TV's Greek: Get Real

Tri Delta is a veteran in the war against the sorority-girl stereotype in popular media. I was a junior in college when Saturday Night Live’s Melanie Hutsell introduced the world to my sorority. She said “Delta Delta Delta, can I help ya, help ya, help ya?”, and our sisterhood’s name was indelibly engraved into the public’s consciousness. I know this firsthand, because when I introduce myself and my line of work to any one over the age of 25, they usually can’t help but blurt out that greeting—as if I’ve never heard it before.

If you believe that there is no such thing as bad publicity, then I guess you could argue that Hutsell’s choice to use Delta Delta Delta as opposed to a fictional sorority was a tribute to a popular women’s organization. I personally think she chose us because our name is easy—one Greek letter repeated three times. Either way, our organization and our name received a lot of attention that year. Incidentally, as a member of Tri Delta’s professional staff, one of the top five questions I get when I talk to people about what I do is, “Did you sue Saturday Night Live?” We did not.

When the cable network ABC Family announced that they would be airing a show about Greek life called Greek, our leadership team made a plan. Keeping in line with Tri Delta’s philosophy of offering a proactive voice from the Greek community whenever possible, we offered to help consult on story lines and subject matter. We wanted to do what we could to ensure that the women characters were well-rounded and the stories were authentic. We sent messages to our chapters and our members nationwide about the show and offered suggestions about how to talk about the show’s themes with potential new members and each other. We wanted our members to be prepared to articulate their own sorority experiences in response to the show.

Greek is clearly a popular show (ABC Family has ordered ten more episodes), which proves that the Greek community itself is an interesting subject that people want to know about, and that is encouraging. However, the story relies heavily on predictable stereotypes, and the show’s women characters are dismally flat and focused only on men, dating, sex, and fashion. Worst of all, the show has come dangerously close to making risky behaviors such as binge-drinking, casual sex, and hazing appear glamorous. There is a difference between making fun of stereotypes and promoting them—and there have been moments in Greek that have come close to promoting behavior that can have serious consequences.

But let me be clear: Tri Delta is not protesting the show. In fact, the show has inspired a great deal of good discussion about the Greek experience among our members. I just hope that, given ten more episodes to work with, the show’s writers will try to portray a deeper and more rewarding sorority and college experience. The values of friendship, loyalty, and personal growth are the hallmarks of the true sorority experience and will resonate with all viewers, whether Greek or non-Greek. A recent episode focused on the relationship between the show’s main female character Casey and her best friend Ashley, and it reminded me of my own friendships—full of love and laughter, but not perfect. I will keep watching and hoping that their friendships and personal development will take center stage to advance the show’s plot.

To my brothers and sisters in the Greek community: take heart! The popularity of this show and its messages about Greek and college life is evidence that people are interested in friendship, values, leadership and personal growth. The war over the Greek stereotype will only be won when our members begin to take part in the dialogue about the Greek experience, strive to live according to our stated values, and consistently seek ways to contribute as positive forces on the campus and in the community.

To potential members who are watching and making assumptions based on the show, I urge you to approach someone who is a member of a Greek organization and ask about his or her experiences. This show is not aimed at depicting an accurate portrait of Greek life any more than Grey’s Anatomy attempts to portray a typical day in a hospital. The scenes in these shows are no substitute for real friendship and real life. So turn off your iPods and TiVos and go find out what it is all about.