Greek Influences in Pop Culture
 

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Supposedly, in the movie "Steel Magnolias", there are a lot of references to Phi Mu--in the wedding, the whole color scheme is pink, with pink carnations.

Also, I've heard that Neil Armstrong's first wife was an Alpha Chi, and as a result, there is an Alpha Chi badge on the moon. I asked this question to "those in the know", and they said there's something up there, but they're not sure if it's a badge or what.

Here are some of the ones I've heard:

The gold fleur-de-lis on the Campbells Soup cans are there because Campbell's wife was a Kappa Kappa Gamma.

The arrow on Wrigley's Spearmint gum is there because Wrigley's wife was a Pi Beta Phi.

Anne Klein uses the lion as her symbol because she is an Alpha Delta Pi.

Liz Claiborne uses the Triangle as her symbol because she is a Tri-Delt (not because she is a Satan-worshipper, as some have claimed!)

I feel like I used to know more of these tidbits . . . and I can only recall these few, now!

I'll post more if I can remember any others!

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Oh, Kappa Kappa Kappa Gamma,
I'm so happy that I am a
Kappa Kappa Kappa Gamma,
Nobody knows . . . how
happy I am!

AlphaChiGirl,
I had heard the same rumor about an Alpha Chi Omega badge on the moon! Isn't it funny the things people will think of to do?!?! Very romantic! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif

About the pin on the moon-

3 years ago tri-delt was using that SAME story. I wrote AXO nationals and they sent me an official note saying it is a myth.

Armstrong was 1st married to an AXO (when he went to the moon) THEN married to a tri-delt. if a pin was up there it would be AXO but it is not a true rumor. There is NOTHING on the moon sorority related!!!

They even sent me a 3 page article about his AXO wife from The Lyre. It's very interesting.

The Tri-delts are STILL trying to use this story even though I brought the article to their attention through my best friend who is a DDD. They don't show any respect by lying to the rushees who really believe the story.

If and when I find the papers they sent me, I will send it to anyone who wants a copy (assuming it's not lost under my bed forever)

LITB!!!

I have heard that the Arrow pen is associated with pi phi....

Hey all!! I wanted to contribute to this so I am excited!! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif Jim Henson's (who created The Muppets, and Seaseme Street) wife was an Alpha Xi Delta. We are known as the Fuzzies and our mascot is the bear. Well Fozzie the Bear, you know, the one who tells all the bad jokes he is a take off on that. And the first Kermit the Frog was made from some green curtains in her chapter's house...scary tahh they had green curtains but ya know it mkaes for a good story!! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif Hope you enjoyed it http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif
Xi Love,
Emily
xoxo

Barney the PURPLE dinosaur and his lil maroon friend are thanks to a Sigma Kappa. Not something many chapters want to brag about though. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

I wonder how it got started.

So, with the Liz Claiborne thing...is she or is she not a Tri-Delt? And if not, how is the rumour still going strong?

Hi there localsororities...

There are a few things in our culture that have been influenced by a person's affiliation to a GLO. For example, Hallmark uses the crown as it's symbol because the wife of a previous CEO was/is a Zeta Tau Alpha. I also remember reading something about the symbol on Campbell soup cans (the little gold circle at the very top) having to do with a GLO... for some reason I think it was Kappa Delta or Delta Zeta???

Then there are the movies. A Zeta Tau Alpha was involved with the making of The Little Mermaid and therefore there are symbols used in the movie that are related to their organization. There are also things in there that only ZTA's would know about.

I have also heard that Dr. Zeuss' wife is a Sigma Kappa and that in the original cartoon, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, there are things that only SK's would know. Of course I have seen Jim Carrey's The Grinch, and as a Sigma Kappa I didn't see anything exciting. However, it has been a long time since I have seen the cartoon. Also, if there is anyone out there that has heard of the movie "Mystic Pizza" with Julia Roberts, supposedly the director or producer was/is a Sigma Kappa and therefore might explain certain things in the movie, like the wedding colors...I think they wore lavender (one of our colors).

Anyway, I can't think of anything else. If I do I'll be sure to post it. I hope this is of some interest to you.

Hey guys...

I forgot about the Barney thing...surprised!!!

About the Campbell soup thing...it doesn't look like a flower in the gold circle. It actually looks like a woman, or two. Let me know if I'm totally off here.

About Neil Armstrong...He's a Phi Delt and I heard that their flag is waving up there. Any thoughts?

I love the whole muppets and fozzie thing!!!

SoCalGirl...

Are you a Sigma Kappa?

supposedly the song "let's go fly a kite" from mary poppins was written in honor of walt disney's daughters, who were kappa alpha thetas...

I had heard about the Campbell's soup thing, too. And by looking at the can, it seems to be a true rumor. Surrounding the containers, there are fleur-de-lis, which is the symbol of Kappa Kappa Gamma.

Hey, Coffeemug! Yes, we were told as pledges that the arrow on Parker pens and the one on Wrigley's are both due to the founders' wives being Pi Phis.

My boyfriend is a Theta Chi, and so is Stephen Spielberg, and apparently in every one of his movies he puts a Theta Chi symbol in it. Like there is one Spielberg movie, I don't remember which one, but it has two guys swordfighting and the swords cross to form an 'X', which is what the 'Chi' is made out of on their crest. It's pretty cool, but I've yet to figure out what his symbols are in "Jaws" adn "The Goonies!"

Doesn't that happen in the big fight scene in Star Wars? (Between Darth Vadar & Luke).

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SilverTurtle@greekchat.com

Phi Beta Fraternity: National Professional Association for the Creative & Performing Arts

When I was pledging my pledge ed told me this next one -- Micheal Eisner (Disney) was a DU at Denison, and he is also the one who formed/established the Mighty Ducks hockey team. Our mascot is a Duck, and that had some influence. I'm not sure if this is true, but that is what he was told.

Brian

This is kind of a lame one, but the only one I could think of that is AGD. There is a Frito Chips commercial where a lady is out in the garden and she's cutting red and buff roses. Either the director or originator of the commercial is an AGD.
We also joke about the Blimpie commercials because their logo is red, yellow, and green, but I'm pretty sure that is just coincidence. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by LeslieAGD (edited June 03, 2001).]

I heard from our pledge ed that the director of Varsity Blues is a DU, and that in the beginning of the movie there is a DU license plate frame on the big blue truck. and supposedly the coach of the football team has our manual inside his playbook or whatever at one point in the movie.

Brian - i also heard (from a leadership consultant) that if you take the mighty ducks' crest and turn it upside down or something it looks like our shield??? i'm not sure about that one, i sure dont see it.

Common guys! Some common sense here! Do you really think that if Liz Clairborne's husband "invented" Delta Airlines, he would name it after his wife's sorority???? (no offense UMgirl http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif not aimed at you personally!)

People are always too eager to believe things! Some of these stories are histerical!

(Just for those who are wondering, Delta Airlines was founded in 1928 as Delta Air Services. WAAAAAAAYYYYYY too early to be Clairborne's husband anyway!)

http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

And just FYI...it was founded as a regional airline and was named after the Mississippi "Delta"

Hey I'm a Phi Mu and the thing about Steel Magnolias is true. The story is based on the life of a Phi Mu, her name was Susan Harling. The story I belive was written by her brother in memory of her.
There is a Phi Mu composite, which really was of Susan Harling's chapter and year, and also Julia Roberts wears a badge in the scene were her mother is putting on her corsage after the wedding. There is also refernce to the color pink.. "its her signature color.."
and there is a pink and white wedding with pink carnations.. i saw it for the first time at one of my retreats.. it was pretty interesting so see all the phi mu stuff all over it.. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif
hope that helps http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

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Love, Honor, Truth

Wow! How interesting! I've seen this movie a thousand times. I cry EVERY time. It's one of my favorites. I'm a big Sally Field fan.



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Sigma Lambda Upsilon: Sincerity, Loyalty, Unity http://www.sigmalambdaupsilon.org

Sally Field is a Pi Phi!!!

coronaduck,

I had never heard about that Varsity Blues stuff, did you watch it and look for those things?

Brian

LIz Claiborne is a Tri-Delta and thats where the perfume design comes from. Also her husband is like the founder of Delta Airlines. Also named after Tri-delt. This is what My friend who was in Tri-delt told me.

You beat me to it Carnation. Yes, Wrigley's gum has an arrow on it because Mrs. Wrigley was a Pi Phi. That's the same reason the clips on Parker Pens are arrows.

Also, in the television show "Designing Women" the characters of Julia and Suzanne Sugarbaker were Pi Phis.

Why doesn't it surprise me that she's greek!?! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif Oh! I Just wanted to add that I also loved her on ER this season.



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Sigma Lambda Upsilon: Sincerity, Loyalty, Unity http://www.sigmalambdaupsilon.org

sorry, just saying what someone told me even though i didnt really believe and FYI, I never said he invented Delta airlines, I said he owned it.

Also on the Steal Magnolias thing they filmed it in Nachitoches Louisiana, where it actually took place and the girl went to Northwestern st. La. On the thing about the moon, I was told two astronauts where TKEs and one left a pin on the moon.........Since we are all coming up with the same story and nobody seems to have a diffinitive answer, I would say its all a big urban myth, but you never know I might be wrong....Some famous TKEs yall might not know about...Elvis, Pee Wee Herman, the founder of walgreens, and the actor hwo played the gay guy in As good as it gets(maybe Greg Kaneer?) also there is a rumor that Ron Jeremy was one, but I am not sure....Hes the porn star in Kid Rocks videos who is always saluting the American flag....Blaise on the Bayou

It is an urban myth! I've never heard of a TKE badge being up there, only AXO and DDD. I wrote to my nationals and got WRITTEN proof that there is NO pin of any organization up there. I know I've posted on this subject before but I'm not up to searching for it. For all you search-crazy people, feel free to do it for me. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif haha.....


Again, we need to think logically. Countries fought to be the first on the moon--from all around the WORLD. Do we really think that, after being so proud of having the American flag placed proudly on the moon, they would attach a fraternity/sorority pin? It just doesn't make sense!

Leslie
-I am so happy that you cleared that up for me about the Fritos commercial with Jeff Gordon and his wife. I saw they were Red and Buff together but I was wondering whether or not it was a coincidence. Yay! AGD represent! AGD's, do you know of any other things around that have to do with us? I'm sure there are some!

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Katey, ZA chapter of AGD
"Could I have been anyone other than me?"-Dave Matthews

I'm so jealous of ZTA because of the Little Mermaid business; that is so cool! I think it would be a lot of fun to watch the movie as a member and look for things that refer to the sorority. I wish a DZ would write a Disney screenplay one of these days!

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@~Tracy~@

By the light of the lamp, by the light of the lamp, by the bright shiny light, by the light of the lamp...if you are a DeeZee, you're the best that you can be, by the bright shiny light of the lamp!

In the movie "Election", the football player talks in the end about how he early rushed Phi Delts. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

OK, the stuff about the Zeta Tau Alpha secrets in The Little Mermaid is true. Apparently, a ZTA wrote the screenplay (cartoonplay?). For example, King Triton has 9 daughters; we had 9 founders. All of the crowns on any of the royalty have 5 points; our symbol is the 5-pointed crown. Also, our password, signature, etc are in there.

UNFSigmaChi, why the issue with the word "frat"? My boyfriend is a Pi Kappa Phi, and all the brothers hate that word, too. What gives?

TKEmz894, I thought you would be interested in knowing that some guys are trying to colonize TKE on our campus, the College of Charleston. THough it is kinda doubtful whether they will be recognized by IFC b/c almost all of the fraternities on campus are in serious financial trouble, and I don't think the college wants to invite anyone else on campus until matters improve.

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"Seek the noblest."
Zeta Love! <3

Also, to add to that, Arielle's hair is Strawberry red. Strawberries are one of our symbols. Her fin is torquoise which is one of the ZTA colors.

Hey Pinkstar!!! LIOB!!! Steel Magnolias was always one of my fave movies and when I learned about the whole Phi Mu thing I was so excited!! Me and my chapter watched it and it was really cool.

Another movie is Little Man Tate. In one scene there are benches in front of a building, and they are painted by diff orgs. One of the benches says Phi Sigma Sigma. I dont remember what the other ones say.

The Coors brothers r Psi U for the X chapter
The Director of Pearl Harbor and other movies was a Psi U from the Xi chapter
The Dad for Titus is also a PsiU