Will Farrell's Statement About Today's Fraternities

[ZetaPhi708.20]

Actor Will Farrell, a brother of DTD, chimes in on the current state of Greek Life Organizations today.

http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/...50323/b638794/

I wonder if other celebrity GLO members will speak out on the issue.

[Kevin]

Why should we care what he has to say?

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Why should we care what he has to say?

Because some other people will.

[Sciencewoman]

His comments were made at a promotional tour press conference in response to a question asked by another member of his fraternity. It sounded like he was speaking off the cuff, not making a targeted protest statement.

I find it ironic that the very movie he's promoting seems culturally insensitive. The trailers have raised my eyebrows.

[andthen]

I feel like he is talking out of both sides of his mouth. One one hand he is saying that greek orgs are exclusionary. Yet on the other had he then says that he enjoyed being in a fraternity? Even if it was an off the cuff remark I would have hoped he would put a bit more thought into what he was saying.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Kevin

As opposed to the Chicken Little displays we see every time an 18-21 year old kid does something stupid, I prefer my way.

The problem is that you seem to dismiss every reaction stronger than your own as a Chicken Little response, whether that's a fair characterization or not.

Originally Posted by andthen

I feel like he is talking out of both sides of his mouth. One one hand he is saying that greek orgs are exclusionary. Yet on the other had he then says that he enjoyed being in a fraternity?

He said something that caught my eye and that I'm still trying pondering:

"I was lucky in that the one I was in, we were really kind of the anti-fraternity fraternity."

.
I see or hear statements like this fairly often—some variation on "my fraternity wasn't like other fraternities" or "I never thought I'd be in a fraternity, but this chapter was the stereotypical frat." It's almost apologetic: "Don't judge me just because I am/was in a fraternity."

This is the kind of thing where I think public perception is important. How many quality potential members did we fail to recruit because the view they had of a Greek life made them unwilling to really consider it? How do we counter the stereotype of the "standard frat"?

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Why should we care what he has to say?

You continually have a very "head in the sand" mentality.

Things Greek do everywhere can and should matter to the community as a whole. We don't get to pretend that our little chapters exist in a vacuum and aren't affected by the climate of public perception of us.

[als463]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

You continually have a very "head in the sand" mentality.

Things Greek do everywhere can and should matter to the community as a whole. We don't get to pretend that our little chapters exist in a vacuum and aren't affected by the climate of public perception of us.

Let me preface this with saying that I absolutely love Will Ferrell but, I get where Kevin is coming from. I somewhat agree because Bill Maher did the same thing--though he is not Greek. Why should I care what Bill Maher says about my membership? I also get what you are saying too because there are people out there who will care what WF has to say. We need to work on bettering our organizations from the inside out though.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

You continually have a very "head in the sand" mentality.

As opposed to the Chicken Little displays we see every time an 18-21 year old kid does something stupid, I prefer my way.

Things Greek do everywhere can and should matter to the community as a whole. We don't get to pretend that our little chapters exist in a vacuum and aren't affected by the climate of public perception of us.

I'm not sure public perception is all that big of a deal. I care about public perception really only insofar as it interferes with our ability to recruit and retain quality members. The proper response in these cases is to point out that almost always, the HQ of the offending chapter shuts it down and there is full cooperation with the authorities.

[Sciencewoman]

Agreed...especially when he mentions how his chapter had exchanges with the "good sororities."

[aspirant]

This kind of thing only applies to predominantly white fraternities, not black.

[Sen's Revenge]

Originally Posted by aspirant

This kind of thing only applies to predominantly white fraternities, not black.

Some of it does not apply. Some of it does. Other things exclusively apply to BGLOs, such as:

Originally Posted by MysticCat

This is the kind of thing where I think public perception is important. How many quality potential members did we fail to recruit because the view they had of a Greek life made them unwilling to really consider it?

Perception is a very big problem on some campuses with BGLOs. At my alma mater, in particular, a lot of good guys were so turned off by one particular chapter that they either chose to pursue alumni chapters or chose not to be Greek at all.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Kevin

When the standard response is that fraternities are facing an existential crisis and now that is somehow much worse because some kid was a du bass or because some celebrity says something, that is a definite overreaction. We are doing fine.

Thanks for illustrating my point. The standard response here has been that fraternities face a problem; some have said it's a serious problem. You characterize that as saying "fraternities are facing an existential crisis," which can then be easily dismissed as "a definite overreaction"—except it's not what anyone here has actually said, as best I can recall. And it's been pretty clear that the questions and concerns people have raised aren't because of what one celebrity said or one "kid" (who is, of course, an adult) has said or done. But again, easy to dismiss others' responses when what people are actually responding to is ignored or minimized.

BTW, if fraternities actually were having an existential crisis, that would mean fraternities were themselves questioning whether their own existence has any meaning or value.

[aspirant]

Originally Posted by Sen's Revenge

Some of it does not apply. Some of it does. Other things exclusively apply to BGLOs, such as:



Perception is a very big problem on some campuses with BGLOs. At my alma mater, in particular, a lot of good guys were so turned off by one particular chapter that they either chose to pursue alumni chapters or chose not to be Greek at all.

True. But just looking from the outside in, BGLOs members and surrounding communities seem to have stronger ties to black fraternities and sororities than do white glos. They seldom have little to do with their organizations after graduation. That's one reason why I think Will Farrell made that comment.

[tld221]

Originally Posted by andthen

I feel like he is talking out of both sides of his mouth. One one hand he is saying that greek orgs are exclusionary. Yet on the other had he then says that he enjoyed being in a fraternity? Even if it was an off the cuff remark I would have hoped he would put a bit more thought into what he was saying.

Many of our organizations are exclusionary. We don't exactly have an open-door policy. I enjoy my sorority knowing full well there are entire groups of women who are not allowed entry.

There's discriminatory exclusion and then there's exclusion that is within your right as an organization and many outsiders will frown upon your shenanigans.

Originally Posted by MysticCat

The problem is that you seem to dismiss every reaction stronger than your own as a Chicken Little response, whether that's a fair characterization or not.

He said something that caught my eye and that I'm still trying pondering:
.
I see or hear statements like this fairly often—some variation on "my fraternity wasn't like other fraternities" or "I never thought I'd be in a fraternity, but this chapter was the stereotypical frat." It's almost apologetic: "Don't judge me just because I am/was in a fraternity."

This is the kind of thing where I think public perception is important. How many quality potential members did we fail to recruit because the view they had of a Greek life made them unwilling to really consider it? How do we counter the stereotype of the "standard frat"?

To be fair, who says "I totally saw myself as the sorority girl growing up, and my sorority was definitely a stereotypical sorority?" That instantly reeks of a negative connotation. There are whole chapters who revel in the "standard frat" reputation - if that's what you were looking for and were recruited into, why deny it once you've enjoyed the benefits? Go ahead and get messy drunk with your pledges while running through campus wearing your navy blazers and khakis - see you tomorrow at the crush party with XYZ!

See how I stereotyped the EFF out of the standard frat? That's legit some chapters' experience and they want that. Yes its hazardous to the entirety of greek life, but why deny what you're attracted to in greek life?

My brother asked me if my sorority was typical. I asked him what he thought that meant. "You know, drinking and doing your call, and getting crazy on the weekend." Well yes, those things do happen. But if the next person asks me if my sorority is typical and cites strolling, community service, and sitting around drinking tea... well yes, we do those things too. Some of those things are seen negatively, others, quite positively, or just par for the course.

Originally Posted by aspirant

This kind of thing only applies to predominantly white fraternities, not black.

I know members of all D9 orgs that have considered their membership as the "anti-sorority/fraternity," and make a point to conduct themselves as such in recruitment, programming, and in service. Rather, I see many of our chapters take the "more than a sorority/fraternity" route, showing just how much more they are capable of when you've drank all you can drink and pledged all you can pledge.