Interesting New Reality show called Sorority Girls

[aephi alum]

I'm surprised that none of the pledges has said "Eff this, I'm outta here." The winning team in each pledge challenge gets a perk like a night out on the town or a spa day, and is also immune from elimination from the pledge class, while the losing team has to clean the house or set up for a party, and each member gets grilled on why she should be allowed to stay in the sorority. And it's just harsh, the way they use a lipstick to cross each eliminated pledge's photo off the composite.

This is not how the NPC new member process works. For one thing, once you've received and accepted a bid, you will be initiated unless you choose to depledge - the chapter can't kick you out. For another, many of the activities the pledges are being made to do are outright hazing.

I hope that the five women who are selected to become full sisters don't take away the wrong message. There's not necessarily anything wrong with a chapter eliminating a new member or three - rush happens pretty quickly, and it's tough to make good informed decisions when you and your sisters have met each PNM for a total of maybe 3 hours - you could end up pledging someone who turns out to be the campus slut, a complete psycho, or just simply a really bad fit for the chapter. But "you must choose 14 women to pledge, and then cut nine of them, one each week, until you end up with only five women who will be initiated" is pretty extreme. If you're cutting 64% of your pledge class for being "weighed and measured and found lacking" you made some piss-poor decisions during rush! I hope that, when the Americans go home and the Chosen Five are in charge, the Chosen Five understand that they don't have to make such harsh cuts during pledging.

Then again, this is reality TV. The powers that be obviously thought they'd get a much more entertaining show if they turned rush and pledging into some warped version of "Survivor".

[WaterChild]

Originally Posted by aephi alum

This is not how the NPC new member process works. For one thing, once you've received and accepted a bid, you will be initiated unless you choose to depledge - the chapter can't kick you out.

That's not true in every NPC group. I can't speak for all of them, but for my group at least there is no guarantee that a woman who accepts a bid will be initiated. A new member can be kicked out just like a member can for standards issues or failure to pay, etc. Of course, it's nothing like it is on this show either.

[aephi alum]

Originally Posted by WaterChild

That's not true in every NPC group. I can't speak for all of them, but for my group at least there is no guarantee that a woman who accepts a bid will be initiated. A new member can be kicked out just like a member can for standards issues or failure to pay, etc. Of course, it's nothing like it is on this show either.

Yeah, I exaggerated the point a bit there. It is very difficult, but not impossible, for an NPC chapter to get rid of a new member. This sorority, OTOH, is kicking out a pledge a week. Nearly 2/3 of them are getting the boot.

Which brings up another question: dues. Have the American sisters or the British pledges been asked to pay anything? Or is it all on the TV station's dime for the duration of the season? What happens when the Americans go home and the British Chosen Five have a sorority to run, a house to maintain, a new rush to plan, a new pledging process to conduct, etc.?

[WaterChild]

Originally Posted by aephi alum

Yeah, I exaggerated the point a bit there. It is very difficult, but not impossible, for an NPC chapter to get rid of a new member. This sorority, OTOH, is kicking out a pledge a week. Nearly 2/3 of them are getting the boot.

Which brings up another question: dues. Have the American sisters or the British pledges been asked to pay anything? Or is it all on the TV station's dime for the duration of the season? What happens when the Americans go home and the British Chosen Five have a sorority to run, a house to maintain, a new rush to plan, a new pledging process to conduct, etc.?

I was thinking you probably were.

I doubt they have been asked to pay anything. I also doubt that five British girls without the backing of a TV station will be able to maintain any of it.

[ColdInCanada11]

Originally Posted by WaterChild

I was thinking you probably were.

I doubt they have been asked to pay anything. I also doubt that five British girls without the backing of a TV station will be able to maintain any of it.

I'm guessing that potentially the next "rush" period would be series 2, should this carry on that far? I must admit, even though there are so many things that shouldn't be in this show, I can't stop myself from watching it every Tuesday night before I go to bed

[WaterChild]

Originally Posted by ColdInCanada11

I'm guessing that potentially the next "rush" period would be series 2, should this carry on that far? I must admit, even though there are so many things that shouldn't be in this show, I can't stop myself from watching it every Tuesday night before I go to bed

That's probably what their plan is, since the TV station showing it wants to make lucrative television, not set up a successful sorority.