New movie-making fun of greeks??

[heyitszeta]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

... ripping off of some letters/symbols of at least two national and one local sorority.

Just a correction: we're a fraternity. (Some people on my campus still think it's funny to call us a 'fraority' or 'saternity'. Ugh.)

And I'll go ahead and concede on the forced feelings topic, I did word my opinion in an ambiguous way. To make things perfectly clear:
It is my opinion that ZTA should not feel offended by this movie.
Any ZTAs who feel offended certainly may, and most definitely don't have to ask for anyone's permission.

And I also just wanted to comment that all of the screencaps posted by SthrnZeta also apply to our org, haha. And just because we came around 28 years later and are local does not make us any less legitimate. I'm not sure if you meant that, but your post came across that way to me.

Just out of curiosity, do any ZTA houses display the word "ZETA" on the house along with the letters like in the movie? Our house displays both, but I visited LSU and quite a few CSU/UC campuses and I have never come across a house (of any GLO) that has both letters and the nickname.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by alphagamgirl06

Yes this is true for all trademarks, it is only valid if it is being used and their is an effort to protect it. But ZTA does not have a trademark on the word Zeta. I mean after all it is a letter in the Greek alphabet. Also when it come to movies, when they show run down building they often show the vowels in the middle of the word falling off. In this case it happens to be the letter E, therefore leaving Z_TA left. But Zeta only has four letters and it just so happens that ZTA is the word zeta minus the E. I honestly think even if they changed the colors of the group there was always going to be that half a sec when the house said ZTA sad to say.

The use of Phi Mus however... if they truly do refer to them as Phi Mus throughout the movie and utilizing their colors, I'd say that's pretty strong.

[SWTXBelle]

Originally Posted by texas*princess

Re: bold--- Last time I checked, ZTA did not own all greek combinations that start with the greek letter 'zeta'. Zeta ALPHA ZETA does not = Zeta TAU ALPHA.

Are you arguing that the movie does not reference Zeta Tau Alpha at all? There is more than the simple use of the word "Zeta", although that itself is suspect.

There are plenty of letter and color combinations they could have used that would not reference a national GLO.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by texas*princess

Right.. but the Zeta ALPHA Zetas are supposed to be the underdog sorority that prevails in the end and become the super hot sorority that everyone wants to pledge. Tell me again why everyone is pissed off?

Because they are initially portrayed as a group of ugly, socially unacceptable girls who no one wants to join. They don't prevail in the end because of anything they do on their own or their inner beauty - they prevail because a Playboy Bunny gives them a makeover.

To heyitszeta - you are a co-ed fraternity, not a sorority. No one is going to confuse you with the group in the movie.

[texas*princess]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Are you arguing that the movie does not reference Zeta Tau Alpha at all? There is more than the simple use of the word "Zeta", although that itself is suspect.

There are plenty of letter and color combinations they could have used that would not reference a national GLO.

No, I'm just saying, last time I checked, ZTA does not own all the greek letter combinations that begin with the letter "zeta".

And since you are big on "keeping score" you can read some of my initial posts in this thread to answer your questions.

[texas*princess]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Because they are initially portrayed as a group of ugly, socially unacceptable girls who no one wants to join. They don't prevail in the end because of anything they do on their own or their inner beauty - they prevail because a Playboy Bunny gives them a makeover.

To heyitszeta - you are a co-ed fraternity, not a sorority. No one is going to confuse you with the group in the movie.

I agree to some degree because I haven't seen the movie, but like it or not, chapter image problems are things that ALL GLOs deal with - whether it is a male/female/or coed GLO.

Since I haven't seen the movie and I don't even think it's released yet, who's to say that people want to join this ZAZ chapter soley based on their looks?

[heyitszeta]

Originally Posted by 33girl

To heyitszeta - you are a co-ed fraternity, not a sorority. No one is going to confuse you with the group in the movie.

But this is my GLO's history they are referencing here...shouldn't I be worried? I don't anyone to think we were ever anything but perfect.

(In case some people miss the sarcasm- and all of my last posts- I'm NOT worried about this movie. I'm merely making a point...Which I'm pretty sure you're allowed to do on an internet forum.)

[33girl]

Originally Posted by heyitszeta

But this is my GLO's history they are referencing here...shouldn't I be worried? I don't anyone to think we were ever anything but perfect.

(In case some people miss the sarcasm- and all of my last posts- I'm NOT worried about this movie. I'm merely making a point...Which I'm pretty sure you're allowed to do on an internet forum.)

Did you start as a sorority? If not, then NO it's not your GLO's history.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by PhiGam

In one clip I saw, the letter "E" was missing from the chapter house and it said "Z TA." They probably wouldn't win the lawsuit because they are a public organization and would have to prove malicious intent on the part of Happy Madison to have a case.

I think you're thinking about defamation (libel or slander) cases, where public figures must prove actual malice and disregard for the truth to recover. I assume that any action about this movie would be for trademark/copyright infringement, not defamation. I'm not saying a lawsuit would be successful, but actual malice wouldn't enter into it.

[SWTXBelle]

Originally Posted by texas*princess

No, I'm just saying, last time I checked, ZTA does not own all the greek letter combinations that begin with the letter "zeta".

And since you are big on "keeping score" you can read some of my initial posts in this thread to answer your questions.

Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I made one reference to "keeping score", so really, I don't know that I'd say I'm "big" on it. Memo to self - avoid use of the term "score".

I don't think it's worth getting as riled up as you, and those who are so intent on arguing that there isn't an implied link between Zeta Tau Alpha and the group in the movie, apparently are.

It will be interesting to see how the movie does. Would non-Greeks be interested in the plot premise? How many Greeks like me wouldn't be interested, and how many would be? Judging by this thread, there are a fair number of Greeks who would be interested - at least in seeing it when it comes out on DVD. I don't think the publicity associated with ZTA issuing a statement will make much impact - really, only ZTAs and Greeks are even going to know about it. I'm sure the film producers would love the free publicity of a media firestorm, but I don't think it merits that.

[SWTXBelle]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Because they are initially portrayed as a group of ugly, socially unacceptable girls who no one wants to join. They don't prevail in the end because of anything they do on their own or their inner beauty - they prevail because a Playboy Bunny gives them a makeover.

I also object to such a tired excuse for a plot line, but I digress . . . .

[texas*princess]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I made one reference to "keeping score", so really, I don't know that I'd say I'm "big" on it. Memo to self - avoid use of the term "score".

I don't think it's worth getting as riled up as you, and those who are so intent on arguing that there isn't an implied link between Zeta Tau Alpha and the group in the movie, apparently are.

It will be interesting to see how the movie does. Would non-Greeks be interested in the plot premise? How many Greeks like me wouldn't be interested, and how many would be? Judging by this thread, there are a fair number of Greeks who would be interested - at least in seeing it when it comes out on DVD. I don't think the publicity associated with ZTA issuing a statement will make much impact - really, only ZTAs and Greeks are even going to know about it. I'm sure the film producers would love the free publicity of a media firestorm, but I don't think it merits that.

Actually I'm not getting "riled up".. but whatever.

Considering it's not meant to be a huge summer blockbuster, and there are no real Grade-A Hollywood stars in it, it will probably not make more than 'Sorority Boys' or "Van Wilder' made in theaters.

I'm also not sure of what "media firestorm" you are referring to... Greekchat is the only place this has been mentioned. Every other news story you find about this movie online is about Bruce Willis's daughter.

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by texas*princess

Actually I'm not getting "riled up".. but whatever.

Considering it's not meant to be a huge summer blockbuster, and there are no real Grade-A Hollywood stars in it, it will probably not make more than 'Sorority Boys' or "Van Wilder' made in theaters.

I'm also not sure of what "media firestorm" you are referring to... Greekchat is the only place this has been mentioned. Every other news story you find about this movie online is about Bruce Willis's daughter.

Um, excuse you? Beverly D'angelo???? How dare you omit her!

[texas*princess]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

Um, excuse you? Beverly D'angelo???? How dare you omit her!

LoL

Umm... no actress who has ever been in a 'Harold & Kumar" movie will ever save a B-rated Summer movie... especially when people can go watch Hancock or Indiana Jones or Batman instead

[Ch2tf]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Did you start as a sorority? If not, then NO it's not your GLO's history.

ZTZ started off as a sorority and went co-ed in the 80s due to membership struggles.

Anywho, I went back to watch the trailer because I didn't remember "getting" any references to ZTA when I first saw the trailer months ago. After watching it again, and actually looking for the references to ZTA I still don't really see it. From what I can tell from the trailer the letters over the house aren't even up that long because when the house bunny arrives at the sorority house to apply for the job both the Z and the E fall on her head. They have gray shirts on in the movie, but, to me, the blue is no where close to the turquoise of ZTA.