Negative Greek Image on ER

[LyonAZD]

Did anyone watch ER tonight? Yet another negative portrayal of greeks!! The show depicted drunken sorority girls and hazing of pledges by frats. When will it stop?!!!
It shows a pledge dying because of alcohol related hazing.
kara

[This message has been edited by LyonAZD (edited April 26, 2001).]

[gibbonsgal]

I thought how Dr. Benton made the pledge's big brother clean him up after he died (he had marker on him) was an interesting idea... I think it made an impact on the big. Kinda a clean up your own mess mentality I guess. I do think it was a bad image of greeks tho...of course it was greekweek when all the bad stuff was going on!

[BABELSUSA]

You know, it seems like no matter how many times people in general try to stop other people from thinking a certain thing, especially in a "bash on the greeks" point of view, you have to face it, people will always have negative feelings towards greeks. Along with abortion, along with becoming pregnant before you are married, along with waiting to have sex AFTER you are married, along with different religions, everyone tries to make us see as one. It will never stop. No matter how hard you try, all you will do is have them think about it more.
Dont get me wrong, I am not saying that we should stop trying to tell others the positive points of being a greek, but we need to face the fact that if they are going to think like that, then let them. We should not try to aruge with them. Those who believe we are better than what others say, they are the ones who chose to become greeks.

[dzrose93]

Greek Week was an athletic event on my campus -- not a drunken free-for-all like ER writers made it out to be! Somebody tell me how many sororities out there have a contest that involves running around chasing pigs in the mud while drunk? Please!!! How ridiculous!

Personally, I think that if enough people complained, the entertainment industry would think twice before constantly stereotyping Greeks in film and t.v. Not to say that it would cut it out completely, but it may deter it somewhat. Anyone know NBC's e-mail address or physical address?

I'm writing a letter, and I suggest anyone who didn't like ER last night do the same. There's strength in numbers!! BUT, if you write, don't just say that you hated the Greek portrayal. List positive things that your group does and show them a different side of GLO's. And tell them how many people you know who were outraged by the episode, and how turned off they are by ER now. It made me not want to watch the show next week - and I've been an avid watcher since it's first episode!

[lovelyivy84]

Was it a negative representation of Greeks? YEs it was. But think about how certain chapters have been conducting themselves! If WE as the Greek community were not participating i nthese types of activities, then they would have no basis for this. But as long as chapters continue this type of stupidity (and, regardless of whether it does not happen at YOUR chapter, it still does happen and all too often) this representation will continue.

[KillarneyRose]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by dzrose93:
[B]Greek Week was an athletic event on my campus -- not a drunken free-for-all like ER writers made it out to be! Somebody tell me how many sororities out there have a contest that involves running around chasing pigs in the mud while drunk?

During Greek Week, my sisters and I along with the rest of the Greeks on campus were too busy canning, working at soup kitchens, tutoring elementary school kids and participating in dance marathon to think about chasing pigs in the mud while drunk. Color us BORING! Oh well...


------------------
~@~Tracy~@~
Proud to be Delta-Z :-)

[DeltAlum]

NBC's address is:

30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112

Phone number is 212-664-4444.

I think the E-mail is (first name).(last name)@nbc.com. So, you would have to know whom to write to.

Unfortunatly, Leslie Anne and lovelyivy are mostly correct, aren't they?

DeltAlum

[Lisa Fishman]

The show Friends also on Thurs. night before ER also negitavely portraied greeks, but not as much as ER. Rachael Green met up with a sorority sister and they both reminised about a Sigma Chi Lualu and getting drunk. What was wrong with NBC that night?

[This message has been edited by Lisa Fishman (edited April 28, 2001).]

[gracie_freebush]

Isn't it the network that carries Inside Edition? Well???????

[33girl]

Originally posted by Leslie Anne:
I really can't understand what you are all so upset about. So ER did a show where a pledge dies from consuming too much alcohol. IT HAPPENS!!!

Leslie Anne,

I think what makes everyone so upset is that if any other group was treated so negatively in the media, everyone and their brother would be accusing the networks of discrimination and slander. But with Greeks, since they're misperceived as a group of rich white males, it's OK to bash them all you want. Yes, I've seen Greeks act like drunken idiots, but I've also seen athletes, musicians, seamstresses, you name it do the same. No one is disputing that the incidents do happen, it is the magnitude that they are given.

It's become a kind of shorthand for negative things and that's stupid and lazy on the part of writers of the shows. Kind of like during World War II, when all you had to do in a screenplay to label someone "Bad guy" was give him a German accent. Obviously there were hundreds of thousands of Germans out there who weren't bad guys in the least.

It also gives people a very false sense of security - oh, as long as I don't/my child doesn't go Greek, they'll never drink too much, etc. etc. Irresponsible drinking is a SOCIETAL problem, and until this country wises up and tries to solve it with some laws that make sense, it will continue whether Greeks exist or not.




[This message has been edited by 33girl (edited April 28, 2001).]

[DeltAlum]

Gracie,

Actually, Inside Edition is a syndicated program and not carried by any "network" per se. In one city it will be on the NBC station, in another on the Fox affilliate, etc.

DeltAlum

[LyonAZD]

33girl, I couldn't have said it better myself!!! Labeling any group is dangerous, if races were labeled in negative ways, the espisode would have never made it past network approval. if we as a group take a stand, the negative portrayal will stop. i have already sent an email to ER and even if nothing happens, at least i tried to prevent this negative image from continuing. I don't want my future son or daughter to be plagued by the same negative ideas that are so prominent in todays world.

kara

[dzrose93]

Originally posted by Leslie Anne:
I really can't understand what you are all so upset about. So ER did a show where a pledge dies from consuming too much alcohol. IT HAPPENS!!! Yes, it was negative but it was accurate.
And the pig thing....uh, ever heard of "cow tipping?" IT HAPPENS!
And a bunch of Greeks being drunken idiots? IT HAPPENS EVERY DAY!
Before anyone accuses me of "Greek bashing"...I'm a Kappa Delta.
Yes, Greeks do a lot of great things, but they do stupid things too. Why can't you accept this?

Greek pride is fine, but let's be realistic!

Leslie Anne,

I AM being realistic. Remember the Seinfeld episode that was pulled off the air because the Puerto Ricans complained that it belittled their people? Or the Law and Order episode about the wildings in the park where women were stripped of their clothing by a group of men during the annual Puerto Rican Day celebrations? That episode had to be scrapped after 1 viewing because the Puerto Rican community in New York took offense to the fact that the producers of the show were portraying members of their country in a bad light -- even though the show was based on an actual occurence!

There are many more examples that I can list, but these are just 2 recent ones that come to mind -- mainly because of all the bad press they received, and the fact that the producers were forced to do something about it, namely - take them off the air! And, I guarantee you, they'll be more careful about the subject matter they choose in their upcoming shows.

So, why shouldn't Greeks take a stand to a negative portrayal of OUR people? There is no reason for us to stand by and watch our names get dragged through the mud. It would be apathetic to do so.

Yes, we drink. Yes, some of us do stupid things at times. But, that is only a very small part of our GLO's compared to all the many good deeds that we do. I think to sit there and say "well, stuff like that really happens so just get over it when you see it on TV" is a VERY apathetic approach to take.

(And, as for cow tipping, I can say with 100% certainty that the GLO's on my campus never participated in such a juvenile activity. Even after drinking, we had a little more class than that. )

Hope you can understand where I'm coming from. If we don't let our voices be heard, then these types of episodes will continue to be shown on TV and parents and potential rushees will see them and question the benefits of going Greek. Let that happen a little more often, and you'll see the end of the Greek system as we know it. And then where will we be?

[AlphaXiGirl]

I, also, want to give merit to Leslie
Anne's view.... do I like the fact that her argument has weight? No, but it does.

Yes, all of our organizations do good things and yes, our organizations do serve a purpose. It is also true that as a Greek population, "we" have given the media excessive amounts of ammunition to use against us.

I, like many of you, got upset when I watched ER on Thursday. Am I upset at the writers and producers of ER or NBC? I don't think I can be... they are doing their job. Producing a show with a storyline that appeals to their viewers, sells advertising, and thus, makes money.

I don't think that any of us like to be picked on. However, I don't think that we can completely call "foul" for ER's story. I think we've all read enough posts on Greek Chat raising up praises to hazing and cheering on wet t-shirt contests to know that we, as a Greek community aren't completely innocent.

I do wish that the networks would find someone else to pick on but why should they. We have given them some excellent script material through our behavior.

Everyone, keep this discussion in mind the next time you see or hear about either your group or another group on your campus planning an event. Would you want that event portrayed on TV as a story line to represent all of your brothers and sisters around the world? If not, find one that you would.

[33girl]

Originally posted by DeltAlum:
Besides, how can you compare a group of people who choose to join a diverse set of organizations to an ethnic group that is targeted because of color of skin or national origin? It's simply not the same.

Well....chew on this. You choose what religion to practice. There have been some stories in past years about priests doing things that are not so nice. Do you think the Vatican would just blow it off if every time a priest was on a TV show or movie, he was presented as a homosexual child molester??

Believe me, if I could prevent every hazing and irresponsible drinking incident in the world, I would. Unfortunately I don't have that kind of power over time and space. I do what I can on my own, and hope that I directly affect the people in my orbit. Yes we Greeks have done some stupid things, but we have done a lot of good things too. My argument is with the TOTALLY ONE SIDED coverage of Greeks these days.

Everyone criticizes "Animal House" and "Revenge of the Nerds" but if you look past the alcohol (which wasn't such a sin back in those olden days) I think they both have a good message. Both showed groups of guys who wanted to have a brotherhood that was against the stereotype of snobby jock fraternities. If you look at the Tri-Lambs and Bluto, Otter and co., they are basically good (if somewhat rowdy) guys at heart. On shows like Family Ties and Facts of Life, Greeks were shown as occasionally snobby at worst. Nothing so bad it would frighten small children.

Nowadays, it's a TOTALLY different story. The last semi-positive Greek portrayal I saw was on 90210, 6 years ago. The portrayal of Greeks nowadays is full on EVIL...snobby, superficial semi-humans who only think about drinking and abusing others. Everyone sporting Greek letters is portrayed this way, except for the "strong independent" who decides to do the "right thing" (no mention of how this paragon of virtue fell in with the satanic Greeks to begin with).

If nothing else, DeltAlum, as a media professional, please back up my argument of just plain BAD CRAFTSMANSHIP. Honestly, most of the Greek-themed shows I've seen have worse writing than my fifth-grade bowdlerizing of Dickens' "Christmas Carol."