from movie insider:

AAARGH!:mad:

Given the cast list, though, maybe the synopsis should read "Four men, going through their first year in drag ..."

Which of those men will be portraying the author?

Hey, maybe it could be like four men join sororities, experience eating disorders, participate in rituals, and have gender reassignment surgery.

Did anyone notice how the character updates on AR's site had originally been promised in April, then in May, and are now pushed back to October?

Do ya'll think we could make Paramount change their minds with a petition or something? I know this isnt a big deal, but it stinks that this lady is getting more money off this and now a possible movie deal... GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR:mad:

AHAHA!!! :D

Where did you come from Tamber? Why would we want to stop the book being made into a movie? Although it would have to be spiced up, its not a good standalone story.

Kudos to Robbins for being that published at an early age. I wonder what her family and contacts are like? Thats unusual without outside help and guidance.

There is an excerpt from Robbins' Skull and Bones" book in this months "Vanity Fair". The one with David Beckham on the cover.

I'll be blunt, a petition will be a waste of time. I don't support the goal, either. Buffy and Angel fans sent deluges of mail etc but the series were still axed. Kenny is no longer in South Park despite petitions etc. It's well known that people sign up to those things even if they feel lukewarm to its object. They aren't taken seriously. As for it 'stinks she's making money off this'; I disagree. She spent a lot of time on the book and I realise you dislike the book but it isn't as if she's gleefully rubbing her hands watching the greek system erode as a result nor will it happen.As the rights have just been purchased recently and the project may have been just greenlighted, I wouldn't take much notice of any cast lists or synopses you see. The information published at that stage is usually based on rumor or unbsubstantiated references in foreign magazines that state "so and so is involved". At best the agents of the people listed might've got sent a script (along with many others).

Also... it doesn't necessarily mean a film will be made at all just because the rights to a film have been purchased. :)

I bet she slept with her publisher. ;) :p

As much as I've claimed I don't mind the book, I wouldn't want to see it turned into a movie. Because movies need plots and plots require drama, chances are they're going to play up the rape/hazing/etc. plots. And since it's not going to be in book format, there's not going to be this whole "Some NPC sororities haze, but the majority don't" disclaimer.

That doesn't mean I wouldn't go see it if it was made into a movie. ;) But I kind of doubt that it will.

It's funny, for people who have (well-deservedly) trashed this book so much you seem awfully supportive! on second thought a petition would probably give her the wrong kind of attention.
James, getting published isn't as much of an accomplishment as you think, there are actually lots of published people her age. However her unethical, crooked tacticts do help, which is why i can't say any more, b/c she's made sure that anyone she crushed in her path would face fines for slamming her.

How would it be possible for AR to impose gag orders on journalists? Can't that only be done by a judge?

Maybe she's in Skull and Bones. Also--never underestimate the Yale alumni connections.

i want to know what happened to the girls....i mean, regardless of whether or not they knew that she was writing a book - though when i was reading it, i read something that gave me the impression that she kept her real identity secret so she could protect them - at least a couple of other sisters have to know enough about their lives to guess that they were the ones written about...i wonder if anything happened to them as a result...maybe the sisters who knew them are here on GC and we don't even know it :eek:

plus i really don't think that those girls were the 'average' members of the organization, more like the negative ones. i think it would have been much more fun if she'd made friends with the real die-hard zealots, what kind of stuff she could have spun there with her creative nonfiction!

She was in Scroll and Key and, depending on what day you talk to her, she either "accepted out of curiousity and stayed for the beer" (direct quote from an interview) or was a contributing member.

Well I'm almost finished reading this book, I had to put it down a couple of times because of the awful writing of the "fiction/dramatizations" parts. I was laughing as some of the "facts" that she had and the "secrets" she revealed, I have to say that I think she is really guillable if she believes these things and people told her. Some of this stuff leads someone with common sense to say....are you serious, you believed that? If she does believe these things, I've got some great land in Florida to sell her :rolleyes:

There were some informative parts, but the overwhelming content of bad writing and BS out weight the informative content.

I'm sorry I bought it and gave her my $$ and didn't get on a library waiting list.

well, look at is this way, even if you did spend money on buying the book, at least now you're prepared for any questions other people might have and can actually discuss its content without uninformed :D i've had relatives read it and, since i'm the only sorority girl in my family, i've had to set them straight on numerous things

I'm sure this is repeating what someone else said, but I don't really feel like scrolling through 12 pages!

Anyways, I was at the doctor's office the other day and there was an excerpt from an interview with Robbins about this book. It talked about 'naked parties'. I was laughing out loud! We never had naked parties, so I kind of feel jipped by my collegiate greek experience. :(

aj

My mom read the book and kept asking me about naked parties. I just thought it was too funny and was like sorry mom, I missed out on all the fun! :p

Dare I say that I enjoyed the story for light reading, but at the same time her "research" kind of bothered me. I don't think GC is a scholarly source, neither are AIM away messages! Oh well...if we take the book at face value and not as fact it's not as bad.

Going Greek is an example of a movie about greek life that didn't do much. We have one copy at my blockbuster which is semi-defective! I wouldn't like to see this in a movie, but at the same time if it did end up a movie then we'd be the ones actually watching it.

I'm late in actually starting to read the book, but hey I'm broke...

So I'm about halfway through right now and in reading it, it seems to me like Robbins observed these women in an almost omnipresent fashion, as if they didn't realize she was there at all and obviously did not include her. There have not been any references to the sorority women actually asking her to participate or even speaking to her outside of their personal interviews. I find that slightly disturbing. It also bugs me that she writes about the girls' lives as if she were writing for a college-aged Sweet Valley High book... very annoying.

Like a lot of other sorority women on GC, I haven't found much of anything in this book that can relate to my own sorority experience or that of any other sorority woman I know. Seems her research was definitely very biased. I hope she can make some true girlfriends later in life because it's sad that she probably did not in or before her college years.

Inaccuracies in "Pledged"
 

I just stumbled upon the GreekChat site so hello everyone :-)
Had to add my 2 cents' worth. I also read "Pledged" and felt that the 4 girls didn't in any way have an unordinary college experience. I can honestly say that the discussions about boobs, excessive drinking, moderate drug use and promiscuous sex DO exist on EVERY campus and that these girls are no exception. When I lived in my sorority house we would have made dirty old men blush with our language and blunt descriptions of sexual encounters, etc. so the convos in the book didn't exactly appall me. While I can tell this book takes place in the south (I think), I go to school in California, and I think the girls' experiences could have been those of any co-ed at any school anywhere in the country.
The most intriguing part of the book was when Robbins blasted the cover off some sorority secrets (pg 285) I was flabbergasted when I saw my own GLO mentioned. And then I laughed, what she claims is our "closed motto" is absolutely incorrect. The phrase she uses is relevant to a Sigma Kappa but our closed motto is different. She must have been talking to some rather confused sisters...

Re: Inaccuracies in "Pledged"
 

Probably while they were under the influence of their moderate drug use or after a graphic sexual encounter. Or they were totally snookered. You'd have to be to share your sorority secrets!

Probably while they were under the influence of their moderate drug use or after a graphic sexual encounter. Or they were totally snookered. You'd have to be to share your sorority secrets!

No sh*t Jes. I just think its funny in a sad kind of way... I wonder how much Robbins knows about the Panhellenic houses in terms of secret info (grips, rituals etc). :confused:

Pledged
 

Wow! I just finished reading this booking this morning and I randomly came across this chat, how strange!

I go to Southern Methodist University (the school which started and finished the book) and it is true about the "pig run", but the intent behind the run isn't as Ms. Robbins wrote it to be. I ran to my house because I knew that I belonged in my house and I wanted to be with my new sisters and put on my sorority letters as soon as possible. My guy friends in fraternities (who had received their bids the night before and maybe still drunk from the celebrated, I will admit that to be true) sought us out in the crowds of squealing girls and congratulated us on bids, they did not throw raw meat or water balloons at us!

I went to an all girls' boarding high school, and I think what Ms. Robbins doesn't realize is that no matter where or how 100 plus girls are organized there are going to be the pushy/mean girls, the "goody-goody tattle tale girls", the drug users, and the reclusive girls. I don't think that many of the dynamics that Ms. Robbins speaks about in her book are true to only sorority life but true to a girl's life. At my boarding school we had the same drama about roommates, boyfriends and senioritis!

I mostly feel that this book takes the facts from four girls lives and blames their problems on sorority life and not the reality of the college.

P.S. being the nosy gossiper that I am... I was wondering if anyone knew which school Ms. Robbins based her book on? I know that there is an Eta Gamma chapter of Delta Gamma at Texas Tech which I wonder if one of the alumna interviewed is from... sorry just being a busy-body!


Meredith

I'm up to December and will probably finish it over the weekend, but I just had to state this because I couldn't believe my eyes.

SHE USED THE SOUTHERN BELLE PRIMER AS A SOURCE.

Apparently someone didn't put it back in the humor section at Waldenbooks and the fact that it's a satire went over her head. I can't wait till she uses "Beavis and Butt-Head Do America" as a travel guide.

33girl, I noticed that too!! I was reading along and thought "hmmmm - that sounds familiar" and realized what the original source was. She did cite it in the endnotes, but I agree - she seemed to ASSume that it was the gospel truth.

lmao 33girl. I love reading your posts. You are so right on about her and her lovely sources.

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

My library STILL doesn't have this book in.

About 3 weeks ago I noticed they had ordered it, so I reserved a copy. When I checked back earlier this week, they had only ordered the 3 copies (which still aren't in) and there were 25 holds! I checked just now, there are now 36 holds, the original 3 copies must be in (they're showing as "On Hold"), and they've ordered an additional 25 copies. Guess they finally got the clue that it's going to be a popular book.

So I have no clue when I'm going to be able to constructively participate in this thread.

long post
 

Holy isht! Done already. This really is like Sweet Valley High or First Love from Silhouette. Except their writing is better.

I do agree with 3 things she said: there's a chasm between the image nationals want and what the chapters want to be, rush should be deferred till second semester, and the saying everything is hazing fosters the in for a buck, in for a quarter mentality.

That was about ALL I agreed with. Her research is horrible - she doesn't realize that the people who work at HQs are NOT the national council/policy makers, she thinks D Phi E's mascot is a blue lion (LOL) and the most glaring, she assumed that sororities at a big school are how sororities operate everywhere. Her description of "Subrosa" meetings sounded like what I experienced - I'm betting other state school girls would agree. I mean, does she think all colleges are like Yale? I would hope not.

Her constant citing of Ready for Rush and Rush: A Girl's Guide etc is ridiculous. She presents these books as though they were official publications or endorsed by NPC.

She talks out of both sides of her mouth. The sorority sisters going to get piercings together obviously disgusts her - but the Zeta Delta Xis boinking on every available surface in the house is OK, because they're coed. She makes the rush/intake process for NPHC groups sound like a piece of cake, when we all know it's NOT. I'm sure at a lot of schools it's much harder than going through NPC rush. And can she kiss Melody Twilley's butt anymore? I think she's using her in the "magical negro" context (thank you laidback fella for the link), which is just racism turned inside out. As for Twilley herself, her true colors (no pun) show when it's stated that if the Alabama Panhellenic doesn't vote the local multicultural sorority she founded into Panhellenic, she's considering suing. :rolleyes:

The girls that she picked all have issues to begin with - Vicki faked her way through rush and doesn't want to be away from her hs friends, Sabrina is using the sorority for "white connections" and is more interested in cheap quarters and boinking her prof (and telling her mother!! grooooss), Caitlin has a psycho boyfriend and equally psycho controlling mama, and Amy's parents definitely should make sure she's in therapy as she's trying to get over her sister's death with male attention. I sincerely hope these 4 girls are fake, for their sakes LOL - and the intimacy of the dialogue leads me to believe they are. However they definitely showed that what you put in, you get out. Once Vicki starts being sociable and stops bitching about her situation, she has fun.

Robbins just seems to have issue with any sort of responsibility to or identification with something larger than yourself. I'm really glad I wasn't on her lacrosse team. ;)

Ooh, and I almost forgot the best parts about MY sorority. She includes several quotes from "Laney" who was president of her chapter at her school in Nevada. Only one problem with that. We don't have a chapter in Nevada. We've NEVER had a chapter in Nevada. I don't think we've ever even had an alum chapter or colony there. LMDAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2 more things because my other post is too damn long. How on earth did she get into a rush retreat session??? And, since I don't have it, the IMs. What the hell? Are they really that important? Do people change these to say they're going to the bathroom? Was she checking these things constantly? It seems a little odd to me.

Well, I never really thought about joining a sorority until i read the book. My friend let me borrow it and told me i should read it. since she read the book she became very anti-greek. however, i am the type of person that likes to hear both sides of a story. therefore, after i finished the book and heard ms. robbin's story i was curious about actual member's stories. so.. that is why i joined greekchat and from what i have encountered about reading all your posts the good outnumbers the bad. therefore, i actually want to thank ms. robbins for writing her book. if not, i would not have even considered joining a sorority. i can't wait till next year so i can rush! :)

Thats great. Im glad to see someone found something positive out of that book. Good luck with joining a sorority. If oyu ever have ?'s ask away.

Re: long post
 

Oh no!! Hahahaha :D

I wonder if anyone's pointed this out to her publisher? I'm pretty sure this is not the only "mistake" in her book.

I know if I were a publisher I would hate to think I printed something full of factualy errors.

Re: long post
 

A couple comments:

I actually don't think the four girls' "issues" were that out of the ordinary. You take any four random college girls and chances are they're going to have comparable ones. Everybody's got their Achilles' heel -- it's just that these girls' were more noticeable because it's in a book format and thus exaggerated, their actions isolated. Let's face it, sorority girls are all about the drama. ;) I could relate to every character in one way or another, and while there were definitely times when I couldn't (hi, sleeping with my rapist!), I don't think the behavior sounded all that unbelievable.

I'm really glad you brought up the double standards that she completely bought into, though. I remember reading an article in the local paper about co-operative living communities that made some subtle jabs at the Greek system because many of the co-ops are near Greek Row (some used to be Greek housing, in fact). While reading the article, I commented to a friend, "You know, some of them like to think that they're so much better than us, but the differences between Greek organizations and co-ops are pretty small." I went on to list the similarities -- we both live in big houses down by the lake, when they have openings in the house they have a period similar to "rush" where they decide whether or not they like someone enough to have them live with them, they have dinners together and bond by having nights very similar to "sisterhoods," they express their dislike for the sexual double standard by having singalong protests whereas sorority girls express their dislike for the sexual double standard by sleeping around . . . ;)

I kid.

I get the feeling that some co-ed fraternities (as well as local GLOs, non-traditional groups like service-based, GLOs at schools with non-traditional Greek systems, and any Greeks who don't identify with the mainstream SEC/Big 12/Big 10/PAC 10 huge traditional Greek system model) look down on being considered "Greek" even though they are and that Robbins bought into that . . . It's like they want the benefits of being identified as Greek (brother/sisterhood, social life) but they aren't willing to take on the negatives (specifically stereotypes). I remember talking to a member of a non-traditional group here, who described her GLO as, "Well, we're Greek, but we're not Greek, you know?" (At least this was before she knew I was a sorority girl.) It was obvious that she was referring to her perceptions of the social Greek system. I wanted to say to her, "Well, you've got a house . . . you throw parties at your house . . . you guys even do some mild hazing -- off the top of my head, I think that makes you more Greek than a lot of the Greeks here." But I'm a nice girl so I bit my tongue.

I'd have to re-read to make sure, but it seemed like Robbins was accusing these sorority women of being both too traditional AND too radical in regards to their sexuality. How does this work?

Re: Pledged
 

you hit the nail on the head. i went to an all-girls boarding school too and you know what was different? Not a whole lot. We had colors and a mascot (the snail...we rocked :p ) and the same cliques and problems that sororities have, but maybe not as many boy problems since, HA!, where did we find them? We were too busy doing homework :rolleyes: Prep schools are fabulous at teaching you how to speed read at 3:30 in the morning.

Incidentally Meredith, where did you go to school? PM me!

Re: Re: long post
 

We have that problem with my APO chapter all the time: Are we greek? Are we not greek? People say things like, you shouldn't have so many social events if you're not a social fraternity. But there are definitely distinctions between social, service and non-traditional GLOs. The founder of APO was an SAE so it was modeled after the social fraternities, but it's not quite the same thing. (For example, we can't have houses or throw open parties.)

Re: Re: Re: long post
 

Right. I have no issues with people saying, "Well, we're Greek, but our organization is different from the social Greeks you usually think of when you hear that word." But I think that as long as you have Greek letters in your name or utilize them somewhere in your ritual, you're "Greek." The whole "We're Greek but we're not Greek" meaning "But we're not like that" is really insulting to a lot of social Greeks (or, like I said before, to anybody who fits the more traditional system mold that you're being compared to), but I see it a lot even on Greek message boards.

I've just read/re-read this whole thread, and veered off to other links. (The blog/BBS from "sororitygirl" was interesting.)

First, I am *SO* proud of all of you who put the book on hold at your local libraries! This librarian is glad you understand ILL, and that you use your library -- thank you!

That said, I finally got the book today (at the library). I've skimmed it and probably won't bother to read it all. Partly a lack of time, and too much else to read -- and I have all of your comments to guide (influence) me.

What I don't get: Yale has had NPC groups for several years--maybe 10? Didn't she come across them? Did *no one* from her h.s. class or her hometown go Greek (women or men)? Were *none* of her parents' friends Greek?

and

at the end she says to go to her website to find out what's happened to the four women. I went there. Nothin'.

Has anyone figured out the campus of Beta Pi and Alpha Rho?

If she really wants to know our secrets, who's sponsoring her for AI? <vbeg> ("Raise your cards, ladies!" as we said during hash.....do you still call it hash?)

Ye Olde AGDAlum

It doesn't surprise me. Greek Life at Yale is a little more (well, a lot more) disconnected from "regular" student life than at other schools. The "college" system at Yale, in some cases, overrides the Greek system.

I think "State U." is the University of Texas.