Greek life isn't all it's cracked up to be like in ABC Family's new TV show "Greek," according to some ASU students.
The show follows several college-aged characters through the ins and outs of pledging, rushing and participating in Greek organizations.
But some members of Greek organizations say the portrayal is a hyperbolic and over-played version of how life really is.
"The show operates in outdated stereotypes, such as excessive drinking and hazing," said Dave Breitman, vice president of public relations for the ASU
Interfraternity Council.
"Greek" portrays a lot of things that don't happen very often in Greek life, just as cop shows are over-dramatized versions of what cops experience day-to-day,
Breitman, a journalism senior, said.
"The show only shows the social aspect of Greek life, and doesn't focus much on the brotherhood and sisterhood involved in being part of a Greek organization," he said.
One such example of dramatic Greek life on the show features a sneaky sorority sister taking cell phone video footage of a friend and her beau "hooking up," and then sending the footage to another girl. Following episodes try to resolve who took and sent the footage.
Daniel Heard, president of the ASU National Panhellenic Council and a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., said that while each fraternity experience is different, the drama portrayed on the show is generally inaccurate.
"My experience in my fraternity is one of leadership, opportunities, networking and friendship," Heard, a mathematics senior, said.
The show overemphasizes the social aspect and does not put enough importance on the other aspects of being a member of a Greek organization, he said.
"The show portrays fraternity members as having to assimilate into a certain lifestyle, when in my personal experience, I was not changed by my organization, but I helped to change it," Heard said.
On the whole, the show is positive in that it publicizes Greek life and piques the interest in viewers, but is also negative in that the portrayal is not as accurate as it could be, he said.
Tri Delta Fraternity, which used to have a chapter at ASU, has been one of the more vocal Greek organizations to comment on the ABC Family show.
Michelle Shimberg, international president of Tri Delta, said that while "Greek" had entertainment value, the lives of the women portrayed on the show were not wholly indicative of the lives sorority girls lead today.
"Today, sorority women are campus leaders, they raise money, and they are involved in numerous organizations," Shimberg said. "Not until last week on the show was there even any indication of the people on the show even going to class."
While Tri Delta isn't protesting the show, they want students to know that Greek life is not all about binge drinking and risky sexual behavior, she said.
"Greek" airs Mondays on ABC Family at 9 p.m.
Reach the reporter at: amanda.chan@asu.edu.
