If you, like myself, keep up with the news then you must have heard about the Alpha Phi chapter at the University of Alabama. If not then I will explain to you what has happened. Alpha Phi at Alabama recently released a recruitment video that BLEW UP. This video received over 500,000 views on YouTube, before it was taken off the Internet and then reposted by other users. Yeah, that big it was reposted multiple times! Why take down a video with that many views? The negative attention it received and brought upon the University of Alabama is why it was taken down in the first place. An opinion post by AL.com writer A.L. Bailey, watched and decided that this is “racially and aesthetically homogeneous and forced, so hyper-feminine, so reductive and objectifying, so Stepford Wives: College Edition. [and]... unempowering.”(A.L.com Bailey) was too much. A.K.A Bailey and many others did not appreciate Alpha Phi trying to project a close nit sisterhood through a lens and screen. When I heard about this I went to watch the video, thinking it was going to be degrading to women and depict Greek Life in a certain way. In my opinion it was just like any other recruitment video or bid day video that any other sorority would have posted. If you get a chance watch other videos that are along the right side of YouTube or even click here to see the Bid Day video that Kappa Kappa Gamma at Georgia Southern made this year. Compare them, they are all so similar. You will notice a common theme that everyone sticks to, almost like a decorum. They tend to look the same, but everyone does it in there own special and unique way. The uniqueness is what helps them stick out to potential new members and almost like a bug zapper draw them in. Because be honest if you were rushing and watching these videos: what sorority would you choose? The one having fun and hanging out together or the one that has everyone sitting in a desk studying and not talking? I know that may sound like the typically “sororities just want to have fun” but why be apart of something dull? This is a sisterhood and I know from my personal relationship with my real sister, we would enjoy the activities shown in the video. We would love to take glitter blowing pictures and laugh when we accidently inhaled and all the glitter flew straight up our nose. Like said in my other posts, leaving for college is hard and leaving a sister who was your best friend is even harder. Joining Greek life and gaining so many new sisters, people to laugh with and share unforgettable moments are something that should not be called “unempowering”, especially when we empower everyone in not just Greek life but in other organizations to be better and make the surrounding community better.
4 Comments
Zach Hodge
9/27/2015 11:16:32 am
When I first saw the Alpha Phi video, I did not realize what all the fuss was about. I agree the video is similar to any other sorority video. Let them do want they do, it seems like they are having fun!
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9/27/2015 04:26:20 pm
Alpha Phi looks to be one fun sorority but I don't really understand why everyone raved so much about the video. This video looks a little different from most sororities but not enough to make a huge a deal about.
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Caroline, I am also in a sorority and I agree with you that nothing is degrading to sorority women in Alpha Phi's video. It's similar to most sorority recruitment videos that I have seen. I'm not sure why some people have made a big deal about this video.. I look forward to reading more of your Greek Life blog posts!
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I posted something similar to this and I completely agree that the girls of Alpha Phi at Alabama should not be getting harsh judgement (or any at all for that matter) because they are really just trying to show potential new members how close they are with their sisters. Very well done, I really enjoyed this post.
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AuthorFreshman at Georgia Southern University that is living LIFE. Archives
October 2015
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