Sex and the City Skit Script
 

Hey guys, I'm the ADPi Rush Chair for a new chapter at a big school and so I have the lovely honor of heading the first skit's script. We have picked Sex and the City as the theme for skit night. I know alot of people feel like SATC is outdated, etc. for rush but we know it will turn out cute and I know for a fact it isn't being done/hasn't been done for a long time on my campus so I wanted to ask if anyone has a script they have used in their Sex and the City skit, or even what direction they went with it? We are mostly struggling with what direction we should take the characters to incorporate recruitment/sisterhood themes the best.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, we are in a time crunch for fall formal recruitment. If I need to provide email for you to send it, just let me know!!

I'd imagine that collegiate chapter members (and the greek community) would be, at youngest, born in 1995-96. Would most of yall have even watched/enjoyed SATC?

I'd be concerned less about it being outdated (because it's not timeless like other movies/TV shows) but more if the references would make sense. If you're not a diehard SATC fan, I would imagine the skit being a bit uninteresting.

I know the concerns, and I've weighed them quite a bit so I know the risks being taken. But I'm just 19 and I have seen both of the movies multiple times, not because I'm a fan but because they are constantly being replayed on TV. I'm not a die hard fan at all, but I really do think that these girls will know the main characters even if they aren't fans. It's not to the degree of mean girls but its an unspoken understanding. We aren't going to focus on any "inside joke" kind of things except for their personalities because each four girls represent the four points in ADPi: sisterhood, scholarship, sorority, and self. We are going to have other celebrities in the skit, I'm just tired of awards ceremonies and talk shows and game shows. That is literally ALL the other sororities do. However, if you have something similar that could be parallel to our SATC idea I'm all ears! I really appreciate the feedback!

The movies are very popular, and the show has seen a resurgence in popularity with The Carrie Diaries. I would imagine that most PNMs can at least recognize the characters. I think the theme will work! Love that you are using the four characters to represent the four points of ADPi.

Don't forget sex.

Perhaps focus on your four points, how they relate to the 4 main characters, and how even as diverse as the 4 personalities are, they are great friends who support each other and cherish their friendships, as do the girls in your chapter. No matter the direction you take the script, the focus should be on your chapter and ADPi-this is the product you are selling.

I love SATC series marathons on E!, I watch the first movie (second movie sucked) a lot on DVD and every time it comes on TV, I infrequently watch parts of The Carrie Diaries online, and some of my friends, Sorors, and I can relate to some of the things discussed in the show including sexual freedom and liberation. That includes my men friends (both heterosexual and homosexual) who unashamedly love SATC.

But I would never use SATC for a collegiate or alumnae Sorority event. Keep "sex" and Delta out of the same sentence unless you are talking about a sexual health community service event. Whether the members of my Sorority are late teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s or older some people will get it and some people won't. A lot of people will be offended based on their hatred of SATC or preconceived notions of SATC.

/a GCer in her late-30s

It sounds like you've already made up your mind, but I'm going to raise one other point that stands out to me as a bigger concern than the skit being outdated (b/c I think it could be done correctly). The part I put above…if you are a new chapter on a larger campus and ALL the other sororities do a different style of skit, I don't know that I would recommend straying too far from that. Yes, your different skit will make you all stand out, but will it be in a good way? Yes, not all traditions and history are good, and maybe something different would have spoken to you personally, but you have to think about the PNM pool at large…if they see all the "established" chapters doing one thing, and the "new" chapter doing something different, it may not be interpreted very well. Just my two cents. You probably have a resident consultant or active recruitment supervisors assisting you…I would make sure to run the idea past them before getting too far in. And if you've already done that/considered that, then- good luck! I think the skit could definitely be cute!

Have you contacted the Recruitment and Marketing Director for your district? We have tons of skit ideas and scripts to help you out!

Well said.

While I'm not a huge fan of the Sex and the City theme, I have to respectfully disagree with this take on doing something different. I say go for it! As long as the skit is put together well, the PNMs will probably enjoy a change of pace.

I think a lot of chapters on a lot of campuses are afraid to step outside the box and try things that are different/new (sometimes to their own detriment) because they're so caught up in being "the popular chapter" or they think PNMs won't want to join.

Take risks, change things up, and if it doesn't work out, you can always change things again.

I don't think their chapter is going that far. It sounds like the other chapters also do tv shows, just different ones. Going too far and being too different would be refusing to have a skit at all.

That being said, SATC is old and played out. It's nearing Wizard of Oz status.

Man, if I were still a collegian, I'd lobby so hard for a Game of Thrones skit.

Of course, my chapter would look at me like I had three heads, but still. GoT. It would be awesome.

This is a horrible idea. Please talk to your advisers and district directors for a more contemporary skit.

Honestly, if my chapter had done an SATC I would have been completely turned off because a) that's not the kind of chapter I would want to join, and b) the references would have all flown straight over my head. I was 19 when I went through recruitment and SATC was past my time as a sophomore, so I doubt freshmen who didn't have an older sibling who watched it would be especially tuned in or interested. When I was at Clemson new student orientation two summers ago the orientation ambassadors did a 90s-themed skit that BOMBED because we had never watched those shows as kids. Please please please consider a different skit theme that gives off a better vibe and is more up-to-date.

As a former recruitment advisor, I suggest you contact yours. I am 99.9% certain what chapter you are from and I can tell you that from what I've heard, rocking the boat to far left probably wouldn't be the best.

Your chapter has a leadership consultant, she is there, use her expertise. Your chapter has a full advisory board, use their expertise. You also have the capability to contact other formal recruitment chairs by looking up information on pride online. You can contact other chairs whose campuses do skits and get copies of their skits and tweek them to your own needs. Why reinvent the wheel? I, in fact, have a script from my chapter that they did back in 2009 or 2010.

While I applaud your desire for Sex and the City, the theme is truly outdated. If you want a theme like that you need to really look at what is current.

If there is anyway I can help (at least via email) please feel free to email me at mphs.pride97@gmail.com

I agree. Even if the women know about the series and perhaps have seen the movies, when the show was on and popular, they would have been looking at it through very different eyes. The show was on between 1998 and 2004. I really think that the typical 17-19 year old PNM is not going to "get" the cultural references. I sometimes have conversations with my 18-year old niece and sometimes forget that something I'm talking about was way before her time.

You sound really attached to the idea. What do others in the chapter think? I don't know how you choose themes, but I think that getting a lot of feedback from the chapter would help a lot. Honestly, you don't want to be that *one chapter* that did some outdated tv show that was on when most of the PNMs were in preschool.

But would any of them really know what "a Carrie" is? heck, I was an adult at the time and I couldn't name them all without some serious thought.

I was in college at the time the show was on/ending, and I couldn't tell you back then - and I still can't tell you now - what their names are or what their personalities are like.

As I said before, I don't think there's anything wrong with doing something different than the other chapters (actually, I applaud it), but do you know why the other sororities probably have themes like award ceremonies and talk shows and game shows? Because most people have probably watched at least one award show and one talk show and one game show in their lives. But you probably don't even have to ever watch an entire award show to know that people make ridiculous speeches, their time is cut off, there are montages, a red carpet, and everyone dresses up. And most people know that a talk show has a host and they bring guests on the program. And most people know that a game show consists of questions to answer or games to play, which lead to prizes. And hey, what person has never seen an episode of the Price is Right?! And added bonus: those themes don't require people to know specific characters.

Has a reality show theme been done? You could make it seem like a big drama fest at first, and then show the "reality" of living in the house, participating in rituals, taking part in philanthropic projects, and just being sisters. Just an idea!

And question: Does your skit even have to center around a tv show/genre? If you're going to be different anyway, why not be REALLY different?

I'm going to second Clemsongirl. I love the idea of making a connection between our 4 diamond points and 4 characters from a show but I don't think SATC is in good taste for recruitment. Recruitment is all about first impressions and you don't want anyone's first impression to have tbe word "sex" in it :) I'm sure there are other shows or movies with 4 characters that could convey the same message?

I'd love to see someone come up with a Pitch Perfect skit, especially if you had 4 good singers.

A little lesson from Entrepreneurship 101:

Just because YOU are convinced it's a great idea, it doesn't mean that a broad section of your peers will. You absolutely need to vet it with your target audience. This means talking to 10-15 of your sisters and getting their unbiased feedback about the concept.

It's hard to let go of an idea, especially if you feel like you've been working on it for a while, but you need to be open to dropping bad ideas regardless of who came up with them.

I've held my tongue long enough. I've been involved on my local campus for 30 years. If I see one more SATC, Grease or Little Mermaid recruitment skit I think I might go postal! All three have been done so many times you need to put a fork in them. Seriously, no one cares any more about these. Not the alums and not the PNMs. It's old and tired. Find something fresh and relevant.

If you're going to go old school, go REALLY old school and do Now Voyager or Splendor in the Grass or something.

One of the chapters I went to for skit round also had four values they held dear, so they did The Voice and had the four judges represent those four values. It was a good way to show off some sisters who could sing while still getting their most important characteristics across to the PNMs.

My chapter would have chosen the show "Girlfriends" or "Waiting to Exhale" (some of you are familiar with the accusation that SATC was taken from WtoE).

Any negativity in the characters could be presented as how our sorority helps with personal growth, shaping sisterhood and values, appreciating differences (including lifestyles), and learning from our mistakes.

The "new" SATC is Girls. Although I'm not sure you could get those four themes from that show's characters.

Hypo and her friends have been watching SATC on Netflix so they would definitely get the references. Things are a little different that way. Old stuff gets revived because they can watch the whole series through streaming. I never liked SATC as a recruitment theme though.

I have to agree with a couple posters who have said that a theme that includes "sex" probably isn't the best PR choice. Also bad: the word "whorehouse."

I had a flashback to the "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" skit I was in one year. My costume included a boa and lingerie. Whoever thought it was a good idea to have a close-knit, supportive group of hookers exemplifying the bonds of sisterhood was seriously mistaken. :eek:

This was my thought on SaTC...maybe in another 20 years, it will be adorably retro, but now it feels out of date.

Love it!

No way! Don't really see how but OK! I recall (allegedly) Friends being taken from Living Single. (Living Single would be a cute show to base an NPHC sisterhood skit)

Really? Interesting. I'm gonna watch the show one of these days.

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.