's where I would go if I need a link to music stuff or a bar rundown for an away game. Better entertainment value, but some of the stuff I just could never bring myself to weigh in on. Plus the constant outing.

Love this.

I didn't even understand half of the original post. Croakies and bowties? I'm pretty much completely lost. I would just about die if I saw any of the fraternity men around here wearing that stuff. I didn't think being "fratty" was a topic of discussion up north. I didn't even know there was a "definition" of that word.

And if anyone tries to treat me like a helpless southern belle, I'd probably tell them to chill out and have a beer... and to take off that damn shirt with the popped collar.

Oh, and if this...

... was the case here, the fraternities would die out.

(*minus the whole popped collar thing, because again, no one really does this, nor should they)

I agree.

Although, I love the constant outing. But yes.

FH is trying waaaay too hard. I kind of think the owners are like from New Hampshire or something.

Hey, don't be bashing NH :D

I LOL'd.

Bless your heart. "Helpless Southern belle" is, of course, an oxymoron. There is no such thing. ;)

But, don't you know that part of our upbringing is learning how to work the "helpless Belle" angle to get what we want from witless and stupid men?

Haven't y'all seen Gone With the Wind???

No offense to Elephant Walk, who I find really entertaining, but I find it pretty funny to read about "Old South Frattiness" from somebody from Arkansas. I know I'm a Texan, which has its own ridiculousness (and I would never purport myself to be an expert on southern frattiness anyway), but Arkansas? Really??

Which I think just goes to the fact that the fraternity atmosphere is markedly different depending on the area of the country. What you'll find in the North does not equal what you'll find in the South, which does not equal what you'll find out West, etc.

I don't see where the "helpless southern belle" thing has come in at all, though. Heck, look at this site - most of the outspoken posters are, in fact, from the South.

There's a weird romanticizing/demonizing of the South by a lot of people here on GC, none of whom are even from the South. These are the same people who will give advice about SEC recruitment when they don't know the difference between the Greek systems at Vandy, UF, and Arkansas. A lot of these people propel the "helpless Southern Belle" stereotype, since most of us know it's not true. :)

I don't see this happening with any other region--most people understand that there's a big difference among different sections of New England, for example.

I also find it really funny that many of the "Frattiest" brand names started in the Northeast--Ralph Lauren (nee Ralph Lifschitz), Vineyard Vines, and Brooks Brothers are not what comes to mind when I think of the South! I do see seersucker here pretty regularly, but I think that comes from the circles I run in more than anything else. :)

Good points - I do think, though, that people tend to sometimes group everyone in the North together. In other words, there are people who say "Well, I've visited NYC and they were rude, so all Northerners are rude," or people who tend to group New Englanders together (although, as you noted, there are big differences among the states).

I find this hilarious, especially with regards to Vineyard Vines. I've been to the Vineyard a bunch post-college, and to me it represents everything old-school New England. It's interesting that such a New England landmark has become adopted by the South.

ETA: As to the seersucker, I saw it a lot more in Boston than I do in central CT (although I see it every great once in a while in West Hartford and Farmington).

Well Vineyard Vines has been argued about. Most would go Southern Proper over VV.