MTV and Sororities

Originally posted by Zuma
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?

Do you honestly believe that you'll gain the respect of Greeks on your campus once this show airs?

The previews that MTV has already aired leaves little to the imagination. PARTY PARTY PARTY! I don't know how Greek life is like at Davis, but how can you gain respect and recognition of the Greeks on your campus if you girls had known that MTV was going to portray you all in the "best way that sells"?

It's truly bad enough that Greeks are having a hard time trying to establish a positive name for themselves in their communities... I'm just afraid that their hard work will be for nothing once this show airs. I'm sorry, but that commercial left me with an ill feeling. But oh yes--I'll be watching it when it comes out.

[MooseGirl]

I think some of us may be being too harsh... It's easy for all of us to say "we knew this would happen" about the distortion of Greek Life, but If NPC hadn't issued its letter, would you really not have considered it even for a moment? These women, according to their site, did get the advice of lawyers, and talked with their school's administration. They were hopeful that maybe Greek life and sorority women would actually be shown as they are for the most part, and not as the few who are in it only for the parties.
anyway, It's too late to do anything about the show. Just sit back, watch and learn something about Sigma AEPi

[KappaTarzan]

all i have to say is my parents and grandparents saw teh commercial and immediately started on me. They said that its terrible that i would subject myself to that, blah blah, and feel they have had their worst thoughts about my GLO confirmed..

the TRUTH is so far from that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RUgreek]

Myth: The show will be another Real World only with a sorority instead of seven strangers.
Fact: MTV is not going to air two of the same show. This is a reality TV show, yes, but its focus is on the process of pledging a sorority and how each member is involved. The creator of the show is Greek himself and his goal is to portray a positive image of Greek life.

Source: http://www.hillelhouse.org/sigma/html/facts.html

So let's all stop making conclusions, which are exactly the sort of things we all complain about that other people do to the greek system.

If any of you bothered to look over the site of these women, you might be surprised to what you find.

[DeltAlum]

Seen their site. Seen the producer's site which says they can't rule out showing alcohol, hazing, etc. Seen the promo on MTV where the women give a lot of good reasons to go Greek -- then the promo says, wrong, here's the real reason -- to Party!!. Seen the posts of some of the participants (above) in which they say the producers try to get them to say things which will help a pre-determined story line. Saw the post above from a participant of another MTV show that said all they used was the "drama," and not the everyday mundane stuff.

Been in TV for a long time. The chances for this thing to turn out well are not good.

Nothing would make me happier than to be wrong. But I think these women have made a huge mistake.

Just consider this: If they producer wanted to make a documentary about sororities, why would they choose a local, ethnic based (at least originally, as I understand this) group? Is this representative of the Greek System -- more importantly of the sorority system?

The answer, of course, is that none of the Nationals would allow their chapters to participate. Maybe they were as concerned about the outcome as most of us are.

There is no question in my mind that these women made a decision that they thought would be good for their organization and for the system as a whole. There is little question in my mind that they made a mistake.

By the way, your comment about MTV not doing "the same show" isn't right. When a show becomes a hit, every network in the world tries to copy it. The "reality" shows are ALL the same show. So are the SitComs, the Game Shows -- everything.

I hope that several months from now that I will have proven wrong and you can say, "I told you so."

Don't hold your breath, though. I won't either.

[ChiOChic]

Originally posted by Zuma

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:

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

Okay I'm not speaking for any individual nationals, but I seriously think you narrowed your chances down to going national to almost 0%.

About being portrayed, you guys did it to yourselves, even if you had good intentions. What do you think MTV is? The Disney Channel? They aren't going to portray sororities as the way our founders meant, they'll portray it in the way to get ratings...everyone has seen MTV for the most part, you should know that by now. And as for acting on behalf of the greek system, I personally don't think you have a right to speak for me, my sisters, or anyone else who would not like to be represented by ya'lls actions. I'm not an angel but I don't air it on National TV. And yes, even though your organization is a local and mine is a National, you do represent all greeks, to people who are uneducated about the Greek system, a sorority is a sorority and they do not recognize the difference. And while I can't speak for locals, I don't think they would appreciate being represented in uncontrollable situations.

I know what it is to put in a lot of love, hard work and dedication in to a chapter but honestly, I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize it. I wouldn't take the chance. But we will run our organizations the way we want and then we will have to take the repercussions - good or bad. I will be watching because I am curious to see what it's about and hopefully be prepared to refute possible negative images that Potential New Members, and just people in general have. Hopefully I won't have to do that and ya'lls goal to portray Greeks in a positive light will be attained. Hopefully.

[AngelPhiSig]

Okay-

First- Zuma, anything I am saying here is NOT going to be aimed at your org or your sisters- I give you gals ALOT of credit for going out there and making an org. (I saw your site WAY before all of this hubub)


#1 MTV fixed up the house. How can this show properly depict sorority house life once their house has been "MTVed"? I know our house is not all bright pinks and blues and lovely modern art all over and lights in the floor. Its a modest normal family house that happens to have an addition on it so we have 10 bedrooms. I know there are richer chapters out there, but c'mon is ANYONES house lookin anything like something from MTV?
(funny thought, I always thought MTV should do a special greek addition of CRIBS - or come tour my real house, it would fill OOOH 2 minutes!)

#2 The descriptions of the show say they will follow the sorority process, including pledging etc. Do we know if they girls from Sigma or anyone has told MTV to put a disclaimer or mention that these things that an org goes through are different from org to org, chapter to chapter?

I have a big prob with #2, EVERY ORG IS DIFFERENT, AND EVERY CHAPTER WITHIN AN ORG IS DIFFERENT! I *hate* going up to someone and saying "Im a Phi Sig!" and they groan because they think Im like the girls in their schools chapter. I dont want dumb people watching this and thinking "Oh, well this is what all sororities are like" good or bad- heres the two situatuons:

#1 they portray these women wonderfully and a pnm goes to another school, and joins an org blindly thinking theyre all the same and gets stuck somewhere totally wrong

#2 they portray these women terribly and it makes pnm's not rush and not want to join because of what they thought on TV

Think of how many people TOTALLY belive what they saw on TV.

Sorry this was long, its my two cents at 2am!

Luvnstuff
Alison

[AngelPhiSig]

This isnt on the Sigma AEPI thing but....

This was found on the MTV website under Casting Call: http://www.mtv.com/onair/castingcall/

Under Lifestyle Makeovers:

Need a totally new image when you pledge to an exclusive sorority or fraternity?



Oi! But other than that quote... sign me up! Give me money, make me cute!

[Zuma]

Im not going to sit here and defend every little action of Sigma's. There are just too many of you and only one of me, and I could do it til I'm blue in the face and it wont work. There are people on this board that are looking for an egg to fry, and Sigma gets to be that little egg. If it wasnt us, it would have been another sorority. And why should I if its because you're worried what will happen to your GLO (and I mean that with NO disrespect)? If any one judges YOUR org based on our actions in the show, then they pre-judged you (and probaly all Greeks) waaaaay before the show came about. I dont try to convert the un-convertable, and that goes for this thread too.

The best I can do is answer any constructive questions you have, and please go visit Dan's aforementioned site once he has stuff up, which will probably be after the show has started.

As far as people's concerns over how this is going to reflect on the greek system, do you think the show the "Real World" is a reflection of real life? or Queer as Folk is a reflection of gay life in america? If the show is on MTV, can it really be a documentary? People will come to their senses.

We dont want to join a national sorority at this point, and had been given the oportunity to start that process a year ago and declined. And after awhile, this whole thing will pass.

I dont believe the statement that MTV wouldnt want another "Real World" either because I know the industry first hand too. How else do you explain the explosion of reality shows out there? But I do believe that the girls did believe that the exec prod. intentions were real and genuine, otherwise a majority wouldnt have chosen to do it. And it wasnt something that came about easily either. I wasnt there to decide on it, but I dont think telling you what my choice would have been is constructive either.

When they say that MTV fixed up the house, let me tell you, they didnt do much! The house is old and small. All MTV did was slap on a paint job on the outside and a room on the inside and make it easy for cameras to film. We are not talking the ritz here. Same goes for the pledge house. Oh, and they are doing a Cribs version of sorority houses as I understand it, and if they are like the houses Ive seen, they will put our house to shame.

So a couple questions for you:
What did you think of Legally Blond and other media that perpetuate stereotypes of soroities? And if you dont know, that was based on a real sorority.

If you were filmed 24hrs/day, 7days/week, and only 22 minutes of that footage/week was allowed to show on a commercial network, how do you think you would be portrayed? I'm hoping that the strong, intellegent girls I know appear somewhere on that footage, even if its just for a moment. But knowing they probably wont is why Dan has created the site he has. We are trying to show the other side of the story that you can refer people too. The more people that know the site, the more it will become its own entity that stands on its own just like the show, and the less the controversy.

Why do you think I'm on here? (thats an independent question of the statement above, just in case you are wondering).

Final thing: Davis portrayed as a party school is a joke. Any one who has been there can attest to that!

[Zuma]

Finally, some of the greatest anxieties about the show stem from its title. We hope that the Greek community at UC Davis as well as the viewers of the series will interpret "Sorority Life" to mean "life in a sorority" rather than "life in all sororities." If we are expected to represent every sorority in the Greek system, every student at UC Davis and every member of the Jewish community, then we have quite a job ahead of us. There is not one sorority or fraternity in the nation that could possibly epitomize everything it means to be Greek. Likewise, there is not one Jew who could show the world everything it means to be Jewish, and not a single UCD student who could summarize the experience of everyone who attends this school. So, while we have been and will continue doing our best to represent everyone, our only feasible option is to simply be ourselves. We, as a Greek community, must realize that each organization is unique and embrace these differences between us. We hope that, throughout the remainder of this quarter and long after the show has aired, whatever its outcomes, the Greek community will stand by us.

[Serenity]

Originally posted by Zuma
We, as a Greek community, must realize that each organization is unique and embrace these differences between us. We hope that, throughout the remainder of this quarter and long after the show has aired, whatever its outcomes, the Greek community will stand by us.

I don't think that's too much to ask. I mean, some of us have to get off this "Holier than Locals" BS. Cut them some slack. It may not have been the wisest thing to do, but it's done. I think the focus should be how we can counteract the damage (if any) when the show airs.

This topic would make a great panel discussion come Fall for the new students on campus. I know many schools have a "Meet the Greeks" kinda thing during the fall semester. Use this as an oppurtunity to dispell sorority and fraternity stereotypes (esp. lack of UNITY) on campus instead of promoting stereotypes about our elitist attitudes.

Geesh, some of us have to get over ourselves. Really...

[33girl]

Originally posted by Serenity


I mean, some of us have to get off this "Holier than Locals" BS.

Word. Word. And, by the way, WORD.

This isn't the first time I've seen an anti-local bias on this site and an assumption that all locals left the national org in disgrace, haze/drink like hell or will be gone in the next 2.5 seconds.

It's disgusting, wrong and I'm sick of it.

Maybe you have never been around locals, or the ones on your campus are not the best. Well guess what, that's just the same as assuming all ASA's or whoever are the same as the ones on your campus. It ain't happening.

[LeslieAGD]

Originally posted by Zuma
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.

The show isnt going to portray us necissarily the way we are. Its going to portray us in the best way that sells!

Zuma, if you knew that your sorority was in it's beginning stages and that "the show isn't going to portray [you chapter] the way [you] are," why would you choose to expose your chapter on tv?

My guess: someone just wanted their fifteen minutes.

This may seem harsh to you, but obviously we are not members of your organization and we cannot understand you decision. Most of us on GC are very committed to Greek Unity and image issues. While some people may say "hey, who cares, do your own thing," we use this message board to discuss (and often debate) Greek Life and things that positively and negatively affect it. You ask us to "help [you] so the picture looks right," however, by opening your chapter up to MTV, "the picture" will be edited for drama and there's nothing that any of us can do to "help" that now.

[TrojanGirl]

Originally posted by Zuma

As far as people's concerns over how this is going to reflect on the greek system, do you think the show the "Real World" is a reflection of real life? or Queer as Folk is a reflection of gay life in america? If the show is on MTV, can it really be a documentary? People will come to their senses.

People DO think Real World was an accurate reflection of what hapened on the show, and I can tell you most certainly it is not. No reality show is. The reason reality tv is booming? It is cheap and most non-proffessional actors will pretty much do/say whatever they want. I am ALSO in the entertainment industry, have been for over 10 years. I have no doubts that Sigma had the best of intentions, but let's face it, no matter how much even the creator of the show had great intentions, networks are sharks and care about ratings. The promo they are running proves that to me.
Think about why you watch shows? You watch to see if so and so will hook up. If so and so will fight. If so and so will make an ass out of themselves.
Don't overestimate the public. I know young men who were interested in greek life because of what they saw on Animal House and other movies.
I will be watching, if for no other reason than I want to know what the PNM's might think are accurate assumptions this fall.

TG

[lifesaver]

Just hopeing the girls didnt fu*k this up for the rest of us. if they do, I'm gonna be PISSED.

The other thing I dont think they figured, is that once this thing hits the air, their lives, as they know it ARE OVER. The whole world will think they know these girls. So the one girl who gets cut will always be pittied. The bitchy girl will always be treated like shit, and the girl who hooks up witha few guys will forever be the whore.

Think about it in the Real World viewpoint. Most of us think puck is a self centered jerk, Rachel is shallow and self absorbed, Beth is a bit treacherous, Irene is nuts, Kyle is a playah, Stephen has his gay issues and is a child, Coral can be a bitch; Sean, Syrus, Danny, Kelly and Sharon would be cool to hang out with. NONE of us have met any of these people. Think about some of the threads that have been posted here and the peopel on MTV - even the Real World thread. I would not for anything, be willing to give up my privacy and life and invite the entire country into my life...for any price. My privacy is worth way more than that. Some former castmates regret heir involvment with the show, Aaron from LA is a good example. Just something to consider, and my 2 cents.