Problematic Sorority Recruitment Video?

[KillarneyRose]

Originally Posted by Titchou

Obviously you are not a college football fanatic or you would have understood why he was there.

You say that like it's a bad thing!

Whoever he was, he was probably like 99% of male, hetero college guys: "Appear in a video with 72 hot women in Daisy Dukes? Sign me up!"

Sen, I mentioned in the deleted thread that the Alpha Phi video was probably done by the same person who produced Elle Woods' Harvard Law School admissions video in "Legally Blonde". Definite similarities!

[Sen's Revenge]

Originally Posted by Nanners52674

Would it be okay if they used a white football player? I really don't think APhi and Drake gave a second thought to how it would look in terms of "race and diversity", so I'm not sure why the rest of the world is.

If you look at that video and all you take away is a message about race that's your presumption. It's something you are noticing.

Bama is a huge football school so they asked a player to be in the video. He agreed. What's the big deal?

I already explained why it was problematic to me. I am not going to engage whether it would be okay if they used a white football player because they did not.

Originally Posted by 33girl

If a guy (regardless of color) is just in there because he's a football player (or student senate president or in a popular fraternity) and has zero connection to the chapter, it kind of looks like they paid him to show up and appear just to look like they know the right people. Chapters are told up and down not to discuss boys during recruitment, I don't understand how this is any different.

I agree with that, too. But I don't want to ignore that they chose to use a black man as an accessory (1) and that there are no black women in the video (2).

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

If you* are able to go through life without noticing race, that's a privilege.

*I mean the general you, not Nanners specifically.

But Nanners specifically also.

[Sen's Revenge]

Originally Posted by KillarneyRose

You say that like it's a bad thing!

Whoever he was, he was probably like 99% of male, hetero college guys: "Appear in a video with 72 hot women in Daisy Dukes? Sign me up!"

Sen, I mentioned in the deleted thread that the Alpha Phi video was probably done by the same person who produced Elle Woods' Harvard Law School admissions video in "Legally Blonde". Definite similarities!

I still have not seen Legally Blonde oops

[KillarneyRose]

Originally Posted by Sen's Revenge

I still have not seen Legally Blonde oops

I'd send you the link but I can't access YouTube at my office. Like I said, it's similar to the Alpha Phi video but without the girls blowing glitter

[jolene]

When I read "Diary of a Sorority House Mom" by Ann Hyman, she mentions that another chapter on their campus (Berkeley) would have some sisters go blonde before recruitment.

Just a rant (not geared toward anyone here but in comments I've seen elsewhere)... Why does everyone assume these women have extensions? I've been accused of having them when the hair on my head is all my own. No, I didn't come with the color (I'm a brunette who colors it auburn), but the hair is what came out of my scalp.

Back on topic, I don't think guys belong in a sorority recruitment vid unless it's some large shot of Greek week (like another poster here said).

LOLz, I guess the vid is sort of "Legally Blonde" like.

For the sake of comparison, here's Bama AXO's recruitment vid:
https://youtu.be/Zn8gu2ATAIg

[LionTamer]

I was seriously creeped out by the number of old men fervently defending this on Facebook.

Seriously girls, these get out, and your dad's friends watch it over and over. Eww.

[sigmadiva]

Originally Posted by Sen's Revenge

Man, I wish I had seen that thread before it got closed. I am late and out of the loop. lol

It got closed because Hartofsec was flaming the women in the video.

My take on it: Yes, it is a little risque', but it achieves its goal - attract PNMs for recruitment.

As for the Black male football player - it does not bother me that he is there since the scenes with him are in the football stadium. So, he is in the context in which we would see him. 99% of the football players in the SEC are black males.

Also note that the mascot is in the video too.

Maybe this video has two purposes: (1) recruit for the A Phi chapter at Bama, and (2) recruit for Bama in general by highlighting the football player, stadium and mascot. Southern schools with a winning national football team tend to have higher student enrollment overall.

[ohsohappy]

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction and a social media over-reaction.

[KYKAT]

Here is my take. Upfront I will say I am married to a minister. I have always been very conservative. I rolled my eyes at the video, as did my teens. Not because we were offended but because of the silliness-we tend to be more on the serious side. Show me what sisterhood is.

However, I don't think it was something that should have been taken down nor do I see that Alabama had to issue an apology. It was a video like many others, a marketing tool designed to get like minded women to be interested in them. I am quite sure it worked. If I had gone through recruitment, it would have helped me think about the chapter and what it was like.

Was there diversity? No, but that is an issue that is changing at Alabama and in the south, slowly for sure. But to say it was unempowering seems silly. I know plenty of 18-20 year olds, as well as women my age (50) who are girly, feminine, and strong and capable.

Much ado about nothing to me.

[jolene]

How did A Phi do during rush? UA's rush has ended, right?

[KYKAT]

Originally Posted by jolene

How did A Phi do during rush? UA's rush has ended, right?

I was told they did quite well.

[SWTXBelle]

I always think it wise to look at the target market for any commercial, which is actually what this is - it is advertising a chapter by marketing to a very specific demographic (not the creepy guy one). It was undoubtedly designed to appeal to the 18 - 22 year old women going through recruitment at Bama. In much the same way I am completely flummoxed by advertising obviously not targeting me (the examples are legion, but I always think back to the hamsters driving a toaster - what?), those who are not in the demographic targeted may well scratch their head at the appeal. As to how Alpha Phi did - I believe it was over 140+ in the new member class. So, in that case, it was a success.

Admittedly, in the larger scheme of things, the negative publicity is not good for the whole of the sorority system, but then again, those who are heaping scorn are not those who were supportive of the system before the video received all this attention. I think there were those who had an axe to grind with Bama, and on the heels of last year's brouhaha they went looking for a story. Since over 200 WOC accepted bids, that dog wouldn't hunt this year, so off they went, finding something to protest - a video no better or worse than any Victoria Secret's ad.

The proof of the pudding is in the tasting, so let's look at the impact all this had on the Greek system:

Very little.

I would hope that chapters will think long and hard before 1. making these videos (I am not a fan) and 2. making the videos public if they do use them for recruitment.

[jolene]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Admittedly, in the larger scheme of things, the negative publicity is not good for the whole of the sorority system, but then again, those who are heaping scorn are not those who were supportive of the system before the video received all this attention. I think there were those who had an axe to grind with Bama, and on the heels of last year's brouhaha they went looking for a story. Since over 200 WOC accepted bids, that dog wouldn't hunt this year, so off they went, finding something to protest - a video no better or worse than any Victoria Secret's ad.

Most of the outrage is from folks who didn't go to a college with Greeks (may have never met any of them either) or stereotype the system. They already hated us. lol

[AGDee]

I agree with Senusret's assessment about the athlete. When that part came up I was like "What is this about?"

A friend of mine posted on Facebook what I think the other concern really is by saying something like "I never understood where these stereotypes of sorority women came from until I saw this video." I'm sure this is not the only chapter in the country with a video like this. I'm not sure it tells anything about the sisterhood or values of the organization... unless it does (which might be more upsetting). It doesn't reflect my sorority experience in any way so it seems quite foreign to me.

When I think about what we tell the PNMs about what to wear for recruitment, we always say "not too short" "not too much cleavage" "you're dressing to impress women, not men". This video is doing the opposite of all of that advice. I don't know what a 19 year old me would think watching it. I don't see it impressing the college age women I know well.

I wouldn't bash the chapter that did it. But I would say I don't think it's the best or most accurate way to portray our organizations to the public.

[Cheerio]

Originally Posted by 33girl

If a guy (regardless of color) is just in there because he's a football player (or student senate president or in a popular fraternity) and has zero connection to the chapter, it kind of looks like they paid him to show up and appear just to look like they know the right people. Chapters are told up and down not to discuss boys during recruitment, I don't understand how this is any different.

Agree with the bolded.