Greek 101 & MTV

KRXAlum · #1 07-25-2002, 07:18 PM

Hello all. I know some of you know me from my posts on this forum. Hope you all are well. For those who don't know me, I am an alumni of a local sorority in Boston, MA. I received this email from Greek101 today, and was not a "happy camper" when I saw what it was all about. Looks like Greek101 wishes to stay on board with MTV for as long as it can... Quite a shame. I wanted to share this so as many locals as possible can see what large corporations are trying to do... and to warn you to stay away!

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From: jim@greek101.com

MTV has asked Greek101.com to help find a Local Sorority for the upcoming season of _Sorority Life_. If you are interested or know someone who is, please read on.

We are currently searching for a new sorority to work with us this fall, for season 2.

If your house has an interest in possibly being involved with the show please contact us via e-mail as soon as possible: MTV@greek101.com

IN THE SUBJECT LINE PLEASE PLACE YOUR SORORITY NAME.

In the e-mail please include:

1) Your name, school, and website information.

2) Recruitment information, dates and a general schedule for the fall and your Recruitment process.

3) House information: How many active sisters? How many new members do you take a semester? How close is your house to campus, if no house _ define housing? How many girls live in the house?

4) Activities: what type of activities do you have planned for the fall? What are general activities that you do every year? Is there a Fraternity that you work with for socials?

5) Any other general information that you have regarding your sorority.

Thank you for your time,

MTV Sorority Life Staff &

www.Greek101.com

HelloKitty22 · #2 07-25-2002, 07:43 PM

I really don't see what all the indignation is about. First of all, I wouldn't describe Greek 101 as a "large corporation." Secondly, I don't see why it's so bizarre that they would be doing MTV's bidding. If there isn't a second season then there is no vehicle for their advertising. It's not as if they are forcing you to reply. They are simply asking if you're interested. Which apparently you're not.
Personally, I don't think the show is all that bad. I think it is doing a pretty fair job of representing life in a sorority. Maybe your organization isn't interested in participating. However, some organizations do see the benefits to it and want to do it. Since Greek 101 has access to many sorority members through its business, why shouldn't it use those contacts to recruit a sorority for the new season?

FuzzieAlum · #3 07-25-2002, 08:03 PM

Greek101 is taking a risk, though, of alienating groups opposed to the show who may well take their business elsewhere.

KRXAlum · #4 07-25-2002, 08:36 PM

Exactly, FuzzyAlum... thank you for your post back.
Personally, I just feel that Greek 101 is thinking about $$$ only ... they might feel quite a backlash, especially from the NPC orgs... if you look on the Greek Life form, you'll see all the differnt posts.

ThielGirlie · #5 07-25-2002, 09:22 PM

For those that didn't notice, the red rhinestone tee that the one active is wearing (I forgot her name... I'm really tired!) has Greek 101 written on the sleve. They're all about promoting their stuff, which I heard from a friend isn't that good, because she bought a sew-on letter hoodie, and one of the letters fell off! MTV and Greek 101 are all about marketing, and it's going to create a lot of problems, especially within the NPC sororities.

SaintXCPi · #6 07-25-2002, 10:50 PM

I agree with the thoughts on greek 101 and mtv colaborating to tap a very large and unknown resource of greek life, to bring in the bucks. It's understandable in a way that it's promoting(i would hope) greek life,(but for a few of the wrong reasons!!!) on the other hand I feel that the show is far too revealing and disrespectful, and the not so subliminal advertising is now taking it all way too far. I would be embarrased to have my 16 year old brother watch, let alone my parents! Regardless as to if its an accurate representation or not, it seems as if they are selling it. Selling clothing with greek letters, parties, drama, guys, drinks, cliques, personalities, and something that I am a part of. It's incredibly offensive!!! Did they really think the greeks were going to have a warm reaction, and be too oblivious to realize what was going on from the get go? It's a sick sad world out there, filled with generalizations and greedy producers, who gain enormous amounts of funding for their programs through advertisements.

zchi2 · #7 07-26-2002, 09:15 AM

I personally don't like the quality of work of Greek 101 and I found their employees kind of rude because my sorority wasn't national. It kind of made me mad when I found out they contacted my sorority after they treated us so rude. It's funny how the people they treated the worst are now helping to get them the most business. But I definitely don't think that it is a good idea for another sorority to do this show. I can't lie and say I don't like they show, because I find it kind of interesting to see how another sorority pledges. But I hope that this show doesn't hurt greek life. It might boost the numbers up, but we won't find out until Fall. I just hope that the sororities seriously think about this desision if they do it.

Zeta Sigma Chi Multicultural Sorority, Inc.
"Keeping the Dream Alive"

ZZ-kai- · #8 07-26-2002, 09:25 AM

If Greek 101 was such a great sponsor in the first place, they'd give Becca (Pledge-Master beatch) a new shirt, cuz she wears the red & gray shirt EVERY FRICKEN DAY!

phisigsigchic · #9 07-30-2002, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by HelloKitty22
Personally, I don't think the show is all that bad. I think it is doing a pretty fair job of representing life in a sorority. Maybe your organization isn't interested in participating. However, some organizations do see the benefits to it and want to do it.

Like no offense to you but how in the heck do you see this show doing anything positive for greek life? I can't imagine your greek or in a national sorority because everyone that I know that is including myself think this show is dumb and it doesn't represent anything about true sorority or greek life. It makes the stereo types of greeks even worse than they ever have been. I am worried that after this stupid show, our numbers as well as the numbers for other organizations will go down. So I was quite shocked to see you actually defend the show when everyone single other greek doesn't.

Second, what benefits? I think after doing this show, these girls realized what a mistake it was. Yea the benefits of tv, living in a cool house furnished all my MTV. But that brings what? The fact that these girls are the biggest jokes of the greek world and no one will ever take them or most local sororities serious ever again. And by the way, do you know why they decided on a local sorority? Because no national sorority in north america would do it. MTV of course wanted one of the well known national sororities to do it. The went through a list of every national sorority. At one point, they contacted our HQ. Finally, they gave up and went for the locals and this one at UC Davis said yes. I am not trying to be mean but I really don't see any benefits to doing this show or to how its representing greek and sorority life.

sororitygirl2 · #10 07-30-2002, 04:24 PM

Just a brief comment...

Many of you seem so appalled that MTV and Greek101 are (gasp!) more concerned about profits than other issues such as the representation of the Sigma girls, the Greek community as a whole, etc...

But really, I don't think it's right to make them out to be the villains... they are, after all, businesses... ones doing what they do best, making money. That is their job.

It is OUR job to represent ourselves in positive light in our everyday lives, NOT their job to make the Sigmas, and in turn the rest of us, look good.

AOX81 · #11 07-30-2002, 04:35 PM

So far it has been pretty positive for us. We have had ~35 girls contact us about joining OUR sorority. I am from a fairly small school and 35 girls is usually the TOTAL number that usually go through Formal Recruitment which includes us and two other national sororities. We have already met with several of the girls and they realize that MTV edits the hell out of everything and they know that partying and drinking is not all that goes on. I don't think you guys are giving potential new members enough credit.

A lot of the stuff on the show I can relate to and some of the stuff is just off the wall. Just because it doesn't represent you or your sorority doesn't mean that it doesn't represent another organization in some way or another. My sorority would not do the show...we definitely would not want someone following us around 24/7. I'm sure MTV would turn us into a bunch of alcoholics.

Please no more local bashing! My local sorority is one of the most respected organizations on campus. I also don't think that was very nice of you to call them the "biggest jokes of the greek world." I think it takes a lot of guts to do what they are doing.

Yes, yes, yes, we all know why they chose a local sorority. Can we beat this one down anymore?

HelloKitty22 · #12 07-31-2002, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by phisigsigchic

Like no offense to you but how in the heck do you see this show doing anything positive for greek life? I can't imagine your greek or in a national sorority because everyone that I know that is including myself think this show is dumb and it doesn't represent anything about true sorority or greek life. It makes the stereo types of greeks even worse than they ever have been. I am worried that after this stupid show, our numbers as well as the numbers for other organizations will go down. So I was quite shocked to see you actually defend the show when everyone single other greek doesn't.

Second, what benefits? I think after doing this show, these girls realized what a mistake it was. Yea the benefits of tv, living in a cool house furnished all my MTV. But that brings what? The fact that these girls are the biggest jokes of the greek world and no one will ever take them or most local sororities serious ever again. And by the way, do you know why they decided on a local sorority? Because no national sorority in north america would do it. MTV of course wanted one of the well known national sororities to do it. The went through a list of every national sorority. At one point, they contacted our HQ. Finally, they gave up and went for the locals and this one at UC Davis said yes. I am not trying to be mean but I really don't see any benefits to doing this show or to how its representing greek and sorority life.

I do not like you insulting my intelligence this way, phisigsiggirl. For your information, I am a member of a national sorority. Yes, I am aware that all of the members of the NPC refused to do the show. Yes, I do know that Sigma was unable to get a national to colonize them. Yes, I am aware that there are certain people in the greek community who are zelously against this show.
However, I stand by what I have said. In my opinion this show has portrayed greek life in a balanced way. It has shown the Sigma's actives as caring, studious, and intellegent women. It has also shown that sorority women (new members in particular) like to party and bond during parties and drinking. It has shown a lot of gossiping and in some cases in-fighting. (Which any women in a sorority knows does go on)
The reality is that the stereotype of the drunk slutty sorority girl doesn't exist, but we are still college students and whether greek or not we do the same things all college students do. We get drunk. We booty dance with guys. We get bitchy sometimes. We made bad judgment choices. I don't think that MTV has gone out of its way to showcase these girls "unsigmalike activities." This is the way young women are today. MTV didn't have to make this stuff up. They did it.
Secondly, while there may not be many benefits to doing the show for members of national sororities like ours. For a struggling local the publicity and financial compensation can be very meaningful. We have our nationals to back us up and give us advice. They don't. Also, while you may consider them the "joke of the greek world," little 12 year olds who will be rushing in about 6 years think they are hot stuff. They aren't trying to publicize their local to people like you. You're already in a sorority! They are catching young girls and showing them an honest account of what sorority life is like. Personally, I think it will increase numbers and have positive benefits for all organizations for years to come.

phisigsigchic · #13 07-31-2002, 10:59 AM

First of all I was not insulting your intelligence only that it is surprising to see anyone back up this show. If you read all the threads and posts in greek.chat you will see that almost no one thinks this show is a good idea. And I have many non-greek friends who after watching the show think sororities and fraternities are worse than ever. MTV of course will only show the girls out drinking and the drama between them but when all that people see is that, they start to think that sorority girls are just a bunch of party girls. MTV is not showing the closeness of the sisterhood, or the community service aspect or any of the other wonderful things of being in a sorority. That is my point. And like I said, many people who possibly might have thought of joining the Greek system will not now because they think its just like the show. The show in no way captures all of what it is to be a pledge or to be part of a sorority. And while yes many people out there might go and join because of the show, it will all be for the wrong reasons, just as at least a couple of these girls probably joined up for one word: MTV.
This is my opinion. If it offended you in anyway then I am sorry.

zchi2 · #14 07-31-2002, 11:03 AM

Well no one knows how the show will effect the membership of the organizaton yet. I don't think that this show shows the balance of the "sorority drama" and what the sorority actually does. I watched every episode and I really couldn't tell you what programs they did for the campus or what community service activities they have done. MTV doesn't even show all the girls in house. I don't know what DeDe's voice sounds like. If their numbers go up just because of the show, I would question their reason for even joining.

#15 07-31-2002, 11:43 AM

As a frat boy watchin' this show I realize a couple of things.

1) some o' those girls are hot (or else there would be ne MTV show)
2) Public portrayal of greek organizations has come a long way from "Animal House".
3) This could help greek recruitment by exposin' people to greek life in ways we the greek community could never have done it ourselves. But, as always a certain percentage of those will be joining for the wrong reasons. That's to be expected.
4) Some people take arms against it just because it's an advertising outlet for greek101 an' god knows what else. Is that a communist notion? I mean what on TV isn't? if you really believed in all that then you wouldn't even dare go near mtv to begin with.
5) I like the show, an' respect the people who are willing to put their life under the microscope of mtv's captive audience.
6) I wonder how many Sororities actually have a "Pledge House" where a fraction of the pledge class lives? can I get a postback on that?