TV character wearing real life sorority merchandise
 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/sports....215917177.html

Not sure how to paste the whole article since I’m on my phone and copy/paste is weird but here is the link.

Just curious, how would you feel if this was your org? Is this a big deal?

It would bother me, and I would hope that my organization would look into pursuing legal action, especially because it is so easy to create a fictitious sorority/fraternity and not step on anyone's toes. I don't blame the actress, however. This falls on the producers and their legal team.

Looks like someone is about to get sued!

Also, I know it's hard to read the tone of social media posts, but it seems like the actress is kind of being a b**** about the whole thing.

As a data point, Spike Lee's School Daze had a number of different real NPHC GLOs represented including Alpha Phi Alpha and Alpha Kappa Alpha and I don't believe that an effort was made to have members of the respective real GLOs wear those colors. (See the end of the Alpha Phi Alpha step show at https://youtu.be/WfPc8Ia7E20?t=84 for characters in Alpha Kappa Alpha wear.

Am I recalling correctly that some NPC groups may have used clout, or paid thru publicists, to have their letters mentioned and/or shown during various 1980s/early 90s films and tv shows? Because those mentions/showings used to happen a lot, and it wasn't all by accident and no one appeared to complain when it occurred.

This included close-ups of composites or close-ups of letters, then cutaways or pullbacks to the characters of the film. Nowadays when those films are on tv you don't always see those parts of the film where the NPC group appeared. The close-up is gone, and the character is shown after the pullback, but you can recall when the greek letters were once featured.

Some of those sightings may even be listed in the GC thread Finding Your Letters Somewhere You Didn't Expect.

Obviously IDK the facts of the current situation regarding the use of actual greekgroup letters, so cannot say whether there is a similar agreement between that group and the show's producers.

I think in this instance NPHC members are the ones who should offer their opinions and the rest of us should have a seat.

THIS.

Why?

If my memory recalls, I think Delta Gamma was seen in the background (on a pennant?) on a couple episodes of Happy Days

Tri Delta had a SNL skit to their name (which is a classic to me anyway.) Why didn't they just make up a "fake" greek org to avoid all of this like they did in Legally Blonde and other movies?

Many Greek orgs have their letters, signs, and insignia trademarked. For the show referenced in the article - which I've never seen - people argue that everyone has known since season one that characters were members of Greek orgs. I would imagine that just saying an organization's name wouldn't cause any trouble. However, once you start plastering the Greek letters, coat of arms, etc. on items or clothing without express permission of the national organization, you've now violated US trademark laws.

Perhaps with the SNL skit, for example, they had permission from Tri Delta? I wouldn't know. But if AKA didn't sign off on this, the actresses' responses seem rather flippant. Although, I can cut her some slack seeing as she's not Greek and perhaps doesn't know the ins and outs of what's acceptable.

I feel like the actress in this situation is taking the brunt of this...we assume everyone else understands Greek letters and Greek traditions and not to use the letters if you’re not a member...but she may not have even realized this when she was handed the outfit that day. If anyone is responsible, it’s the people who write the show.

It’s just dumb to do this when it would take five seconds to just make something up, another minute to do a quick internet search to make sure said organization doesn’t exist, and just be done with it.

That's parody. There's a little more legal leeway there.

If she knew enough to jokingly say she was “me phi me” in college and use phrases like “cross the burning sands,” SHE KNOWS she crossed a line.

Re Happy Days, they used pinning songs from DG and ATO as part of a plot with Potsie and his girlfriend. I’m assuming people associated with the show had ties to those two groups. They really never talked about it again or showed anyone in letters or anything. Now when the boys were pledging a fraternity and were hazed and then blackballed, they used a fake name for that fraternity.

It’s one thing to have real Greek letters be part of a background, it’s quite another to have them associated with an ongoing story or character.

Close, 33. One of the producers was a Beta Theta Pi - so they were mentioned. One of the production staff was a Delta Gamma - hence the references and the anchors.

Oh and yes, Elle in Legally Blond is a Delta Gamma as the book was written by a DG.

But in the movie, she is a Delta *Nu* to avoid issues.

A Different World used to show Hillman students wearing NPHC gear.

Which also happens to a DG chapter name

Unless it is the one where the sister who wrote the book attended, I'm not sure that it means anything. I would expect that most if not all NPC sororities that use the common (alpha -> omega, alpha alpha ...) ordering would have a Delta Nu chapter. Picking another NPC sorority, sort of at random, Phi Sigma Sigma's Delta Nu chapter is at Iona College.

From the show production side, apparently they got approval from I/HQ (not sure if AKA uses that term) to use their likeness, but the blowback is from some membership.

I'm curious if that's accurate, but that's AKA business and I'm sure they'll handle things if proper protocol wasn't followed.

The extras wearing the NPHC gear were respective members of the orgs.

As a DG, I can say we all found that interesing. However, we can see where others didn't. I was speaking from a DG perspective.

Appreciated. Delta Nu chapter of Delta Gamma is at Northern Illinois University, I believe.

When that skit aired, Tri Delta was NOT happy about it occurring, and no permission was given. In fact, it was difficult to find video of the skit for a long time because of the backlash. There's an article that was written around the time the skit aired that explains more about Executive Office's reactions. Honestly, the end is what makes me angry about it, simply because the writers and actresses have a dismissive and disrespectful take on the whole thing. https://www.thedp.com/article/1992/0..._over_snl_skit


That being said, when it comes to the use of NPHC letters in this situation, I'm not qualified to comment. I would prefer to stick to what I know, which is my organization's policies and attitudes on matters like this. I will leave the commentary up to NPHC members.

And the screenwriter was an Alpha Gam. We also have a Delta Nu chapter, but the screenwriter is from our Delta Theta chapter.

ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY DIRECTOR PLANNING TO TAKE ACTION AFTER AKA LOGO WORN BY ACTRESS

https://www.blackenterprise.com/alph...rn-by-actress/

I remember an interview with her that she pledged twice but never initiated. Perhaps one of our DGs can clear this up?

Do you mean Reese Witherspoon? I recall one interview she gave (possibly on Tonight Show with Jay Leno) she said she never pledged any group, even though she grew up around people to whom joining the right Delta Delta Delta chapter Down South meant the world (pretty sure she used the 3D group name).

I was referring to the author of the "Legally Blonde" book Amanda Brown.

And Fran just happened to share an AGD post about Legally Blonde today....

Blonde Ambition

FWIW, we're watching Everybody Loves Raymond, and his college girlfriend broke up with him with a phone message. She would have done so at the Kappa Delt Hoe Down, but he was busy playing foosball.