Biggest Rush Mistakes at any institution

[SWTXBelle]

If a man uses the term, I don't see how anyone could believe he holds a high regard for women. Any women, greek or no.

It is like a racial slur in that it is deliberately demeaning - reducing women to sex objects. If I were to refer to a dark minority member as a "Sambo", he would be rightly offended, because I have reduced him to a stereotype. If indeed other women use it, it doesn't make it any better than minorities using racial slurs affectionately or as a joke. Some women will refer to others as c**** - I think that's wrong, too.

So the score - Offensive - 2
Not offensive, hey, it's joke - 1

eta - hey, how many of you fraternity men object to the term "frat" - a far less loaded term?

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

If a man uses the term, I don't see how anyone could believe he holds a high regard for women. Any women, greek or no.

It is like a racial slur in that it is deliberately demeaning - reducing women to sex objects. If I were to refer to a dark minority member as a "Sambo", he would be rightly offended, because I have reduced him to a stereotype. If indeed other women use it, it doesn't make it any better than minorities using racial slurs affectionately or as a joke. Some women will refer to others as c**** - I think that's wrong, too.

So the score - Offensive - 1
Not offensive, hey, it's joke - 1

I'm not saying it's not offensive. I'm just saying that because we're offended doesn't actually mean that a person using the term feels what you are assuming he does.

Jokes can still be offensive.

ETA: And I apologize in advance for this example: I think it's sort of like using the word "bitch" or "bitches" especially when it's used in the sense that Tina Fey used it on Saturday Night live recently. Sometimes its use will be predictive of someone's attitude towards women or a particular category of women; other times, it's going to be used humorously by people who hold women in high regard. I'm afraid that "sorostitute" because it's so commonly used, especially in jest, doesn't reveal as much as maybe we'd like it to.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

eta - hey, how many of you fraternity men object to the term "frat" - a far less loaded term?

I almost used this in my post to illustrate the idea that people can be deeply offended by a term that was considered neutral by the user.

Obviously, I think the connotation of "sorostitute" is much worse than "frat"; one's an abbreviation and the other involves the word "prostitute," so a user of "sorostitute" can't claim to be clueless when people are offended.

But the degree to which a listener is offended may not be the best measure of what a speaker intended or feels.

I'd, of course, agree that it should be avoided during rush and maybe forever.

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

If a man uses the term, I don't see how anyone could believe he holds a high regard for women. Any women, greek or no.

It is like a racial slur in that it is deliberately demeaning - reducing women to sex objects. If I were to refer to a dark minority member as a "Sambo", he would be rightly offended, because I have reduced him to a stereotype. If indeed other women use it, it doesn't make it any better than minorities using racial slurs affectionately or as a joke. Some women will refer to others as c**** - I think that's wrong, too.

So the score - Offensive - 2
Not offensive, hey, it's joke - 1

eta - hey, how many of you fraternity men object to the term "frat" - a far less loaded term?

Holy shit, you are taking this term to a ridiculously extreme level. Jesus.

I don't give a rat's ass if someone uses the term "frat". I say it sometimes...........when we're joking around.

....and for the record, I hold women in the highest regard and treat all of them with the utmost respect, i.e., how women are supposed to be treated.

It's not like a racial slur.

[SWTXBelle]

There are women who would disagree. You may not mean to be offensive, but there are those who would be offended. See thread in Greek Life. It was my understanding that there were those who wished to keep this thread on topic - go to, gentlemen.

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

There are women who would disagree. You may not mean to be offensive, but there are those who would be offended. See thread in Greek Life. It was my understanding that there were those who wished to keep this thread on topic - go to, gentlemen.

I'm sure there are women who would take offense. That's why you don't go around saying it to a bunch of randoms that you don't know.

[SWTXBelle]

And that's why I specify that context is important. Not that I would ever think using the term is a good thing, but I can understand it a little more amongst chapter brothers, as opposed to a mixed group of men and women with whom you are not really acquainted. As my earlier example stated, calling your chapter brother "fratty" or some form of "frat" might be hilarious - but you could be in big trouble if you did it to someone you didn't know who might be really offended.