The University of Alabama’s Alpha Phi Sorority came under scrutiny within the first month of the Fall 2015 semester. The sorority made a recruitment ad that attracted attention on a national scale. The ad’s portrayal of the sorority was very clear: a group of all white, nearly all blonde women dancing and bouncing in slow motion in their bikinis or daisy dukes while blowing glitter everywhere. (Watch the video I’m not exaggerating).
They were criticized for showing lack of diversity, but, above all, people condemned them for degrading and objectifying themselves by being “sexual.” The negative attention caused the Alpha Phi chapter to take down the video, but the video was still reposted by others for all to see. My problem with the video was not the expression of sexuality itself, but the advocacy of a certain brand of normalcy and popularity advertised by the women.
Women have every right to be as sexual as men without being chastised; however, there seems to be a double standard in regard to the sexual norm of men and women. I cannot help thinking what an ad made by a fraternity would look like. If men were to illustrate to the world how their fraternity was the social norm, they would show themselves being tough and manly. Above all, they would convey their sexuality by showing themselves surrounded by beautiful women at all times.
The women of Alpha Phi should not be screamed at for not “knowing better.” We live in a world where everyday we are bombarded by media images and advertisements. Women’s bodies are used as marketing tools and they are reduced to nothing more than objects. Why is it that a man’s status is defined through their frequency of sexual activity, but a woman’s status is expressed through just their appearance?
Problematically, when woman’s status is defined by their image, people only perceive them as an image, and all appreciation of their substance is lost. Alpha Phi could immensely improve their ad by showing the service work they do or the leadership skills members build while a part of the sorority. The message should hold a deeper meaning rather than purely a materialistic one. “Look how good we look” should not cut it.
Greek life has a powerful influence on many college campuses because they have the ability to set the social standards. By releasing their ad, the sorority conveyed that in order for a college woman to be wanted, accepted, and popular, a woman must be white, beautiful, and dressed provocatively. Women need to be aware that sometimes not all cultural norms are the best for them and sometimes powerful men who run much of the marketing and media broker those norms.
The Alpha Phi situation should not be used as an example to reprimand another Greek organization. However, it should be an opportunity to raise awareness of an unhealthy cultural dynamic. Sororities have the opportunity to show the world the character and contributions of women. Now is time to revolutionize the way women are perceived.