I sometimes hate writing about controversies I hear about on social media because I know that by the time I get to it the Internet has thoroughly chewed it up and spit it out. Case in point, people going bananas over the University of Alabama Alpha Phi recruitment video. The video features the sisters of the Alphi Phi chapter – all noticeably white and beautiful – doing general “silly girl” things: blowing kisses at the camera, prancing around open fields and playing with a white swan float a la Taylor Swift. The video received backlash over its lack of racial diversity, perpetuation of gender stereotypes and for generally not being hyper-feminist. Take a peek at the video below and form your own opinion before reading mine:
Now, I’m gonna play devil’s advocate here a little bit. As a non-Greek woman, you might presume that I think this video is garbage. The truth is this: I heavily considered joining a sorority my freshman and sophomore years of college. But as a super minority woman (my parents are from Guam, for goodness sake) living in the south, racial identity has always been a struggle for me. I identify with all things traditionally southern and all of the great things that makes me a proud islander. What this video said to me was “Must be white to be in this sorority.” While that may or may not be the case, I can only speak for what I and potential new members like me might be thinking and feeling.
I have a lot of friends who are in sororities around the South, and unfortunately a lot of them have expressed to me that the values of friendship aren’t as strong as you’d believe. I’ve heard horror stories of girls getting singled out within their sorority, which is bonkers to me because if they didn’t like you, why would they even ask you to join? For numbers? For your connections? Who knows.
As far as the video perpetuating gender stereotypes and for not being feminist: calm down. If a fraternity did a similar recruitment video, all in their Vineyard Vine button downs and snapbacks, fishing on the pier and tossing back some beers I bet you a gajillion dollars that the general sentiment would be oh, just boys being boys. It wouldn’t have gotten near the same amount of attention this video did. Rule #1 of feminism is equality for women. So what if these girls are having fun? I’m sure they could speak just as much about how smart their sisters are, how involved they are in community service or what great people they are altogether. Just because it wasn’t highlighted in this silly promo video doesn’t mean these girls are vapid Barbie clones.
I think everyone has their own definitions of feminism, but at the root of surely (hopefully) everyone’s personal definitions is equality, safety and respect for women. Being a woman in this or any age is already hard enough. How about we take all of this negative energy and enact it on maybe something more worthy? Like making sure children don’t go hungry? There’s some piping hot reality check for you.
By the way, I’m one of the girls blowing glitter in the header photo. I have to know – how the hell do you get it all off your hands??
Monica Flores 