TV character wearing real life sorority merchandise

[*winter*]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/sports....215917177.html

Not sure how to paste the whole article since I’m on my phone and copy/paste is weird but here is the link.

Just curious, how would you feel if this was your org? Is this a big deal?

[FSUZeta]

It would bother me, and I would hope that my organization would look into pursuing legal action, especially because it is so easy to create a fictitious sorority/fraternity and not step on anyone's toes. I don't blame the actress, however. This falls on the producers and their legal team.

[ASTalumna06]

Looks like someone is about to get sued!

Also, I know it's hard to read the tone of social media posts, but it seems like the actress is kind of being a b**** about the whole thing.

[naraht]

As a data point, Spike Lee's School Daze had a number of different real NPHC GLOs represented including Alpha Phi Alpha and Alpha Kappa Alpha and I don't believe that an effort was made to have members of the respective real GLOs wear those colors. (See the end of the Alpha Phi Alpha step show at https://youtu.be/WfPc8Ia7E20?t=84 for characters in Alpha Kappa Alpha wear.

[Cheerio]

Am I recalling correctly that some NPC groups may have used clout, or paid thru publicists, to have their letters mentioned and/or shown during various 1980s/early 90s films and tv shows? Because those mentions/showings used to happen a lot, and it wasn't all by accident and no one appeared to complain when it occurred.

This included close-ups of composites or close-ups of letters, then cutaways or pullbacks to the characters of the film. Nowadays when those films are on tv you don't always see those parts of the film where the NPC group appeared. The close-up is gone, and the character is shown after the pullback, but you can recall when the greek letters were once featured.

Some of those sightings may even be listed in the GC thread Finding Your Letters Somewhere You Didn't Expect.

Obviously IDK the facts of the current situation regarding the use of actual greekgroup letters, so cannot say whether there is a similar agreement between that group and the show's producers.

[33girl]

I think in this instance NPHC members are the ones who should offer their opinions and the rest of us should have a seat.

[andthen]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I think in this instance NPHC members are the ones who should offer their opinions and the rest of us should have a seat.

THIS.

[FSUZeta]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I think in this instance NPHC members are the ones who should offer their opinions and the rest of us should have a seat.

Why?

[PKT4LIFE]

Originally Posted by Cheerio

Am I recalling correctly that some NPC groups may have used clout, or paid thru publicists, to have their letters mentioned and/or shown during various 1980s/early 90s films and tv shows? Because those mentions/showings used to happen a lot, and it wasn't all by accident and no one appeared to complain when it occurred.

This included close-ups of composites or close-ups of letters, then cutaways or pullbacks to the characters of the film. Nowadays when those films are on tv you don't always see those parts of the film where the NPC group appeared. The close-up is gone, and the character is shown after the pullback, but you can recall when the greek letters were once featured.

Some of those sightings may even be listed in the GC thread Finding Your Letters Somewhere You Didn't Expect.

Obviously IDK the facts of the current situation regarding the use of actual greekgroup letters, so cannot say whether there is a similar agreement between that group and the show's producers.

If my memory recalls, I think Delta Gamma was seen in the background (on a pennant?) on a couple episodes of Happy Days

[Cookiez17]

Tri Delta had a SNL skit to their name (which is a classic to me anyway.) Why didn't they just make up a "fake" greek org to avoid all of this like they did in Legally Blonde and other movies?

[ASTalumna06]

Many Greek orgs have their letters, signs, and insignia trademarked. For the show referenced in the article - which I've never seen - people argue that everyone has known since season one that characters were members of Greek orgs. I would imagine that just saying an organization's name wouldn't cause any trouble. However, once you start plastering the Greek letters, coat of arms, etc. on items or clothing without express permission of the national organization, you've now violated US trademark laws.

Perhaps with the SNL skit, for example, they had permission from Tri Delta? I wouldn't know. But if AKA didn't sign off on this, the actresses' responses seem rather flippant. Although, I can cut her some slack seeing as she's not Greek and perhaps doesn't know the ins and outs of what's acceptable.

[*winter*]

I feel like the actress in this situation is taking the brunt of this...we assume everyone else understands Greek letters and Greek traditions and not to use the letters if you’re not a member...but she may not have even realized this when she was handed the outfit that day. If anyone is responsible, it’s the people who write the show.

It’s just dumb to do this when it would take five seconds to just make something up, another minute to do a quick internet search to make sure said organization doesn’t exist, and just be done with it.

[Low D Flat]

Perhaps with the SNL skit, for example, they had permission from Tri Delta?

That's parody. There's a little more legal leeway there.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by *winter*

I feel like the actress in this situation is taking the brunt of this...we assume everyone else understands Greek letters and Greek traditions and not to use the letters if you’re not a member...but she may not have even realized this when she was handed the outfit that day. If anyone is responsible, it’s the people who write the show.

If she knew enough to jokingly say she was “me phi me” in college and use phrases like “cross the burning sands,” SHE KNOWS she crossed a line.

Re Happy Days, they used pinning songs from DG and ATO as part of a plot with Potsie and his girlfriend. I’m assuming people associated with the show had ties to those two groups. They really never talked about it again or showed anyone in letters or anything. Now when the boys were pledging a fraternity and were hazed and then blackballed, they used a fake name for that fraternity.

It’s one thing to have real Greek letters be part of a background, it’s quite another to have them associated with an ongoing story or character.

[Titchou]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Re Happy Days, they used pinning songs from DG and ATO as part of a plot with Potsie and his girlfriend. I’m assuming people associated with the show had ties to those two groups. They really never talked about it again or showed anyone in letters or anything. Now when the boys were pledging a fraternity and were hazed and then blackballed, they used a fake name for that fraternity.
.

Close, 33. One of the producers was a Beta Theta Pi - so they were mentioned. One of the production staff was a Delta Gamma - hence the references and the anchors.