Bwahahahaha! I'm sorry, but that is just too darn funny! I can only imagine the tent talk that could develop with that!

Also, I 100% agree with Titchou and those themes.

If a sorority did Girls for a rush skit I would walk out of the room. Maybe I'm too old for it or something, but I really don't like that show.

As far as skit rounds go, it's typically the way PNMs distinguish the chapters from one another. I still remember some of the skits themes from when I went through recruitment back in the dark ages before cell phones and social media. The ones that were the most well received were the ones with which the PNMs could relate. I was looking through some photos from recruitment at my alma mater this winter and it seemed like some of the skit themes that were well received by PNMs were the Disney themes (Finding Nemo, Up and Tangled) and How I Met Your Mother.

To the original poster, please listen to the advice you have gotten here. I love SATC, but would NOT want chapters in my organization to use it as a recruitment skit. There are tons of more relevant themes out there. Your national organization puts time and effort into compiling good recruitment ideas, use their knowledge and expertise.

SATC was a SEMINAL show that changed the way female characters were written. Like it, hate it, love the characters, think they are horrible, no show that came before it was so very much centered around the lives of women, and it explored themes that other shows hadn't dared to touch. For that reason, I think that it will be fondly remembered for many years, and I even think there will be a point in time when it flips from "out-of-date" back to "adorably retro."

It's just that time hasn't come quite yet.

*This is not to say that they weren't archetypes, or that their lives were terribly realistic, only that they were miles ahead of what came before them.

What about a skit on The Big Bang Theory? It has 4 main male characters. You could adapt it to be 4 main female characters to fit the 4 qualities you want to focus on. Your bid day shirts could say Bazinga! Or not.

What came to mind to me right away is Hey, you could do a MAUDE theme! Never heard of it? That's the point. But even more to the point, as you set out on your life of event planning, fundraising and party having, don't reinvent the wheel. Rush is a crazy amount of work in the very best circumstances. As a new chapter, this is NOT the time to be creative. Use what your headquarters has available to you. Update with your school name, colors, some local controversy on you campus, whatever, but you do not need to find out the hard way if you have any talent in script writing.

And besides, the purpose, IMO, of the skit round is to show the chapter members interacting with each other. The cheering for each other, the inside joke that must be hysterically funny, the heartfelt hugs, etc. It doesn't need to be revolutionary, it just needs to be done well and all the sisters have to act like it's an Oscar worthy performance, even if it sucks.

I agree.

For the record, SATC was the first show to deal with women of that age group. We shall not forget Golden Girls. :)

Yeah I can't recall whether Forrest Whitaker's lawsuit from years ago was withdrawn or if there was a settlement (it is difficult to find articles on the accusation).

I'm sure an NPHC chapter has done something with Living Single since the 1990s. Living Single is too awesome to not use for a show.

As for the topic of choosing themes that are familiar and relevant: This is about age and other demographics. In the 1990s my chapter did a wonderful lip sync dance routine based on a very popular song. They dressed up and had Sorors who looked like the actual singers and rapper. Well, we forgot that this was a song a lot of Black people loved but had not made it to the mainstream (white people). We attended a PWI. The few Black people in the audience were jamming. Most of the white people were confused. I recall one white guy saying "I don't know what I'm watching...what is this."

My chapter's performance was followed by an NPC chapter doing a very cute performance of "Butterfly Kisses". The crowd went crazy. They recognized it and loved it.

Know your audience. My chapter's performance would've been a perfect display of sisterhood if done for a group of aspiring Deltas who were more likely to know the song and get the references.

You are definitely not the right age demographic. But it is about 4 women (younger than in SATC) making their way in NYC. When I watched the first episode, I liked it and told Hypo I knew she would like it. Season 2 got a little too "out there" for me. Season 3 seems to be shaping up a little better. It is much more relevant to a younger generation. I'm surrounded by people in that generation.

Additionally, the skits you can get from your IO have been used by other ADPi chapters, so they are tested and successful. Your IO is not going to dispense scripts that stink. Using one of those scripts allows you to start with a level of confidence that a brand new "from scratch" script won't provide.

YES!

Picking a theme and writing a script isn't the biggest part of skit round, it's the EXECUTION - both on the performer side and the chapter audience side.

I've been on the sidelines of my own chapter (very new at the time) when we presented a pretty convoluted skit that flopped. Our biggest issues? First, the premise of the skit wasn't relevant to PNMs or particularly clever. Second, our chapter was NOT stoked about it when we saw it (which was too late in the recruitment prep game - we hadn't seen it until the last minute). It was hard for us to muster excitement when we watched during 8 rounds.

You should also feel free to use the plot device of the main character writing about events in series of short episodes without sticking to the SATC theme. Although most recently used in SATC and the Carrie Diaries it was also used in My So-Called Life and Doogie Houser or is similar to the story telling mode used in How I met your Mother and the Wonder Years

If this is the chapter's first formal recruitment (Ole Miss, yes?), they will be getting much guidance from the sorority and likely this idea will be nixed in lieu of something more sorority and campus-appropriate. Best of luck! I think this sparked a really good discussion, however---let's keep recruitment skits a sisterhood showcase, select a contemporary theme on par with what other chapters are doing at your school, and keep the word "sex" far away from anything to do with recruitment!

DrPhil, I was going to say that Golden Girls is the kind of "retro" we're talking about that would actually work well. Oh, and please tell me what song you guys did that had people jamming to Butterfly Kisses (BLEEEAAAHHH) instead.

Exactly this. And now I want to know what song you guys did!

BTW: Youtubed "Butterfly Kisses." Never heard of it! But yes, know your audience.