School Daze
 

EEEEE-YIP Sorhors!!! I was just on the website for the book African American Fraternities and Sororities; The legacy and the vision. And I was reading the abstract for the chapter about School Daze and how the movie depicted BGLO's. As I read it I wondered how much relavance or influence does the movie have on young non-greeks today. I don't remember if the movie was made in the late eighties or the early nineties, but I do know that I've seen the movie like a thousand times. Now, I'm 26 years old so of course I've seen it. And, I'm not going to lie, there are alot of stereotypes about BGLOs and even though I knew that it was just a movie, I knew people that were in college and they would tell me about the stereotypes which let me to believe that when I got to college the whole fraternity and Sorority experience was going to be like School Daze. Ofcourse, when I got to college and even before I became a Sigma woman, I found that it was nothing like School Daze. But how about the young people that are just starting college and may want to join a fraternity or Sorority. I wonder how many of them have seen the movie and how it may have effected their view of what BGLOs are all about. What do you all think?

I think it has a lot of influence on non-greeks. The day I was to be inducted (into the greatest sorority of all time;)) I had a non-greek friend drop me off at the location. About a week later, I saw him again a he was asking me for info on what happened. {insert "yeah right" look here} Didn’t tell him anything but that it was a beautiful ceremony. That's it. He thought I was kidding and would actually tell him what happened and then we got into it about the why's and how come's and at some point during the conversation, the movie School Daze came up. He later made a comment I hadn't really thought about. He said that what he saw on tv and in the movies is all he really had to go on. None of his folks were in frats or sorors, so I could understand where he was coming from with that one. In all fairness, he was from St. Thomas and apparently, in his neck of the woods they don’t hear too much about that sort of thing.

Of the movies, news stories and tv sitcoms/programs I've seen that' have dealt with greek life, usually it's the party theme, the tragic hazing story, or racism. If this is what is presented to the general public and everything else is "secret", what are non-greeks supposed to think? Now there are those who are legacies or know someone who is greek and may get more accurate information but for the rest, where does that leave them?

Good topic! And one that can make us think what can we do or should be doing to change that image. I get tired of people guessing what sorority I belong to based on a certain stereotype they heard.:rolleyes:

As a teacher a lot of my students look at my letters and the only thing they ask me is something in regards to stepping. I think it's great that more informative books are being published like this one and the Divine Nine book several years ago.

Also, no matter how many community service events we (greeks in general) do, it's always overlooked. It may be a 60 second story in the local news but the hazing story took 5 minutes.

Well...
 

I have seen a lot of negative assumptions made because of School Daze (by people who have no exposure to NPHC organizations), but I have also seen prospects and greek organization members who felt they had to emulate certain parts of the film to maintain their credibility or perceived status. When the movie came out in the late eighties, there was a lot of uproar among the NPHC orgs, but to some extent, the film was dead on. It's 2005, and some folk still need to wake up.

Re: Well...
 

Agreed

I believe that the partying and the hazing stereotype is what hurts us alot. You have so many people who want to join and who do join because they believe that being in a BGLO is going to involve partying all the time. I think that this is why we lose so many sorors and frats to inactivity because of the assumption that as soon as you cross, the partying was going to be the biggest part of the experience and when work needs to be done, they are no where to be found. The hazing stereotype is what stops a lot of promising people from even attempting to join a BGLO because, and it may sound a little exagerrated, but some people actually think that they might end up dieing (I may have spelled that wrong) in the process. After I was inducted into Sigma Gamma Rho, Sorority Inc. and went home with letters on, some of my family members were calling me asking me was I hurt badly and if I was Ok. And I had to assure them that I was fine. Now when my family sees me with letters on they are proud because of everything that I tell them that I am involved in with the sorority, and they realize that being greek is not a bad thing. I think that every chance we get we have to put positive images out there about our organizations because if we don't the media will continue to tear us down.

Re: Well...
 

I agree: while the movie was fictitious, it was a case of art imitating life to a large extent. When I was in undergrad, a Ph.D scholar (who also happened to be an Alpha) came to our school and gave us a historical overview of hazing and how it dated way back to the 1800's-- way before BGLO's were around and how it evolved, and how we (BGLO's) picked it up from our counterparts in greekdom, who, for the sake of this conversation, were our forefathers, if you will. When he got to discussing pledging and hazing in the 80's, he mentioned how when School Daze came out, NPHC org's were speaking out and how Spike Lee's movie depicted BGLO's in the wrong light and wasn't true to reality-- but at the end of they, there was A LOT more truth to it than people were willing to face and admit to.

I think it is a sad day when people know more about stepping and pledging, than they know about our legacy and service and history of community uplift. Unfortunately, that sad day is today. I think while people are always going to gravitate toward what is "ear candy" or appealing to watch (i.e., the pledging/hazing horror stories and stepping), a lot of their shortsightedness is due to what BGLO's are showing them. I believe there was a time when people readily recognized the black greekdom was REALLY about something, it was REALLY a distinction to be in one of our orgs. But with all the petty rivalries, all the power trips that result in multi-million dollar hazing suits, and huge turnouts for stepshows in T-shirts but low visibility in service, its no wonder people buy into what they see on television.

Remember: people don't see all the grand things your NATIONAL organization is doing; they see what YOU are doing locally and form an opinion. For example, Sigma Gamma Rho as an org has very noble ideals and aims and tons of national projects, but if the local chapter on campus is beating people down, actin' up at the club, and only shows up--and out!--for a step show, it's easy to buy into the stereotype hype.

Re: School Daze
 

Quteepie22,
Please excuse (or Moderators delete) my post if it was directed to only your Sorors.

I'll chime in and say that I've never seen the movie (I'm 30 so I was around when it was around I just think that Spike Lee movies are corny the way that he's always talking into the camera, etc.) but I had heard of the various stereotypes of some of the organizations upon getting to college. I say that to say that as someone who never saw the movie, those stereotypes from the movie may still be proliferated by who knows whom upon entry to college so young people may still hear them as I did.

SC

Sorhors and Friends,

Movies like "School Daze" and constant news reports that glorify the stepping and hazing are very damaging to BGLO's. We all need to focus on better strategies to let the greater society understand the real purpose and focus of our great organizations. There's an interesting article in the Aurora located in the From Him section of the magazine titled "How To Get Your Brand." The author; Walter M. Kimbrough, says that "we've lost some of our relevance and it's time for someone to craft a new brand that hopefully other groups will model. We need a new brand for Black Fraternalism." When I first read the article I was taken back a bit and unnerved from the boldness of the it, however, the more I thought about it I realized there's a lot of truth in his presentation. We are losing some of our relevance and we can thank folks like Spike Lee and even our own brothers and sisters in our perspective organizations for doing damage to us. We (BGLOs) need to do a reality check and do it fast before it's too late.

Serioussigma22:cool:

I very much agree!!!

Re: Re: Well...
 

http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmili...ty/yelclap.gif

Wow...
 

You JUST got around to readin that NinjaPoodle??? :D

yeah, i had missed a few threads here and there or forgot to come back to some.:)

Can one of you explain exactly how greek life was depicted in the movie? I haven't seen it. But come on you some of it holds true for some chapters and orgs.

Okay. I need for you to see the movie (or read a synopsis) and perceive how Greek life was depicted BEFORE you come to the conclusion that some of it holds true for some chapters and orgs. Nothing wrong with having that opinion, but when you preface it with basic questions about the film and the statement that you haven't seen it... it looks a little off...

Just a friendly suggestion :)

1. We are Sigma Gamma Rho Women, not "rho's".
2. My Soror gave you a friendly suggestion in a respectful manner. At the very least you could have done the same.
3. It is quite apparent you don't like NPHC greeks. http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/se...archid=1461507

Until you respect us, we can NOT respect you.

good lawd, don't always be so bitter........

To address your question: Typically in movies the director will often portray a situation / group / event highlighting the stereotypes to make the film more interesting, that is to say, to gross more money for the film.

I saw the movie when it came out, I have not seen it since, but from what I remember greek life was portrayed in a way such that some aspects were overemphasized, like the stepping, while other aspects of greek life were not even mentioned, like community service.

Don't you think he overdramatized just to make a point?

For example:
good vs bad hair
Light vs dark skin
Greek vs non greek
Educated vs non educated (Think Samuel L at KFC)

IMO, at then end when he has them yelling "WAKE UP" he wants people to open their eyes to what is truly going on in the world.
We should wake up to see that it doesn't matter if your hair is straight or "nappy". It also doesn't mean that light is better than dark or that dark has a deeper connection to Africa.

I don't think the point of this movie was to show all aspects of greek life. He zeroed in on something that all people can recognize and that is the stereotypes we all face on a daily basis.

Sure, some people only came away with the entertainment value of the movie, but hopefully others recognized the truths in his message.

Yeah, that's what I stated: movie directors will tend to over emphasize a stereotype to make the movie marketable (?sp). I was just more general than specifically mentioning many details of the movie.

I guess I wasn't looking at it as he was trying to gross more money. I was thinking more along the lines of him saying that we need to get this info out here so that people can see how trivial things can consume our lives.

Ok pretty much all my responses were DELETED

but anyways

so I guess in the film greeks were made to be party animals and hazers?

that's all?

Yes, but he did it by over emphasizing certain sterotypes to get his point across and, *gasp* make money. Spike Lee is culture concious but he is not that altruistic.

One womans 14 year old perspective
 

Thanks for the vocabulary word (I had to google it). :D

School Daze came out I was approx 14 years old. Although I was an Archonette with Zeta Phi Beta, I had no concept of the sorority/fraternity life that was protrayed in the movie. Maybe it's because I was already participating in a likeness of "greek" life through community service, meetings, and fellowship. We didn't see them stepping or wearing sweatshirts and I was apart of that group from 7th grade through high school. Those women were real to us and they are the ones who took the time to help mold us. I have family members in other sororities, and I never saw them display the type of behavior depicted in the movie either.

When I saw School Daze for the first time at the movies, it was purely for entertainment purposes. I didn't leave the movie thinking that what I saw was true to life. I remember being confused because Larry Fishburn was screaming "wake up" at the end, and I didn't understand why. I did take away the points I mentioned in my earlier post (excluding greek vs non greek). Even though I didn't recognize this element of the movie, I recognized that Larry's character was an individual who didn't think that blacks should "whiten" themselves to belong to a group.
I did not understand that what was happening in that movie was hazing. I just assumed that Half-Pint had a goal, so he had to do what he had to do to get in. I was more disturbed by Tisha Campbell's character being used by her boyfriend and Half-Pint.

As far as Spike Lee is concerned, I thought his movies held secret messages, and that he expected me to learn something by the end of the film. I'm not mad at him for trying to make a living because if his movies bomb then he has no platform to use to get his messages across.

Re: One womans 14 year old perspective
 

*hijack*


Me too!!! :D

*end hijack*

Please see the movie!!! If you didn't and you won't, then there is no real reason for you to participate in this thread. Making comments about assumptions do not count.

Sequel to be filmed at "The House"
 

http://www.morehouse.edu/communicati...es/000208.html

Spike Returns to Discuss Racial Politics
By Vickie G. Hampton and monét cooper


Oscar is the most courted man in Hollywood. Filmmaker Shelton “Spike” Lee ’79, however, could care less.

In fact, if you’re in entertainment just for a chance to rendezvous with Oscar—the coveted gilded man given to the top film folk—you’re in the wrong business, said Lee, speaking during “Black and White in Hollywood,” a forum held in King Chapel on Feb. 1. “When you allow someone the power to validate your work, it’s over.”

Lee began the day at his alma mater at Davidson House, where he held a press conference to plug the DVD releases of his 2004 film “She Hate Me” and “School Daze.” Lee also announced that Sony Pictures signed a deal with Lee to write the sequel to the 1988 hit.

Lee later visited the class of his former English professor, E. Delores Stephens, whom he remembers for her intelligence as much as the papers she returned to him after grading: “When I got them back from her, it looked like somebody committed suicide,” he said.

Lee spent much of his time discussing his 1997 documentary “4 Little Girls,” which was nominated for an Oscar, with the students.

At the forum, Lee, Beverly Guy-Sheftall, director of the Women’s Research and Resource Center at Spelman College, and Herbert L. Eichelberger, the Clark Atlanta University film professor who was also Lee’s mentor and instructor, spoke about the racial politics of Hollywood.

When “4 Little Girls” went up against a film on the holocaust, Lee said he knew it didn’t stand a chance of winning an Oscar. And “Driving Miss Daisy” was nominated for best picture, while “Do the Right Thing” received Best Screenplay and best supporting actor nominations. Oscar may not have been on his side, but longevity has been.


“No one is watching ‘Driving Miss Daisy.’ But “Do the Right Thing” is being taught in classes across the nation,” he said.

One of the most challenging aspects of producing films is getting the funding. Lee lamented the fact that there are no black gatekeepers—people who can greenlight a film. He encouraged students to pursue dual law and MBA degrees and climb the corporate ladder to get to gatekeeping positions.

“We have enough actors up the ying-yang. Even Denzel [Washington], who gets $20 million a film, has to go to the gatekeeper.”

The conversation also touched on other subjects, like his reason for doing a sequel to “School Daze” after nearly a decade.

“I’ve always been very resistant to doing a sequel but over the years, so many people told me that they went to a black school because of this film, that they became aware of black schools.”

The first “School Daze” dealt with a slew of controversial issues in the black community, and its sequel will have its share of controversial topics, as well, including hip hop, homosexuality and AIDS.

Lee is hoping that the sequel will also be filmed more extensively on the Morehouse campus, unlike the first “School Daze,” which, because of creative conflict, was filmed mostly on Clark Atlanta and Morris Brown campuses.

“When ‘School Daze’ came out, I wasn’t allowed to [film] on the Morehouse campus,” said Lee. “But I’m on the board of trustees now let’s see how much clout that has.”


Posted by Kara at March 24, 2005 05:54 PM

On snap! A sequel! :D

Hmmm...a sequel? Well, if he chooses to continue the Greek theme, I hope he consults with some Greeks to give us a better portrayal. And I hope he gives a more balanced view of Black women. Has anyone read "African American Fraternities and Sororities: The Legacy and the Vision"? There is a great essay on how Black women are protrayed negatively in "School Daze". Its a great read and very thought-provoking.

Re: Sequel to be filmed at "The House"
 

Hmmm. I haven't heard black people talking about the importance of the gatekeepers since I was in college. I think they are important, but would a black gatekeeper have the freedom to greenlight ALL (heck, or even MOST) of the projects he or she deemed worthwhile? There are a lot of tradeoffs on the road to becoming a gatekeeper, at least through Lee's suggested method of corporate american attainment. Even the gatekeepers who are in power today don't have as much power as they appear to. They have to answer to a board and shareholders and keep them happy in order that the gatekeeper status is maintained.

It is my view that brothers and sisters interested in gatekeeping status should look at the BIG picture... The worldwide picture, that is. Why capture American filmmaking influence when you cultivate some foreign relationships and capture INTERNATIONAL greenlighting power? Just a thought... :D

I hope that the portrayal of African American women is improved, because it was a bit lacking in the original. As for Greeks, I hope that the portrayal is more balanced as well. Quiet as it's kept, a grip of us giggle and even take pride in the portrayal in the original, as flawed as it was.

I did read the essay on School Daze recently and it was very intersting.

If Spike is going to do a sequel on School Daze, I hope he does his research. Greek life among the D9 is different now than it was when the movie came out in '87-'88. I think it should reflect the problems of today.

Sistergreek, I agree with this!

When I saw the movie, it took me back to my college days and watching the sweethearts acting like it was their special mission to take care of the frats. They would look at you with much attitude if you dared try to step on the plots (my campus did and still does have plots for frats, and now sorors) like they had personally made the down payment on that piece of land. This might get me in trouble, but they always seemed like Sorority wannabees to me (mind you, this was when I was in college some x number of years ago!).

But I loved the original - had to go out and buy it I loved it so much, and yes, things have changed from the time that the original was made. From what I saw in college, I thought that the movie was very closely related to Fraternity/Sorority life during that time.

Aaaah, the memories! :)

Watch the movie. It's a new Black Classic. :D

I'm not a member of a GLO but saw the movie when it first came out. I think I was in my mid-teens (okay, I'm dating myself). I found the movie to be a mixture of fact and fiction. The intra-racial color discrimination issues can be found outside of Black Greek Life so I thought that was a stretch to attach it to fraternities or sororities. The educated vs. non-educated and class issues within the Black community were not limited to Black Greeks. Why should BGLOs shoulder the blame alone for those issues? And were was the representation of BGLO's doing community service?

When I saw the film, initially, I remembered Dap's girlfriend trying to justify her decision to pledge and mentioning community service but no one was trying to hear that. The irony was when I returned home and began college two years later, I had the same conversation with my parents and they refused to support my decision to pledge because they too weren't trying to hear about the work these orgs. do in the community. All people focused on was BGLO's changing a person. My contention to this day is that if a person is going to change, they don't need membership in any org. to do that.

Fortunately, I saw the movie during a summer program for high school students at UC Santa Barbara and the only Black female resident assistant was a Delta and she gave us an opportunity to ask generalized questions about Greek Life. I think the reason why I was able to separate the fact from fiction in my later years was because I had someone introduce me to Black Greek Life who was a part of that community but who also wanted us to be informed, regardless of whether we choose to pursue pledging a sorority or not.

I think the movie can be a good teaching tool for BGLO's working with youth. But I do think that there should be some degree of balance when giving this information such as talking about the reality that hazing isn't 100% wiped out. When I was at UCSB in 1990 (again, dating myself), the member intake process was not in place and the Delta who showed us School Daze informed us about the real possibility of us experiencing some hazing. While much of the pre-1992 hazing is gone, there are enough cases in the news to warrant having a discussion with young people about it. School Daze's value (even with its limitations) is that it provides a springboard from which BGLO's can have discussions about the realities of Greek Life which will hopefully change the image of these organizations.

PhDiva

School Daze is on Comedy Central right now.

Oh HAYLE naw!

They edited out the Alphas!!!!! :mad:

Yeah, they edited out a lot of stuff which is why I didn't even bother to watch it. They cut out important elements: :o

Hey, I did the UC Santa Barbara summer program the summer before my senior year. It solidified my decision to attend an HBCU.

*bumping*
While i too am not a member of a GLO, I saw this movie back in 88 and I was 7 years old(My Mom was a big spike lee fan), when it came out on VHS it became one of my favorite movies and still is. While it gives a fictional view of BGLO's it was my window to seeing what it could be like to go to college and Join a BGLO. While i was growing up and since then I have learned that joining an Org should be a decision one should not make based on Partying , wearing letters, or acting like you are better than others because of your entry into an org. While i have my aspirations to join a BGLO, I am making sure that i am doing it for the right reasons. I have many friends that are members of BGLO's to encourage me but for right now school and my family is my top priority. I support those that have crossed into their organizations and bust their butt's doing community service projects for the communites. I hope that with the second movie that Spike takes the time to show the good things that BGLO's do for everyone. I feel that it is time for the NPHC orgs to be known for more than parties, stepshows, and hazing.