Recently, hating on sorority girls has become a trend. There are jokes everywhere criticizing and making fun of those sororities, their appearance, and their personalities. It wasn’t until I joined a sorority in college that I realized how not funny those jokes really are. I’ll be honest, before joining one, I laughed at them too and thought sororities were all the same and full of the same stereotypical girls. I fell into the trap that many people are still in. After joining, I realized how harmful and hateful those jokes really are.
The jokes may be funny to some, but in reality, they’re actually really misogynistic. It’s rooted in the same idea that young women cannot do anything without being made fun of. Try and think of something that girls can do without being criticized. Hard to think of something, right? Whether it be makeup, sports, fashion choices, or music artist preferences, anything that women find enjoyment in is made fun of from the moment it sparks interest.
Some stereotypes that go along with sororities are that they are filled with “basic girls.” This idea is extremely harmful to women who are in sororities or even thinking of joining one. Sororities are filled with independent women who run chapters by themselves. They are leaders in their own way and each chapter is filled with a variety of women in different majors, careers, and hobbies. Running a chapter takes responsibility and leadership.
Don’t get me wrong, there are many issues in Greek life. However, pinning these issues onto sorority girls as a whole is not the solution. Many women in sororities are survivors themselves and actively are trying to solve these problems in Greek life.
I cannot explain how many times people’s expressions have changed when I told them I’m in a sorority. I used to feel almost embarrassed to tell people that I’m in a sorority due to the initial reaction and judgments. I’ve contributed to the jokes while in a sorority that continues to perpetuate the idea of the same stereotypical girl. I’ve made fun of myself for the things I like to contribute to, like the battle against femininity and subscribing to the patriarchal system. Now, I realize that if they are going to make those judgments, then they don’t understand what being in a sorority means.
By making fun of sorority members, you’re negatively contributing to the ongoing fight against women’s oppression and inequality to men, whether you realize it or not. Women already have enough battles to fight, so let’s stop criticizing those who find connections with other women.
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