Despite the fact that no one in our families have been into Greek life, we’ll be watching this with great interest when it comes out on May 23.
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Wow some pretty negative themes. Eating disorders, racial bias, elitism, sense of entitlement, etc.
A few quotes…
“Greek life is everything at Alabama”
“It’s all about social stratification”
“They look at you if you have any color in you, it’s just awkward”
No mention of a great classroom experience or career outcomes but I suppose that wouldn’t attract viewers.
Alabama may have great merit aid, more NMFs (of that small group of largely state schools that keep score), and awesome single rooms for honor students but this would give me a moments pause if accurate. Should be viewed by anyone considering the school
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Just viewed the trailer, and… wow! Just wow! 
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I had the same initial reaction. Alabama is far from the most Greek in proportion of students: just over one-third of students. At a school that size, there’s going to be a large and vibrant non-Greek community.
But after some quick googling, “The Machine” is a real thing that other people have written about. Very interesting! I’m sure there are similar dynamics at some other schools as well.
I was working in a rural remote community once, and we had a new employee who had come straight from a sorority in the south. She ended up integrating well, but it was like she was from a different planet. We were confused about her wearing pearls every day and Lily Pulitzer and she was equally confused that we’d were unacquainted with her culture. Last I saw her, she was a butch lesbian 
I don’t know that I’d be super concerned for my own kids attending as non-frat-type boys. If I had a daughter who was wanting to pledge, I’d probably worry about her. It’s not my thing (at all), but I like learning about this stuff.
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Older threads on fraternities and sororities like the following include commentary on the practices at SEC schools.
There have also been past threads specifically on Alabama fraternities and sororities, including one on the racial segregation scandal.
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Well would nerdy kids at a desk on on whiteboards writing equations sell ?
You think every charter yacht is like Below Deck?
It’s a college. Yes, like many, it’s got sorority girls who drink, are sleazy and whatever else. Just like society. And frat guys that want to score the hot girl - just like every guy in America.
Let’s not shame 32000 kids bcuz of a tv network ratings and coming up with today’s version of girls gone wild.
I’m sure the kids interviewed are soaking up their 15 mins of fame - no different than my daughter and others being extras on Outer Banks when it filmed in Charleston.
Sex sells. HBO knows this. Yea they have big sorority houses and no Greek is not everything to the vast majority 2/3) of students who don’t take part.
Are there rich and entitled kids there ? Yep Are there rich and entitled kids at every high end university and LAC. Yep.
Are there sleazy guys and girls at all these - who drink, party, measure themselves vs others…yep. Like at every school.
But this is a tv show. Showing a student studying in the library isn’t going to work. While my son didn’t use it, showing the career center which is rated highest in the SEC above UF, UGA, Vandy probably won’t attract eyeballs.
But everyone can have fun ridiculing who by and large are like most kids in America…looking toward the future.
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I hate to say it, but Bama Rush is mostly what is known about Bama and perhaps unfairly, the stereotype of the whole place, in my part of the country. My daughters had seen the Bama Rush social media stuff a few years ago and read some story in (maybe) the NYT about the sorority culture. I’ve learned more about Bama since joining CC so I’m glad to have a wider perspective, but it would have been a hard sell for my LGBTQ kids. They are more into indie girl bands, doc martens and ultimate frisbee than pearls and Lilly Pulitzer 
ETA I kinda want to watch the documentary after seeing the trailer, I’m pretty fascinated by sociology and human behavior and it makes for great dinner conversation.
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I hope it is a balanced documentary. There are a lot of really good things about sororities too. A sister of mine just asked for support for a NAMI walk she’s raising money for and quite a few people donated. Forty five years later, all she had to do was ask.
Alabama has 15-20 traditional sororities but also has several chapters of the traditionally black sororities, specialty fraternities for music, religion, life style and those al count toward the 1/3rd of students involved in Greek life.
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Yeah. Maybe there should be a “nerds gone wild” show 
——
Yes, I know this is dramatized for TV, and not all 32k kids are the same.
But I can also see how this school wouldn’t be a fit for several kinds of students.
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Exactly. Some students choose to stay away from this type of environment, and the good thing is they have many US college choices with no Greek Life.
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Or where sororities and fraternities operate differently and less stereotypically.
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Yeah, Rose-Hulman and Missouri Science & Tech have about the same proportion of Greek students as Alabama does. I’d imagine fraternity and sorority life feels quite different at those schools.
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True, but that can be difficult to sort through from the outside and takes doing research, ideally primary research. Participation numbers (either on high side like at W&L, or a more modest % like at Alabama) don’t tell enough of the story.
Fundamentally Greek Life is about exclusion, not inclusion at many schools that have it.
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Agreed that this isn’t representative of the entire Bama population. There are undoubtedly smart and self aware Tide kids who view these behaviors as abhorrent. Clearly some bias towards the made for TV drama in the editing.
However, I don’t think these behaviors are representative or allowed on all campuses. Actually far from it.
Not that it is better but at elite northeast colleges wearing Canada Goose coats can get you labeled as an elitist who kills animals resulting in being socially ostracized. The comments made on the trailer would result in the community gathering pitchforks and torches and consequences would result😀
The sort of overt statements of elitism, racial judgement and entitlement on the trailer would not be tolerated amongst peers at a significant number of colleges and universities. We shouldn’t pretend that it is normal or prevalent.
There is a reason Alabama was selected and it is likely because some Bama students see this as normal and didn’t envision anything wrong with showing it. Roll Tide.
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Exactly!
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It is certainly tolerated at my kid’s elite NE school, where there are enough Canadian Goose jackets for the whole flock of undergraduates.
There are always some kids who enjoy this sort of thing and many who don’t. Easy to avoid it.
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Good point. W&L with approx 75% Greek participation is a relatively inclusive process. But many people see that percentage and it can be off-putting, especially if their only view of Greek life comes from Animal House. I get that. I attended an SEC and was in a sorority (and enjoyed it) but my experience is not what my D would have wanted.
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My example was hyperbolic and point was that extreme examples of elitism, racial bias, gender stereotyping etc would not be tolerated.
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I never would have joined a sorority if I hadn’t attended W&L. To this day, I have mixed feelings about my involvement. I was independent my freshman year by choice and had a great time. I only rushed because most of my friends who were also independent were graduating before me. Back then, it was over 90% greek.
I don’t really think it makes as big of a difference to campus culture as is portrayed in film or media. My sorority was a lot like my high school graduating class minus the boys. Just cheaper cars or no cars.
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And that is somehow different than the theater group that is selective, the clubs at Princeton that you have to try out for, Scull and Bones at Yale? Many more people are in Greek life at Bama than are in the band, on sports teams, part of student government, and many are rejected from those activities. In fact, it is almost guaranteed that a woman will be accepted to one of the traditional sororities (may not be their first choice) because there is a formula that if they follow it (accepting the maximum number of invitations to each datebook). No such guarantee for student government.
Life is exclusionary. Not everyone can work for Goggle, even if they want to.
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