Glee insulting a GLO

[PiKA2001]

Originally Posted by PiAlphaGammaFM

I agree. It wasn't the nicest thing for the writers to slip in there, but unless your letters were displayed inappropriately or they specifically named your org (not just a nick name), I would just let it slide.... there are so many worse things that could have been said or shown.

And again, its Puck. his character motivation is getting with older women

Well didn't they specifically call out Delta Zeta by saying DZ? Some groups are more known by their nick name than their actual proper names (i.e. Pikes, Tekes, Dekes, SigEp, Kappas, etc etc etc)

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

Well didn't they specifically call out Delta Zeta by saying DZ? Some groups are more known by their nick name than their actual proper names (i.e. Pikes, Tekes, Dekes, SigEp, Kappas, etc etc etc)

But how many non-Greeks are familiar with the nicknames? I had no clue what a DZ/Tri-Delta/TKE/FIJI was until I became Greek.

I'm sure the only people who caught the jab were Greek themselves.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

Well, the Tri Delta skits on Saturday Night Live could have been taken as really offensive to them since it did make them look like dingy, vapid sorority girls. They chose to take it in the correct context and (I believe) had fun with it.

Ummmm....no they didn't. If I remember correctly, a lawsuit was mentioned.

[NutBrnHair]

Anytime anyone asks me if I've heard "the song about Chi-Os," I say, "No, I haven't." It usually makes for an awkward moment for the person who asked me, because I just continue to stare at them.

[AXEling]

I feel like most Greeks are rational enough to know that the negative nicknames and songs don't portray the organization as a whole. Granted, I'd probably be offended for a short while if he had used something like "A O Pigs", but it wouldn't last. I hope the positive influence AOII has had in the lives of so many people is enough to outweigh an immature nickname.

FWIW, my non-Greek mother watches Glee and didn't pick up on the allusion.

[PiKA2001]

Originally Posted by knight_shadow

But how many non-Greeks are familiar with the nicknames? I had no clue what a DZ/Tri-Delta/TKE/FIJI was until I became Greek.

I'm sure the only people who caught the jab were Greek themselves.

So does that makes it ok? I don't watch Glee but I found out about the reference via some facebook posts from DZ's who weren't very amused by the reference. Who are you (generally speaking) to say it's not a big deal or they shouldn't be offended by the reference?

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

So does that makes it ok? I don't watch Glee but I found out about the reference via some facebook posts from DZ's who weren't very amused by the reference. Who are you (generally speaking) to say it's not a big deal or they shouldn't be offended by the reference?

Because, as others have said before, we all have negative nicknames attached to our GLOs. Most Greeks have enough sense to know that they shouldn't be taken seriously.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Ummmm....no they didn't. If I remember correctly, a lawsuit was mentioned.

They did not sue. While I'm sure some individuals said things like "they/we should sue," I would be very surprised if Tri Delta seriously considered it, both because the likelihood of winning would have been almost non-existant and because the possible negative publicity from that would have far outweighed any negative publicity from the skit itself.

Here are two articles that touch both on the "Delta Delta Delta" skit and the wider issue of mentioning GLOs in unflattering ways in entertainment:

The Daily Pennsylvanian -- "TriDelt sisters in snit over SNL skit" (Jan. 14, 1992)

The Daily Campus -- "TV's 'Greek': Get Real (Aug. 29, 2007)

The second article was written by the Senior Director of Operations for Tri Delta. In it she says:

But on the other hand, if you believe that there is no such thing as bad publicity, then I guess you could argue that Hutsell's choice to use Delta Delta Delta as opposed to a fictional sorority was a tribute to a popular women's organization. I personally think she chose us because our name is easy-only one fairly simple Greek letter repeated three times. Either way, our organization and our name received a lot of attention that year. Incidentally, as a member of Tri Delta's professional staff, one of the top five questions I get when I talk to people about what I do is, "Did you sue 'Saturday Night Live?'" We did not.

Meanwhle, the first article has this:

TriDelt's national Executive Director Paula Turner said yesterday SNL used the sorority's letters without permission from the national office, but said she "would be way out of line to comment on [legal action] at this time." "[The skit is] a real slam to the entire Greek system," Turner added.

However, SNL comedienne Beth Cahill, a co-writer and star of the skit, said they meant no harm and that she is surprised by the sorority's reaction. "Didn't they like it?" she asked. "People who are secure with themselves can laugh at themselves," said Melanie Hutsell, another co-writer and star. "Those girls should lighten up." Hutsell recognized that "not all sorority girls are like the characters we played. Our characters are very heightened and exaggerated."

I'm not suggesting that anyone is "wrong" to feel offended when their letters are used in this way. But I do think that making a fuss over it can exacerbate things while shrugging it off takes some of the sting out.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

They did not sue. While I'm sure some individuals said things like "they/we should sue," I would be very surprised if Tri Delta seriously considered it, both because the likelihood of winning would have been almost non-existant and because the possible negative publicity from that would have far outweighed any negative publicity from the skit itself.

Here are two articles that touch both on the "Delta Delta Delta" skit and the wider issue of mentioning GLOs in unflattering ways in entertainment:

The Daily Pennsylvanian -- "TriDelt sisters in snit over SNL skit" (Jan. 14, 1992)

The Daily Campus -- "TV's 'Greek': Get Real (Aug. 29, 2007)

The second article was written by the Senior Director of Operations for Tri Delta. In it she says:



Meanwhle, the first article has this:



I'm not suggesting that anyone is "wrong" to feel offended when their letters are used in this way. But I do think that making a fuss over it can exacerbate things while shrugging it off takes some of the sting out.

I have to agree. The more you throw a fit also brings more attention to it as well. If you want people who didn't notice it to notice it, bring it up some more. Then everyone will know about the EZ DZ moniker.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

So does that makes it ok? I don't watch Glee but I found out about the reference via some facebook posts from DZ's who weren't very amused by the reference. Who are you (generally speaking) to say it's not a big deal or they shouldn't be offended by the reference?

Um, because there are more important things in life to worry about, besides what some fictional character said on a tv show that only a fraction of the population watches.

[Psi U MC Vito]

Also I think it is different then the SNL skit. In the skit they portrayed members as fitting the sorority stereotype. In this, it is one idiot repeating a stereotype. I honestly fail to see how this is a big deal.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by Psi U MC Vito

Also I think it is different then the SNL skit. In the skit they portrayed members as fitting the sorority stereotype. In this, it is one idiot repeating a stereotype. I honestly fail to see how this is a big deal.

And...it was repeated several weeks. I can't remember how many skits they did with this idea with Delta Delta Delta repeated multiple times during each skit.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

Surprisingly, I actually do think this is a big deal.

People have called my fraternity "Gay Phi Gay" instead of APhiA since before I was born, too, and I would still be pretty offended if a fictional character said that on a popular tv show. And while rational people KNOW all DZs aren't easy and all Alpha aren't gay (not that there's anything wrong with that) it still threatens the brand of the organization.

Yet and still, your only recourse as a member is to take the complaint to your national leadership and see if they will approach Glee for an apology of some sort.

I agree. If I were in charge of branding for my GLO, I would be pissed. They took a REAL organization's name, repeated a frequently used negative nickname, and then added the context to make it even worse. Think about how hard our organizations work to debunk the myths of greek life, particularly the "sorostitute" stereotype. We can't do anything about it when shows make up fake sororities/fraternities, but it's a whole 'nother deal when they use a real organization's name.

Glee is a very popular TV show with a young audience that obsesses over its characters, plot lines and performances, and therefore it holds a lot of power when it says or does anything. I hope DZ is all over Glee, Fox and the production company for an apology (at least one on their Facebook page, which has more than 18 million fans. If I were them I'd also be talking to them about making good by posting a DZ video (I'm sure they have one) on their Facebook page so fans can see what the organization is REALLY all about.

[MrKSig]

Honestly I think I have more of an issue with a popular tv show slamming a false stereotype on a GLO in general. It doesn't matter if they mention a real organization or a made up one, they are still portraying GLOs nationally in a poor light. That is what peeves me, and we should be working hard to dispel these slander and misconceptions. I know I didn't join a GLO for the kegs and sex. I joined it to further my career, open up networking, and learn leadership skills I wouldn't get in the classroom.

[PiAlphaGammaFM]

Originally Posted by MrKSig

Honestly I think I have more of an issue with a popular tv show slamming a false stereotype on a GLO in general. It doesn't matter if they mention a real organization or a made up one, they are still portraying GLOs nationally in a poor light. That is what peeves me, and we should be working hard to dispel these slander and misconceptions. I know I didn't join a GLO for the kegs and sex. I joined it to further my career, open up networking, and learn leadership skills I wouldn't get in the classroom.

well said, it is true.it is unfortunate that the stereotypes persist, but there isn't too much you can do about it other than work hard to build a good reputation for yourself, your org, your campus, etc. kicking up a fuss because a passing comment was made on tv will just bring more attention to the stereotypes portrayed.