MTV and Sororities - Page 3

AngelPhiSig · #31 06-07-2002, 02:55 PM

Is there anything we can do to counteract this big bad greek publicity?! I know that its almost pointless to go after big corps when they do something that is hurtful toward greek life... but I have written countless letters in hopes that someday someone will read them and understand. Once in the 80's I want to say- there must have been an offesive hallmark card and one of my sisters wrote in and we have a letter from them in our scrapbook stating that the card design was pulled and thanked them for bringing it to their attention....

There has to be something we can do to make the highschoolers- the future greeks- who will be spending their summer vegging infront of the TV watching MTV - not think that this is what being greek is about.

Damn Animal House- it started this! lol... well not really... but we always need something to blame!

RUgreek · #32 06-07-2002, 05:36 PM

Now just because mtv is doing a show about sororities, don't sell it short as a bad publicity ratings scheme. Yes, I think they will have some bad issues, but maybe it will show a good side to the greek system. If anyone here didn't join a fraternity or sorority thinking it had no connection to a social life or partying, you must be living on Mars. Heck I wouldn't of found out about my fraternity if it wasn't for the parties they threw. Now, if the show starts documented hazing and shit like that, I'm definitely going to be annoyed and freaked out. But until this show airs, I'm going to remain hopeful that it's something worth seeing.

- RUgreek

DeltAlum · #33 06-07-2002, 06:03 PM

I sincerely hope you right. I am pretty sure you aren't. Especially after seeing the on air promo.

fingerbang · #34 06-07-2002, 06:06 PM

i actually met one of the girls that is going to be on that show. she told me that they tried very hard to get thoughts like "i joined to party" out of your mouth and out of context. also the mtv production went in and redesigned their whole house and paid for everything.not to shabby.

33girl · #35 06-07-2002, 08:06 PM

I just saw "The Ad" and yes, it is very lame and completely out of context.

But what I really liked is that the women they showed are all shapes, colors and sizes. Too many people think sorority members are all Barbie lookalikes - if this smashes that stereotype, it might be worth some of the grief.

BearyCuteAPhi · #36 06-07-2002, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fingerbang
i actually met one of the girls that is going to be on that show. she told me that they tried very hard to get thoughts like "i joined to party" out of your mouth and out of context. also the mtv production went in and redesigned their whole house and paid for everything.not to shabby.

Knowing this, why would they still do the show? I wouldn't...

Ronnie

DeltAlum · #37 06-07-2002, 09:37 PM

BearyCute,

Probably one word: CONTRACT.

Kinda like selling your soul to the Devil. They signed, they got their house all fixed up on MTV's dime.

Time now to pay the Piper -- so to speak.

Aphigal · #38 06-07-2002, 09:50 PM

Someone at work already told me that there is going ot be a show on MTV about sororities I totally cringed and tried to explain the difference between locals and nationals but she is from austrailia and totally doesn't get it.
Arrrgh! Its gonna be a long summer.

Colleenie · #39 06-07-2002, 10:21 PM

We all know what reality shows want.....DRAMA! and I'm sure they are going to get it. I can recall many times when things happened on our sorority floor - an argument between sisters or people coming home drunk and acting out of control - that, if filmed, could be taken out of context. Things like that are better left within the walls of the house, not edited to the producer's liking and thrown on national television for all to see.
Are these women concerned about what their future employers, a graduate school committee, or their families will think? You never know who will be watching. They have entrusted their reputations and the reputation of their organization to the MTV producers. I can only imagine what PNMs might think of this particular sorority if the women are only shown talking behind each others backs or just getting drunk all the time.
I know in my time at ASU, we were approached many times by MTV and other producers to film our sorority for reality shows- one company wanted to put a webcam in our chapter room 24 hours a day!! The answer was always NO! Why do they think we would ever agree to that????

phikappapsiman · #40 06-08-2002, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by AngelPhiSig
Is there anything we can do to counteract this big bad greek publicity?! I know that its almost pointless to go after big corps when they do something that is hurtful toward greek life... but I have written countless letters in hopes that someday someone will read them and understand. Once in the 80's I want to say- there must have been an offesive hallmark card and one of my sisters wrote in and we have a letter from them in our scrapbook stating that the card design was pulled and thanked them for bringing it to their attention....

There has to be something we can do to make the highschoolers- the future greeks- who will be spending their summer vegging infront of the TV watching MTV - not think that this is what being greek is about.

Damn Animal House- it started this! lol... well not really... but we always need something to blame!

Not Animal House!!! I love that movie!!!

But I understand what you are saying...It is SO much easier for the media to pull all of the negative sterotypes so they can say..."See, isn't Greek life what you always thought it would be...". And let's face it-more college students are NOT Greek than those who ARE Greek, so we will always be in the minority. This is why it it SO important that we are united-No matter if we are GLO, BGLO, Locals, or whatever. Whenever you are out-try your best to represent your chapter and your school well, so that no one will be saying, "...it figures he/she would act that way-He/She is a Greek- it's so typical".

chiobabe01 · #41 06-08-2002, 03:58 PM

Hey guys, I really didn't have time today to read all of your responses but later when I have time I will read all of them. I don't know if anyone thought of this but, what do you do y'all think their nationals are going to do about this and what about NPC. I was outraged at first b/c that is exactly the light I don't want to be seen in. Lets face it, whether you're greek or not when you are young you want to party. Before I joined a house I would party way more than when I was in a sorority. I am curious to see what the show is about exactly. But one has to admitt that this is going to be great PR for that house, whether it is negative or positive we have yet to see. I am also currious to see how this affects rush.

LexiKD · #42 06-08-2002, 04:42 PM

From what I understand, there is no national organization, it is a local group. Maybe that should be a disclaimer before the show that the group is not affiliated with any NPC group...and that not all groups are the same...local or national. And it should point out that it is one chapter of one group and expalin if there is or isn't any other chapter of that org.

#43 06-08-2002, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by chiobabe01
Hey guys, I really didn't have time today to read all of your responses but later when I have time I will read all of them. I don't know if anyone thought of this but, what do you do y'all think their nationals are going to do about this and what about NPC. I was outraged at first b/c that is exactly the light I don't want to be seen in. Lets face it, whether you're greek or not when you are young you want to party. Before I joined a house I would party way more than when I was in a sorority. I am curious to see what the show is about exactly. But one has to admitt that this is going to be great PR for that house, whether it is negative or positive we have yet to see. I am also currious to see how this affects rush.

The sorority featured in the documentary is not part of a national organization and it is not a member of the NPC.

RUgreek · #44 06-08-2002, 05:52 PM

there probably is no recourse anyone can do about a show like this, to be perfectly honest. Legally, there is no defamation of any group unless what they portray in the show is false. If they have written consent by the parties to (trust me they do

then you cannot fight them just because it sends a distinct message about the greek system to others.

And since someone mentioned it is a local group, not a nationally recognized one, NPC or NIC can't get involved either because they are not associated with them. So what can you do? Well, for starters, don't give them a reason to continue the show. Don't watch it and give them ratings, write them letters explaining your position and why you feel this is a bad idea. Basically, there is nothing much else to do, sorry.

RUgreek

Zuma · #45 06-08-2002, 06:30 PM

wow, dont know where to start, so we will just start here:
Hi, Im one of the founders of Sigma AEPI(and Im alumni), or Sigma as we like to call it. Im not telling you my name yet, because Im not comfy doing that just right now, and Im not going to be spending a lot of time responding right now to some of the comments becuase i'm supposed to be studying for the damn LSAT thats Monday.

However I am responding because I think Sigma is getting a bad rap, some justified and some not. And I am so nervous doing this because I love that sorority and I love the girls in that sorority and I dont want them to think poor of me, or others to think poor of them.

Let me highlight a couple things:
The girls dont have a national governing board. It was started as something jewish women on campus could belong to if they wanted to. The guys had AEPi, we had NOTHING. I am from LA , an area with a HUGE jewish population, where being jewish is just a part of life. At Davis, Im one of a handful of jews, and I felt a bit out of place since I was also the first jew some had met. The sorority enabled me to continue to have jewish friends and do stuff with them (shabbat dinners, etc) and form a different type of bond then I have with my non-jewish friends. Not an unequal bond, just a different one.

We have never been affiliated with AEPhi, AEPi or any other organization except the campus hillel. Many of the guys in AEPi are our friends though because it is such a small jewish community. The idea at least from my end was to get established and then see what national one we could join. thats because unlike fraternaties, Nationals wont even look at you unless you are already a well established sorority. Being comfortable with the way things are run, the girls (waaaay before MTV got in the picture) had started to branch out to other campuses in response to requests to start a chapter. What you are viewing is a sorority in the beginning stages. Are their going to be differences? Hell yeah. Are you going to disagree with them? Hell yeah? But what you have to remember is that this is a learning process for all of us and that in order to become better, stronger, organization, we are going to make some mistakes that we will need to learn from. Dont judge us for doing some things wrong, help us so the picture looks right.

Reading the replies, I at first was embrassed, but now Im just kinda angry. The show isnt going to portray us necissarily the way we are. Its going to portray us in the best way that sells! We need your support. We have been working hard for the last 4 years to be a member of the greek community, and at the first sign of conflict, I feel like we are being left to fend for ourselves. Lets act as a community, not judge each other, or the show until we know all the facts, ok? Dont like the show? Dont watch (I may not myself). But dont sell Sigma off either